THE CAUCASUS , GEORGIA & ARMENIA

OCTOBER 11-26, 2020 TOUR LEADER: DR MATTHEW DAL SANTO

Armenia’s iconic Khor Virap monastery, towards snow-capped Mt Ararat THE CAUCASUS Overview AZERBAIJAN , GEORGIA, & ARMENIA Join Academy Travel’s inaugural tour of the Caucasus and discover three ancient nations (two Christian, one Islamic) against a backdrop of Tour dates: October 11-26, 2020 outstanding natural landscapes. From craggy snow-capped mountains to rolling vineyards and arid semi-deserts, explore the crossroads of Europe, Tour leader: Dr Matthew Sal Santo Asia, and the Middle East, where the Persian, Roman, Arab, Ottoman, Russian and Soviet empires have all left their mark. Tour Price: $11,875 per person, twin share The tour begins with three nights in , capital of Azerbaijan, where a Single Supplement: $1,820 for sole use of decades-long oil boom has seen a cosmopolitan city of bold skyscrapers double room and cutting-edge modern architecture (including works by Zaha Hadid and Jean Nouvel) rise alongside medieval palaces, mosques and madrassahs. Booking deposit: $500 per person Historically, Azerbaijan sat astride the far western leg of the famous Silk Road.

Recommended airline: Qatar and Emirates Following in the footsteps of these traders, we set out across the plains west of Baku for the old caravan town of Sheki, and, beyond it, Georgia. Maximum places: 20 After two nights in the vineyards of the Kakheti region, where the local Itinerary: Baku (3 nights), Sheki (1 nights), wine industry is at least 7,000 years old, we follow the Georgian Military Tsinandali (2 nights), Kazbegi (1 night), Tbilisi Highway – one of the world’s most scenic drives – into the towering peaks of the Greater Caucasus. From here we descend to Tbilisi, the beating (4 nights), Yerevan (4 nights) heart of modern Georgia. With a quarter of the country’s population, Tbilisi Date published: January 29, 2020 is a potent mix of twisting alleys, handsome balconied houses and leafy squares, on the one hand, and crumbling, Soviet-era apartment blocks, snarling traffic and dusty construction sites, on the other. With four nights here, we explore both the best of Old Tbilisi and the city’s dynamic modern arts scene, all the while enjoying the fabulous cuisine for which Georgia is rightly renowned.

From Tbilisi we journey across the ridges of the Lower Caucasus range and into Armenia. The first country in the world to adopt Christianity, Armenia is dotted with weathered, rock-hewn churches and monasteries, often in stunning natural locations. From mountain-top Haghpat to lakeside Sevanavank and Khor Virap, with its vista of the plains stretching away to cone-shaped Mt Ararat, we visit the absolute best of these. We finish our journey in the modern Armenian capital of Yerevan, where we discover a fun-loving city with a café culture second to none but with a complex history worthy of exploration.

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Dal Santo is a historian and contemporary affairs writer with a longstanding interest in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and the nexus between religion and politics. Enquiries and bookings With a BA from the University of Sydney and PhD from Cambridge, he has been a Fellow of Trinity College, For further information and to Cambridge; the University of Copenhagen, Denmark; secure a place on this tour the Kennan Institute for Russian and Eastern European Affairs, please contact Jamal Washington, DC; and the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. Fairbrother at Academy He is currently working on a history of nationalism from medieval to Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 modern times. He first visited this fascinating region from the Russian side 639 699 (outside Sydney) or of the mountains while researching his forthcoming book, The Romanovs email and the Redemption of Putin’s Russia. [email protected]

Tour Highlights

MODERN BAKU Uncover one of Eurasia’s most rapidly changing cities where Islamic traditions mix with award-winning modern architecture on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Here palaces, mosques and madrassahs reflecting Azerbaijan’s centuries of life as an intermediary zone between the Ottoman and Persian empires provide the backdrop for the region’s most extensive ensemble of modern architecture, including Zaha Hadid's Cultural Centre.

THE VINEYARDS OF TSINANDALI Sample the flavours of Georgia’s 7000 year-old viticultural tradition in the rolling green hills of the country’s premier wine-making region, Kakheti. We stay in a brand-new and sensitively designed five-star hotel located in the landscaped grounds of the eighteenth-century Tsinandali manor estate that is the country’s leading wine label, where the vines (almost) reach right up to the infinity pool.

