Twenty Day Journey Through Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan

The tour starts today in Yerevan although passengers travelling on the group flight from London are not scheduled to arrive until the early hours of the following morning. Situated in the shadow of mighty Mt Aragats (4090m) the capital of Armenia is a busy and cosmopolitan city, looking to the future but deeply rooted in its often tragic past. On a clear day there are splendid views across the Ararat Plain to the silhouette of Turkey’s Mt Ararat (5165m), once part of ‘Greater Armenia’ and to many Armenians still symbolic of a glorious past.

Overnight Standard Hotel

Our sightseeing starts today with a visit to the remarkable Matenadaran library which houses over 17,000 rare manuscripts. We will also enjoy a wander in the lively Vernisage craft market before paying a visit to the Cascade complex with its sculpture of the world famous Fernando Botero.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we will travel to Echmidzan, the former capital where we stop at its Monastery, our visit planned to coincide with Sunday Mass. In the afternoon we take a drive to out to the Roman temple at Garni, built in AD 77. This extraordinary Roman site is located in a Nature Reserve east of Yerevan.  Its architecture, whilst interesting in its own right, seems bizarrely out of place here on the upland plateaux of Armenia, so far from the rest of the Hellenistic world. From the temple we will take an easy hike down the Garni gorge to see the basalt formations of great natural beauty that are part of the UNESCO world heritage site.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Leaving the capital, we head northwest and make an excursion to the Amberd Fortress on the southern flank of Mount Aragats. Its construction began in the 7th century and continued through into the 11th century. The Fortress is surrounded by cliffs on three sides, which protected it for a long time, until Tamerlane managed to sack it in the 14th century. We take a short walk and on a clear day the views over the Ararat Plain are spectacular. The highlight however is the view of Mt Ararat, the legendary resting place of Noah’s Ark. After our visit to the Amberd Fortress we will head towards Oshakan village and have lunch at a private house. Here the local people will give us a demonstration of the baking of the traditional bread known as ‘Lovash’. After our busy day we will return to Yerevan.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We depart Yerevan and travel south through the plains of Ararat to visit Khor Virab Monastery. Mount Ararat rises behind the monastery providing a great opportunity for photos. We will also stop in Areni village at a local winery to taste the best wine in Armenia. Our next stop is Noravank Monastery, situated on the hill of a twisted gorge. The Noravank Monastery is not only a place of breathtaking natural beauty but also an architectural delight. We take the road over the Selim Pass – a thoroughfare since the medieval ages when the Silk Road was operating. We will take a stop here and will walk down into the pass providing wonderful views of the mountains and Alpine meadows with its many wild flowers. Continuing on we reach the turquoise blue waters of Lake Sevan, located 1900m above sea level and famous both for its ever changing hues and fresh fish. We overnight on its shores at Chambarak.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we head to the Armenia/Georgie boarder at Sadakhlo. We will visit Dilijan town, where we will walk through a museum street, which still has preserved houses in it dating back to the 18th century and also a local craftman’s studio. Travelling on we stop at the Monastery of Haghpat: a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its outstanding ecclesiastical architecture. Crossing the border in the afternoon, we arrive in Georgia and continue to the capital, Tbilisi. Time permitting, there may be the opportunity to take a stroll up to the Narikala Citadel for fine views over the city or perhaps take a relaxing sulphur bath for which Tbilisi is famous.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The capital of Georgia is an ancient and cosmopolitan city; there is a synagogue, a mosque, a Georgian basilica, an Armenian church and a Zoroastrian Fire-Worshipper’s temple all within a 15 minutes walk. One of Europe’s most fascinating capitals, we include a half day orientation tour on foot which takes in the important Church of Metecki, Sioni Cathedral and the State museum and allows plenty of time free to wander the boulevards and back streets of the city, absorbing its unique ambience.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Leaving the capital this morning, we drive to Mtskheta, the spiritual heart of Georgia. Here we visit what is considered to be the most sacred place in Georgia, the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The 9th century basilica contains the grave of Sidonia, who was said to have been buried holding Christ’s robe. We also visit the 6th century Jvari church before driving via Khosuri and Surami into the hills towards the Rikoti Pass, claimed to be a watershed between Asia and Europe. Here the road winds through narrow, forested valleys before dropping onto the fertile plains of the Rioni, Georgia’s most important river. Arriving in Kutaisi, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Colchis, we check into our guesthouse for a two night stay. Kutaisi has always been an important town throughout the ages and for many years was the capital of Georgia, when Tbilisi was occupied by the Arabs. The period between the reigns of King Bagrat and Queen Tamar (roughly 900 – 1200) was the golden age for Kutaisi and most of the significant buildings date from this time. Now it is the main city of the Imereti region and here the people are renowned for their sense of humour and also a special kind of ‘khachapuri’ – the cheese bread unique to Georgia. Later we drive to the ‘cave town’, Uplistikhe. Here an entire town of streets, churches, palaces and residential buildings has been carved into the mountainside. Dating from the first millennium BC, it gradually grew to be an important city on the trade route linking Byzantium with India and China.

