Day 1: Arrival in Yerevan

• Arrival to «Zvartnots» International Airport. Our guide will meet you at the airport.
• Transfer to the hotel in Yerevan. Free time.

Day 2: Yerevan — City tour — Hripsime — Echmiadzin — Zvartnots — Yerevan
[Tour duration: 8 hours / 70 km]

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Sightseeing tour of the city of Yerevan – the ancient capital of Armenia, which is 29 years older than Rome.
• Tour itinerary: “Mother Armenia” monument – from where you can see an excellent view of the whole city, the Opera House, Republic Square, the “Cascade” architectural complex, the Cafesjian Museum of Modern Art, the monument to the hero of the Armenian epic “Sasuntsi David”.
• Dinner.
• Trip to Echmiadzin town. Visiting the Church of St. Hripsime (7th century). The church was built in 618 on the site of an ancient pagan temple, where Saint Hripsime had been tortured and killed.
• Excursion to Echmiadzin Cathedral (4th century) — the center of Armenian Apostolic Church. This is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, the residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians. (Holy mass is only held on Sunday)
• Visit to the Museum “Treasury of Etchmiadzin”, where unique treasures are presented. One of the most famous is the Spear of Longinus, with which Christ was pierced, and the relics of Noah’s Ark.
• Visit the beautiful and majestic ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral (9th century) — temple of Vigil Forces, Heavenly Angels Church.
• Return to Yerevan. Transfer to the hotel. Free time.

Day 3: Yerevan — Khor Virap — «Bird Cave» — wine tasting in the village «Areni» — Noravank — Zorac Karer — Goris[Tour duration: 10 hours / 300 km]

• Breakfast at the hotel. Check out from the hotel.
• Tour to Khor Virap monastery (literally translated as «deep dungeon») (7 – 17th centuries). You will see the underground pit where the first Patriarch of Armenian Apostolic Church St. Grigor Lusavorich (Saint Gregory the Illuminator) languished in prison for 13 years. The monastery is located 50 km away from Yerevan on the Armenian — Turkish border. You will enjoy the wonderful view of the Biblical Mount Ararat.
• A trip to the karst caves in Areni, also known as the «Bird’s Cave», where a 5500 year-old leather shoe was found.
• Lunch in the village of Areni, where wines are produced from local grape varieties (wine tasting).
• Trip to Noravank monastery (9 – 13th centuries) is one of the most magnificent medieval monuments of Armenia, located on the ledge of narrow winding gorge with rare red rocks. This is truly a masterpiece of Armenian architecture.
• A trip to Zorats Karer, the ancient Observatory (Armenian Karahunj), which is 7000 years old. The phrase « Zorats Karer» is literally translated from Armenian as «an army of stones». Armenian Karahunj has similarities with English Stonehenge.
• Trip to Goris. Dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Goris — Khndzoresk — Tatev — Shaki waterfall— Yerevan
[Tour duration: 10 hours / 330 km]

• Breakfast at the hotel. Check out from the hotel.
• A visit to the village of Khndzoresk, which is famous for its ancient cave dwellings on the hillside. «Dead city» of the living descendants holds many unsolved mysteries. In Khndzoresk there is a winging bridge, which runs across a deep and incredibly beautiful canyon, with its cliffs and caves.
• Tour of Tatev monastery — unique monument of Armenian architecture built in the 9th century. Tatev without exaggeration can be considered one of the most beautiful and amazing places on the Planet. By the monastery there is the longest reverse ropeway in the world (5752 m), ranked in the Guinness Book of Records.
• Lunch in a traditional Armenian restaurant.
• Trip to the Shaki waterfall, which is considered one of the most beautiful and picturesque waterfalls in Armenia.
• Return to Yerevan. Transfer to the hotel. Free time.

Day 5:Yerevan — Garni — Geghard — Symphony of Stones — Demonstration baking «lavash» — Sevan — Yerevan
[Tour duration: 8 hours / 195 km]

•  Breakfast at the hotel.
• Trip to Garni — Symphony of Armenian architecture. It is the only surviving pagan temple in Armenia. Built in the Hellenistic style in the 1st century by the Armenian King Trdat I and dedicated to the God of the Sun Mithras.
• Lunch at the restaurant above the gorge of the Azat river and demonstration baking «lavash» — traditional Armenian bread in the tonir (oven in the ground).
• Visiting the monastery Geghard (12 – 13th centuries). It is a unique monastery complex, where the temple is completely carved in the rock. The name «Geghard» literally «the monastery of the spear» is due to the fact that in this place Christian relic — the spear, which, according to tradition, a Roman soldier had pierced the crucified Jesus with was kept (now kept in the Museum of Echmiadzin).
• Visit to the Symphony of Stones. The object is a gorge, the rocks of which consist of huge basalt pillars. Their vertical arrangement is very reminiscent of organ pipes, which is why the monument got its name.
• Return to Yerevan. Transfer to the hotel. Free time.

Day 6: Yerevan — Aruch caravanserai — Dashtadem — Hovhannavank — Eastern Market — Vernissage — Yerevan
[Tour duration: 8 hours / 140 km]

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• A trip to the village of Aruch, a visit to the Aruch caravanserai (inn), dating back to the 13th century, which connected the capital of the Armenian kingdom of the Bagratids – Ani with Dvin and provided travelers with shelter and food. This road was used by merchant caravans and travelers from Persia, Georgia, Byzantium and Central Asia.
• Trip to the city of Talin, and a visit to the unique, one of the best preserved, medieval fortress Dashtadem, which was founded in the 10th century during the Bagratuni dynasty and protected the eastern approaches to the city of Ani.
• A trip to the majestic monastery, which is located in the village of Hovhanavan in the Aragatsotn region. According to legend, the monastery was founded by St. Gregory the Illuminator, who brought here the relics of St. John the Baptist (the Forerunner), hence the very name ” Hovhannavank ” (Monastery of Hovhannes, that is, John).
• Lunch.
• Visit Eastern market and fair «Vernissage», where you can buy souvenirs, gifts, jewelry and other handmade products from wood, stone, including precious, silver and other materials (full working days Saturday and Sunday).
• Return to Yerevan. Transfer to the hotel. Free time.

Day 7: Transfer to the airport. Departure.
[Tour duration: 25 hours / 40 km]

• Breakfast at the hotel. Check out from the hotel (12:00).
• Airport transfer. Departure.

The price is per person on basis of DBL/TWIN occupancy and includes all taxes and duties.