Summer vacation in Armenia and Georgia

Meeting at Zvartnots airport and transfer to the hotel in Yerevan, time for registration and rest.

Breakfast at the hotel 09:00 Sightseeing bus tour of Yerevan with stops at the David of Sasuntsi Monument, in Victory Park at the Mother Armenia monument, from where there is a wonderful overview of the entire city. Architectural complex Cascade, Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art, Opera House. 11:00-12:15 Historical Museum of Armenia, where exhibits are presented representing different eras of the centuries-old history of the Armenian Highlands from the Paleolithic to the present day. 12:45 Photo stop against the backdrop of Ararat at the Charents Arch. 13:00 Lunch in the village of Garni in a rural house, participation in the baking of Armenian lavash bread. 14:30 Tour to the rocky Geghard Monastery - a fantastic example of medieval Armenian architecture (XII-XIII centuries), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 15:00 Here we will enjoy the singing of a women's choir, which will perform spiritual and folk songs especially for our group. 16:30 Tour to the pagan temple of Garni - the only monument preserved on the territory of Armenia dating back to the era of paganism and Hellenism. 17:30 A short walking tour to the Garni gorge, where the natural monument “Symphony of Stones” is located (for those who find it difficult, we will provide off-road transport) Return and check-in at a hotel in Yerevan, time for rest. 19:15 Departure for a welcome dinner with a folklore program (Armenian folk songs and dances) at the Yerevan Tavern. 21:30 Evening walk in the center of Yerevan: walking tour along Northern Avenue to Republic Square, where at this time there is a show of singing fountains. 23:00 Return to the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 9:40 Departure for the tour. 10:00-11:00 Visit to the colorful and eccentric house-museum of the famous Armenian film director Sergei Parajanov. 11:30 Visit to the Ararat Cognac Factory for a tour and subsequent tasting of several types of cognac. 13:00 Lunch at the guest house in Ashtarak. 14:00 Tour to Saghmosavank, built in 1215 by Vache Vachutyan. In the library next to the main church, many parchments were written and signed over the years. 16:00-17:00 Amberd Fortress is a historical defensive complex on the slope of Mount Aragats, including a 7th century castle and an 11th century church. The founders of the fortress were the princely family of Kamsakaroans, but later the castle was acquired by the Bagratuni dynasty, becoming the most important outpost of the kingdom. The fortress is one of the most visited places in Armenia among guests and local residents. 18:30 Dinner at the elegant restaurant Charentsi 28 according to the menu of Western Armenian cuisine. Return to the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 8:00 Check-out from the hotel and departure for a tour to the south of Armenia. 09:00-10:00 Visit to the Khor Virap monastery, from where one of the most wonderful views of the biblical Mount Ararat, the main symbol of Armenia, opens. 11:00 Arrival in Areni. Visit to the Noravank monastery complex (XIII), hidden among the mysterious red rocks. This is a wine-growing area where red wine is produced from the local variety of the same name. Here is the Bird Cave, where the world's oldest leather shoe and a winery dating back almost 6,000 years were recently discovered. 12:00-12:30 At the Old Areni winery we will take a short tour of the factory and taste wine from three local varieties. 12:30-13:30 Lunch at the house of local winemaker David, who will treat us to kebab cooked in a tandoor. 16:30/16:45 From the settlement of Halidzor, we take the longest reversible cable car in the world “Wings of Tatev” to the Tatev Monastery. 18:00-18:30 Karahunj - Zorats Karer, a megalithic structure dating back to the 6th millennium BC. e., is considered the oldest observatory, the so-called “Armenian Stonehenge”. 21:00 Check-in at the Lucy Tour hotel in the village of Germon. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 8:00 Departure for the tour 9:30 Vardenyats (Selim) caravanserai, one of the important points in Armenia on the Great Silk Road. These structures served as overnight stops for loaded caravans heading from Europe to the East 10:30 Noratus is a medieval monument consisting of the largest number of khachkars on the territory of modern Armenia. 12:30 Lunch at the coastal restaurant Tsovatsots, a dish of local whitefish and branded kebabs from Sevan crayfish. 14:30 Check-in and rest at the coastal hotel Harsnaqar. 19:00 Dinner at the hotel.

