Escorted Tours,Multi Country Tours
Upon arrival in Yerevan, make your own way to the hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
After breakfast, depart for Etchmiadzin, which is only 20 kms 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, the Etchmiadzin Cathedral (4th-19th Centuries), built in 303 by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, evangelizer of the Armenians and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Visit the Treasures of Etchmiadzin Museum before continuing on to visit another site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the remains of the Zvartnots Cathedral, the pearl of 7th Century architecture. 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. Enjoy lunch at a local house before returning to Yerevan. Begin a walking tour, where 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. The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th Century B.C. You will begin your tour at Republic Square, the masterpiece of architect Alexander Tamanian. Continue your journey to the Cascade, an Open-Air Museum of modern art. Afterward, you will head to the Opera House, a remarkable example of urban architecture and the city's bustling centre. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the Ararat region, the breeding ground of Armenia and the homeland of the apricot. Visit the Khor-Virap Monastery (17th Century), 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 house. Visit one of Armenia's most beautiful monastic complexes, 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 their bas-reliefs and figurative representations, rare in Medieval Armenian architecture. Afterwards, return to Yerevan. 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. Enjoy lunch 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. Return to Yerevan. 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. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, check out of the htoel and depart for Gyumri. Today you will travel to the ancient city of Gyumri, famous for its inhabitants' humour and the preservation of authentic traditions and also known for its many attractions. En route, enjoy a stop in Rya Taza, a village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Most of Rya Taza's inhabitants are Yezidis belonging to the Sipka/Sipki people who migrated to the Aparan Region since the 1800s. Visit the Yezidi Temple before continuing on to Gyumri. Here, you will begin your acquaintance with Gyumri on foot from the spacious Freedom Square. On either side of Gyumri's Main Square are two remarkable Churches. The majestic black tuff building is the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Surb Astvatsatsin or Seven Wounds, Armenia. It differs from most Armenian Churches, as they usually have few icons and in this Church you can find a rich iconostasis. Modern khachkars can also be found on the city streets. Here in Gyumri, you will have lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the Varem-Marem Workshop. The workshop offers pottery courses and other master classes, hosts exhibitions showcasing the works of Gyumri's talented artists and offers the opportunity to purchase souvenirs that express the city's vibrant nature. Near the workshop is a wall called 'Forever in Gyumri'. This wall, decorated with various names in Armenian and Latin letters, is growing daily, more than twenty thousand Armenian letters and about five thousand Latin names are inscribed on it. The wall is fully interactive, visitors select letters from the board, fix them like a crossword puzzle and then colour them in the colour of their choice. Visit the Dzitoghtsyan Museum. This museum was the home of the wealthy Dzitoghtsyan Family and is now dedicated to presenting the rich culture and life of Gyumri in the 19th Century. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, depart for 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 such that it is also called 'Armenian Little Switzerland'. In this city, you can stroll through the streets with its 19th Century ceramic buildings and visit the Haghartsin Monastery. Enjoy lunch in Dilijan. Continue 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. Return to Yerevan for your overnight stay. Optional: Visit to the 'Manukyan' Wine Factory. Guided Tour and Tasting on Site: From: AUD $50.00 per person Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and 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)
