Day 1: Arrival to Yerevan

Arrival at Zvartnots International Airport. Meet & greet. Transfer to your hotel in Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan

 

Day 2: Yerevan City Tour

Today you explore the secrets and hidden gems of Yerevan, the pink “pearl” of Armenia, a beautiful European city mostly built with different shades of local pink stone called "tuf" quarried in Armenia. Founded in 782 B.C. Yerevan is reputedly one of the oldest cities in the world to have been continuously inhabited.

You start the exploration with the "Victory Park" and "Mother Armenia" monument offering a "bird's-eye" view of the city. Continue to the colossal monument of Cascade and Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Later tour the Republic Square with its magnificent buildings enhanced by singing fountains. Exploring the Abovyan Street, one of the oldest streets in Yerevan which used to be a part of the Great Silk Road, explore the Northern Avenue, Opera Square, St. Astvatsatsin Church. You will be taken to the biggest church of Armenia - St. Gregory the Illuminator, built to commemorate 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Armenia as a state religion.

Tour of  "GUM" bazaar of Yerevan, a real museum of food with pyramids of fresh and dried fruits stuffed with different kinds of nuts, honey, cinnamon and other spices, colorful strings of "sweet sujukh", orange beads of dried peaches(“alani”) stuffed with walnuts, piles of "lavash" traditional Armenian bread, many kinds of cheeses some of them aged in clay pots, pickles, beans and other organic products offered by local farmers.

*Lunch in a traditional Armenian restaurant where you sample a big variety of appetizers, salads and meat dishes prepared by old recipes.

Overnight in Yerevan

Tour duration: 6-7 hours

Meal plan: (B-/L-)

 

Day 3: Khor Virap Monastery – Noravank Monastery – Areni Cave-1 – Areni Winery – Goris

Today is a long but fascinating day! It is dedicated to exploration of Southern Armenia combining the magic of Armenia's finest medieval architecture with stunning landscapes.  Our first stop is at Khor Virap Monastery, one of the most popular destinations in Armenia for a number of reasons, primarily because it is where St. Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years before curing King Trdat III of a disease. This caused the conversion of the king and Armenia into the first officially Christian nation in the world in the year 301. Its location, near the closest point to Mount Ararat within Armenian borders, offers a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia.
Guided by the remote majesty of the biblical Mount Ararat, where the Noah’s ark had landed, we explore the site, its underground chambers, elegant chapels and are captivated by the ascetic atmosphere of the site.

We continue to the south driving through the agricultural heartland of Armenia, Ararat Plain offering fantastic scenery of fruit orchards, endless vineyards at the foothills of Ararat Mountain. As soon as we pass the Ararat Plain we can experience the untamed beauty of Southern Armenia - surreal red rocks providing an eerie echo, honey-colored villages sandwiched between them.

Our next stop is the Monastery of Noravank, an architectural gemstone nestled among brick-red cliffs, just above a deep gorge. It’s only here where you can see a bas-relief with the representation of Father God with almond-shaped eyes which look far ahead.

*Lunch in a local restaurant with stunning views, where you will taste the cuisine of Vayots Dzor region - local cheese and yogurt, salads prepared with organic and fresh herbs and vegetables growing in Armenia, and chicken barbecue from “tonir” oven is our main dish today followed by a local pastry “gata” as a dessert with tea/coffee. Visit  Areni village, the cradle of viticulture! Tour of the world-class archaeological site, the cave complex Areni-1 to see the oldest winery in the world (6100years old)!

Taste the unique Areni wine from the native grape variety Areni in the village best winery. Continue to Goris town. Afterwards we journey for approx. 3 hours to the small town of Goris where we stay the night.

Dinner and overnight in Goris at the best available hotel.

Meal plan (B-/L-/D-)

Distance: 280 KM

Duration: 8-9 hours

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Day 4: Goris – Tatev – Karahunj Observatory – Orbelian Caravanserai – Lake Sevan

Explore Goris town, one of the most beautiful towns in Armenia. It’s a town in orchards where the houses have the same unique architecture with red tile roof. See Old Goris cave town from the viewpoint.

Riding the world’s longest aerial tramway (5.7km) you’ll reach the miraculous Tatev Monastery, a formidable monastic complex founded in the 9th century. It’s the biggest monastery in Armenia located on a rocky peninsula more than 100 meters above the Vorotan River.

Continue to Karahundj (Armenia’s Stonehenge). This stone circle, now shown to be a prehistoric observatory, long predates Stonehenge in England. Ancient inscriptions found here may mark the birthplace of the Zodiac – and of Western Civilization itself. Possibly it was the world's first astronomical observatory founded 7500 years ago. Driving through Orbelian Mountain Pass famous for its fascinating colorful mountains you reach Orbelian Caravanserai on the Great Silk Road where you’ll see some remains of the real old road, ancient bridges, hundreds of fresh water springs gushing from the rocks and the ground. Here little has changed since the fourteenth century. The caravanserai offered hospitality to travelers along the highway crossing the mountain pass. Continue to the Lake Sevan.

