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Itinerary
Day 1 - YEREVAN
Arrival in Yerevan (the capital and
largest city of Armenia and one of the world's
oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated
along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the
administrative, cultural, and industrial
center of the country. It has been the capital
since 1918, the thirteenth in the history of
Armenia.)
Transfer to the hotel
Walking tour in the evening - (Cascade • Opera
House • North Avenue •The Republic Square •
Singing fountains)
Day 2 - YEREVAN
Yerevan city
tour:
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial (is a memorial
dedicated to the victims of the Armenian
Genocide; it is located on a hill overlooking
Yerevan, Armenia. Every year on April 24,
hundreds of thousands of Armenians gather here
to remember the victims of the 1915 Armenian
Genocide that took place in the Ottoman Empire
carried out by the Turkish government.)
Armenia history museum: One of the largest
repositories of manuscripts in the world
Matenadaran (It holds one of the world's
richest depositories of medieval manuscripts
and books which span a broad range of
subjects, including history, philosophy,
medicine, literature, art history and
cosmography in Armenian and many other
languages.)
Yerevan Brandy
Factory
(founded in
1887, is the leading enterprise of Armenia for
the production of alcoholic beverages. Its
main brand name is Ararat. Currently the
company boasts a large following, particularly
in Russia, as well as in Ukraine and Belarus.
The Russian market accounts for about 85% of
exports.YBC is owned and operated by the
French giant Pernod Ricard.)
Day 3 - GARNI - GEGHARD - SEVAN
Garni pagan temple (is a temple complex
located in the Kotayk Province of Armenia,
situated approximately 32 km southeast from
Yerevan.)
“Lavash" baking ritual in a local house
in Garni (is a soft, thin flatbread popular in
several countries of the northern parts of the
Middle-East and the southern parts of the
Caucasus.)
Geghard monastic complex (UNESCO's
World Heritage)
Lake Sevan (the largest lake in
Armenia and one of the largest high-altitude
lakes in the world; situated in the central
part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the
Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of
1,900m above sea level.)
Sevanavank
monastery (is a monastic complex located on a
peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake
Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia,
not far from the town of Sevan. Initially the
monastery was built at the southern shore of a
small island. After the artificial draining of
Lake Sevan, which started in the Stalin era,
the water level fell about 20 metres, and the
island transformed into a peninsula. At the
southern shore of this newly created
peninsula, a guesthouse of the Armenian
Writers' Union was built. The eastern shore is
occupied by the Armenian president's summer
residence, while the monastery's still active
seminary moved to newly constructed buildings
at the northern shore of the peninsula.)
Day 4 -
ETCHMIADZIN - ZVARTNOTS - HRIPSIMEH - GAYANE
Etchmiadzin
Cathedral (fourth-largest city in Armenia and
the spiritual centre of the Armenians, as it
is the seat of the Catholicos of All
Armenians, the head of the Holy Armenian
Apostolic Church. Located about 18 km west of
Yerevan.)
Temples Hripsimeh and Gayane
The church dedicated to Rhipsime may still be
seen in Echmiadzin; the current structure was
consecrated in 618, and contains her tomb in
the catacombs beneath the building.
The Church of Saint Gayane is a 7th century
Armenian church of Etchmiadzin
Archeological monument Zvartnots
(UNESCO's World Heritage) (are the ruins of a
seventh century centrally-planned aisled
tetraconch type Armenian cathedral built by
order of the Catholicos Nerses the Builder
from 641-653. It is located at the edge of the
city of Etchmiadzin.)
The site of Metsamor castle (Populated
from the 5th millennium BC until
the 18th century AD)
Day 5 - KHOR
VIRAP - NORAVANK - ARENI
Khor Virap (deep dungeon) Monastery is
an Armenian Apostolic Church monastery located
in the Ararat plain in Armenia, near the
border with Turkey. Khor Virap's notability as
a monastery and pilgrimage site is attributed
to the fact that Grigor Lusavorich, who later
became Saint Gregory the Illuminator, was
initially imprisoned here for 13 years by King
Tiridates III of Armenia. Saint Gregory
subsequently became the king's religious
mentor, and they led the proselytizing
activity in the country. It is probably the
most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia.
