Day 4 - Yerevan – Khor Virap – Areni – Noravank – Yerevan (250 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the Ararat region, the breeding ground of Armenia and the homeland of the apricot. Visit the Khor-Virap Monastery (17th century), a former prison where the evangelist of the Armenian people and the main saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Gregory the Illuminator, was incarcerated at the end of the 3rd century. This monastery is located at the foot of the biblical Mount Ararat, and it was in this Ararat valley that Noah planted his vines and drank the wine. Continue the road towards the village of Areni, a small wine - growing village and visit a cave where one of the oldest wine cellars was discovered in 2010 There, the oldest shoe in the world, more than 5,500 years old, was found. Lunch at a local house. Visit one of Armenia's most beautiful
monastic complexes, the Noravank Monastery (13th-14th centuries), located in the picturesque Amagu Canyon, whose red rhyolite rocks make this site a unique place of meditation. The buildings of the monastic complex fascinate with the beauty of their bas-
reliefs and figurative representations, rare in medieval Armenian architecture. Return to Yerevan. Overnight at a hotel in Yerevan.

Day 5 - Yerevan – Garni – Geghard – Matenadaran (100 km)

After breakfast, depart for Garni. Visit the Temple of Garni, the only temple built in the Greco - Roman style in the entire Caucasus region. Built in the 1st century AD by the Armenian king Tiridates, it is dedicated to the pagan god Mithra, the sun god whose figure was located at the back of the sanctuary. From the 1st to the 4th centuries, the Garni fortress was the summer residence of the
Arsacid kings. Lunch at a local home in Garni. During lunch, you will have the opportunity to participate in the preparation of Armenian bread called “Lavash”. Visit the Geghard Monastery (12th-13th centuries), a unique site whose rooms are carved into the basalt rock. The Geghard Monastery is one of the masterpieces of 13th-century Armenian architecture. The complex is striking for its interior decoration and its extraordinary khachkars (stone crosses). The Geghard Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Yerevan. Visit Matenadaran, a library/repository containing historical documents from across Europe and Asia over many
centuries. The earliest copy of the Bible in Armenian and the Gospels, which fascinate with their beautiful miniatures, are also housed here. Overnight at a hotel in Yerevan.

Day 6 - Yerevan – Rya Taza – Gyumri (130 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Gyumri. Today you will travel to the ancient city of Gyumri, famous for its inhabitants' humor and
the preservation of authentic traditions, and also known for its many attractions. En route, stop in Rya Taza, a village in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia. Most of Rya Taza's inhabitants are Yezidis belonging to the Sipka/Sipki people who migrated to the Aparan region since the 1800s. Visit the Yezidi Temple. Arrival in Gyumri. You will begin your acquaintance with Gyumri on foot from the spacious Freedom Square. On either side of Gyumri's main square are two remarkable churches. The majestic black tuff building is the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Surb Astvatsatsin, or Seven Wounds, Armenia. It differs from most Armenian churches: they
usually have few icons, and in this church you can find a rich iconostasis. Modern khachkars can also be found on the city streets. Here in Gyumri, you will have lunch at a local restaurant. The art of making these intricate sculptures is included in UNESCO's Intangible World Heritage Sites. Visit the Varem-Marem workshop. The workshop offers pottery courses and other master classes, hosts exhibitions showcasing the works of Gyumri's talented artists, and offers the opportunity to purchase souvenirs that express the city's vibrant nature. Near the workshop is a wall called 'Forever in Gyumri'. This wall, decorated with various names in Armenian and Latin letters, is growing daily: more than twenty thousand Armenian letters and about five thousand Latin names are inscribed on it. The wall is fully interactive: visitors select letters from the board, fix them like a crossword puzzle, and then color them in the color of their choice. Visit the Dzitoghtsyan Museum. This museum was the home of the wealthy Dzitoghtsyan family and is now dedicated to presenting the rich culture and life of Gyumri in the 19th century. Overnight at the hotel in Gyumri.

Day 7 - Gyumri – Dilijan – Haghartsin – Sevanavank – Yerevan (250 km)

After breakfast, departure to Dilijan, one of the most famous tourist centers in Armenia. People say, "If paradise had mountains, forests, and mineral springs, it would be just like Dilijan." Dilijan's natural beauty is such that it is also called "Armenian Little Switzerland." In this city, you can stroll through the streets with its 19th-century ceramic buildings. Visit the Haghartsin Monastery. Lunch in Dilijan. Continue to Lake Sevan, the emerald of Armenia and the second largest alpine lake in the world. Admire the picturesque views of one of the highest bodies of water in the world. Then, visit the Sevanavank monastery Monastery was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam. After the artificial drying of Lake Sevan, which began during the time of Joseph Stalin, the water level dropped by about 20 meters and the island turned into a peninsula. Return to Yerevan. Overnight to the hotel in Yerevan.
Optional: Visit to the ‘Manukyan’ wine factory. Guided tour and tasting on site: 30 USD per person.

Day 8 - Departure

Arrival at the airport. Departure home.

Rates are in EUR per person based on a double room for the 2026 season:

• Budget Hotel - DBL (per person) - 1120 USD / 1200 USD
• Budget Hotel - SGL (per person) - 1300 USD / 1385 USD

Location - Yerevan
Pre/Post accommodation:

• Budget Hotels 3* - 120 USD per room per night / SGL - 100 USD - per room per night.
• Standard Hotels 4* - 145 USD per room per night / SGL - 125 USD - per room per night.

Rates include:

• Accommodation: 5 x overnights at the hotel in Yerevan ; 1 x overnight at the hotel in Gyumri.
• Transportation throughout the program (2-4 people: sedan or minivan, 5-20 people: Mercedes Sprinter)
• Entrance tickets as per the program
• Lavash master class
• Catering HB: breakfasts at hotels, 5 lunches
• English-speaking guide service for groups of 5 or more (Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
• 1 bottle per bottle per day per person

Rates exclude:

• Transfers: Hotel-Airport/Airport-Hotel
• 35 USD per person one way
• Full board: 35 USD per person per dinner
• Accommodation before/after the trip
• Optional tours
• Optional services
• Other activities not mentioned above
• Tips & Porterage