The short answer: winter is a good time for Tbilisi if you like cities. It is mild by northern European standards, with January daytime highs around 7 °C and nights near or just below freezing, and snow in town is occasional rather than normal [1]. The Old Town is quiet, the sulphur baths make sense, the museums and wine bars are warm, and from mid-December the city puts up its New Year lights and markets [2]. Several classic day trips work all winter, and the snow at Gudauri is about two hours away.
The sulphur baths
This is the season they were made for. The brick domes of Abanotubani, below Narikala, sit over natural hot springs. Book a private room with its own hot pool, usually for an hour; prices are roughly 100–200 GEL per room per hour, depending on the bathhouse and the room, and weekends and evenings fill up, so book ahead. A scrub (kisi) from an attendant is extra and worth trying once. Our guide to the sulphur baths explains how it works.
Museums for a cold day
- Georgian National Museum (Simon Janashia Museum) on Rustaveli Avenue: archaeology from across Georgia, and the Treasury with its gold from ancient Colchis (separate ticket). Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00; closed Mondays, like most museums in Georgia [3].
- Art galleries: the National Gallery on Rustaveli Avenue shows Georgian painting, including Niko Pirosmani.
- Smaller museums in the Old Town and Sololaki fill an hour between lunch and the baths.
Check opening days before you plan: Monday is the usual closing day across the city.
The Old Town without the crowds
Winter is the quietest time to walk the Old Town: Metekhi church above the river, the cable car from Rike Park to Narikala fortress, Sioni Cathedral and the lanes around Shardeni Street. Clear, cold days give the widest views from Narikala, sometimes to the snow on the Caucasus. The cable car runs shorter hours in winter and stops in high wind [4]; cobbles and steps can be icy, so wear shoes with grip. See our guide to Narikala and the cable car.
Food, wine and warm rooms
- Wine bars: Tbilisi's natural-wine bars are at their cosiest in winter, and the autumn's new wine is ready to taste. Ask for amber (skin-contact) wine from qvevri.
- Winter food: this is the season for bean lobio in clay pots, kharcho, khinkali and hot khachapuri straight from the oven.
- Fasting menus: from late November until Christmas on 7 January, many Georgians keep the Nativity fast, so plant-based dishes are easy to find. See vegetarian and vegan food in Georgia.
Markets
- Dezerter Bazaar, near the central station: the city's big food market, with the cheese hall, pickles, spices, churchkhela and dried fruit. It is largely indoors, so it works in any weather.
- The Dry Bridge market: antiques, Soviet badges, old cameras, paintings and craft. It is outdoors and thinner on cold, wet days.
- New Year markets: in the 2025/26 season the main festive market filled Orbeliani Square from 12 December into mid-January, with food stalls, mulled Saperavi, crafts and an ice rink; there was a smaller food market in Dedaena Park, and lights ran down Rustaveli Avenue from Freedom Square [2]. Expect something similar in 2026/27.
The holidays
New Year's Eve is the biggest night of the year, with fireworks over the whole city at midnight and long family suppers. Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January, when the Alilo processions of clergy, choirs and children in costume walk through the centre. Some shops and restaurants close on 1–2 January and 7 January; book restaurants for New Year's Eve well ahead. For dates and customs, see Christmas and New Year in Georgia.
Day trips that work in winter
- Mtskheta: Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, 30 minutes away. A half day, easily combined with Château Mukhrani's cellars.
- Kakheti: cellars, tastings and long lunches carry on all winter. When the Gombori pass is icy, drivers take the lower Sagarejo road.
- Uplistsikhe and Gori: on the lowland road west, away from the high passes; Uplistsikhe's bare rock is slippery when wet or icy.
- David Gareja: the Lavra is open; the Udabno monastery on the ridge above is closed or unpredictable.
- Gudauri: about 2–2.5 hours up the Military Highway for skiing, snowshoeing or just a day in the snow.
- Kazbegi: beautiful in snow, but the Jvari Pass (2,379 m) can close for hours or 1–3 days after heavy snow. Keep it flexible and never the day before your flight.
Days are short in December and January, so start day trips early. For the wider country in winter, read Georgia in winter: is it worth it?
What to pack
A warm coat, hat, gloves and scarf are enough for the city. Add waterproof shoes with grip, and proper mountain layers if Gudauri or Kazbegi are on the plan. Travel insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover has been mandatory for visitors since 1 January 2026; check it covers winter sports if you ski.
Who winter in Tbilisi suits
City-breakers, food and wine lovers, and anyone who prefers museums and baths to heat and queues. It suits a short break well, especially around New Year. It doesn't suit a trip built around mountain hiking; for that, come from June to September.
Tbilisi in winter with us
Our tours are private and run all year. The private Tbilisi city tour walks the Old Town with the cable car to Narikala, and we can book you a private sulphur-bath room for the end of it. The Tbilisi food and wine walk is a warm evening of bakery, khinkali and natural wine. For a longer trip, the Georgia in Winter tour, 6 days combines Tbilisi, a night in Kakheti and two nights at Gudauri. See each tour page for the current price, or plan your own winter trip and we send a private itinerary with a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Climates to Travel, "Tbilisi climate": climatestotravel.com
- Wander-Lush, "Christmas in Tbilisi: markets, lights and New Year traditions": wander-lush.org
- Georgia Travel, "The National Museum of Georgia": georgia.travel
- Wander-Lush, "Tbilisi Public Transport Guide": wander-lush.org
Last checked: September 2026. Festive market dates are announced each December; the Kazbegi road closes at short notice after snow.