Noravank (is a 13th century Armenian
Apostolic Church monastery, located 122 km
from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the
Amaghu River, nearby the city of Yeghegnadzor,
Armenia. The gorge is known for its tall,
sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from
the monastery.)
Winery in Areni
Day 6 - LORI
- HAGHPAT - AKHTALA - SANAHIN
Lori province
(it is in the
north of the country, bordering Georgia, It is
home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of
Haghpat and Sanahin and the well-preserved
Akhtala monastery, where Armenians, Georgians,
and Greeks make an annual pilgrimage on
September 20-21)
Haghpat
Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank
(UNESCO's World Heritage)
Akhtala
(is a
10th-century fortified Armenian Apostolic
Church monastery located in the town of
Akhtala in the marz of Lori, 185 kilometers
north of Yerevan. The monastery is currently
inactive. The fortress played a major role in
protecting the north-western regions of
Armenia (Gugark) and is among the most well
preserved of all in modern Armenia. The main
church at the compound is famous for its
highly artistic frescoes, which cover the
inside walls, the partitions, and the bearings
of the building. The modern name of Akhtala
was first recorded in a royal decree of 1438.
The etymology of the name is believed to be of
Turkic origin, meaning white glade.)
Sanahin
Monastery (UNESCO's World Heritage)
Sanahin Monastery is an Armenian monastery
founded in the 10th century. The name Sanahin
literally translates from Armenian as "this
one is older than that one", presumably
representing a claim to having an older
monastery than the neighboring Haghpat
Monastery. The two villages and their
monasteries are similar in many ways, and lie
in plain view of each other on a dissected
plateau formation, separated by a deep "crack"
formed by a small river flowing into the Debed
river.
Day 7:
Transfer from
the hotel to the airport – Departure
HAVE A NICE AND SAFE FLIGHT HOME!
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Price: 1550$ per person in single room or 1350$
per person in a double room
$200 nonrefundable deposit is required to
guarantee the booking. remaining balance collected
40 days prior to departure.
The following amounts should be wired either via
Western union, money Gram or a Bank transfer.
fill the
Registration form
and send it to us to be able to handle your
booking.
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Visa can instantly be obtained at Zvartnots
airport upon arrival. It’s given for 21 days
and costs about 30 USD. In case of necessity
the visa can be prolonged at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Republic of Armenia.
Please
double check first, with the Armenian embassy
in your country.
Travel
insurance
is mandatory for
those interested in taking part in our Tour to
Armenia.
make sure to purchase a valid insurance that
would cover Armenia.
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Flight
Zvartnots is the main airport of Armenia and is
located in Yerevan. There is also another airport
in Gyumri. The local and international airlines,
like Aeroflot Russian Airlines, Air France,
Armavia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Czech
Airlines, Lufthansa connect Yerevan with any major
city of the world. The timetable of the regular
flights can be found at the official site of
Zvartnots airport (www.zvartnots.am)
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Armenian Food
The Armenian cuisine richly expresses the
national colors and flavors. Fresh vegetables
and meat are usually the main dishes on the
table. No festive table can boast with variety
of dishes if there is no barbeque made of
national traditions on the table. There is
even a song praising barbeque at the moment
when it is served. Khash, which is also rooted
in the traditions, is a soup made from cow’s
feet and is served early in the morning. Due
to its fatty peculiarities khash is always
eaten during cold season. The next famous
typical dish is called harisa, which is wheat
cooked with chicken. National dolma, ghapama,
spas and a range of soups are also very
delicious and worth tasting.
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Currency and
banking
The banking system of Armenia is regulated by the
Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia. There are
local and international banks, the numerous
branch-offices of which can be found everywhere in
Yerevan and in the main cities of the country.
Check the exchange rate at:
http://www.cba.am
Religion
Armenia adopted Christianity as a state religion
in 301. The religion here is deeply rooted and
about 95% of people are Christians belonging to
Armenian Apostolic Church. There are also Catholic
Armenians. The Armenian Apostolic church is headed
by the Catholicos who is elected for whole life.
Currently the Catholicos of All Armenians is
Garegin the 2nd who resides at the Holy See of St.
Echmiadzin.
The national minorities pursue their own religious
convictions. There is also a group of enthusiasts
who are trying to retrieve the old traditions of
sun-worshipers. They are calling themselves as
“Arordis” – “children of god Ar” with an intention
to trace the Arian roots of the nation.
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