Armenian Highlands: Hiking Tour 10 Days

09:00-14:00 Meeting at Zvartnots airport and transfer to a 3* hotel in Yerevan. Time for registration and a little rest. 15:30 Sightseeing tour of Yerevan with stops at the David Sasuntsi Monument, in Victory Park - at the Mother Armenia monument, from where a beautiful view of the entire city opens. Architectural complex Cascade, Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art, Opera House. 19:00 Welcome dinner with a folklore program (folk song and dance ensemble - Yerevan) in one of the most favorite restaurants in the capital - “Tavern Yerevan”. 21:30 Evening walk in the center of Yerevan: walking tour along Northern Avenue to Republic Square. Participation in the singing fountain show (from May to October). 23:00 Return to the hotel.

Breakfast in the body. Breakfast in the hotel. 09:30 Currency exchange upon request. Departure for a tour along one of the most beautiful routes in Armenia. 10:30 Photo stop against the backdrop of Ararat at the Charents Arch. 11:00 Tour to the rocky Geghard Monastery, which was built in the 13th century. The monastery is unique in that part of it is carved into the rocks. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, we will enjoy the spiritual chants of the Luys women's choir. Also on the territory of the monastery there are many khachkars (cross stones) that date back to the early medieval period. 12:45 Tour to the pagan temple of Garni - the only monument completely restored on the territory of Armenia dating back to the era of paganism and Hellenism. The temple was dedicated to the sun god Migra (Mithras). 14:00 Lunch in the village of Garni in a rural house. 15:00 Climbing Mount Hatis. Overnight in tents.

08:00 breakfast in tents. Time to rest. Excursion at 10:00 departure for a tour to Holy Etchmiadzin. 12:00 Visit to the ruins of Zvartnots - the greatest temple of early medieval Armenian architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 12:30 Tour to Holy Echmiadzin: The spiritual center of Armenia and the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians - the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The city is located just 20 km from Yerevan. 13:00 Here we will visit the Cathedral built in the 4th century, the treasury museum of Etchmiadzin, where many holy relics are kept, including the Spear of Longinus. 14:00 Lunch at the Agape national cuisine restaurant, which is located on the territory of Holy Echmiadzin in a 17th century building and is one of the ancient restaurants in this region. 16:00 Return to Yerevan. Free evening in Yerevan.

09:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 10:00 Departure for a tour to the Amberd Fortress - a historical defensive complex on the slope of Mount Aragats, including a 7th century castle and an 11th century church. 13:00 Lunch at the Amberd tavern. 14:00 Tour to Lake Kari, which is located on Mount Aragats at an altitude of 3200 m. Return to Yerevan. Free evening in Yerevan.

07:00 departure for a tour to the village of Gegashen. 07:40 start of the ascent to Mount Azhdahak. Near the Yazidi shepherd settlement, we will begin our ascent to the mountain peak of Azhdahak (3597m), famous for its picturesque crater lake. Along the way we will see numerous rock paintings that mark the Geghama Mountains. 20:00 return to Yerevan.

Breakfast in the hotel. 08:00 Check-out from the hotel and departure for a tour to the south of Armenia. 09:00 The first stop is the Khor Virap monastery, from where one of the most wonderful views of the biblical Mount Ararat opens. 11:00 Tour of the mysterious “Birds” cave, where archaeologists recently found the world’s oldest leather shoe and a winery dating back almost 6,000 years. Areni is one of the actively developing wine-growing regions of Armenia, where red wine is produced from the local indigenous variety of the same name. We will try this goodness in one of the small wineries. 12:00 Visit to the Noravank monastery complex (XIII), hidden among the mysterious red rocks - one of the most beautiful landscapes in Armenia. 13:00 Lunch at the house of local winemaker David, who will treat us to kebab cooked in a tandoor. 18:00 Entry into the city of Kapan. Overnight at the hotel.

08:00 Breakfast at the hotel, 11:30 Tour to Mount Khustup in the western part of the Syunik region, south of the city of Kapan. The height of the mountain is 3206 meters. Picnic in nature. Then we will have an excursion to the Vaganavank monastery complex, located 5 km southwest of the city of Kapan, Syunik region, on the right bank of the Voghch River. Return to Kapan, overnight at a hotel.

08:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 10:00 From the settlement of Halidzor, we go up to the Tatev Monastery along the longest cable car in the world “Wings of Tatev”. 12:00 Tour to Old Khndzoresk - an uninhabited cave city, which we will reach via the “Swinging Bridge”. Until the beginning of the 20th century, about eight thousand people lived in these caves, but now the city is empty. 13:00 Lunch in a rural house. 15:00 After lunch, we take an off-road vehicle to Mount Ukhtasar, where the famous field of petroglyphs is located. 18:00 Entry to the village of Yeghegnadzor, overnight in a rural house.

09:00 Breakfast in a rural house. After breakfast we will go on a tour to Vardenyats Carvan Saray, one of the important points in Armenia on the Great Silk Road. These structures served as overnight accommodation for loaded caravans heading from Europe to the East 11:00 Noratus is the largest concentration of khachkars on the territory of modern Armenia. 12:30 Visit to the Hayravank Monastery. Tour to Lake Sevan and visit to the Sevanavank Monastery, which is located on the northwestern coast. 14:00 Lunch at the colorful Tsaghkunk guest house, where the chef will give us a master class on preparing dishes from the gifts of Sevan (for groups 10+). 19:00 Return to Yerevan gala dinner at the restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

09:00 Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport.