DAY 1 Arrival in Yerevan
Arrival at the Zvartnots airport. Transfer to the hotel. Support in check in
Overnight in Yerevan.
DAY 2 Yerevan city tour/Etchmiadzin/Zvartnots (90 km)
In the morning meet your tour director and start city tour around Yerevan. Visit Tsitsernakaberd Memorial park and museum of the victims of Genocide. Drive to Echmiadzin which is about 20 km from Yerevan. On the way visit to St Hripsime church which is considered to be one of the 7 wonders of Armenia. Return to Yerevan with stop at the ruins of Zvartnots temple - the pearl of the 7th c. architecture which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage.
Overnight in Yerevan.
DAY 3 Yerevan/Khor Virap/Areni/Noravank/Yerevan (250 km)
Sightseeing tour to Khor-Virap monastery the importance of which is connected with Gregory the Illuminator, who introduced Christianity to Armenia and is considered to be the first Armenian Catholicos. Continue tour to Noravank monastery - religious and cultural centre of 12th c. On the way visit a great Areni wine factory to taste local wine made from special sorts of vines. Drive back to the capital city.
Overnight in Yerevan.
DAY 4 Yerevan/Garni/Geghard/Yerevan (80 km)
Departure to Garni Temple. The citadel and pagan temple of Garni is a picturesque monument of the Hellenistic period and an impressive piece of ancient Armenian architecture. Northeast of Garni, higher up the gorge of the Azat river, there is a magnificent monument of medieval Armenian architecture - Geghard monastery inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage list. Return back to Yerevan. Free time.
Overnight in Yerevan.
Optional visits:
Matenadaran: - depositary of manuscript that contains historical documents from all over Europe and Asia throughout many centuries. There is also the first copy of the Bible in Armenian and the Gospels that fascinate with their beautiful miniatures.
Parajanov Museum: - One of the best museums in Yerevan, it is small and idiosyncratic, the would-be final home of famed Soviet filmmaker Sergei Parajanov (1924-1990). The museum is famous for artist’s fine collages that attract almost all its guests.
Ararat Brandy Factory: - The production of Armenian brandy can be traced to 1887, when an upper guild merchant named Nerses Tairyants built the country’s first combined winery and distillery on the site of the former fortress of Yerevan. While the tours the t visitors are offered to visit the museum of the factory. Screen –tour in the world of legendary Armenian Brandy is in the video hall.
DAY 5 Yerevan/Lake Sevan/Dilijan/Haghpat/Meeting at Sadakhlo border/Tbilisi (340 km)
Early departure from Yerevan to Lake Sevan. About 70 miles north of Yerevan sits Lake Sevan the largest alpine in the world. Drive to Dilijan which is one of the famous resort areas in Armenia. People say, "If Paradise had mountains, woods, and mineral springs, it would be just like Dilijan". Continue tour to the architectural complex of Haghpat (966 AD) which is among the outstanding works of medieval Armenian architecture and is inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage list. Drive to Armenian –Georgian border Sadachlo. Border formalities. Guide and transport change. Transfer to Tbilisi.
Overnight in Tbilisi.
DAY 6 Tbilisi - Mtskheta tour (100km)
Drive to Mtskheta (UNESCO Heritage Site), an ancient capital of the Georgian Kingdom from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. Jvari Monastery (6th c. ); Svetitskhoveli Cathedral built in the 11th century. Drive back to Tbilisi. We will visit the Old Tbilisi Sulfur Baths, Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Gregorian churches, and a Jewish synagogue and a Turkish mosque side by side, reflecting Tbilisi's acceptance and tolerance of different religions. We can also see a recent monument, the Tbilisi Sameba Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the
Caucasus. Tour includes following sights: Metekhi Church is erected on the cliff, overlooking the Mtkvari River. There is a statue of King Vakhtang Gorgaslani, founder of Tbilisi, in front of the church. The church dates back to the 12th century and has a diverse history, connected with Mongol invasions and political repressions of the Soviet Empire. The colorful Darejani Palace is also situated on the cliff, like the nest of a swallow. The Sulfur Baths are located in Old Tbilisi, on the other side of the river, opposite Darejani Palace. Tbilisi was named after the natural Sulphur springs. The Orthodox Narikala St. Nikolas Church is in the same district. The church is furnished with frescoed portraits of martyrs and scenes from the Bible. It is wrapped in a defensive Narikala fortress, established in the fourth century. We can walk up the stairs of the fortress and overlook Tbilisi. Walk down the path from the hill and on cobbled Leselidze Street, we come across the 13th century Armenian St George Church and a Jewish synagogue with an elegant facade. On the opposite side of the street is Sioni Church, leading to the bank of the Mtkvari. Here you discover Shardeni Street with its fashionable cozy cafes and art galleries. Walking we will com across the Anchiskhati church, the oldest church in Tbilisi keeping the miraculous icon of Jesus Christ. Finally the tour takes you to Rustaveli Avenue, where attractions such as the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Parliament, Rustaveli Theatre, different art galleries and cafes will draw your attention and provide a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Drive to Open Air Ethnographic Museum, place, where are built all kinds of Georgian national old country-houses and castles (entrance fee: USD 1, 70).
