Day 1:
Yerevan City Tour – Yerevan Brandy Factory
Arrival at the Zvartnots International Airport. Transfer to a hotel.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Guided Yerevan City tour: learn about our capital founded in 782 BC by King Argishti I. Yerevan is also called the “the Pink city” as most of the building are build with pink tuff stone of volcanic origin. The tour will start at the Victory Park, continue to Cascade complex, Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Republic Square.
Visit Ararat Brandy Factory founded in 1887. Guided tour at the Factory Museum to learn about centuries old history of legendary Armenian brandy followed by sampling several brandies of the factory production.
Welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Enjoy the city by night at the singing fountains of the Republic Square.
Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 2:
Yerevan -Echmiadzin Cathedraal – Treasury Museum – Machanents Tourism and Art Center – St. Hripsime Church – Zvartnots cathedral UNESCO Heritage site.
Breakfast at the hotel. Start the tour by driving 18 km west of Yerevan to the city of Echmiadzin to visit the Mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is considered to be the oldest Christian Cathedral in the world built between 301 and 303 A D by Gregory the Illuminator succeeding the adoption of Christianity as a state religion in Armenia. Visit the Treasury Museum of the Mother Cathedral to view the relics of Apostles, the Holy Lance which pierced the side of Christ, the relic of Noah Ark, the relic of Jesus Christ’s wooden cross and many more.
Visit one of the most favorite places in Echmiadzin: Machanents Tourism and Art Center which combines art, tourism and Armenian cuisine. Sample Armenian dishes and wine and use this chance to sample the very unique Sun smoked fish.
Continue to 7 th century St. Hripsime Church dedicated to one of the first Christian Martyrs of Armenia where her remain were buried along with other martyrs.
Visit another UNESCO heritage site – the ruins of Zvartnots meaning “celestial angels cathedral” built in the 7th century, but collapsed as a result of an earthquake in the 10th century.
Return to Yerevan.
Dinner and overnight in Yerevan.
Day 3. Yerevan – Ark of Charents – Geghard Monastery – I century Pagan Temple of Garni
Breakfast at the hotel. Start the tour by driving southeast of Yerevan towards the Ark of Charents built in 1957.It was named in honor of the prominent Armenian poet Eghishe Charents, who wrote the most beautiful poem dedicated to Armenia. The poet loved this spot because of the stunning view of Biblical Mount Ararat. Continue the tour towards Geghard (meaning spear) medieval Monastery previously named as Ayrivank (the Monastery of the cave).The monastery was founded by the Gregory the Illuminator in the 4th century but the main chapel was built in 1215. The spear (the Holy Lance ) which wounded Christ on the Cross was allegedly brought by Apostle Thaddeus and kept at Geghard Monastery for 500 years.
Continue to another very popular tourist attraction – the I century Hellenic temple of Garni the only surviving pagan temple on the territory of Armenia. It was built by king Trdates I and was dedicated to the God of Sun , Mihr. The temple was ruined by the earthquake in 1679 and was rebuild in 1975. A Roman bath with a mosaic floor was discovered with a Greek inscription on it.
Lunch at a local restaurant and participation in a masterclass of your choice. (Armenian flat bead baking, carpet weaving, ceramics, Armenian sweet sudjukh making, etc.)
Return to Yerevan.
Dinner and overnight in Yerevan
Day 4.
Yerevan – Areni Winery-Noravank – Spa Town of Jermuk
Breakfast at the hotel. Start the tour by driving south towards Areni winery located withing 110 km from Yerevan. Wine sampling and lunch at local restaurant. Continue to the picturesque Spa town of Jermuk.
Dinner and overnight in Jermuk.
Day 5
Jermuk – Wings of Tatev Ropeway – Tatev Monastery – Goris
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive south towards the longest nonstop Ropeway – Wings of Tatev in Syunik Province. Reach the 9th century Tatev Monastery complex via Wings of Tatev Ropeway.
Continue towards city of Goris. Lunch a hotel Mirhav and wine tasting. Visit the house museum of well known prose writer Aksel Bakunts. Participate in a Gata (Armenian cake) masterclass and enjoy Gata with your coffee. During the mulberry season a distilling mulberry vodka masterclass is offered along with traditional Armenian treats.
Free time.
Dinner and overnight in Goris.
Day 6
Goris – Noravank monastery – Momik Wines – Khor Virap Monastery – Yerevan
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive north towards Yerevan. Visit 13th century Noravank Monastery with its two-storey Holy mother of God church. The architect of the church was the masterpiece and the last work of famous sculptor and miniaturist Momik. Noravank was the religious center of Syunik province and also the residence of Orbelian princes.
Drive to Momik wines for lunch and wine tasting. Continue towards the most popular pilgrimage site – Khor Virap monastery located at the border Turkish-Armenian border and 8 km within the ancient capital of Armenia- Artaxata. Khor Virap (meaning “deep dungeon”) is the place where Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years by the King Trdates III of Armenia.
Continue towards Yerevan.
Dinner and overnight in Yerevan.
Day 7.
Transfer to Airport. Departure.