Dinner and overnight in Sevan (or Dilijan)

Meal plan (B-/L-/D-)

Distance: 260 KM

Duration 9-10 hours

*Note: The cable car doesn’t work on Mondays

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Day 5: Sevan – Dilijan – Haghartsin - Haghpat

Explore the shores of Lake Sevan, one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world (second largest highest lake after Titicaca) at 1900m above sea level. You can marvel at deep blue waters of the lake and the surrounding snow-capped mountains from the remote monastery of Sevanavank on top of the peninsula hill (240 steps). Continue to Dilijan spa town in Dilijan National Park, a protected area renowned for its serene lakes, picturesque hill trails and peaceful villages. Words alone can’t describe the natural beauty of Dilijan. Many poets used to say, "If there are woods, mountains, streams and mineral waters in paradise, it must be like Dilijan”. Due to its forested mountains and mild climate, Dilijan is named "Armenia's Little Switzerland". Take a stroll in the most beautiful part of the town, Old Dilijan Complex on historic Sharambeyan Street. Here we experience the town as it was in the 19th century. You also tour the fairy-tale Haghartsin monastery tucked away in a hidden remote forest glade. It is one of those spots in Armenia that feels like you are walking through a huge, unreal movie set. Continue to Lori region, one of the most forested regions in Armenia.

Overnight in Haghpat

Meal plan (B-/L-/D-)

Distance: 170 KM

Duration 7-8 hours

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Day 6: Haghpat Monastery – Sanahin Monastery – Yerevan

After breakfast explore majestic Lori region nestled around the stunning Debed Canyon. Visit the jewels of the Armenian medieval architecture - Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin dating back to the 10th century. Being astonishingly well preserved with its frescoes, “lace” stone-crosses, inscriptions and bas-relieves those monasteries became the first Armenian architectural monuments to be included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We also visit Sanahin medieval bridge built by Queen Vaneni.

*Lunch in a beautiful riverside restaurant.

On the way back to Yerevan, we will stop at the Armenian Alphabet Monument at the east side bottom of Mt. Aragats (Highest peak in Armenia 4095m). It was erected in 2005 to the 1600 anniversary of creation of the Armenian alphabet. The Armenian Alphabet were created in 405 A.D. by St. Mesrop Mashtots to translate the Holy Bible to Armenian language.

Overnight in Yerevan

Meal plan (B-/L-)

Distance: 180 KM

Duration 8-9 hours

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Day 7: Yerevan – Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral – Yerevan

Today we embark on our journey to the lands of ancient treasures of Christian history…Vatican City of Armenia, Holy Echmiadzin with its world’s earliest Christian churches included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visit Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral. It was originally built by Saint Gregory the Illuminator  in 301-303A.D., when Armenia became the first officially Christian state in the world. Continue to St. Hripsime Church built in 7th century, a masterpiece of early medieval Armenian architecture. On the way back to Yerevan visit the Ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral, a majestic cathedral dedicated to St. Gregory. The remnants of Zvartnots, even in ruins, are a majestic sight...

All the sites visited during this tour are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Drive back to Yerevan to visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex.

Our tour also covers a visit to the largest Vernissage market, the largest market in the Caucasus for arts and crafts.

Overnight in Yerevan

Meal plan (B-/L-)

Distance: 50 KM

Duration: 6-7 hours

*NOTE Echmiadzin Cathedral is under renovation and it is impossible to go inside, but after mid 2021 will be open as they mentioned.

 

Day 8: Yerevan – Garni - Geghard – Yerevan

Drive to Garni Pagan Temple and Geghard Monastery. The Pagan Temple of Garni is the only non-Christian temple currently standing in Armenia. Gracing the hillside the pagan temple was dedicated to the God of Sun, Mithra. It was built in 77A.D. by the Armenian King Trdat I. Driving for 9 more kilometers from Garni, You'll reach the Monastery of Geghard which is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Geghard is an incredible ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out of a mountain. Though the monastery has been around since before the 4th century, the main cathedral was built in 1215. It is said that the holy lance that pierced the body of Christ was kept here. The architectural forms and the decoration of Geghard's rock premises show that Armenian builders could not only create superb works of architecture out of stone, but also hew them in solid rock.
We will have a stop to see the Traditional Armenian Bread “Lavash” making in tonir by the villagers. Lunch. After a hearty lunch we will explore the most surreal site in Armenia, the stunning Garni Gorge where you can marvel at basalt rock formations - columns looking like honeycombs or pencils. The site stretches for a kilometer along the river...

Later drive back to Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan

Meal plan (B-/L-)

Distance: 90 KM

Duration: 5-6 hours

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Day 9: Departure

Transfer to airport. Departure