Do you want to meet "snow grandfather" Tovlis Babua? Come to Georgia for the new 2021! Find out where and how to celebrate the holiday, what the weather is like, prices for tours and hotels. Bonus - reviews and advice from tourists.
Weather in Georgia for New Year
Due to the influence of the Black Sea, winters are quite mild. The number of sunny and cloudy days is approximately the same. The mountainous part of the country has a stable snow cover. The temperature in Gudauri is kept at around -5 ° С, and here it is rarely below -15 ° С.
There is usually no snow in Tbilisi for the winter holidays. The temperature in the daytime is +2 ... - 4 ° С, and at night - 5 ° С. It is even warmer in the resorts of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. In Batumi, the air warms up to +9 ... + 10 ° С, and cools down to + 4 ° С at night. The sea is too cold for swimming + 10 ... + 11 ° С, so choose a hotel with an indoor pool and heated water.
Where to celebrate the New Year in Georgia
The choice of a place to celebrate depends on tastes and financial possibilities. Some tourists like to spend their winter holidays in the mountains, while others prefer the seaside.
Tbilisi. Before the onset of holidays, the streets of the capital are decorated with elegant illumination, and sales are organized in shops and shopping centers. The festivities begin on December 31st. Tbilisi residents and guests of the city flood Mtatsminda Park and Freedom Square.
Visit the "New Year's Villages" on Rustaveli Avenue - there is the main Christmas tree and fairs. Walk through the historical part of Tbilisi, admire the ancient fortresses and cathedrals, and visit the Abanotubani bath complex.
Sea resorts. In the height of winter, spreading palms and cypresses turn Batumi into a stylish green resort. The festive capital of Adjara is full of different colors. Indoor and outdoor concerts are held free of charge with participation of Georgian and foreign artists.
In Batumi, wander along the Marine Boulevard, admire the dark expanse of the sea and the snow-capped caps of the Caucasus Mountains. The city has many interesting monuments, ancient churches and museums. If you want to celebrate the holiday in a secluded atmosphere, go to Kobuleti, Ureki, Gonio or Kvariati.
Winter recreation centers. During the New Year holidays, there are many guests at all ski resorts in Georgia. In Gudauri, Bakuriani, Goderdzi, Khatsvali and Tetnuldi New Year's programs and instructor shows are organized for tourists, and noisy banquets are held in cafes and restaurants.
How New Year is celebrated in Georgia
Akhali Targets, or New Year is one of the favorite holidays of Georgians. They are happy to decorate an unusual New Year tree - chichilaki and arrange a rich feast. How can you be happy next year if you don't taste amazingly delicious Georgian dishes? For guests cook fried pig, satsivi, eggplant rolls with nuts, nadugi, as well as bake khachapuri and lobiani.
Georgians drink a lot of wine, make intricate toasts and perform the drinking song "Mravaljamier" in traditional polyphony. A beautiful hymn to longstanding and prosperity is sung in homes, churches, on the streets of cities and towns.
Comes to tourists for a holiday Tovlis Babua - Santa Claus. He was born in high-mountainous Svaneti, therefore he is dressed in a burka, a Svan hat or a headdress made of sheepskin - papanaki. The winter wizard has a long dagger and brings a large khurjini decorated with bells. This is a bag containing gifts for guests: churchkhela, dried fruits, sweets and nuts boiled in honey - gozinaki. But the snow grandfather has no granddaughter!
During a New Year's holiday in Georgia, tourists get acquainted with the cult mekvle... This is the name of the guest who is the first to cross the threshold of the house on a festive night. According to legend, he brings wealth or misfortune to the house. For everything to go well, prudent Georgians invite a successful and successful person to the celebration in advance, or give the role of mekvle to the oldest representative of the family.
On New Year's in Georgia, the doors of houses are wide open for all guests. No one goes to sleep, and fireworks and fireworks are fired everywhere.
Holidays are not limited to one day. On the second of January, Bedoba or the Day of Destiny is celebrated here. There is a belief that as a person happens to spend this day, so will his year. For everything to succeed, Georgians prefer to have fun with their families carefree.
Tourists love to celebrate the holiday in restaurants. Everywhere, a banquet with a New Year's menu, live music and dancing is organized for guests. The evening is hosted by the toastmaster, and visitors will find a lot of fun and competitions.
What to do during the holidays
Parents with children and youth companies like holidays in Georgia for the New Year. Tourists come here to get acquainted with colorful national traditions and see Georgian sights.