Overnight Simple Guest House Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we drive to the magnificent monastery complex at Gelati, which consists of a variety of churches and the Academy building. It was founded in 1106 by King David the Builder in gratitude to God for his victories over the Turks. The King wanted it to serve as a centre of Christendom, so as well as scholars many religious artists studied here. Many of the treasures which were made here have been lost over the centuries, however the buildings and frescos in them are extremely well preserved, and the setting of the monastery on a hillside with views over to the distant Caucasus peaks is attractive. Later we drive via the smaller monastery of Motsameta, spectacularly sited on a cliff-edge, back to our guesthouse in Kutaisi. During free time this afternoon, it is possible to walk from our guesthouse through the attractive back streets to Bagrati Cathedral, completed in 1003. As with many cathedrals, it has been added to throughout the ages and today maintains grandeur and nobility despite its ruined state.

Overnight Simple Guest House Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We appreciate the amazing diversity of landscape in this small country during today’s drive. Heading for the alpine meadows of Bakuriani we retrace our route before turning south to drop into the majestic deciduous forests of the Borjomi Gorge. Stopping en route at a pottery we get the chance to see handmade artifacts being produced.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we visit Khertvisi Fortress, dramatically situated on a cliff above the confluence of two major rivers. Later we enjoy a leisurely visit to one of Georgia’s most significant sites: the cave town of Vardzia. Established by King Giorgi III in the 12th century as a stronghold against the Turkish Sultanate (the Turkish border is only 10km away), Vardzia was subsequently developed by his daughter, Tamar (later to become Queen Tamar), who created a cave monastery that became a centre of Georgian culture. This network of caves above the Mtkvari (Kura) river once numbered 3,000, with up to 19 tiers in some places. Much of it was destroyed after a huge earthquake in 1456 and only 550 caves have been discovered. There are numerous churches, meeting halls, refectories and wine cellars, all interconnected by tunnels and stairways. We return to our hotel in Bakuriani for a second night.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving the mountains behind we continue our journey, stopping at Gori, where perhaps Georgia’s most famous son, Stalin, was born. Here we visit the museum and learn much about his life. Interestingly he initially began training as a priest in the Georgian Seminary, before abandoning religion to become a brigand and join the new Bolshevik movement. It has been suggested too that Georgia escaped the worst horrors of Stalin’s regime because he was afraid of his conservative, Christian mother!  En route we’ll pay a visit to the Ananuri architectural complex. We reach Gudauri and check into our hotel for a two night stay.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

The Kazbegi region is very picturesque, with alpine meadows and towering snow-capped mountains behind – Gudauri itself is a ski resort in the winter. The day is spent exploring this region. We plan to walk from Kazbegi town through Gergeti village and up to the Church of the Holy Trinity, stunningly located on a hilltop overlooking the snowy peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, (approx. 3 hours walk). The area is a treasure trove of mythology – it was to Mt Kazbegi, (the highest peak in this region standing majestically at 5047m), that Prometheus was chained. This part of the Caucasus is a protected area, and is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Georgia has over 100 different mammals, and although the European bison and Caucasian leopard have become extinct, there are still wolves and bears in the mountains. En route back to Gudauri we will stop at a local place where we will be shown the manufacture process of iconographic painting and felt artifacts.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We drive to Tbilisi this morning where we stop for lunch and have some free time. In the afternoon we will drive to the Kakheti region where we will visit an 18th century town of Sighnaghi. The Kakheti region is famous for its wine production and today we pay a visit to a local winery that has been operating for over 300 years. We’ll have the chance to sample both red and white wines before continuing to the town of Telavi.

Overnight Simple Guest House Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we will visit the farmers market in Telavi. After seeing all of the produce we will travel to a wine factory wherewe can see how the local tipple is produced. We take lunch with a local family and experience traditional Georgian cooking and hospitality. In the afternoon we cross the border into Azerbaijan at Lagodekhi and drive on to Sheki.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lost In the folds of the forested slopes of the Caucasus foothills, Sheki has for centuries been an important market town on the eastwest trading route running across the Caucasus from the Caspian Sea in the east to the Black Sea in the west. A further trade route across the mountains to Dagestan in the north turned Sheki into a thriving commercial centre – especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, when there were no fewer than five working caravanserais providing safe lodging to merchants and traders. We visit the Palace complex including the museum. In the afternoon we visit the nearby village of Kis, where we can visit the village church.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We travel the historic trade route from Sheki to Baku, on the Caspian Sea, a scenic if winding journey in the shadow of the mighty Caucasus stopping en route at Samaki. The land is incredibly varied: from lifeless deserts at one extreme to dense green forests at the other.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The history of Baku is long and fascinating, not least its recent past since the ‘oil boom’ of the early 20th century, when Azerbaijan produced more than half the world’s supply of oil and the capital Baku grew uncontrollably. On our first morning however we walk through the delightful winding alleys of the Old City, whose old mosques, caravanserais and overhanging wooden balconies tell of a quieter era in Baku’s history. We see the Maiden’s Tower, a powerful, eight-storey fortress, and the Shirvanshah’s Palace complex, parts of which date back to the 15th century. In the afternoon we make a trip by bus to the Absheron peninsula, to visit its remarkable Zoroastrian Atesgah (fire temple). The second day has been left free for personal exploration in this fascinating city, perhaps a visit to the renowned Carpet Museum or old Baku’s antique and carpet shops. An optional excursion can be taken south of the city to the amazing petroglyphs of Qobustan, which date back to the Iron and Stone Ages, but also include some grafitti etched by a Roman soldier – said to be the easternmost Latin inscription yet found. Also in this region are dozens of so called ‘mud volcanoes’ no more than a few feet high these curious geological formations spew liquid mud into the air. A visit is very weather dependent.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Our tour ends this morning after breakfast. Passengers returning to London on the group flight to London depart in the very early morning before breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast