A TRIP TO TBILISI IN JANUARY:

At the beginning of the month, the Georgian capital is still engulfed in folk festivities, which will continue until January 2, later turning into family celebrations for Christmas. In the middle of the month, the New Year’s Eve gets a second wind: the old-style celebration also includes New Year’s concerts, shopping towns, attractions and familiar fairy-tale characters. The rapid onset of darkness and bright illumination make Tbilisi in January more romantic than at any other time in the year. Numerous street fairs and bazaars, entertainment from restaurants and cafes, consisting of live music, folk singing, dancing and long toasts creates a soulful atmosphere. Cultural events for children in theaters and squares take them on a journey into a real fairy tale.

Noisy and family-friendly Trip:

Having opened up to European tourists, Georgia welcomes more and more foreign guests from among those who like to celebrate the New Year in a new place. As a rule, at this time travelers come to Tbilisi for a short vacation (for 3-4 days) to get a good mood for the whole next year. In addition to the external New Year’s attributes and attractions, they are attracted by the fact that the hot heart of the Georgian people accepts each guest as a child – with all the affection and care. In winter, the city is often a transit point on the way to new and inexpensive ski resorts in the country. Large crowds of people are observed on Freedom Square and the adjacent Rustaveli Avenue, Europe Square, Mtatsminda and Dedaena parks. Noisy street concerts and programs do not let anyone get bored. Freezing tourists are warmed by hot wine in the market stalls, hot Georgian hospitality, cuisine and chacha in various establishments and the famous Tiflis sulfur baths.

The advantages of the holiday are as follows:

• mild winter;
• romantic atmosphere, beautiful New Year and Christmas illumination;
• from January 1 to 7 – a special holiday week (to be continued on the Old New Year);
• start of winter sales.

There are practically no disadvantages, only the lack of snow prevents you from truly enjoying the winter city landscapes. Tourists leave nostalgic reviews about their holidays in Tbilisi in January. They often want to return to this city alone to experience and feel it to the depths of their souls.

Weather in Tbilisi in January:

A mild Georgian winter after a rare snowfall does not keep the snow cover on the ground for long. Thaws and return frosts replace each other. The weather in January is a combination of daytime temperatures above zero and cold nights. In February, it gets a little warmer during the day, but the frost doesn’t let up at night. The weather in early January is usually calm, snowless, with light frosts, and icy roads. The temperature in Tbilisi in mid-January rarely drops below 0 °C, it may rain or sleet, and the wind constantly changes direction. At the end of January, the weather in Tbilisi is usually characterized by high humidity, and cool, cloudy days begin.

Air and water temperature: The temperature in Tbilisi in January changes from plus to minus during the day and vice versa: at night, the strongest frost cools the air to -9 °C, and during the day the sun warms the atmosphere to +11 °C. The city’s climate is moderately continental, with a transition to the subtropical type in some parameters.

Air temperature in Tbilisi in January: The average daytime air temperature is +2.5 °C, and the nighttime temperature reaches -3 °C. The risk of severe frosts persists throughout the winter. The historical record was recorded in 1883 at -24.4 °C.

Precipitation: The low amount of precipitation in winter (15.4 mm) determines the winter months as the driest of the year. 26.6 days pass without precipitation, snowfall is observed on average for 3 days, and the number of rainy days is 1. The streets are very damp and humid without rain for less than a day.

Sunny, cloudy and overcast days: The sun shines in a clear sky 55% of the daytime, or 17 days per month. Cloudiness gives way to overcast for half of the month. The average daily number of sunny hours is a small interval (6.4 hours) with a daylight duration of about 10 hours.

Excursion vacation:

In terms of the number of cultural heritage sites, Tbilisi and Mtskheta are the undisputed leaders of the country. Any building is remarkable in itself. Different cultures and religions coexist on the same territory. In one place you can find Georgian Orthodox and Armenian churches, a mosque and a synagogue. The Tsminda Sameba Cathedral with 13 altars is grandiose, but was built not so long ago. The former fortress and residence of the Georgian kings, the Metekhi temple stands at the edge of the rocky bank of the Kura River. The oldest surviving temple is Anchiskhati. A view of the city opens from the top of the holy mountain Mtatsminda, which is reached by funicular. In winter, Father Frost lives here, in Georgian – Tovlis Babua.

New Year on Mount Mtatsminda is a concert, dinner and fireworks after midnight. Street musicians sing in the open air in summer, and in winter their singing can be heard from underground passages on Heroes’ Square, Pushkin Square, near the Rustaveli metro station, and near the Philharmonic. The Bridge of Peace, made of steel and glass by an Italian architect, connects the banks of the Kura from Rike Park to Irakli II Street and is beautifully illuminated in the dark. The Narikala Fortress is called the “heart and soul” of Tbilisi by locals. It is the most famous and ancient monument. A cable car takes you to it.

At the beginning of the month, a New Year’s town with a skating rink and children’s programs operates in Dedaena Park, next to the famous flea market on the Dry Bridge. At the end of the month, its territory is filled with small rollers and skaters.To buy gifts and souvenirs for Christmas, you can go to D. Agmashenebeli Avenue. All Russian-speaking children of Tbilisi gather at the Griboyedov Theater for the holidays to listen to the “New Christmas Tale”.

Other stages of the city also offer their interactive performances to young viewers. For example, guests follow the “roads of fairy tales” in Art Boom Ge on Rustaveli Avenue. Even one-year-olds enjoy visiting the Museum of Funny Sciences “Experimentorium” – an area open to any experiments. By agreement, magicians show tricks with nitrogen, chemical shows, illusions. In the middle of the month, the New Year’s program with gifts, quests and an exciting show smoothly comes to an end.

Holidays, events and festivals:

Holidays in Tbilisi in January are first secular, and then religious. The official January holidays in Georgia are New Year (January 1), Christmas (January 7) and Epiphany (January 19). The unofficial holiday on January 14 is known as the Old New Year. The New Year’s Eve in Tbilisi is celebrated as loudly as possible. Fireworks are organized not only by local authorities, but also by almost every family. The feast is accompanied by multiple changes of dishes, replenishment of wine and chacha in glasses and, of course, the famous Georgian polyphony. The “chichilaki” tree with “antennae” on a wooden stem, imitating the beard of St. Basil, must be burned before Epiphany, and its ashes must be scattered to get rid of the troubles and misfortunes of the past.

The day after the New Year (January 2) and the Old New Year (January 15) is the Day of Destiny, known to Georgians as Bedoba. It is on this date that luck for the coming year is determined. It depends on who is the first to cross the threshold of the house, on the environment, the positive behavior of family members, good mood, thoughts.

On January 7, you can see the festive Christmas procession “Alilo” on the streets of the city. It is attended by clergy, flock, students, schoolchildren and children. Every year they go door to door, collect gifts to give to orphans and children from poor families. Families and young people gather in various establishments to eat and dance national dances that many know. The Feast of the Epiphany, or Theophany, has a strong tradition of mass baptism of infants. The Georgian Patriarch baptizes every third child of parents who were married in the church. He is the godfather of the children, the number of which already reaches almost 31 thousand. The event can be observed in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Tsminda Sameba. Traditional bathing is organized in certain places on the Kura River. At the end of the month, the international Art Folk Fest – Winter festival is held in Tbilisi and Bakuriani to popularize Georgian and world folklore. Participants present folk and modern dances, solo or ensemble songs, romances, folklore arts and crafts (exhibitions).

Shopping:

Tbilisi shopping includes buying carpets, traditional Georgian souvenirs and jewelry, as well as delicious food and drinks. The city railway station is home to the Gold Exchange, a small market selling new and used jewelry. Traditional Georgian jewelry is made using the minankari jewelry technique. Original pieces are several times more expensive than Thai fakes, and they are handmade. In euros, a cloisonné enamel item is valued at 10–25 euros. Pileless handmade carpets called “pardagi” are knitted by folk craftsmen on simple wooden looms. They are dyed mainly with natural dyes (from walnut partitions, chamomile, onion peel, etc.). The price of this painstaking work is not small, starting at 35 euros. Clay vessels “kvevri” and “ketsi” allow you to repeat the original taste of wine and Georgian cuisine. The cost of a light frying pan “ketsi” for roasting is about 3 euros. Various antiques, sculptures, paintings can be purchased at the flea market, on the Dry Bridge. In souvenir shops there are interesting examples of daggers, sabers, knives, which are sold at a price of 8 euros, wine horns cost from 30 euros. From food, tourists take home lemonades, mineral water, wine and chacha, spices and sauces, cheeses, churchkhela.

Holiday prices:

Prices in Tbilisi in January are oriented towards the possibilities of a wealthy middle-class tourist. Compared to Batumi, there is a higher rent for housing, more expensive food in restaurants, and prices for food in supermarkets, on the contrary, are lower.

Tours: Tours in January tend not to become more expensive, but to become cheaper. Tourists can save from a few percent to half the cost of a December tour. The following month again shows a price increase for tour packages (by 8%).

Hotels: During the New Year and Christmas holidays, hotels charge the highest rates for accommodation, sometimes inflating the cost of a room three times. Their increase is also observed in the penultimate week of the month. In February, the downward trend leads to the lowest average annual prices per room per night.

Flight: Air flights in winter are slightly more expensive than in other seasons, but, in general, ticket prices remain stable throughout the year. Their level in January is 7% higher than the average annual price and several percent higher than the price level in December and February.

Food, transport, excursions:

An average lunch for two in a restaurant is relatively inexpensive and costs up to 20 euros, and a cup of cappuccino in a cafe – up to 2 euros. A ticket for public transport costs about 0.2 euros. A taxi ride costs a maximum of 1.45 euros (start) plus 0.25 euros for each kilometer. The cost of city tours varies from 15 to 120 euros.

Recommendations for holidays with children:

When traveling to Georgia in winter, you can set any goals for your holiday, except for swimming in open water. All you need is warm clothes and good waterproof shoes in case of slush underfoot. When settling in a private sector, it is important to find out what kind of heating system they have. In cafes and restaurants, look for dishes of national Georgian cuisine adapted for children, without the addition of red pepper and other hot spices. Parents and non-smoking adults should also take into account the great passion of Georgians for smoking in public places.

Tbilisi will be of interest to teenagers, because it is well updated and reconstructed. The buildings and structures embody original design ideas, there are good amusement parks, a skate park, interactive museums, theaters with performances for young spectators. The squares are paved, which makes it easier to walk with baby carriages in the lowlands, and the tourist infrastructure is thought out to the smallest detail. The New Year’s illumination on Shota Rustaveli Avenue is impressive: it takes the breath away of all the city’s guests.

We recommends that families with children over 6 years old devote at least a week of vacation to Tbilisi during its brightest holiday period, one day to excursions around the city of Mtskheta, and a few more days to entertainment on the snowy peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. Mild weather and low prices will have a positive effect on the holiday mood. If you are looking for new ideas for a winter vacation, then a trip to the capital of Georgia in January is something that will bring spiritual pleasure, gastronomic and physical enjoyment.