Rest on Lake Sevan. 17:00 Tour to Lake Sevan - the largest lake in the Caucasus. On the northwestern coast we will visit the Sevanavank monastery. 19:00 A short walking tour to the neighboring hills where many flowers bloom wildly at this time of year. 19:00 We return to the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 9:00 Departure for the tour. 09:30 Stop in Dilijan, in the greenest resort of Armenia, in the Old Dilijan complex, where you can see the typical architecture of the city and several workshops. 11:30 Visit to the Haghpat monastery complex, one of the most beautiful sights in Armenia, included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. 13:00 Light lunch in the village of Haghpat. 14:00 Akhtala monastery and fortress of the 10th century, harmoniously combining architectural elements of Armenian, Byzantine and Georgian architecture. 16:00 Crossing the Armenian-Georgian border at the Bagratashen border point. 17:30 Arrival in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, hotel accommodation. Time to rest. 19:00 Welcome dinner with folk songs and dances in the colorful restaurant In the shadow of Metekhi. 22:00 Return to the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 09:00 Departure for a city tour: Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity); The Holy Trinity Cathedral is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. 11:00 Walking tour of old Tbilisi: Metekhi Monastery built on the rocky bank of the Kura River in the 12th century. The monastery offers a wonderful view of Old Tbilisi. Walking tour to the recently restored Rieke Park. Bridge of Peace - from ancient times to modern times. We take the cable car up to the Narikala fortress, a fantastic overview, the entire old city in the palm of your hand. Narikala is a large-scale fortress in Old Tbilisi. The exact time of the founding of the fortress in Tbilisi is unknown, but in the 4th century it already existed and was called Shuris Tsikhe. From here you can enjoy picturesque views of the entire city. Descent to the Sulfur Baths area (Abanotubani), the cradle of the city. According to legend, they were found by the king of Iberia Vakhtang Gorgasali during a hunt (if desired, a visit to the baths is possible). Walk in the Fig Gorge to the waterfall. 13:00-14:00 Free time for lunch. 16:00 Tour to the open-air ethnographic museum - a unique Georgian village, where every house and estate is a reflection of different eras of Georgian history. Return to the hotel for rest. 19:00 Return to the hotel. Free evening.

Breakfast in the hotel. 08:30 Departure for the tour. After enjoying the views of the huge mountain reservoir of Zhinvali, it will be time to visit the impregnable Ananuri fortress, which for many centuries blocked the entrance to the Aragvi River gorge and was, in fact, the last line of defense. Next, having conquered the Cross Pass (2395 m above sea level), we will arrive in the village of Stepantsminda (Kazbegi). Here live the Mohewe mountain people, fearless warriors with an inexhaustible sense of humor and an inexhaustible supply of hospitality. 14:00 Lunch at the Tsanareti restaurant before reaching Stepantsminda. 15:00 In off-road vehicles from the city center we will climb to the top of one of the mountains near the village, on which the famous Sameba Holy Trinity Monastery is located (14th century, altitude about 2400 m). Mount Kazbek, the second highest in Georgia (5047 m), is visible from the village square in clear weather. There are unusually beautiful mountains around. The formidable Tergi is also making noise here. Return to Tbilisi. 20:00 Free evening.

Breakfast in the hotel. 09:00 Departure for the tour. Point No. 1 is the Jvari Temple, it is interesting because after the baptism of Georgia, Saint Nino installed the first cross in this place. A beautiful landscape opens up from the temple; the city of Mtskheta, the Kura gorge and the Aragvi valley are clearly visible. The city of Mtskheta, the very first capital of Georgia, the three main objects in Mtskheta are: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Samtavro Temple and Bebristsikhe Fortress. 13:00 Light lunch in Gori. Tour to the city of Gori, which is famous for its fortress, Gorisjvari temple, as well as the Stalin Museum. From the city of Gori we go to the cave city of Uplistsikhe, which was founded back in 1000 BC. e and was a sacred and temple place during the pre-Christian period. Arrival in the city of Kutaisi and hotel accommodation. 19:00 Dinner in Kutaisi.

Breakfast in the hotel. 09:00 Departure for the tour. Tour of Kutaisi - the second largest city in Western Georgia, the former capital of the country with a population of 200,000 people. Located 220 km from Tbilisi and 150 km from Batumi. 10:00 Temple of Bagrat, erected in Kutaisi during the reign of Bagrat III as the main cathedral of his united Georgian kingdom and consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in 1003. 11:00 Prometheus Cave, previously known among speleologists as the Kumistavi Cave, is located on the outskirts of the city of Tskaltubo. It is one of the main attractions of Imereti, and the largest cave in Georgia. This cave is absolutely unrealistically large and beautiful, and although only a tenth of it is open to tourists, it is still a lot and a walk through it takes about an hour. 14:00 Picnic on the way to Batumi. 15:30 Arrival in Batumi. a city and port in Georgia, on the Black Sea coast, the capital of Adjara and the main tourist center of modern Georgia. Accommodation at the Piazza Hotel and rest. 19:00 Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 09:00 Departure for a holiday on Sarpi beach. 13:00 Return to the hotel. 15:00 Walk and city tour around the city. 19:00 Free evening.

Breakfast in the hotel. 09:00 Departure for a holiday on Sarpi beach. 13:00 Return to the hotel. 17:00 Departure for a vacation on the beach. 19:00 Free evening.

Breakfast in the hotel. 08:00 Departure for the tour. 11:30-13:00 Rabat Fortress - a large fortress in the city of Akhaltsikhe, recently completely reconstructed. The last and largest project of the Saakashvili era. One of the main attractions of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region on a par with Vardzia. According to rumors, during the reconstruction they tried to make Rabat a little like Jerusalem. Now on the territory of the fortress there is a hotel, a museum, a wine shop and an information center. 13:00-14:30 Lunch at a restaurant on the territory of the Rabat fortress. 16:00-17:30 Arrival in the cave city of Vardzia. 18:00 Crossing the Armenian-Georgian border at the Ninotsminda-Bavra point. 19:00 Picnic. 21:00 Arrival in Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia. Accommodation at the Gyumri Hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 09:00-09:30 Departure from the hotel and a short bus tour of Gyumri. 12:00 Arrival at Zvartnots International Airport. 14:45 departure from Yerevan to Moscow SU 1861.