Overnight in Tbilisi.
DAY 7 Tbilisi/Telavi/Sighnaghi/Tbilisi (250km)
After breakfast drive to east Georgia. Today we make Wine tasting Tour in Kakheti region. We’ll visit Tsinandali Wine cellar and Al. Chavchavadze house museum (entrance fee: from USD 3 to USD 12, with 6 sorts of wine tasting). Sightseeing tour of Telavi. It’s the main city and administrative center of Kakheti. First archaeological findings from Telavi date back to Bronze Age. Excursion to the residence of the King Erekle the II (entrance fee: USD 1, 70). Alaverdi Monastery, date back to the 6th century. The present day surviving cathedral is part of an 11th century Georgian Orthodox monastery. Visit Gremi, the 16th century architectural monument – the royal citadel and the Church of the Archangels – in Kakheti. Afterwards visit Bodbe monastery. On June 1, Orthodox Church of Georgia marks the day of St. Nino’s entrance from Cappadocia. Her tomb is still shown at the Bodbe Monastery in Kakheti region. St. Nino has become one of the most venerated saints of the Georgian Orthodox Church and her attribute, a Grapevine cross, is a symbol of Georgian Christianity. Afterwards drive to Sighnaghi, Love town. Sighnaghi town-museum is one of the smallest ones in Georgia. Sighnaghi is famous of wine and traditional carpets. Drive back to Tbilisi. Overnight in Tbilisi.
DAY 8 Tbilisi/Gori/Tbilisi (160km)
After breakfast drive to Gori. The city was founded by one of the greatest kings of Georgia, David the Builder (1089–1125). On the way visit Samtavisi, an 11th century Georgian Orthodox cathedral. The first monastery on this place was founded by the Assyrian missionary Isidore in 572 and later rebuilt in the 10th century. Visit The Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori (entrance fee: USD 6). Afterwards visit Uplistsikhe (entrance fee: USD 1, 70), "the lord's fortress", which is an ancient rock-hewn town in eastern Georgia. Built on a high rocky left bank of Mtkvari River, it contains various structures dating from the 2nd ML BC to the Late Middle Ages, and is notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures. Back to Tbilisi.
Overnight in Tbilisi.
Optional visits:
National restaurant in Tbilisi with folk program.
Folk theatre “Nabadi”
DAY 9 Tbilisi /Kazbegi/Tbilisi (300km)
After breakfast drive to Kazbegi. A stunning drive from Gudauri along the Tergi River will bring us to Kazbegi – the main town in the region. On the way we pass Ananuri Castle and Jinvaly water reservoir of amazing beauty. From Kazbegi a leisurely 1. 5 hour walk up through beautiful valleys and woodland leads us to Gergeti Trinity Church located at 2170m. Weather permitting you may catch a glimpse of one of the highest glaciers in the
Caucasus – Mt Kazbegi (5047m). We walk back to the town and before returning to Gudauri drive to Dariali Gorge. (NOTE: to drive to Dariali Gorge or Trinity Church we need 4X4 cars, and in case of the group travel, when group is travelling by bus, we can rent 4X4 cars on the spot and price is USD 15 per person to drive both sights). From Gudauri we drive to Tbilisi. En route visit village and see how locals make different hand made things (thick felt, embroidery, iconographic painting). Drive back to Tbilisi.
