The Heart of the Caucasus: Armenia & Georgia

After arriving in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, you will proceed to your hotel in the city where you can check in and relax.

Today we explore the Armenian capital, lying in the shadow of the biblical Mount Ararat, one of the oldest capitals in the world. Highlights include Republic Square, the Cascade, and the Opera House. Enjoy a pleasant walk through the heart of the city. Under the guidance of architect Alexander Tamanyan, the ancient traditions of stone craftsmanship were revived, and Republic Square became the showcase of a new and self-confident nation. Passing by Radio Yerevan, we will reach the impressive Cascade, which forms the heart of the city. From here, you will enjoy a magnificent view over the entire city.

A pleasant excursion to Garni, the summer residence of the Armenian kings, famous for the only surviving Hellenistic temple (1st century) in the Caucasus. Continue to Geghard to visit the rock-carved monastery located at the end of a gorge, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Armenia.

Dinner with a local family, where we will see how the traditional Armenian flatbread, lavash, is prepared (optional, at an additional cost).

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we explore the Ararat Plain, where Noah is said to have planted the first vine after descending from Mount Ararat. The Ararat Plain plays an important role in the country’s viticulture. Transfer to Khor Virap Monastery, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of Mount Ararat.

Continue to the Vayots Dzor province. Winemaking in this region dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. In a cave in this province, barrels with traces of wine from that period were discovered. The endemic Areni grape grows here, from which the famous Areni red wine is produced. Visit Noravank Monastery, located at the end of the beautiful Amaghu Gorge. Its distinctive external reliefs are impressive, and its reddish façade blends almost perfectly with the surrounding rocky landscape at sunset.

Visit a farm with a rustic wine cellar. Enjoy lunch and a tasting of various homemade Armenian wines at the farm, where we will learn more about rural life (optional, at an additional cost).

Crossing the Selim Pass, we reach the only well-preserved 14th-century caravanserai in Armenia. Visit Sevan Monastery (9th century) on the peninsula, which was once an island and served as a place of exile for Armenian nobility.

Overnight in Dilijan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Hidden in the most forested region of Armenia, with its remote villages, are some of the most important monasteries and educational centers of the Middle Ages. We will follow the Road of the Monasteries. The harmonious arrangement of the buildings, constructed over time, is undoubtedly an architectural masterpiece.

Lunch on the edge of the beautiful Debed Gorge, where we will be served some of the best Armenian shashlik (optional, at an additional cost).

Almost at the end of the world, located on a plateau with magnificent views, we find Haghpat Monastery.

Drive to the Armenian–Georgian border at Sadakhlo and cross the border.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Breakfast at the hotel. City tour of the Georgian capital. All the main historical monuments are located close to one another in the Old Town, allowing us to explore them with a pleasant walk. First, we will visit Narikala Fortress and the equestrian statue of the city’s founder, Vakhtang Gorgasali. We will take the cable car to reach the statue of the Mother of Georgia, from where we will enjoy a fantastic view over the entire city of Tbilisi. A pleasant walk through the park will then take us across the Bridge of Peace to the Puppet Theatre.

This evening, during dinner, we will have the opportunity to listen to traditional Georgian music. The vocal phrasing and harmonies of Georgian singing are unique in the world (optional, at an additional cost).

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Breakfast at the hotel. Travel to Mtskheta. Visit the ancient capital and religious center of Georgia, including Jvari Church (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century), which is said to house the Robe of Christ. Continue along the Georgian Military Highway to Gudauri, passing through a very scenic area and reaching the heights of the Greater Caucasus. Along the way, visit the Ananuri Fortress Church (17th century) with its magnificent view over the Zhinvali Reservoir. Continue to Mount Kazbek.

Dinner with a Georgian family (optional, at an additional cost).

A scenic 4x4 journey takes us to Gergeti Church. The route leads through the village of Gergeti up to Tsminda Sameba Church (Holy Trinity Church), also known as Gergeti Trinity Church, located at 2,170 meters above sea level. From here, you will enjoy a magnificent view over the Terek Valley and the settlement of Kazbegi. Weather permitting, you may also catch a glimpse of one of the highest peaks of the Caucasus, Mount Kazbek (5,047 m).

Visit a winery where the winemaker has been cultivating ancient local grape varieties for many years and producing organic wines according to traditional Georgian methods (optional, at an additional cost).

Return to Tbilisi.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Breakfast in hotel. Fee Day in Tbilisi.

Breakfast in hotel. End of our services.