DRIVING THROUGH SCENIC GEORGIA Enjoy the outstanding views of one of the world’s most scenic drives as we climb 1700m in elevation along the Georgian Military Highway. First laid by Russian military engineers in the 19th century along a mule track in use since antiquity, the road follows one of the only passes across the Greater Caucasus Mountains past plunging valleys, alpine meadows, medieval fortresses, and breath-taking mountain-top churches.

TBILISI’S RESTAURANTS Explore the plentiful restaurants of Tbilisi’s Old Town and savour the distinctive flavours and textures for which Georgian cuisine is rightly renowned, including the remarkably imaginative use of nuts, pomegranates, and flavourful herbs. Georgia’s sunny climate, fertile soils, and plentiful winter rains ensure an abundant supply of fresh vegetables supplemented with traditional dishes based on pork, lamb, veal and cheese.

ARMENIA’S MONASTERIES Discover the alluringly exotic but surprisingly little-known monastic complexes of the world’s oldest Christian country. From the thousand-year old churches of Haghpat to Sevanavank’s handsome views over Lake Sevan, Gerghard’s rock-hewn monastic cells and cave churches, and diminutive Khor Virap’s truly awe-inspiring vista of biblical Mt Ararat, Armenia’s monasteries will leave behind an indelible bank of impressions.

Detailed itinerary

Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Tour start & finish time

The tour begins at 2.30pm on Sunday October 11, at the Shah Palace Hotel, Baku – Azerbaijan.

The tour ends after breakfast on Monday October 26, at the Turfenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel, Yerevan – Armenia.

Sunday October 11 ARRIVE BAKU Your tour leader, Matthew Dal Santo, will meet the group in the lobby of our first hotel at 2.30pm, followed by a short orientation walk in the afternoon towards Fountain Square, a public square in Baku city centre containing many boutiques, restaurants, Above: , a promenade established in 1909, with the shops and, of course, of dozens of fountains. Continuing on new modern rising behind the original oil baron mansions along the Caspian shore foot, we make our way to the Boulevard, a tree-lined promenade on the shores of the Caspian Sea offering great views of Baku’s Below: carpet weaving art in Baku’s National Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets (photo credit, Jake Smith); and it is estimated that 300 of the modern skyscrapers and a popular place for locals to run, cycle planet's estimated 700 mud volcanoes sit in the UNESCO-listed and roller skate. After time to freshen up in the evening, we archaeological site of Gobustan enjoy a light welcome dinner together. Overnight Baku (D)

Monday October 12 TRADITIONAL BAKU The morning begins in Baku’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, whose winding streets, alleyways, mosques, madrassahs, and carpet merchants recall life in medieval Shervan (as Azerbaijan was known in the middle ages). We visit the heavily-restored, 14th- century Shervan Shah’s Palace as well as Baku’s oldest and most mysterious structure, the 30m-high medieval (whose builders remain a mystery). Exiting the Old Town through the medieval Double Gates, we enjoy a coffee at one of the many cafes in relaxed Fountain Square, followed by lunch in a nearby restaurant. In the afternoon, we discover Azerbaijan’s national art of carpet-weaving at the National Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets. Housed in a modern building designed to resemble a rolled-up carpet, the Museum displays an extraordinary collection of bold Azeri carpets, while local weavers demonstrate traditional weaving techniques. We enjoy dinner at the renowned Mugham Club, which pairs traditional Azeri dishes with the national folk music, mugham. Overnight Baku (B, L, D)

Tuesday October 13 FROM THE ANCIENT TO THE MODERN This morning we travel by coach to Gobustan, a UNESCO-listed archaeological site 40km south of Baku whose mud volcanoes, eerie landscapes, petroglyphs and accompanying interpretative centre offer a unique glimpse of human life on the shores of the prehistoric Caspian Sea (c. 10,000 BC). After lunch, we return to Baku and plunge into White City, Baku’s “high-octane” modern quarter with its skyscrapers, and shopping and business centres serving Azerbaijan’s oil industry. Here we visit the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, a conference and exhibition hall whose iconic flowing white curves are the work of the acclaimed Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, and MIM, as Baku’s avant-garde Museum of Modern Art, designed by equally acclaimed French architect Jean Nouvel, is known. To finish the day, we visit the nearby Villa Petrolea Nobel Brothers Museum. Built in 1884 in early art moderne style, the mansion and its lovely garden belonged to Robert and Ludvig Nobel who had important holdings in Baku’s first commercial oil wells. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight Baku (B, L)

Wednesday October 14 THE OLD SILK ROAD Today we travel by coach along a stretch of the Old Silk Road connecting the Caspian to the Black Seas. Crossing the plains west of Baku, we ascend through the foothills of the Greater Caucasus Mountains to the town of Shemakhi, capital of medieval Shervan, where we stop for lunch and to visit the giant Djuma (“Friday”) mosque. Originally dating from the first decades of the 8th-century Arab conquest, the mosque is renowned as the oldest in the Caucasus but has been repeatedly enlarged and re-built. After lunch we proceed further up the mountains to Sheki, an ancient town surrounded by oak and beech forest that was relocated to its present site in 1722 after a mudslide destroyed the original settlement. Briefly the capital of an independent khanate, Sheki possesses a wonderful, atmospheric old town. We visit the Shah’s summer palace (with its beautiful walled rose garden, mosaics and stained glass), the evocative caravanserai (among whose arched arcades Silk Road merchants once rested themselves, their camels and horses), and the busy local markets. Dinner is in the hotel. Overnight Sheki (B, D)

Thursday October 15 GEORGIA - CATHEDRALS, PALACES & WINE Above: Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Baku challenges Today we cross the border into Georgia. After several hours’ notions of geometry and gravity, as it appears to be all form and no structure with its swooping shapes masking extreme engineering; and drive, we stop at the 11th-century Georgian Orthodox Cathedral the 11th-century Georgian Orthodox Cathedral of Alaverdi, surrounded of Alaverdi, picturesquely situated in open fields in the shadow by vineyards, open fields and the towering Caucasus Mountains of the towering Caucasus Mountains. From here we travel the Below: breath-taking views of the Caucasus Mountains from our hotel short distance to Telavi, the leading town of Georgia’s renowned stay in Tsinandali, set in the heart of the country’s most popular wine wine-growing region, Kakheti. Settled since antiquity, Telavi was district, Kakheti twice the capital of an independent east Georgian kingdom. We visit the 18th-century palace of Georgia’s last great king, Erekle (Heraclius) II, with its impressive walls and Persian-inspired throne room, before stopping for lunch at Marleta’s Farm, a family-run restaurant in the heart of Telavi that makes its own cheese (an essential ingredient in Georgian cooking). Another short drive brings us to the 19th-century palace of the famous Georgian poet Prince Alexander Chachavadze in the wine- growing village of Tsinandali. Having long produced Georgia’s most famous wine label, the vineyards and landscaped parks of the beautiful Chachavadze Tsinandali Estate are now the site of an exclusive five-star resort that will be our base for two nights. The rooftop infinity pool is not to be missed. Dinner is in the hotel’s superb restaurant. Overnight Tsinandali (B, L, D) Friday October 16 CONVENTS AND VINEYARDS

This morning we visit the Bodbe Convent of St Nino, the resting place of Georgia’s first saint, the 4th-century woman missionary St Nino who brought Christianity to Georgia, and as such one of the country’s most important pilgrimage destinations. In addition, the convent’s views are spectacular and the gardens, lovingly tended by the nuns, radiate a special tranquillity. From here we drive to the renowned Pheasant’s Tears Winery to sample some of its organic qvevri wines and enjoy a lavish, “Georgian-table” style lunch prepared in the cellar restaurant run by one of the country’s leading woman chefs, Ketavan Mindorashvili. Above: a wine tasting at the renowned Pheasant’s Tears Winery, Afterwards, a local ensemble will perform songs from Georgia’s featuring their organic qvevri wines distinctive polyphonic vocal tradition, before we head up the hill

Below: the 12th-century fortress of Ananuri, overlooking the Zhinvali to the charming walled town of Signagi. Dinner is at leisure. river; and the 14th-century church of Tsminda Sameba, perched Overnight Tsinandali (B, L) 2200m above Stepantsminda on its incomparably photogenic hilltop setting, with Mt Kazbek rising behind Saturday October 17

THE GEORGIAN MILITARY HIGHWAY Today we traverse one of Georgia’s (and possibly the world’s) most scenic drives: the Georgian Military Highway. Running from the lowlands around Tbilisi across the border into Russia, the Highway follows the route of one of the only extant passes across the Greater Caucasus Mountains. Stopping at the 12th- century fortress of Ananuri, with its impressive stonework and picturesque location overlooking the Zhinvali river, we climb 1700m in elevation through the alpine meadows, plunging mountain valleys and snow-capped peaks to the village of Kazbegi. On arrival we visit the stunningly situated, 14th-century church of Tsminda Sameba (the Holy Trinity). Perched on a mountain top high above Kazbegi, it has long served as a last redoubt for the nation in the event of foreign invasion. Dinner is in the hotel restaurant. Overnight Kazbegi (B, D).

Sunday October 18 STALIN AND TROGLODYTES Picking our way back down the mountains, we head today for Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. Along the way we stop at the town of Gori, remarkable in world history as the birthplace of Soviet dictator Joseph Dzhugashvili, “Stalin”. Almost unchanged since Soviet times, the museum is centred on the small house in which Stalin grew up and offers a thought-provoking encounter with Georgians’ attempts to grapple (or not) with the memory one of their most notorious sons. After lunch in a local restaurant, we explore the ancient troglodyte (cave) town of Uplistsikhe before arriving in the afternoon in Tbilisi. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight Tbilisi (B, L)

Monday October 19 HISTORIC TBILISI We begin our exploration of Tbilisi with a walking tour of the Old Town, a charming district of narrow, twisting streets along the banks of the Mtkveri River. Starting at Tbilisi’s famous leaning Clock Tower, we descend the Old Town’s café-lined main thoroughfare past the 6th-century Anchiskhati church (Tbilisi’s oldest) and 13th-century Sion Cathedral to the historic sulphur bath houses of the Abanotubani district. After stopping at a bakery to sample fresh tonis (Georgia’s delicious, naan-style bread), we take the cable car to the Nariqala Fortress, whose 18th-century walls offer excellent views over the Old Town. In the afternoon, we travel by coach to Tbiisi’s modern Rustaveli district to visit the recently refurbished Museum of Georgia. The highlight is the Archaeological Treasury, a fascinating display of exquisite gold jewellery from ancient Kingdom of Colchis that occupied much of the territory of modern Georgia from the 8th to 3rd centuries BC. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight Tbilisi (B)

Tuesday October 20 TBILISI’S MODERN ARTS Today we embark on a journey through the history of Georgia’s vibrant modern arts scene. Beginning the day with a visit to the National Gallery, we discover Georgia’s early 20th-century, Above: the collection at the Georgian National Museum features gold avant-garde painters who were heavily influenced by their and silver artefacts and jewellery from the pre-Christian period contemporaries in the and Western Europe. The Gallery’s collection of the works of the acclaimed Niko Below: Niko Pirosmani’s A Tatar Fruiterer from about 1910-12 is one of his more complex paintings, and depicts a fruit shop in Tbilisi; and Pirosmani is the largest in the world. From here we travel by the spectacular UNESCO-listed town of Mtskheta, outside of Tbilisi coach to Tbilisi’s Agmashenebeli Street, a unique ensemble of late 19th-century pseudo-Gothic, -Moorish, -baroque and - rococo buildings dating from Tbilisi’s days as a leading provincial centre of the Russian Empire. Having fallen into neglect in Soviet times, this remarkable avenue has been the site of an extensive urban rejuvenation programme that has transformed a large stretch into a pedestrian zone that is a great window on Georgia’s modern cultural dynamics, where European style and local Caucasian traditions meet. A short walk from here stands Tbilisi’s so-called “Art Palace”, as the State Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema is known. Housed in a palatial, turn-of-the-century Moorish-Gothic fantasy, the museum’s artefacts tell the story of the development of Georgia’s performing arts - from opera and ballet to folk music and modern cinema - in a visually arresting way. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight Tbilisi (B)

