One of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, Kutaisi was capital of ancient Colchis, then of the unified Kingdom of Georgia from 1008 to 1122, and later the Kingdom of Imereti until 1810. It sits on the Rioni River in western Georgia, 221km from Tbilisi, with the 12th-century Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, on the hills above it. It briefly hosted Georgia's Parliament from 2012 to 2018. Wizz Air opened a base here in 2016, and Kutaisi International Airport now carries over 1.7 million passengers a year on more than 20 European routes, making it Georgia's cheapest way in rather than its most famous city.
Nights sit around 18°C and afternoons around 27°C, though some days reach 33°C.
Kutaisi has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 29°C, winter ones around 11°C.
Some summer days reach 36°C, and some winter nights drop below freezing.
It rains all year — about 1359 mm in total, from 145 mm in October down to 78 mm in August — so there is no dry stretch to aim for.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. The air stays clean through the year.
Days stretch to about 15.1 hours of light in June and shrink to 8.9 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Kutaisi are June – August. Expect decent internet (37.5 Mbps) and a moderate cost of living (about €900 a month).
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