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Religious Armenia - Georgia Tour

Religious Armenia - Georgia Tour Packages
Religious Armenia - Georgia Day 1: Departure from hometown Day 2: Arrival / Yerevan City Tour Arrival at Zvartnots international airport. Meet and greet transfer to the airport. Accommodation at the hotel. Rest. After breakfast starts . .
Country: Armenia
City: Yerevan
Duration: 11 Day(s) - 10 Night(s)
Tour Category: Religious Tours
Departure Date: Thu 01 Jan '99

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Package Itinerary

Religious Armenia - Georgia

Day 1: Departure from hometown

Day 2: Arrival / Yerevan City Tour

Arrival at Zvartnots international airport. Meet and greet transfer to the airport. Accommodation at the hotel. Rest. After breakfast starts a city tour around Yerevan. Yerevan is 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. During your tour, you will visit also Memorial Park and Tsiternakaberd memorial, and the museum of victims of Genocide.

In the second half of the day visit Armenian National History Museum, here the important archaeological collection from Stone Age through Medieval periods is dark and almost unlabeled, but should not be missed.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Excursion to the biggest Panamanian church Grigor Lousavorich - the opening ceremony of this church was blessed by his holiness John Paul II. Visiting Armenia John Paul II has brought the holy relics of Grigor Lousavorich – the first Catholicos of all Armenians from the church S. Gregorio di Napoli in Italy. Welcome dinner in a local traditional restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

Day 3: Yerevan / Geghard / Garni / Matenadaran

After breakfast departure to Geghard temple. The monastery of Geghard is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave. Drive to Garni Temple. Garni became the last refuge of King Mithridates of Armenia, where he and his family were assassinated by his son-in-law and nephew Rhadamistus.

Several constructions and buildings have been identified within the enclosed area, including a two-story royal summer palace, a bath complex, a church built in AD 897, a cemetery, and the site's most famous and best-preserved edifice, a peristyle Greco-roman temple built in the Ionic order. Lunch in a local house and watch the Armenian national bread "lavash" making process.

Drive back to Yerevan. Visit Matenadaran depository of manuscripts which contains historical documents from all over Europe and Asia throughout the many countries. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

Day 4: Holly See Etchmiatsin / Zvartnots / Vernissage

After breakfast at the hotel departure to Echmiadzin which is a mere 20 km from Yerevan. It is known as the center of the Armenian - Gregorian Church and appears to be one of the world's first Christian churches. Legend has it that it was here that Jesus Christ descended from heaven to show where he wanted a church built. So Echmiadzin means “The only-begotten descended”. The Church was built between the years 301 - 303 AD under the Armenian king Tiridates III and the first Armenian Catholicos, St. Gregory the Illuminator.

Visit the Cathedral Treasury that hosts the main relics of the Armenian apostolic church such as the Holy Spear which had wounded Jesus during his crucifixion, the famous piece of Noah’s Arc found by Hakob Mtsbnatsi, the Chrism Bowl where the holy chrism is made once in 7 years. Being the center of the Armenian Church Etchmiadzin was visited by his holiness John Paul II.

Visit The Churches of St. Hripsimeh St. Gayane (630 AD) that are veritable masterpieces of Armenian architecture and St Hripsime is considered to be one of the 7 wonders of Armenia. Return to Yerevan with a stop at the ruins of Zvartnots temple - the pearl of the 7th c. architecture. Lunch in a national restaurant in Yerevan city.

Visit an open-air Vernissage flea market that bustles with hundreds of vendors selling a variety of crafts on weekends. Dinner and overnight in Yerevan.

Day 5: Yerevan / Khor Virap / Noravank / Selim / Noratus / Sevan

After breakfast drive to Khor Virap Monastery. This fortified monastery is the place of pilgrimage and one of the most worshipped ones in Armenia and the holy site for the Armenian Apostolic Church. The monastery was erected in the 6th to 17th centuries above the dungeon where St. Gregory the Illuminator, the Baptist of Armenia, had been kept for the disseminating of Christianity until tsar Trdat decided to adopt this religion.

The dungeon where the holy elder was tortured used to be the tsar's dungeon (“Khor Virap” – “deep pit”). The pit swarming with poisonous snakes and scorpions served as a prison. According to the legend of St. Gregory, the Illuminator stayed in that pit for 13 years.

Drive to Vayots Dzor region. Visit Noravank Monastery. Noravank (meaning "new monastery") is a 13th-century monastery, located 122 km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the Darichay river, nearby the city of Yeghegnadzor, Armenia. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery.

The monastery is best known for its two-story S. Astvatsatsin church, which grants access to the second floor by way of narrow stones jutting out from the face of the building. In the 13th–14th centuries, the monastery became a residence of Syunik's bishops and, consequently. a major religious and, later, cultural center of Armenia closely connected with many of the local seats of learning, especially with Gladzor's famed university and library. Lunch in a local cave cafe tasting local food. Drive to Selim.

The Selim caravansary was built in 1332 by Prince Chesar Orbelian, according to an inscription in Armenian and Arabic, this used to be an important trade point in the famous Silk Road. Proceed to Noradous – an ancient cemetery of the Middle Ages, this is the biggest cemetery of khachkars (cross-stones) in Armenia, dating back to 7-10.

Drive to Lake Sevan. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Sevan.

Day 6: Sevan / Dilijan / Goshavank / Haghartsin

Drive to the high mountainous Lake Sevan. Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world. The huge mountain lake takes up 5% of Armenia's surface area and is 2,000 meters above sea level. On a clear and sunny day, the water is a deep turquoise color. Sevan is a freshwater lake. Drive to the resort town of Dilijan. Visit Goshavank Monastery (13th c.) which is near the town of Dilijan. Visit Also Haghartsin Monastery. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Dilijan.

Day 7: Dilijan / Haghpat / Akhtala / Sadakhlo border/ Tbilisi

In the morning after breakfast visit the Monastic Complex of Haghpat which is among the outstanding works of medieval Armenian architecture and are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Visit the Fortress of Amberd. Drive to the Armenian-Georgian Sadakhlo border. Change the guide and transportation. Drive to Tbilisi. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Tbilisi.

Day 8: Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Tbilisi

Today we visit the ancient capital and religious center of Georgia – Mtskheta and see its historical places: Jvari Monastery (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century) where the Robe of Christ is buried. Both Jvari and Svetitskhoveli are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Drive back to Tbilisi. Free time. Overnight at a hotel in Tbilisi.

Day 9: Tbilisi – David Gareja– Tbilisi

We start from Tbilisi in the morning and drive to the David Gareja cave complex (6th century) located in a stark, semi-desert landscape. After seeing Lavra Monastery we walk up for about 50 minutes to Udabno Monastery to enjoy its wonderful painted caves and dramatic views across to Azerbaijan. Drive back to Tbilisi. Overnight at a hotel in Tbilisi.

Day 10: Tbilisi – Gori – Ananuri – Tbilisi

Today we drive to visit the town of Gori – the heart of the Kartli region and its historical place: Uplistsikhe Cave Town (1st millennium BC). Uplistsikhe is the place where the Great Silk Road used to pass. This is an old and interesting complex with dwelling quarters, wine-cellars, bakeries, a three-nave basilica church hewn out in the rock, and even an antic theatre.

Later we head up to the famous Georgian Military Highway. En-route we visit Ananuri architectural complex (17th century), the two churches and the fortress overlook the Zhinvali water reservoir. Drive back to Tbilisi. Overnight at a hotel in Tbilisi.

Day 11: Departure

Transfer to the airport and departure!

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