Pearls of the Caucasus (8 days/7 nights)

Breakfast.

Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia, which has absorbed so many epochs and cultures that even the locals do not know all the mysteries and secrets that keep the mazes of this warm and beautiful city. Beautiful carved balconies, unique front doors, famous Tbilisi courtyards, this is all what the city is famous for.

We invite you to the author's tour of the city!

During the walking tour with a professional guide, we will climb the Narikala Fortress, see Tbilisi from a bird's-eye view, visit the fig gorge and the complex of famous sulfur baths, walk along the alleys of the famous Sharden district.

At the end of the tour we will have a tasting of famous Georgian wines in one of the city’s marani.

Breakfast.

Kakheti, how many things are there in this word! A few years ago, the whole world recognized that Georgia is the birthplace of wine.
We will begin our tour with a visit to the KTW Corporation winery, one of the largest wine producers, where they will tell us the secret of the Georgian wine-making technology.

We will make the next stop in the once famous and highly developed city of Gremi, which was completely destroyed by the brutal Iranian Shah Abbas. The Archangelsk temple and bell tower survived to this day, and this is what the complex is now called the “Gremi Castle”

Next, we will invite you to lunch with the peasant family, where you will be served a traditional table from the Kakhetian mistress (extra charge).

The last point of our tour will be Signagi - the city of Love. Sighnaghi is a small town in eastern Georgia, on the mountainside, in the historical region of Kakheti. The center of the historical and geographical area of ​​Kiziki, is located on terraces, connecting winding steep streets.

Breakfast.

So much has been said and written about the famous Georgian military road that every day it attracts more and more travelers from around the world.

"Better than mountains, there can only be mountains in which you have not yet been" - the familiar words of Vysotsky. Today we go to the mountains and feel the spirit of freedom.

Our first stop will be in Ananuri, a fortress that served as the main stronghold for the Aragvi Eristaves, the rulers of this region. The fortress arose in the 16th century and over the next two centuries served as the northern outpost of the Transcaucasian defense, blocking the road leading from the Darial Gorge.

Next, we will stop at the "Arch of Friendship", which was built as an observation deck in honor of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of St. George.

The last point of our trip will be Gergeti, located at an altitude of 2,170 m at the foot of Kazbek along the Georgian Military Highway in the Georgian village of Gergeti, just above the village of Stepantsminda. Built in the 14th century, the shrine is the only cross-domed temple in the Hevi region. Near the temple is preserved medieval bell tower.

Breakfast. Transfer to the border with Armenia. Meeting at the border, crossing the border, transfer to Yerevan, rest

Breakfast. Trip to the mountain resort of Dilijan. It is located high in the mountains (1200-1500m), covered with virgin pine forests. Walk through the old district of Dilijan. The architecture of Dilijan is interesting for its lighter and airier style with the use of wood in the structures and facades of houses. Of interest is Sharambeyan Street, located in the historical district of old Dilijan with many restored workshops of local artisans, which recreates the spirit of the old city of the 19th century. Visit to the monastery complex of Haghartsin (13th century). Haghartsin is the most secluded and isolated monastery, which includes a group of monastic buildings closely adjacent to each other. The monastery, which suddenly appears among the dense trees, creates a fabulous impression of a lost world.

A trip to the high-mountain lake Sevan - one of the wonders of Armenia. This dazzling blue lake is located high in the mountains. Cold and majestic, it conceals an inexplicable beauty. It is not without reason that many artists choose Sevan as the object of their art. Then transfer to Yerevan. Accommodation at the hotel and free time to spend the evening in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. A trip to the Ararat Valley to the Khor Virap church. From here, a unique panorama of the beautiful biblical Mount Ararat with its sparkling snow-white peaks opens up. Deep beneath the church is a sacred place: here in the dungeon, Gregory the Illuminator spent 13 years in captivity by order of King Trdat for spreading Christianity in Armenia. After his release in 301, Gregory the Illuminator sanctified the Armenian people, and Christianity was adopted in Armenia as a state religion. On the site of Gregory the Illuminator's imprisonment, the Khor Virap Church was built, which became a holy place for the entire Christian world, and Gregory the Illuminator was canonized and is considered the founder of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The entrance to the dungeon has been preserved in the church, so it is possible to go down the stairs and examine the place of imprisonment. Not far from the church are the ruins of the ancient capital of Armenia, Artashat, which is one of the few ancient cities built according to a special project. The author of the city plan was the commander of ancient Carthage, Hannibal, who fled to Armenia after losing the war with Rome. A trip to the village of Areni - the cradle of winemaking. Visiting a winery and tasting different types of wine. A trip to the monastery complex of Noravank (13th-15th centuries), which is an outstanding monument of medieval architecture and a major religious and cultural center. Situated among bizarre steep red cliffs on the ledge of a winding gorge, it is an extraordinary sight in its beauty. The oldest monument of Noravank is the Surb Karapet Church (9th - 10th centuries). To the north of it, in the 13th century, the main temple of the monastery was erected, also dedicated to this saint. Its sculptor and architect was the famous talented architect Momik. To the north of the main temple is the tomb of the Orbelian family. The temple is decorated with images of the Virgin Mary with the Child, God the Father, the crucifixion of Christ, as well as a large number of openwork khachkars. The nearby Surb Astvatsatsin (Mother of God) Church is a highly artistic monument of memorial significance. The first floor served as a burial vault, the second - as a memorial temple. The western façade of the building, decorated with console stairs leading to the second floor, is especially beautiful. Return to Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion to the extraordinarily beautiful pagan Temple of the Sun (1st century AD) in the village of Garni. Built in the Greek style with a characteristic colonnade on all sides and located on the top of a hill separated from the mountain range by a deep gorge, it is an extraordinary sight in its beauty, sometimes seeming unreal. The Garni fortress served as the summer residence of the Arsacid royal court. Destroyed by a strong earthquake in 1679, the temple was later restored in 1969-1974. Part of the fortress wall surrounding the temple has survived, as well as the ruins of the royal palace and baths. Of interest is the mosaic floor of the dressing room and the inscription on it: "We worked without receiving anything." There are preserved inscriptions in Greek, from which it follows that the temple was built in 77 AD by King Trdat I (Arsacid dynasty). Access to the rare rock-cut temple of St. Geghard (12th – 13th centuries), which means "holy spear" in honor of the very spear that interrupted Christ's torment on the cross and was kept there for a long time (it is now in the museum of St. Echmiadzin). The temple is located high in the mountains in the picturesque gorge of the Azat River.

.Return to Yerevan. Transfer to the airport and flight.