Wednesday October 21 FREE DAY This day is at leisure for you to take at your own pace. Return to the winding alleys of Tbilisi’s Old Town, go shopping in the fashionable Rustaveli district, explore Tbilisi’s remaining museums and galleries, or take the funicular to the top of wooded Mt Mtatsminda for a panoramic view over the city. Alternatively, join an optional tour of Georgia’s ancient spiritual capital, the UNESCO-listed town of Mtskheta 45 minutes from Tbilisi, where, in response to the preaching of St Nino, Georgian King Mirian first committed his people to Christianity. Dating from Georgia’s medieval Golden Age, the 11th-century Svetitskhveli Cathedral (decorated with beautiful stone carving) was for centuries the country’s largest. Meanwhile, the small but perfectly proportioned Jvari Church (erected on the very spot where, according to legend, Mirian raised the country’s first cross) offers spectacular views over the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi Rivers. In the evening we gather for a performance at Tbilisi’s renowned State Conservatoire. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight Tbilisi (B)

Thursday October 22 TO ARMENIA Making the most of an early start, we bid farewell today to Georgia and set out across the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains (lower and drier than the Greater Caucasus chain we have already visited) for the ancient land of Armenia. We stop for lunch in the town of Dilijan, an Alpine town dubbed "Little Switzerland" by Armenians. Just inside the boundaries of the nearby Dilijan National Park, which protects Above: the 13th-century Haghartsin monastery, in the forested Dilijan one of Armenia's most extensive surviving stands of broadleaf National Park forest, the thirteenth and fourteenth-century, UNESCO- nominated monasteries of Haghartsin and Goshavank, with their Below: the vast expanse of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), the largest lake in the Caucasus; and the limestone Cascade stairway in Yerevan impressive stone refectories and extensive exterior stone reliefs, can be found. We visit both before continuing to Lake Sevan, an entrancing body of blue-green water (80km long and 30km wide) 1900m above sea level in the heart of Armenia’s rugged uplands. For panoramic views of the lake, we visit ninth-century Sevanavank Monastery, picturesquely located on a peninsula that was until recently an island. We finish the day’s journey in Yerevan, Armenia’s modern capital. Dinner is in the hotel restaurant. Overnight Yerevan (B, D)

Friday October 23 HISTORIC YEREVAN Older than Rome, Yerevan was founded in 782 BC, but much of the modern city dates from the country’s Russian/Soviet domination between 1828 and 1991. We begin our tour at Republic Square, the heart of modern Yerevan, before continuing on foot to the Cascade (a Soviet-era monument offering views of the city against the distant silhouette of cone- shaped Mt Ararat) and the remarkable Cafesjian Center for Modern Art that since 2009 has been located inside it. We continue to the imposing Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, built in 1959 to house the nation’s patrimony of 17,000 manuscripts, some of which are beautifully illuminated. We see the small part of its collection on display. After lunch in the fashionable café district of pedestrianised Northern Avenue, we travel by coach to Yerevan’s Genocide Memorial and Museum, a sober and compelling monument to the million or so Armenians who perished in massacres perpetrated by Ottoman authorities between 1915 and 1922. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight Yerevan (B)

Saturday October 24 ECHMIADZIN Today we explore Armenia’s ancient spiritual capital, Echmiadzin. We visit the 7th-century, UNESCO-listed cathedral, with its beautiful stonework and fascinating, Near-Eastern style internal frescoes, that is the seat of the Armenian Catholicos, and the cathedral treasury. After an early lunch, we drive south to Khor Virap, a small monastery with one of Armenia’s most stunning vistas as it gazes across a vineyard-covered valley towards snow-capped Mt Ararat. Returning to Yerevan in the mid-afternoon, we gather again in the evening for a performance at Yerevan’s Opera House. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight

Yerevan (B, L)

