Escorted Tours
Arrival at Tbilisi International Airport, located 17 km southeast of the Capital. Make your own way to the hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
After breakfast, we visit Tbilisi, the Capital of Georgia, built in the 5th Century. We start our day with the 13th Century Medieval Mtskheta Church, then we take a cable car to the Narikala Fortress, which majestically overlooks the Old Quarter of the City. We continue our discovery of the Old Town, the 17 Century Sulfur Baths District, the name of the Capital is precisely inspired by these hot sulfur springs, 'Tbili' means hot in Georgian. Then we visit the 16th Century Zioni Cathedral and the 6th Century Anchiskhati, the oldest Church in the city. We walk along Rustaveli Avenue, the main avenue of the city. Later we take the road to the ancient Capital of Georgia, to Mtskheta, located at the intersection of the Military Road and the Silk Way. Here we visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Jvari Monastery (6th Century) with its splendid view of the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi Rivers and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th Century), considered one of the holiest places in Georgia because it is here that the tunic that is said to have belonged to Christ is kept. Return to the Capital and enjoy lunch in a traditional restaurant. Enjoy the night in Tbilisi. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, we follow the Georgian Military Road Nrth. We pass through Gudauri (2,200m), a winter sports resort on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. We cross the Cross Pass (2,395 metres above sea level) and arrive at the village of Stepantsminda located at the foot of the impressive Mount Kazbek (5,047 metres above sea level), which marks the border with Russia. We reach the 14th Century Gergeti Trinity Monastery by 4X4. Perched at an altitude of 2,170 metres on a promontory, it is the most spectacular image of the Greater Caucasus. Enjoy lunch in Stepantsminda. On the way back to Tbilisi, we visit the Fortified Complex of Ananuri (17th Century), one of the country's major sites next to the Blue Lake of Jinvali. Return to Tbilisi for your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Today is a day dedicated to exploring the Kakheti Wine Region, located in the east of the country and renowned for its hospitality. We head southeast to the David Gareja Desert Steppe, recognised by National Geographic as one of the 17 most beautiful places in the world. Visit the Monastic Complex founded in the 6th Century by the Assyrian Father David, who settled in a cave in the desert. The site is characterised by a unique combination of architecture. Dozens of rock-hewn Monasteries are adorned with beautifully coloured frescoes and are considered masterpieces of Georgian Medieval Art. Then, stop at a traditional Georgian wine cellar for an organic wine tasting in the village of Kakabeti. The tasting will be followed by a typical lunch before returning to Tbilisi. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, check out of the hotel. Departure from Tbilisi to Yerevan, crossing the Sadakhlo Border. Arrival at the border around 10:00am. Meet your Armenian guide and driver and head towards Armenia. Continue to the village of Haghpat. Visit the Haghpat Monastery, one of the most beautiful Churches, which was founded in 976. Haghpat was also a major literary centre in the Middle Ages. Departure to Dilijan, one of the most famous tourist centres in Armenia. People say, 'If paradise had mountains, forests and mineral springs, it would be just like Dilijan'. Dilijan's natural beauty is so great that it is also called 'Armenian Little Switzerland'. In this city you can stroll through the streets with its 19th Century ceramic buildings. Enjoy lunch on the way. Then, get ready to go to Lake Sevan, the emerald of Armenia and the second largest alpine lake in the world. Admire the picturesque views of one of the highest bodies of water in the world. Then visit the Sevanavank Monastery Complex. Sevanavank Monastery was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam. After the artificial drying of Lake Sevan, which began during the time of Joseph Stalin, the water level dropped by about 20 metres and the Island turned into a Peninsula. Arrival in Yerevan and check-in at the hotel for your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Etchmiadzin, which is only 20 km from Yerevan. Etchmiadzin is the religious centre of the Armenians, the 'Little Vatican of Armenia', where the seat of the Patriarch of the Armenian Church is located. Visit the first Cathedral in the Christian World, Etchmiadzin Cathedral (4th-19th Centuries), built in 303 by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, evangelizer of the Armenians and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Treasures of Etchmiadzin Museum. Return to Yerevan. En route, visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the remains of Zvartnots Cathedral, a pearl of 7th Century architecture. Its construction began in 642 under the direction of Catholicos Nerses III, who built the majestic Cathedral dedicated to Saint Gregory on the site where a meeting between King Tiridates III and Gregory the Illuminator is said to have taken place. Lunch at a local's home. Arrival in Yerevan. During your tour, you will have the opportunity to admire the beauty of downtown Yerevan and pay homage to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Park and the Museum of Genocide Victims. City tour of Yerevan on foot. During your tour, you will have the chance to discover Yerevan. The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th Century B.C. You will start the tour of the Republic Square, the great work of architect Alexander Tamanian. Continue the road towards the Cascade, an Open-Air Museum of Modern Art. Afterwards, you will leave for the Opera House, a remarkable example of urban architecture and the lively centre of the city. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast at the hotel followed by a departure to the Ararat Region, the breeding ground of Armenia and the homeland of the apricot. Visit the 17 Century Khor-Virap Monastery, a former prison where the evangelist of the Armenian people and the main Saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Gregory the Illuminator, was incarcerated at the end of the 3rd Century. This Monastery is located at the foot of the Biblical Mount Ararat and it was in this Ararat Valley that Noah planted his vines and drank the wine. Continue the road towards the village of Areni, a small wine growing village and visit a cave where one of the oldest wine cellars was discovered in 2010. There, the oldest shoe in the world, more than 5,500 years old, was found. Enjoy lunch at a local's home. Visit one of the most beautiful monastic complexes in Armenia, the Noravank Monastery (13th-14th Centuries), located in the picturesque Amagu Canyon, whose red rhyolite rocks make this site a unique place of meditation. The buildings of the Monastic Complex fascinate with the beauty of the bas-reliefs and figurative representations, rare in Armenian architecture of the Middle Ages. Return to Yerevan for your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, depart for Garni. Visit the Temple of Garni, the only Temple built in the Greco-Roman style in the entire Caucasus Region. Built in the 1st Century A.D. by the Armenian King Tiridates, it is dedicated to the Pagan God Mithra, the Sun God whose figure was located at the back of the Sanctuary. From the 1st to the 4th Centuries, the Garni Fortress was the summer residence of the Arsacid Kings. Lunch today is at a local home in Garni. During lunch, you will have the opportunity to participate in the preparation of Armenian bread called 'lavash'. Visit the Geghard Monastery (12th-13th Centuries), a unique site whose rooms are carved into the basalt rock. The Geghard Monastery is one of the masterpieces of 13th Century Armenian architecture. The Complex is striking for its interior decoration and its extraordinary khachkars (stone crosses). The Geghard Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Afterwards, return to Yerevan and visit Matenadaran, a library/repository containing historical documents from across Europe and Asia over many Centuries. The earliest copy of the Bible in Armenian and the Gospels, which fascinate with their beautiful miniatures, are also housed here. Return to the hotel for your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, make your own way to the Airport for your departure flight. Meals: Breakfast
Tour Prices are per person twin share in Australian Dollars. Conditions apply and group tours are subject to change and availability. Prices are subject to currency fluctuations. (ah)
