Byzantine Silk Road of the TransCaucasus

Including 13-Day Special Train Journey through

Azerbaijan, and

06 - 21 October 2020

Dome, Echmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia © Shaun Dunphy

JOURNEYS THAT TAKE YOU TO FAR HORIZONS

Our adventure begins in Istanbul, heart of the old Silk Road, to become

acquainted with this vibrant melting-pot of East meets West culture and

history before a flight to on the sunny plains of the Caspian Sea from where we embark on our journey by private chartered train through the Azerbaijani steppes and the snow-capped southern mountains in Georgia, to subtropical on the , following a Byzantine trading route from the old Silk Road. To complete this special trip, our trans-Caucasus train journey is complemented by a TOUR LEADER visit to Armenia, the oldest Christian country in the world, shaped by distinct cultures and great powers throughout history. Relle Mott has led small Along with Ottoman mosques and bazaars, Byzantine monasteries, groups for the Friends Crusader fortresses, and Silk Road caravanserais, we will visit the Tsbilisi through Uzbekistan, and Batumi Botanical Gardens to get to know the plants of this Western China, and Japan, biodiversity hotspot. sharing her love of plants, new cultures and The trans-Caucasus experience is enhanced by excellent regional food: destinations with like- Khachapuri and Khinkali dumplings, sturgeon with pomegranate, local minded travellers since chicken with green walnuts, and of course – Georgian wine! 2013. Horticulturist Relle has been associated with the Tour Highlights Royal Botanic Garden • Journey on exclusively chartered special train Sydney for many years: as a • A unique and spectacular route from Baku on the Caspian Sea, member of the Education & through the Caucasus mountains, to Batumi on the Black Sea Community Programs • First-class service from English-speaking tour manager and local team, a volunteer guide, guides throughout journey, and your tour escort Relle Mott and a supporter through • 1 night in a hotel in the Caucasus mountains with view of 5,000 Foundation & Friends. Her metre Mount Kazbek background is in • Vardzia, a gigantic cave city that once housed up to 50,000 education: as an people environmental education • Historic city of Goygol, a former German settlement in specialist at RBGS, a teacher at Ryde TAFE • and Baku, two colourful and complementary metropolises Horticulture College, and a • Insight into local life with visits to a Georgian religious service, secondary Japanese vineyard, bazaar and artisanal handicraft centre language teacher. She has • UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Vagharshapat and Zvartnots had a 40 year connection • Visit the Botanical Gardens of Tbilisi and Batumi with Japan, and regularly • See the Bosphorus, the Caspian and the Black seas of Eastern leads her own walking tours on historic pilgrimage trails in that country. Travelling with Relle is fun – well- planned itineraries to amazing destinations create unforgettable experiences. When at home she is a keen gardener, sailor and potter, with an ongoing fascination with the plant hunters of Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Flight from Istanbul

Ananuri Castle Complex Day 1 Tue 06 Oct Arrive Istanbul at the station, where our train sets off westward by starlight through the Azerbaijani steppes. Meet and transfer to hotel. Welcome dinner tonight. Overnight: On board (B, L, D) Overnight at hotel in Istanbul. (D)

Day 6 Sun 11 Oct Shaki & Goygol Day 2 Wed 07 Oct Istanbul The city of Shaki lies at foot of the forest-covered Caucasus Today we get our bearings on Istanbul and its historic role in Mountains and doubles as a unique open-air museum. Here the Silk Road with visits to the Hagia Sophia built in AD 537 we witness the city’s many caravanserai, trading posts that and the Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman Sultans. To served as stops along the Silk Road. Later, we visit the experience the first of our three seas and get a different Khan’s Palace, where brilliant decorative carvings, stained perspective on Istanbul, we take a boat on the Bosphorus. glass and frescoes evoke a fantastic medieval world. Look (B, L) for bargains at an artisanal handicrafts centre and at a Day 3 Thu 08 Oct Istanbul local bazaar. On the train route south from Shaki, the Azerbaijani landscape begins to turn green. In the We continue our journey through Istanbul history with the afternoon, we reach the city of Ganja, and travel to the Roman-era Hippodrome, the famed Ottoman Sultanahmet nearby city of Goygol, known for its nineteenth-century (Blue) Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar which was once the German settlements. Here we see carefully restored villas, hub of Mediterranean trade. We finish the day with a visit to the Lutheran church of St. John and the home of the last the modern Taksim Square. (B, D) German settler, Viktor Klein, who passed away in 2007. Later we head to the Azerbaijan–Georgia border, where the Day 4 Fri 09 Oct Istanbul-Baku ochre, earthy steppes gradually transform into green hills. Transfer to airport for flight to Badu. Arrive in Baku, the Next stop: Georgia’s vibrant metropolis Tbilisi. capital of Azerbeijan, known as the City of Winds. In the Overnight: On board (B, L, D) evening, we take in views of the city’s breathtaking skyline on the Caspian Sea, which includes the spectacular Flame Day 7 Mon 12 Oct Tbilisi Towers, a symbol of the city’s modernity. Sturdy churches, colourful wooden houses on the banks of Overnight: Hotel Sapphire Inn (or similar) (B, D) the River, classical villas - this is Tbilisi, capital of Georgia and straight out of a fairy tale. From here, we Day 5 Sat 10 Oct Baku travel by vehicle along the historic Georgian Military Road, In the morning, we explore the historical centre of Baku, which reaches an altitude of approximately 2,300 metres. with its gorgeous mosques, the Maiden Tower, and the The view of the mediaeval Ananuri Castle fortress complex Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its backdrop of snow-capped peaks is breathtaking. contrasting with the city’s ornate Art Nouveau buildings and However, another stunning view awaits of the 5,000 metre its futuristic architecture. In the afternoon, we take an Mount Kazbek awaits us from our hotel terrace in excursion on the Absheron Peninsula to see a Zoroastrian Stepantsmindal! On a green ridge just in front of this fire temple and Yanar Dag, a flame that burns continuously immense peak sits the comparatively small 14th century due to a seepage of natural gas. In the evening, the Gergeti Trinity Church, which can be visited via Jeep friendly crew of our special train give us a hearty welcome excursion. Overnight: Hotel Porta Caucaisa (or similar) (B, L, D)

