ARMENIA AND GEORGIA 2

Arrival at Zvartnots International Airport. Transfer to the hotel by our representative and check in.

Our Yerevan City tour starts with a visit to Mother Armenia Statue which is the famous victory Memorial of World War II. Here, you can have a panoramic view to Yerevan and biblical Ararat Mountain. Besides, we can visit the military museum underneath the huge statue of Mother Armenia.

During the tour we will visit the Cascade complex, famous for being one of the tourist attraction sites and holding many modern art pieces. The complex has a giant stairway made of limestone; it links the downtown area of Yerevan with the Monument neighborhood. Continue our journey to Northern Avenue with a stop at State Opera and Ballet theatre. The Avenue is well known as the home of luxurious residential buildings, high-end branded shops & restaurants.

Our next stop will be The Republic Square. It is the central town square in Yerevan. Tourists are advised to visit it at nights to enjoy the dancing fountains. Our last stop will be in Vernissage, the famous flea-market in Yerevan. Visiting this market is a great chance to learn about the Armenian traditional handmade arts and buying souvenirs.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel, departure to Aragatsotn province. Our first visit will be Saghmosavank, monastery of the Psalms,it is a 13th-century Armenian monastery located in the village of Saghmosavan. The monastery is situated on top of a magnificent gorge carved by Kasakh river. From here, we might have a unique view to both Ararat & Aragats mountains.

Continue to the Armenian alphabet monument where we can have memorable pictures with the first letters of our names. These Armenian letters are built by big stones and the monument was opened in 2005 to celebrate the 1600 anniversary of inventing the Armenian alphabet in 405 AD.  

Our next stops will be Amberd Fortress, a 10th-century fortress located 2,300 meters above sea level, on the slopes of Mountain Aragats. The name translates to “fortress in the clouds” in Armenian. The trip continues to Lake Kari, this little mountainous lake is located 3,200 m above sea level and looks like a small hole adjacent to the four tops of mountain Aragats. The area is visited by many locals during summertime, due to its fresh air, to eat one of the Armenian traditional foods.

Back and Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel, A short drive will take us to Etchmiadzin religious city. Historically, Etchmiadzin was called Vagharshapat, it was one of the ancient Armenian capitals.

Visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral (world heritage site since 2000), the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, it was the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia between 303-307 AD

Significant relics and remains of different saints are kept in a special museum in the Cathedral.

On our way back to Yerevan we will visit the ruins of the 7th century Zvartnots Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Continue our tour to visit The Armenian Genocide memorial and museum. This was the first genocide of the 20^th century and aimed to leave one Armenian man to put him in a museum. Here, you will discover how Armenians resurrected again and have beaten death.

Our last stop is the famous Ararat Brandy Factory where we will taste the finest Armenian brandy.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel, a short drive will take you to Gari Pagan Temple.

The only standing Hellenistic style pagan temple in the whole Caucasus and the Armenian historic highland. Here, we will feel the depth of the history and culture. This temple was a genuine witness of the birth of one of the ancient Armenian kingdoms, Arshakuni kingdom of Armenia, during the first century AD. Additionally, the temple had witnessed the adoption of Christianity in Armenia, 301 AD.

Continue to Geghard Monastery which means the monastery of the spear. The story of this holy place is related to the spear that Jesus Christ was stabbed by. The other uniqueness of the abbey lies in the fact that part of it is engraved in the rock. It is worthy to mention that Geghard Monastery is a UNESCO heritage site.

Back to Yerevan to visit Megeryan Carpet Company. Here, you will learn about the authentic Armenian rug and carpet handmade industry.

Overnight in Yerevan.

After the breakfast at the hotel we are heading to Tsaghgadzor, flower canyon in Armenian, a small town located north of the capital Yerevan, Well known by its Ski Resort and rope way. We will enjoy the spectacular view of the surrounding mountains from the rope way and feel ourselves in a unity with the nature.

Our journey will go on by visiting one of the greenest parts of Armenia, Dilijan resort town. In this region you will visit Haghartsin Monastery complex in the heart of the nature.

Continue our tour to the Armenian Georgian border where your Georgian guide will welcome you to start your tour in Georgia.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Breakfast at the hotel.  Excursion to the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, which occupies 52 hectares of land and houses more than eight thousand artifacts from all over Georgia. A walk along Rustaveli Avenue, the main thoroughfare of Tbilisi; Sightseeing tour in Tbilisi: Old Town (Abanotubani –the ancient part of the city, known for its sulfuric baths, Meidan square – the place where the Georgian Orthodox Church, Mosque, Synagogue and Armenian Apostholic Church are located several meters away from each other, Metechi Church, Narikala Castle, Shardeni Street with its wine cellars, cafes and art galleries).  Dinner with traditional Georgian dishes; Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain), St. David Church (XIX c); Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain), St. David Church (XIX c); Sameba (Holy Trinity Cathedral) – the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world.  Aghmashenebeli Avenue (pedestrian street) with a lot cafes, bars and galleries. Free time.

Overnight in Tbilisi

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia: Jvari Monastery, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral which are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a brief walk along picturesque streets of Mtskheta. Departure to Kazbegi. En route medieval Ananuri Fortress situated on the Georgian Military Road. 

Lunch at the  restaurant, with traditional dishes typical for this region.  Gergeti Church (XIV c.) which is situated on the right bank of the river Chkheri (the left tributary of the river Terek), at an elevation of 2170 meters (7120 feet), under Mount Kazbegi.  Drive back to Tbilisi.

 Overnight in Tbilisi.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Kakheti, the cradle of Georgian winemaking; You will spend a memorable day in Kakheti visiting Signaghi, also known as the city of love, walk along its narrow cobbled streets, enjoy breathtaking views of the Alazani Valley, and visit a local museum, which houses paintings by Pirosmani and EleneAkhvlediani. You will explore Bodbe Monastery, where relics of St. Nino, Equal to the Apostles and the Enlightener of Georgia, are kept.

Drive back to Tbilisi

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Tbilisi International airport.