Central Asia and the Caucasus is at its most widely pleasant from May to mid June, when most of its destinations are comfortable for being outside. Below, the best places for each month, and every country’s own seasons, across nine countries and 13 destinations. In three months nowhere here rates Good.
Where to go, month by month
For each month, the best places in Central Asia and the Caucasus for being outside, for sun at the seaside and for walking, read at midday and spread across the region. Each name opens the map there, in the middle of that month, on that rating.
- January — nowhere here rates Good for being outside, sun or walking.
- February — nowhere here rates Good for being outside, sun or walking.
- March — Walking: Osh, Telavi.
- April — Being outside: Osh. Walking: Telavi, Osh.
- May — Being outside: Qazmalar, Osh. Walking: Batumi, Bishkek.
- June — Being outside: Dilijan, Bishkek. Walking: Borjomi.
- July — Being outside: Dilijan. Sun: Batumi. Walking: Borjomi.
- August — Being outside: Dilijan. Sun: Batumi.
- September — Being outside: Osh, Telavi. Walking: Dilijan, Bishkek.
- October — Being outside: Batumi. Walking: Osh, Tbilisi.
- November — Walking: Batumi.
- December — nowhere here rates Good for being outside, sun or walking.
Country by country
Each country’s main season, where most of its cities agree. “Varies by place” means no stretch suits most of the country at once; its own guide splits it up.
| Country | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | late Mar to early May | Aug to early Sep | late Feb to early Apr |
| Armenia | late May to Sep | varies by place | mid Apr to early Jul |
| Azerbaijan | May to early Jun | mid Jun to early Jul | late Sep to mid Nov |
| Georgia | May to mid Jun | Aug | Apr to May |
| Kazakhstan | Jun | varies by place | Sep |
| Kyrgyzstan | late Apr to mid Jun | mid Jun to mid Aug | late Mar to mid May |
| Tajikistan | late Apr to mid May | mid to late Aug | Oct to early Nov |
| Turkmenistan | Apr to early May | mid Aug to early Sep | Mar to mid Apr |
| Uzbekistan | mid Apr to May | Aug | mid Mar to mid Apr |
The best-known places
The most-visited places with a guide of their own, and each one’s main season. Each season opens the map at its peak.
| Place | Country | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi | Georgia | late Apr to mid Jun | Aug | Apr to May |
| Batumi | Georgia | May to Jun | late Jun to Aug | Oct to mid Dec |
| Yerevan | Armenia | mid Sep to mid Oct | at best fair | late Sep to mid Nov |
| Baku | Azerbaijan | May to mid Jun | mid Jun to Jul | Apr to May |
| Tashkent | Uzbekistan | mid Apr to May | Jun to early Jul | late Sep to early Nov |
| Almaty | Kazakhstan | mid Aug to Sep | Jul to early Aug | late Mar to mid May |
| Kutaisi | Georgia | Sep to mid Oct | Aug | late Sep to mid Nov |
| Bishkek | Kyrgyzstan | late Apr to mid Jun | mid Jun to early Aug | late Mar to mid May |
| Dushanbe | Tajikistan | early to mid Oct | mid Aug to early Sep | Oct to early Nov |
| Ashgabat | Turkmenistan | Apr to mid May | mid Aug to mid Sep | Oct to mid Nov |
Rankings for Central Asia and the Caucasus
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, read at midday local solar time. Places are the region’s towns and cities that draw visitors, and for sun its seaside holiday places. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors; a place is named for a month when it rates Good or better across the whole month.