Classic Pilgrimage & Cultural Tour to Armenia – 7 Days/6 Nights

Breakfast in the hotel. The day starts with a visit to the Erebuni Fortress, also known as Arin Berd. It is an Urartian fortified city, located in Yerevan. It was one of several fortresses built along the northern Urartian border. The name Yerevan itself is derived from Erebuni. Erebuni was founded by Urartian King Argishti I in 782 BC. It was built on top of a hill called Arin Berd overlooking the Aras River Valley to serve as a military stronghold to protect the kingdom's northern borders. We visit the pagan temple of Garni, built in the I century by Armenian king Trdat I and dedicated to the god of sun Mihr. Azat River gorge is famous for its basaltic pillars - the result of a volcanic lava flow. Lunch at a restaurant with tasting of national dishes + lavash master class. Next stop is Geghard monastery complex (IV century), which is included in the list of World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO. Its full name is Geghardavank, literally it is translated as "Monastery of the spear". The name of the monastery complex comes from Christ Spear (Spear of Longinus), which the Roman soldier Longinus thrust in Jesus Christ. The spear is now kept in the treasury of Echmiadzin Cathedral. Back to Yerevan

Breakfast in the hotel. Next stop is the country's main museum - the History Museum of Armenia. The museum has collected about 400,000 exhibits. The museum exposition is divided into several departments: archaeological, ethnographic, numismatic department, historic architecture department, the Department of Modern and Contemporary history of Armenia. We visit the ruins of Zvartnots temple, which was destroyed in the earthquake. In 2000, the ruins of the temple and the archaeological area around it are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lunch at a restaurant with tasting of national dishes. We will visit the city of Ecmiadzin ‐ the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, where the residence of the Catholicos is located. We will visit Echmiadzin Cathedral (301-483 AD), which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Return to Yerevan

Breakfast in the hotel. We go to the Armenian monastery of Khor Virap, situated at the foot of Mount Ararat, near the border with Turkey. It is a place of pilgrimage, which is connected with the legend of Grigor Lusavorich (Grigor the Illuminator). According to church tradition, Gregory was imprisoned on the orders of King Trdat III, caught in that he professes Christianity, and was held there for 13 years. Those interested can go down to the prison, which has a depth of 6 m and a diameter of 4.4 m. Right in front of you, very, very close and in all its beauty you will see the symbol of Armenia - Mount Ararat. Afterwards we go Noravank monastery complex, built in XIII-XIV centuries, which is located 1.5 kilometers east to the village of Areni. The complex is located on a narrow ledge winding gorge tributary of the Arpa River. The gorge is famous for its steep red cliffs, towering behind the monastery. Lunch at a restaurant with tasting of national dishes. The ropeway "Wings of Tatev" (the longest ropeway in the world - 5752 m, ranked in the Guinness Book of Records) will carry us over the beautiful Vorotan gorge directly to Tatev monastery. Visit the journey to the Tatev monastery (IX‐XIII centuries), which is located on the edge of a gigantic canyon. Tatev was one of the most famous spiritual and educational centers of the Middle Ages. The complex can be called one of the most noteworthy places on earth. Overnight stay in the city of Goris.

Breakfast in the hotel. We visit a village in the eastern part of the Syunik region of Armenia - Khndzoresk. The main attraction of the city is the "cave city". Here people lived in the caves until 1958. In 2012 there was built "Hanging Bridge" over the gorge that connects the two banks of the old village Khndzoresk. The height of the bridge is 60 meters and its length is 100 metres. Then we visit the prehistoric complex Karahunj (Zorats Karer), located at an altitude of 1770m, which is also called "Armenian Stonehenge". The complex consists of lots of large standing stones, some of which have circular openings in thier upper part. Karahunj is considered to be one of the oldest observatories in the world. Lunch at a restaurant with tasting of national dishes. Shaki Waterfall is a waterfall in Armenia, with a height of 18 m. The Shaki Waterfall is situated 6 km from the town of Sisian. On the left side of the river Vorotan gorge, basalt lava flows have solidified to form a ledge 18 meters high from which the waterfall cascades down. Then we continue our way to the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor region of Armenia. We visit the "Cave of the birds", where the oldest winery in the world and the world's oldest shoe, which was more than 5500 years old, were found. Village of Areni is famous for its wines till now. Every year in October the annual festival of wines takes place there. We will visit "OLD BRIDGE" small wine factory and taste Armenian wine in the tasting room of the factory. The wines of this producer differ in their unique tastes. The bouquet of the fragrance is revealed gradually leaving a pleasant aftertaste. Return to Yerevan

Breakfast in the hotel. After breakfast we visit the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts ‐ Matenadaran named after St. Mesrop Mashtots. The most ancient manuscripts are dated back to the 5th century AD and are associated with Mesrop Mashtots, who invented the Armenian alphabet. We continue the tour to the pearl of Armenia - blue Sevan. Lake Sevan is a freshwater lake in the Armenian highlands. It is the largest lake in the Caucasus. It is guaranteed to be the largest source of fresh water in the region. We will also visit the Sevanavank ‐ a monastery in the north-west coast of Lake Sevan. The monastery is located on a peninsula, which was once a small island. Lunch at a restaurant with tasting of national dishes. We continue our tour to Tavush region of Armenia – to a small town-resort Dilijan, located on the picturesque banks of the river Aghstev. The next stop will be Haghartsin Monastery, which was built in the X-XIII centuries, mostly under the auspices of the Bagratuni Dynasty. Return to Yerevan

Breakfast in the hotel. We visit the Vernissage - the market of folk art products. Here you will find hand-made chess and backgammon made of wood, ceramic pots, made in national style, handmade ornaments, traditional musical instruments, silverware, paintings and many more things. After we visit the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the Genocide Museum. Lunch at a restaurant with tasting of national dishes. Transfer to the airport