Sunday October 25 MONKS AND PAGANS This morning’s touring offers a window on Armenia’s pre- Christian history with a visit to the pagan Temple of Mitra at Garni. Dating from the first century AD, the Temple is dramatically located on a high promontory overlooking the treeless Avan Gorge. From here we drive the short distance to the UNESCO-listed cave monastery of Gerghard, whose monks’ cells, churches and tombs have all been hewn from solid rock. Returning to Yerevan at around lunchtime, we pay a visit to the relaxed Vernissage Art Market, whose traders offer an unbeatable array of Armenian handicrafts and other souvenirs. Alternatively, take this day to remain in Yerevan to explore some of the sites independently: the National Gallery of Art’s collection of European Masters is said to be the third-largest in the former Soviet Union, while the State History Museum’s exhibits include the world’s oldest shoe, some 5,500 years old. Meanwhile, Yerevan’s multitude of cafés offer literally endless opportunities for people-watching. In the evening we gather for our farewell dinner. Overnight Yerevan (B, D)

Monday October 26 DEPARTURE The tour concludes after breakfast. Please consult individual itineraries for flight arrangements. (B)

Above: detailed Near-Eastern style frescoes on the dome of Echmiadzin’s Hotels UNESCO-listed cathedral; and the pagan Temple of Mitra at Garni

 BAKU Shah Palace Hotel (3 nights) Below: rock-cut chambers and wall carvings in the Monastery of Geghard The boutique Shah Palace Hotel is located in the Old Town, illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture and features a fine restaurant with terrace dining.  SHEKI Sheki Saray Hotel (1 night) The Sheki Saray offers rooms furnished in earth tones with modern, comfortable furniture and a private balcony.  TSINANDALI Radisson Collection Tsinandali Estate Resort (2 nights) Located on the grounds of a former palace, the hotel offers stunning views of the Caucasus Mountains, vineyards and woodlands from every room.  KAZBEGI Rooms Kazbegi Hotel (1 night) Located at the foot of Mt. Kazbeg, the hotel features a summer terrace with a view of the mountain.  TBILISI Tbilisi Marriott Hotel (4 nights) Overlooking Tbilisi’s main avenue, this five-star hotel is in walking distance to all of Tbilisi’s main attractions.  YEREVAN Turfenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel (4 nights) Opened in 2013, this comfortable hotel is located in the centre of Yerevan, just off Republic Square.

Tour Price Fitness Requirements

The tour price is $11,875 per person, twin share (land content of THIS tour only). The supplement for a single room is $1,820 per person. GRADE THREE A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour. It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness Tour Inclusions required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature Included in the tour price extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater  All accommodation in selected hotels fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider  All breakfasts and other meals as indicated in the your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. itinerary Participation criteria for this tour  Land travel by air-conditioned coach  Services of Australian tour leader and tour manager This Grade Three tour is among our most physically throughout the tour demanding. To participate on this tour, you should be able to  Extensive background notes comfortably undertake up to seven hours of physical activity  All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary per day, over several days. Activities may include travelling  Qualified local guides long distances, walking on difficult terrain, climbing stairs, exposure to high altitudes and long days of touring. These  Porterage at hotels tours may include one-night stops and early starts.  Visa costs and processing for entry into Azerbaijan You should be able to: Not included  keep up with the group at all times  International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below)  walk for 5-7 kilometres at a moderate pace  Travel insurance  stand for a reasonable length of time at sites  Meals not mentioned in itinerary  negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites or  Expenses of a personal nature mountain paths, which are often uneven and unstable  tolerate varying climatic conditions  a reasonable level of physical and respiratory fitness Air travel OPTIONS  tolerate a diet that can be significantly different from a typical Australian diet  The tour price quoted is for land content only. The tour begins get on and off a large coach with steep steps, train or at our hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan and ends in our hotel in boat unassisted, possibly with luggage  Yerevan, Armenia. For this tour we recommend Qatar move your luggage a short distance if required Airways or Emirates, who offer the best flight options into A note for older travellers Baku and out of Yerevan from most Australian cities. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, We regret that we are not able to accept bookings on a Business and First-Class airfares. Transfers between airport Grade Three tour from people more than 80 years old, or with and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights restricted mobility. through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers. Weather on Tour The northern autumn is the perfect time to visit this region, Enquiries & bookings with the often oppressively hot and dusty summer having given way in Tbilisi to a combination of cool evenings (5-10 For further information and to secure a place on this tour degrees) and clear, sunny days (18-25 degrees) that are please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on ideal for outdoor touring. Owing to the Caucasus’s diverse 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email geography, however, there is a fair amount of regional [email protected] variation. Temperatures tend to be warmer in coastal Baku and dryer in semi-arid Armenia, while the mountains of the Greater Caucasus are very much cooler. Expect day-time temperatures in the 9-14 degree range in Kazbegi and sub- zero temperatures at night. Rain is always a possibility in the mountains and Georgia’s Kakheti region.

