We are pleased to introduce Armenia. This tour will remain in your memory for a long time, as you will see the beauty of the Armenian Highlands, monuments of nature and architecture, get acquainted with our customs and hospitality. We organized a tour for you for 9 days (8 nights), including 8 nights in Armenia. You can enjoy the beauty of mountain landscapes, ancient fortresses and monasteries. Arrival will take place at night in Yerevan, and excursions will begin from the second day. The return trip will be through the same Yerevan airport.
DAY01: Arrival in Yerevan
DAY02: Yerevan City Tour
Welcome to Armenia! You can arrive in Yerevan late, as you have a long flight. Your guide will meet you at Yerevan Airport. We will have an easy city tour. Yerevan, one of the oldest inhabited capitals of the world, combines antiquity and modernity. During the tour you will see all the sights of the capital. We begin the tour by visiting Republic Square. Here are the National Art Gallery, History Museum, Government House and other buildings. Then head to the impressive opera house and to Swan Lake. You can climb the Cascade to enjoy a beautiful view of Yerevan. We will see the House of Parliament, the Palace of the President and the National Academy of Sciences while driving. The tour also includes a visit to Victory Park and a stop at the monument to Mother of Armenia, which overlooks the capital.
Overnight in Yerevan.
DAY03: Alley of Armenian Alphabet, Fortress Amberd, Ashtarak Canyon
Our first stop today is the Alley of the Armenian alphabet and the nearest gorge. In 2005, we celebrated 1600 years of the Armenian alphabet. To commemorate this, a gift of 39 giant letters was placed near the resting place of the person who created the alphabet after the adoption of Christianity by Mesrop Mashtots.
After that we will go to Amberd Castle. It is located on the highest mountain of Armenia - Aragats (4096 meters), directly opposite the biblical mountain Ararat. The castle on which it was built is naturally guarded. Amberd has long been an important military fortress. Next to this secular building is a church built in the eleventh century.
At the end we can have lunch at a local restaurant, in a beautiful garden. At the same village the grave of Mesrop Mashtots is located: thus, it is one of the three secret places in Armenia along with Khor Virap and Ejmiatsin.
Overnight in Yerevan.
DAY04: Khor Virap, Noravank Monastery, Areni Bird Cave, Jermuk Waterfall
Pack your luggages, we leave Yerevan. This time you will visit the Khor Virap monastery, which is located on the slopes of the biblical Mount Ararat. From here you can also see the border of Armenia with Turkey. Then the journey continues to the Areni winery and the bird cave, which is the oldest winery in the world. Here we have another stop at the winery, tours and wine tasting are organized.
Next on the list is the medieval monastery complex Noravank through the gorge of the Amagu River with beautiful pink cliffs and ancient caves. This masterpiece dates from 13-14 centuries. On the wall is the first image of God.
On the way to the town of Jermuk, where your overnight is organized, you will have a picturesque view to the local landscape. In the evening you can walk down or drive to the local Jermuk waterfall (68 m).
Overnight in Jermuk.
DAY05: Tatev Aerial Tramway, Khndzoresk Caves and Bridges, Karahunj Complex
Wings of Tatev is a 5.7 km cableway between Halidzor and the Tatev monastery in Armenia. It is the longest reversible aerial tramway built in only one section, and holds the record for Longest non-stop double track cable car.
Total ride time from to Tatev monastery is about 12 minutes. Flying over the gorge, the aerial tramway cabin reaches its maximum height of 320 meters. The longest section is 2.7 km and overlooks the Tatev monastic complex, dated back to 9th century.
Khndzoresk village residents opened a swinging bridge. The 160-meter long bridge weight 14 tons and connects the two banks of the village, the so-called old and new Khndzoresk. The amazing thing about the bridge is that it was constructed by the residents of the village, with their own hands and no machinery was used for the construction, and even for the transportation of materials (they used horses).
Megalithic complex "Zorats-Karer" (another name is Karaunj), is a prehistoric complex located in Armenia. This famous megalithic structure consists of hundreds of vertically arranged two-meter stones or menhirs that are stretched from the south to the north. Armenians call this the "Armenian Stonehenge". Return to Jermuk.
Overnight in Jermuk.
DAY06: Orbelian Caravanserai, Noratus Cementary, Lake Sevan, Dilijan National Park
In medieval Armenia many buildings were built along commercial routes for the accommodation of travelers. One of those, the caravanserai of Orbelians, was built in 1332 by Prince Chesar Orbelian, according to an inscription in Armenian and Arabic. This caravanserai offered hospitality to travelers along the highway crossing the mountains. The best preserved of all medieval caravanserais in Armenia, it comprises a vaulted antechamber and a large hall partitioned into three sections lighted through openings in the ceiling. This building is an excellent example of Armenian secular architecture in the Middle Ages. We shall move to Lake Sevan, where we have a stop to a medieval Armenian cemetery. It is famous as Noratus, where about 3000 khachkars are located. We’ve included in your tour for today a boat trip. If you like to organize your leisure by yourself, you can use the services on the beach.Continue to Dilijan after lunch, a resort town with its charming nature and traditional Armenian architecture. Visit Dilijan’s Historic Center, the cobbled Sharambeyan Street with its collection of stone and wooden traditional buildings, shops, restaurants, and workshops.
Overnight in Dilijan.
DAY07: Lastiver Park, Stones' Lake
Today you will have a totally leisure tour: no churches or monasteries, no castles and museums! Today is the day to feel nature!
First the bus drives to the mountainous region - Lastiver, which is totally covered by forests. There we have Yell extreme park. We are offering you a zip-line service, which is the first in Caucasus region. There are 6 lines, which will take about two hours’ time.
Later on, you can take other optional services: horse riding, rope-park, zorbing, rock-climbing and so on. Exactly there you will have a lunch. In the evening we are coming back to Dilijan, where your overnight is organized.
In the evening we have interesting optional trips: you can visit lake Kari (Stones’) in the forest, or Haghartsin monastery. The latter was built between the 10th and 14th centuries. The church is hugely influential in Armenia and two monasteries. In 2005 His Royal Highness Sheikh Muhammad al Qasimi visited Armenia and generously offered to renovate the complex during a tour of various Armenian regions. Turn back to Yerevan.
Overnight in Yerevan.
DAY08: Geghard Monastery, Garni Temple, Stone Symphony
One of the main pilgrimage sites in Armenia is Geghard Monastery, carved in the rock - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is believed that this is the place where the Holy Spear was kept in the Middle Ages. It was brought to Armenia by the Apostle St. Thaddeus in the 1st century. Today, hundreds of people visit this place and drink the crystal clear wonderful water coming from a spring inside.
Then we will go to the village of Garni. Here we will visit the only surviving pagan temple in Garni, built in the 1st century AD, is a magnificent example of the ancient architecture of the Hellenistic period. Once there was a huge complex of palaces and temples that served as the summer residence of Armenian kings. In addition, there is also a natural monument called the Symphony of Stones. It is easiest to get to it along the road leading to the left down the gorge before reaching the Garni Temple.
Overnight in Yerevan.
DAY09: Departure Back
Lufthansa City Center