Day 1: Arrival

Yerevan - ARRIVAL
Transfer to the airport
Overnight in Yerevan

Yerevan - City tour (without driver and a rent car)

Cafesjian Center for the Arts - The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world. Inspired by the vision of its founder, Gerard L. Cafesjian, the Center offers a wide variety of exhibitions, including a selection of important work from the Cafesjian Art Trust. Having celebrated its grand opening in November 2009, CCA continues to exhibit unique works of modern and contemporary art and offers a diverse program of lectures, films, concerts, and numerous educational initiatives for adults and children. Over one million people have visited the Center annually since its opening.

The Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after Alexander Spendiaryan - The Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, simply known by locals as Opera, is an opera theatre in Yerevan. It officially opened on 20 January 1933, with a performance of Alexander Spendiaryan’s opera Almast as its first show. The opera building was designed by architect Alexander Tamanian.

Yerevan - Garni - Geghard - Zvartnots - Yerevan

Zvartnots Temple - Zvartnots Cathedral is a medieval Armenian cathedral near Vagharshapat, Armenia. Built in the seventh century and now lying in ruins, Zvartnots was noted for its circular exterior structure, unique in medieval Armenian architecture, and a set of interior piers that upheld a multifloor structure crowned with a dome.

Garni Temple - Take trip to Garni. This Pagan Temple was built in the 1st century AD. It is the only temple that has been preserves from the Pagan times in Armenia. It was devoted to the god Mihr, who was the god of cleanness. In 1679 it was destroyed by earthquake. In the 1975 the Temple was restored.

The Monastery of Geghard - Then we will continue our trip to Geghard Monastery. Its name came from the legendary lance that was used to pierce the body of Christ. It has been kept here for centuries. Though the exact foundation of the monastery is unknown, the present complex was built in the mid – 13th century.

Yerevan - Khor Virap - Areni - Noravank - Goris

Khor Virap - Take trip to Khor Virap Monastery (4-18th cc.). This monastery is very prominent because of its history; Gregory the
Illuminator, who introduced Christianity to Armenia, has been imprisoned there about 13 years as at that time there was a prison in the place of the monastery. Here we can enjoy the spectacular view of the sacred Ararat Mountain - an immortal symbol of Armenia.

Areni - Visit the village of Areni, which is considered an important center of wine production industry and has a history of over 6000 years. This is also the place where archaeologists discovered the oldest known example of a leather shoe. During cave studies, metal knives, fruit seeds, grain remnants, rope, pottery, clothing, grapes, and dried plums attributed to the years 4200-3500 BC were found.

Noravank Monastery - Visit the village of Areni, which is considered an important center of wine production industry and has a history of over 6000 years. This is also the place where archaeologists discovered the oldest known example of a leather shoe. During cave studies, metal knives, fruit seeds, grain remnants, rope, pottery, clothing, grapes, and dried plums attributed to the years 4200-3500 BC were found.

Goris - Tatev - Selim - Sevan - Dilijan

Tatev Monastery - Continue our trip to monastic complex Tatev (9-13th century): a famous center of studies of those times. To reach the monastic complex we should use a cable car which holds the record for world’s longest non stoppable double-track cable car.

Selim Caravanserai - Today we are going to pass the pathways that have been used by the travellers of Great Silk Road. We will drive through the Selim Caravanserai, which served as an important center of exchange, trade and for overnight during the times of Great Silk Road. Here we can see the immortal tracks of world history.

Sevan - We will drive to Lake Sevan which is one of the largest lakes in the world. It stands out with its sweet and astonishingly blue water. Here we can enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the beautiful lake. Then we will visit Sevanavank Monastery which is situated on Sevan Peninsula. There are 2 monasteries actually; one of them is destroyed but the other stands still. They have been built in the Middle Ages, around 10th century.

Dilijan - Then we will drive to Dilijan. Walking along the Sharamberyan Street we will come across with many museums, souvenirs’ markets, small shops and so on. We will also observe two traditional houses built of wood, with tiled roofs and balconies with meticulously carved being typical examples of Dilijan.

Dilijan - Parz lake - Yerevan

Lake Parz - Dive to Paz lake located in Dilijan National Park. It is very beautiful lake in Nature. Here you can have boat trip if you want.

Departure

Yerevan - Departure from Zvartnots International Airport

• Map
• Lunch
• Airport-hotel and hotel-airport transfers
• Breakfast
• Accommodation in a double room
• A bottle of water per day per person

• Travel insurance
• Alcoholic beverages
• Air Tickets
• Visits outside the program
• Other meals not mentioned in the program
• tsaghkadzor Ropway ticket