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C Your travel plans I/we plan to undertake additional travel before/after the tour and would like Academy Travel to organise this (please describe destinations and length of stay required below). I/we wish Academy Travel to arrange air travel from Australia. Economy Class. Premium Economy Class. Business Class. I/we will organize our own air travel. I/we are undecided about air travel. Please contact us to discuss the available options. I plan to leave Australia before the tour commences. Planned departure date:

To discuss your travel arrangements please contact the travel consultant for your tour. I intend to take part in the extension tour offered in the itinerary (if applicable). You can also email enquiries to [email protected].

D Your acceptance of booking conditions PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND SIGN BELOW WILL THE TOUR PRICE CHANGE? If the number of participants in a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant DEPOSITS change in exchange rates Academy Travel reserves the right to amend the advertised price. A deposit of $500 per person is required to confirm your booking on a tour. Final payment If this occurs you will be given the option of canceling your booking and obtaining a full refund. of the tour fee, insurance and any additional travel will be due 60 days before departure. If an Academy Travel tour is forced to cancel you will get a full refund of all monies paid. CANCELLATION FEES WILL THE ITINERARY OR AIRLINE CHANGE? If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply: Occasionally circumstances beyond the control of Academy Travel make it necessary to More than 60 days before departure: $500* change airline, hotel or to make slight amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you 60-45 days before tour start: 25% of total amount due of any changes as soon as they occur. 44-15 days before tour start: 75% of total amount due 14 days or less before departure: 100% of total amount due FINAL PAYMENT *This amount may be credited to another Academy Travel tour within 12 months of the Full and final payment for the tour, airfare travel, insurance and any additional travel you original tour you booked. book is due 60 days before departure. Payment may be made by bank deposit, cheque, cash or credit card. Please note there is a surcharge for payments made by credit card. UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as Academy Travel reserves the right to decline the booking or terminate the holiday of any traveller. meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers. I/we accept the conditions on this booking form TRAVEL INSURANCE I/we have read the information about the physical requirements of the tour in the Academy Travel requires all participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. detailed itinerary and confirm that I/we are able to meet these requirements. We offer a comprehensive policy with a reputable insurer if required. PASSPORT AND VISA Date: A valid passport is required for all international travel. If you do not hold an Australian passport you may require a re-entry permit. Some countries require a visa to be issued before you AUTHORISATION depart Australia. We will advise you of all passport and visa requirements, but it is your By submitting this booking form, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions above and on responsibility to ensure that you meet passport and visa requirements before you depart. our website, and the inclusions and non-inclusions listed in the detailed itinerary for the tour.

E Deposit payment f How did you hear about this tour?

A non-refundable $500 deposit is required for each person listed on this booking form. Please select where you first heard about this tour: Please indicate which method you have chosen to pay your deposit: I receive the Academy Travel tour program

Number of passengers: Amount of deposit: $ I receive the Academy Travel weekly emails

I saw an advertisement online… please specify Paid directly by cheque (Please make cheques payable to Academy Travel) I saw an advertisement in… please specify Paid by credit card (Please complete details below) I attended a lecture at... please specify MasterCard Visa American Express Searching the internet… please specify Card Number: A friend recommended Academy Travel tours 3 or 4 digit security code: Expiry date: Other... please specify

Name on card:

g SEND Amount: $ Date: Please send your completed booking form to: Academy Travel AUTHORISATION GPO Box 5057 By submitting this booking form you are authorising us to charge the cost of deposits for Sydney NSW 2001 booking on this tour. No further charges will be made without your prior authorisation. Or email: [email protected] or fax it to (02) 9235 0123 Additional booking forms can be downloaded from our website: academytravel.com.au 78146 04/18

ACADEMY TRAVEL TAILORED SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS Email: [email protected] academytravel.com.au