Excursions. Local travel agencies offer affordable prices for the New Year in Georgia. The cost of one-day excursions is $ 50-100. Trips to the old capital of Georgia - the city of Mtskheti and the wine-making Kakheti are popular among vacationers. Many people like excursions to ancient monasteries and temples.
Look for author's interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster sites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Rest in Borjomi. In a picturesque gorge, there is one of the most popular Georgian health centers - the city of Borjomi. It is surrounded by mountain peaks and forests. In addition to drinking healing mineral water, at the resort you can see the ancient cave monastery of Vardzia and take a walk in the national park.
Leisure. Those who want adventure seek to get to the winter resorts of Georgia to go skiing and snowboarding during the holidays. They also fly paragliding and take part in heli-tours.
Gastronomic tourism. Each region of Georgia has its own traditions and celebrates the main holiday of the year in its own way. In Tusheti, animals are baked in winter. In Khevsureti, pies of fate are prepared for each guest and family member, and in Kakheti they make delicious sweet nazuki bread.
Khinkali, honey and fruits are served in Pshavi. Housewives from the Meskheti-Javakheti region bake Basil pies in honor of St. Basil and decorate them with a beard made of dough and eyes made of nuts. Residents of Guria and Samegrelo love to meet New Year's celebrations with pelamushi - a tender pudding made from grape juice, pieces of baked pumpkin and corn porridge with cheese - gomi.
Prices for tours to Georgia for the New Year - 2021
From different cities of Russia, you can go on tours for the new year 2021 to Georgia. Trips for 3-5 days with excursions are popular among tourists. A four-day trip for two in Tbilisi costs from 23 thousand rubles, and in Batumi - from 19 thousand. The cost of the excursion tour includes transfer from the airport and back, three-day hotel accommodation, breakfasts and excursions.
A week-long tour for two for the New Year with a flight from Moscow to Tbilisi costs from 84 thousand rubles, in Bakuriani - from 94 thousand rubles, and in Gudauri - from 125 thousand rubles. The cost of vouchers includes air tickets, transfer and accommodation in a 3 * hotel with breakfast.
Hotels in Georgia
There are large hotel complexes, hotels and guesthouses in every Georgian city and resort village, so there are no problems with the accommodation of tourists anywhere. True, a lot of people come to Georgia for New Year's holidays, therefore, compared to the low season, prices are going up.
The cost of a double room in hotels of different categories in popular tourist cities on New Year's Eve:
| City | Tbilisi | Batumi | Borjomi | Kutaisi |
| Guesthouse | 20$ | 15$ | 13$ | 10$ |
| Hotel 1 * | 20$ | 25$ | 20$ | 20$ |
| Hotel 2 * | 30$ | 30$ | 25$ | 25$ |
| Hotel 3 * | 35$ | 35$ | 50$ | 30$ |
| Hotel 4 * | 50$ | 55$ | 55$ | 60$ |
| Hotel 5 * | 220$ | 200$ | 160$ | 150$ |
Acceptable prices for the new year 2021 in Georgia - in the private sector. The owners of apartments and cottages are always ready to provide comfortable and inexpensive accommodation for tourists. In addition, it is not difficult to negotiate hot meals with them.A furnished apartment with all amenities in Georgian cities can be rented for 900-1500 rubles, and a house for 5-8 guests - for 1300-2000 rubles per day.
Reviews about holidays for New Year in Georgia
According to reviews, for most tourists the New Year in Georgia has left a very pleasant experience. pros recreation:
- You can fly from Moscow to Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi in just 2-2.5 hours.
- Beautiful nature and famous Georgian hospitality will appeal to all travelers.
- Georgians celebrate the holidays in a colorful and cheerful manner and arrange many New Year's programs for tourists.
- Winter holidays in this country are spent in different ways - in the city, on the seaside, in ski centers and in balneological resorts.
- Each region has interesting sights and excursions, so that vacationers do not have to be bored.
Disadvantages Little:
- In winter, it often rains and fogs at seaside resorts.
- In the cold season, most of the roads in the mountains are covered with snow, and it is unsafe to drive on them.
Advice for those who want to celebrate the new year 2021 in Georgia:
- If you book a hotel room in advance and purchase air tickets, then an independent trip to Georgia will be much cheaper than buying a ready-made tour.
- When renting a private home, check how the heating system works. A room heated only by an oil cooler is usually cold.
- If you are planning to enter Georgia from Vladikavkaz through the Cross Pass, check in advance about the avalanche situation. After heavy snowfalls, the mountain road is closed for any transport for several days.
- In the middle of winter, there is a gusty cold wind in Georgia, so do not forget about a headdress, warm clothes and shoes.
