Tour of Georgia and Armenia

Your arrival should be on Saturday. The travel program starts on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at your hotel with a city tour. The overnight stay from Saturday to Sunday is included in the tour price. Overnight in Tbilisi, Hotel 3*

Today you will meet your nice Georgian tour guide who will accompany you in the coming days. You start at 10.00 a.m. with the city tour of Tbilisi. You will see, among other things, the Old Town, Sioni Church, Narikala Fortress and Rustaveli Prospect. Lunch and then free time. Big welcome evening in a cozy restaurant with excellent Georgian food.

Departure at 9:00 am Today we head into the steppe region to the picturesque cave monastery of David Gareja. We drive to the Georgian/Azerbaijani border. Visit to the complex with the monastery. In the town of Udabno in the Oasis Club there is a small snack bar. Continue to Sighnaghi in the fertile agricultural region. Here we have 1-2 hours to stroll through the beautifully restored fortress town and enjoy the breathtaking view of the wide Alazani valley and the Greater Caucasus mountain range. In the late afternoon we drive to our comfortable accommodation near Telavi. Dinner at the hotel.

Tour of Kakheti. First we visit in Wardisubani the production of the traditional amphorae made of clay, the “Kwevri” at our Zaza. You then drive to the bustling Telavi Bazaar, where you can experience the variety of agricultural products of the region. You can shop here as you please and taste one or the other specialty.
In the afternoon we go to Tsinandali to the estate of the Chavchavadze princely family with its beautiful landscape park. The pretty little museum is well worth a visit and depicts the life of the Georgian nobility in the 19th century. Dinner in a nice restaurant in Telavi.

The famous Georgian military road takes you to the Greater Caucasus today. On the military road is the important fortress of Ananuri, which dominated the valley of the Aragvi river. Short stop for a visit. Then you continue over the Cross Pass of 2395 meters on the north side of the Caucasus to Stepantsminda -formerly Kazbegi. The place is idyllically situated at the foot of the Mount Kasbek – at 5033 meters one of the most beautiful mountains in the Caucasus. In the afternoon you visit the legendary Church of the Trinity “Zminda Sameba”. You drive up to 2150 meters in off-road vehicles and enjoy impressive panoramas in all directions.

Short drive to the Khevsurian mountain village of Juta. The place is located at 2,214 meters, making it the second highest village in Georgia. Hike of 3-4 hours in one of the most beautiful high valleys in Georgia to the Chaukhi massif up to about 2,500 meters. If you don’t want to hike, you can make yourself comfortable on the beautiful meadows and enjoy the silence of the mountains with a picnic in nature. Return to Stepantsminda in the evening.

Today you visit the old Georgian capital Mtskheta and the Jvari Monastery. You have plenty of time to see the important UNESCO World Heritage Site under the guidance of your guide. In the evening you have free time and can stroll along the traditional Georgian gift bazaar.

Today you will leave Georgia and start the second part of your journey. You can look forward to another wonderful country in the Caucasus. You will meet your nice Armenian guide at the border. The first stop will be the resort town of Dilijan – the “Little Switzerland” of Armenia. Small snack followed by a visit to the historic old town. The Haghartsin Monastery, from the 10th to the 14th century, is also one of the main sights.

Today we take a nice, leisurely hike in the national park of Dilijan. If you don’t want to hike, you can go for a walk in town. In the evening we relax together in our pretty accommodation.

Drive along Lake Sevan, the largest freshwater lake in Armenia and with its altitude of about 1,900 meters above sea level also one of the largest high mountain lakes in the world. Continue to the town of Jegheghis, which is very scenic and surrounded by mountains and picturesque landscapes. In the afternoon you have free time. Dinner and overnight in a nice inn.

You continue south to the town of Tatev. On the way you will also visit the famous stone circle Zorakarer near Sisian – a Bronze Age burial ground with an ancient settlement. Arriving in Tatev, you take an exciting cable car ride up to the 9th-century Tatev Monastery. At 5,750 meters, the cable car is the longest aerial tramway in the world.  Stay overnight in Goris, which is close by.

On today’s trip you will drive from Goris to Yeghegnadzor village. The place is best known as a grape growing region. Snack. Then you visit the impressive cave excavation site at Areni. Here the world’s oldest, completely preserved leather shoe and the oldest manufacture production from the Copper Age were discovered.
Continue to the famous Khor Virap monastery with the splendid views to Mount Ararat. According to legend, King Trdat III. in 288 AD Gregory the Illuminator entered a cave. He held him captive there for 13 long years to convert him from the Christian faith. Since the torture could not bend Gregory and he healed the king from a skin disease that was considered incurable, Trdat III. baptized with his family and court in 301. From now on, he decreed that the Armenians – as the first people in history – adopted Christianity as the state religion. You will stay overnight in the Armenian capital Yerevan. free time in the evening.

In the morning you drive to the outskirts of Yerevan, where you visit the old Geghard Monastery and the famous Hellenistic Temple of Garni. Lunch and drive back to Yerevan. In the afternoon you can explore the city on your own. In the evening you take a leisurely stroll through the interesting metropolis, followed by dinner in an excellent Armenian restaurant.

Drive to Gyumri, the second largest city in the country. The place where the city rises has been inhabited since about the 5th century BC. Today’s city was founded in the area of ​​a Russian fortress. Until 1924 it was called Alexandropol, then Leninakan. The entire region was badly hit by the 1988 earthquake, but much of the city has since been nicely restored. The old town in particular, with its typical buildings made of red and black volcanic rock, is worth seeing. After a short walk, you will also visit a young designer and her studio. Leisure. In the evening you are invited to an Armenian host family for a big farewell evening. Gyumri is a very warm city and the residents are always interested in a conversation and the guests of the country.

Return to the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. Before leaving you will visit the Gyumri Bazaar. Here you can find delicate Armenian specialties, such as special fruity sweets, but also famous flavored hard sausages and cheeses refined with herbs. If you wish, you can take a small snack with you for the journey. Arrive in Tbilisi around 16:00. Farewell to your tour guide. In the evening you have free time and can take a last stroll through Tbilisi or visit the famous sulfur baths.

Transfer to the airport and departure.