Overnight in Tbilisi.
DAY 10 Red Bridge to Ganja (150km/2hours)
Historical-architectural complex in the city center of Ganja, 2minarets cathedral of Shah Abbas Meshedy, the mausoleum of the last Ganja khan Javad khan, a medieval bath «Chyokjak to Boors», mausoleum of Nizami Ganjavi, visiting the Christian-Alban temple Agvan church and Christian- orthodox temple of Alexander Nevsky. The excursion program in the former German colony of Helenendorf, acquaintance with architecture of ancient apartment houses and public buildings of the former colonists-settlers from Baden-Vjurtenberg province, survey of Lutheran church. Visiting the winery (Whenever possible).
Overnight in Ganja.
DAY 11 Ganja/Sheki (180km/2, 5 hours)
Sheki is one of the most famous and ancient places of Azerbaijan. Situated 700 m (2297 ft. ) above sea level like an amphitheatre surrounded by the mountains and forests of oak trees, this ancient city was long famed as a silk centre and an important stop on the Great Silk Route. There is an assumption that the name of the town goes back to the ethnonym of the Saks, who reached the territory of Azerbaijan in the 7th century BC. We’ll start our Sheki tour from visiting the 18th century Khan's summer palace with magnificent frescos and exquisite stained glass work. Sheki History museum is famous with artifacts from several periods. Also visit the Albanian church located in Kish village. Legend says that the church was built in 78 AD, but the researchers place it a few centuries later.
Overnight in Sheki.
DAY 12 Sheki/Baku (300km/5hours) the stop in the forest for tea drinking on the way
The tour begins with the visiting of the Flag Area. The Flag Area is opened in 2010 year and is famous for the highest flagstaff in the world. The height of the flagstaff is 162 meters. The general weight of the construction is 220 tones. The width of the flag is 35 meters, the length is 70metres, and the weight is nearly 350 kg. on 29 of may in 2010 it was put to the book of Guinness records, that the flagstaff of the state flag of Azerbaijan is the highest in the world. Then follows the visiting of the old city *Icheri sheher-the inner city*. Icheri sheher means the inner city. It was called the inner after the oil boom of the middle of the XIX century when the city stopped to hold in defense walls and left its limit. Several tens of the historical- architectural monuments at the same time the Shirvanshakhs Palace, the symbol of Baku city The Maiden Tower, the place of merchants rest Karavansaray are concentrated in the Icheri sheher, with the square of 22 hectares. Icheri sheher is the live organism which has its own infrastructure and inhabited files. The place where 1300 families are living. In a word it is an ancient city in the modern city. Evening walk along the central streets of the city and updated fountain square, shopping.
Overnight in Baku.
DAY 13 Baku/Gobustan/Absheron Peninsula
Excursion to art- historical reserve Gobustan, where the petroglyphic drawings, barrows and housing objects have been remained which are dated from X – VIII centuries B. C. up to average centuries. The certificates of the Stone Age citizens and another periods, petroglyphic drawings, the human parking and the gravestone monuments are concentrated in Gobustan. Not far from there is *gavan chalan dash* is original tambourine-stone, like a huge flat wise plate. Rhythmical accurate motives could be taken from it by the percussion. It is considered that ritual dancing’s and ceremonies were accompanied by these sounds. The visiting of Gobustan will transfer you to another world, the world of the past mankind and will let you to feel the atmosphere of the thousand-year history of this place. Visiting the temple of the fire worshippers Atasgah and burning mountain *Yanar dag*. Atashgah means the House of Fire, place of fire. The territory of this temple is known for unique nature phenomenon as the burning exits of the natural gas. The temple of fire is of the main places where the ancient supporters of Zoroaster religion worshipped there to the fire. In The museum complex Atashgah you will be told about the life way Zaraustra worshippers and also about the traditions and the customs which they adhered. Excursion to Yanar Dag. You can see here nature phenomenon, incessant burning nature gas on the rock which named to the Yanar Dag reserve the burning rock. As the historians say, maybe this place gave the name *the fire country* to Azerbaijan.
Overnight in Baku.
DAY 14 Transfer to the airport. Departure home
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