Unique Armenia

Meet at the airport. Transfer to the selected hotel.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel.

A city tour of Yerevan — an ancient city (29 years older than Rome) that is at the same time a modern and beautiful city with a unique charm, set against the backdrop of the majestic biblical Mount Ararat, sparkling with its snow-covered peaks. The tour includes a visit to the city center and its main sights: the Opera and Ballet Theater, Republic Square, Swan Lake, Northern Avenue, and much more!

Explore Cascade Complex, the hub of contemporary art in Yerevan with art pieces displayed throughout the whole area: the boulevard and up the stairs. From top of Cascade the marvelous panoramic view on the city and Mountain Ararat is open. Cascade is home to Cafesjian modern art museum. This place becomes even more charming in the evenings, when it is full of people, both locals and tourists from all over the world, enjoying the magic and the warmth of the capital. It is also a popular place for open air concerts at summer season.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Trip to the north of Armenia to the Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries (Lori Region), listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1996). Visit to the functioning Haghpat Monastery (10th century), located on a small plateau surrounded by gorges. In the 10th-13th centuries, it was one of the spiritual and cultural centers of Armenia. Here they studied the humanities, theology, painted and copied books. For some time, the great Armenian poet-ashugh Sayat-Nova lived in the Haghpat Monastery, about whose life Sergei Parajanov made his famous film “The Color of Pomegranates”. Part of the filming took place in this Monastery.

Then visit the cave-fortress complex of Zarni Parni.

Drive to Akhtala Fortress. Akhtala Monastery (13th century) is unique for its perfectly preserved frescoes on the walls.

Visit to Aramyants Castle, after to Sanahin Monastery (10th century). In the 12th century, there was a medical school in Sanahin where human anatomy and physiology were studied.

Return to Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel.

Trip to Amberd Fortress — an outstanding example of medieval architecture (11th–13th centuries). Its majestic structure rises above the gorge. The fortress is surrounded by massive defensive walls with towers. Everything here served a defensive purpose. The architecture is simple and austere. Amberd had two reservoirs and its own water supply system. This castle was the ancestral estate of the Pahlavuni princes. Within the fortress stands the Church of Amberd, built in 1026.

Continue to the high-mountain Kari Lake, located in the crater between the four sharp peaks of Mount Aragats, at an altitude of 3,207 meters above sea level. Mount Aragats is the highest peak (4,090 m) of the Armenian Highland within the borders of modern Armenia. The beautiful landscape of foothills and alpine zones attracts hiking and mountain climbing enthusiasts. In summer, the slopes are covered in a lush, flowering carpet. Before you open up flower valleys so vibrant that their colors seem almost surreal. Here you’ll find lavender, balsam, sage, alpine chamomile, bellflowers, wild dill, and other alpine herbs. The Aragats massif is an inexhaustible source of water for Armenia.

Next, visit a dried fruits and eco-products factory. The factory produces dried fruits without sugar or additives, as well as dried vegetables and chips.

Trip to Saghmosavank Monastery, located on the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the picturesque Kasagh River gorge. Saghmosavank dates back to 1215 when, by the order of Prince Vache Vachutyan, the Church of Surb Sion was built here.

Visit the Armenian Alphabet Park, located on a small plain where all the letters of the Armenian alphabet are carved from tuff stone, each the height of an average person. Each letter features artistic design, and they are scattered naturally among volcanic stones, as if emerging from the distant past. Tourists love to take selfies next to the first letter of their name.

Return to Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Areni village, the cradle of winemaking. During recent archaeological excavations in the Areni region (Vayots Dzor province) in modern Armenia, a 6,100-year-old winery and 5 wine cellars were found. Archaeologists found containers for pressing grapes, fermenting and storing wine, drinking cups, grape vines and seeds. This winery and cellar are still recognized as the oldest in the world. Archaeologists suggest that our early ancestors used wine in ceremonies to honor the dead, as well as as a gift placed inside tombs. This is evidenced by the wine jugs and cups found in the burial sites. According to Armenian and American scientists, these are the only complete and most ancient excavations of wine production in the world (over 6,000 years). These findings indicate a high level of winemaking in those days on the territory of Armenia. Visit to the Areni winery with tasting of different types of wine.

On the way to Tatev Monastery, visit one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Armenia – Shaki.

Continuation of the journey to the Wings of Tatev cable car, built in 2010, which is the longest cable car in the world. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Travel by car to Tatev Monastery (return by cable car). Tatev Monastery is one of the most unique and beautiful monasteries in Armenia. It is located at the edge of a deep gorge and is surrounded by powerful fortifications. The Tatev complex is in harmony with the surrounding mountain landscape. In the past, Tatev was not only a religious but also a political center of the Syunik principality. At one time, there was a university here, which had three departments: music (spiritual chants), painting and science. The latter studied the Old and New Testaments, and also dealt with the translation of manuscripts of spiritual and secular content from Greek and other languages. The complex includes the central temple – the temple of St. Poghos-Petros (895-906), as well as the church of St. Grigor (1265), the abbot’s chambers (17th century), a refectory with a kitchen and storerooms, and monastic services. The dwellings and utility rooms of the monastery, located in a row along the perimeter of the fence, fit into the overall composition and give the entire complex originality and grandeur. In the 10th century. the monastery had about 1000 inhabitants, including artisans, in whose workshops works of applied art were created, an example of which are the finely carved khachkars and doors of the temple.

Return to Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Trip to Gyumri, the second-largest city in Armenia, located 130 km from Yerevan in the Shirak Province. Gyumri is a city that deeply honors national traditions and is known for its warm hospitality. A walk through the historical Kumayri district, one of the few places in Armenia where authentic urban Armenian architecture has been preserved. The district features more than a thousand buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Visit to the Museum of Urban Life, the Black Fortress, and a stroll through the old streets of the city.

On the way back, visit Harichavank Monastery (7-th century), located at the foot of the western slope of Mount Aragats.

Return to Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out before 12:00. Transfer to the airport 2.5 hours before departure.