Your Small Group Discovery Begins! Transfer at your hotel and settle in for your Armenian adventure
Sniff, Swirl, Sip Meet your tour director and travel companions to prepare for your epic journey through Armenia and Georgia. Begin your guided tour with panoramic views of the city from the Mother of Armenia monument and move on to the iconic Cascade Complex and Cafesjian Art Center. Perfectly suited for your small group, enjoy a visit to the famous Armenian brandy factory followed by a tasting. Tonight, enjoy an included welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Armenian brandy is one of the finest brandies in the world. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was fond of it. He liked it so much that he requested regular supplies to be sent to him. Hear about the popular story that once, during the Cold War, Churchill noticed a change in the flavor of his beloved brandy. When he mentioned this to Stalin, an investigation revealed that the master distiller of the Yerevan Brandy Company, Margar Sedrakyan, had been exiled. Stalin, upon learning this, reportedly ordered Sedrakyan's return, restoring the brandy's quality to Churchill's satisfaction
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner
Manuscripts & Memorials This morning, start your day with a visit to the Manuscripts Museum. Travel to Vagharshapat to visit the Etchmiadzin Cathedral followed by lunch at Machanents Cultural Centre. Return to Yerevan to visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum. (B,L)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Take advantage of your small group size while visiting the Machanents Cultural Centre. This vibrant hub of cultural activity is dedicated to preserving and promoting Armenian culture, arts, and traditions. As an engaging platform for artists and cultural creators to showcase their work and engage with the community, the center is also involved in various social projects, including educational initiatives and charity events
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch
Join your Local Guide for a visit to Khor Virap and Noravank. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant followed by a winery visit and tasting. (B,L)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Armenia is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. The earliest evidence of winemaking in Armenia dates back over 6,000 years to the Areni-1 cave complex, where archaeologists discovered a wine press, fermentation vats, and storage jars. Its modern wines are a combination of unique indigenous grape varieties, favorable terroir, and a blend of traditional and modern winemaking techniques resulting in great flavors and taste
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch
Temples, Tunes & Traditions Visit the Geghard cave monastery and attend a [LF] stirring choir performance. Continue to the Garni Pagan Temple where a Duduk player will perform his art for you. Attend a Lavash baking demo with your group, followed by a family-style lunch at Sergey’s Place. (B,L,D)
LOCAL FAVORITE
The name "Geghard" means "spear" in Armenian. Explore the ancient monastery of the same name, believed to have once housed the Holy Lance (Geghard) used to pierce the side of Jesus during His crucifixion. Marvel at the rock-cut churches and tombs carved directly into the cliffs. The special attention paid to the monastery's acoustic design makes this a glorious place for your small group to experience a stirring choral performance
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Craftsmanship & Children’s Futures Stroll down the streets in Dilijan and check out the local craftsmen's workshops. Take advantage of your small group and visit the [LF] Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) SMART Center dedicated to the education of Armenia’s youth, followed by lunch. Visit Haghpat Monastery before crossing the border to Georgia. (B,L,D)
LOCAL FAVORITE
Visit the Children of Armenia Fund and hear about its mission to support the development of rural communities through vital resources and innovative initiatives to benefit both children and adults. An inspiring experience for small group discoveries
Soaring Fortress Views Today, join your Local Guide for a tour of the city of Tbilisi. Start the tour at Metekhi Church. Take the cable car to reach Narikala Fortress with stunning views of the town. See the famous Sulfur Baths and Sioni Cathedral. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Tbilisi is a city that has been dominated by traders, warriors, tyrants, and dictators in turn. Take a walk around the old town and breathe in the living past. Today, Tbilisi is a modern city with well-known museums and theatres, art galleries, churches, sulphur bathhouses, and narrow streets with inner courts. Where myth and history, culture and traditions, diverse nature, and hospitable people, all intermingle with one another, you find inspired poetry, polyphonic songs, and elegant dancing. Experience a blend of cultures, the smell of spices, different nations meeting on street corners, and different faiths sharing the same courtyards
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
Sacred Sites, Shrines & Stalin This morning, drive to Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia, located at the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari Rivers to visit Jvari Monastery. Then move on to Gori, known as the birthplace of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Visit the Jospeh Stalin Museum in Gori where you can see the house where Stalin was born and his personal railway carriage. (B,L)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Visit two unique UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including a 6th-century cross-shaped Jvari cliff-top monastery overlooking the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari Rivers. Here, female evangelist St. Nino erected a large wooden cross on the site of a pagan temple. Also, see Svetitskhoveli, the fortified cathedral dating from the 11th century as a sacred place where the Robe of Christ is buried
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch
Wine & Poetry Visit Bodbe Nunnery, where St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist of Georgia is buried. Explore the fortified town of Sighnaghi in Kakheti, famous for its wine- and carpet-making culture. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Kizikhi area and unusual charm of Sighnaghi Royal Town. Then drive to the Tsinandali family estate and wine cellar. (B,L)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Tsinandali Family Estate once belonged to the 19th-century aristocratic poet Alexander Chavchavadze. The residence consists of a summer home, garden, and winery, featuring several vintages of white wine
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch
Citadels, Cellars & Cuisine Today, walk the Great Silk Road at the Gremi Church of Archangels complex, then continue to visit the Nekresi Monastery. Take part in a culinary workshop at a local cellar followed by a wine tasting. Return to Tbilisi for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Built by King Levan and Queen Ketevan, the 16th-century Gremi complex is perched on a rocky hill as the former the capital of Kakheti Kingdom—now ruins of the citadel’s market, baths, caravanserai, palace, and Archangel's church. 17th-century frescoes adorn the cathedral interior, with a collection of archaeological artifacts in view in the museum
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