Old Town of Tbilisi Cave City of Vardzia Day 8 Tue 13 Oct Tbilisi footprint. Orthodox churches, synagogues, and mosques - On the way back to Tbilisi, we stop at the mediaeval Jvari the city’s stunning architecture is a testament to its diversity. monastery high above the Aragvi River and marvel at the The Batumi is a subtropical paradise former capital of Georgia, Mzcheta, a UNESCO World whose terraces on the steep coast provide an amazing Heritage Site. In Tbilisi, we have an optional visit to the view of the seashore. National Botanical Garden of Georgia. Overnight: Hotel Radisson (or similar) (B, L, D) Overnight: Hotel Builtmore (or similar) (B, L, D) Day 12 Sat 17 Oct Gyumri Day 9 Wed 14 Oct Gori Today is a transit day, with a long but beautiful bus trip to Today our train departs Tbilisi through the country’s fertile cross the Georgia–Armenia border through the lowlands, soon arriving In Gori, birthplace of , mountainscapes of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range to the once General Secretary of the Soviet Union, whose Gyumri, Armenia’s second oldest city. personal railroad car is displayed in a museum. In nearby Overnight: Hotel Villa Kars (or similar) (B) Uplistsikhe, once a Byzantine Silk Road trading post, we exlore a sixth-century town built into a cave complex. We Day 13 Sun 18 Oct experience Georgian wine tasting at a historic wine house. Today we visit the idyllic spa town of Dilijan, the Sevan Georgia’s wine regions are more than 7,000 years old, Monastery and 2,000-metre-high Lake Sevan - known as the placing then among the world’s oldest. In the afternoon, Pearl of Armenia - a highlight of our journey. Overnight in our train reaches Borjomi, a famous deep valley resort town Yerevan. that once provided the entire Russian Empire with mineral Overnight: Hotel Imperial (or similar) (B, L, D) water. Its beautiful villas, boutique hotels and its curative health spas draw visitors from near and far. Day 14 Mon 19 Oct Temple of Garni & Cave Monastery Overnight: On board (B, L, D) After a guided tour of the impressive manuscript repository Matenadaran, we visit Garni Gorge, the amazing Greco- Day 10 Thu 15 Oct Akhaltsikhe & Vardzia Roman Temple of Garni and the medieval cave From the small city of Akhaltsikhe, over which the Rabati monastery, one of the most beautiful monasteries in the Castle looms, we take a guided tour of Vardzia, a twelfth- Caucasus. Before lunch we view a bread-making century cave monastery. Reminiscent of a honeycomb, demonstration of traditional unleavened Armenian there are more than 3,000 cave dwellings for up to 50,000 flatbread Lavash. We make our way back to Yerevan, people built into the rockface. The brilliance of the frescoes Armenia's capital. of legendary Queen Tamar in the cave cathedral have not Overnight: Hotel Imperial (or similar) (B, L) lost their intensity. The train route from Akhaltsikhe through the lesser Caucasus mountains puts everyday Georgia right Day 15 Tue 20 Oct Yerevan outside the window - vineyards, idyllic towns, imposing On a morning city tour, we visit highlights of this ancient city castle towers. From the top of the Bagrati Cathedral, we formerly a Byzantine gem, now marked by grand soviet era can view the historic city of Kutaisi, just a stone’s throw architecture. Our last afternoon takes us to the Etchmiadzin away from the picturesque Gelati monastery, a UNESCO Cathedral in Vagharshapat, thought to be the oldest World Heritage Site. Christian cathedral in the world. On the way back to Overnight: On board (B, L, D) Yerevan, we view the impressive ruins of the seventh- century , a UNESCO World Heritage site. Day 11 Fri 16 Oct Batumi Having had our fill of mediaeval churches and sweeping Today we reach the last stop on our train journey, Batumi, landscapes, we arrive back in Yerevan to celebrate our where we farewell our special train and its crew. tour with a memorable farewell dinner. Batumi is Georgia’s second largest city, on the spectacular Overnight: Hotel Imperial (or similar) (B, L, D) Black Sea coast. This Georgian port and subtropical seaside resort is situated on the sparkling coastline against a Day 16 Wed 21 Oct Departure Yerevan backdrop of green mountains and a palm-lined After breakfast, transfer to airport for your departure flight. promenade. We enjoy a city tour of Batumi’s historic centre, (B) where merchants from all over the world have left their

Restaurant car on the train Baku NAME OF TOUR:

DEPARTURE DATE: BOOKING FORM Tour code: YOUR DETAILS: PASSENGER 1 PASSENGER 2 Your title (Ms, Mrs, Mr, Dr etc): Your title (Ms, Mrs, Mr, Dr etc):

Your full name (as it appears on your passport): Your full name (as it appears on your passport):

Preferred first name: Date of birth: Preferred first name: Date of birth:

Postal Address: Postal Address:

State: Postcode: State: Postcode: Email: Email:

Phone: Phone:

Mobile: Mobile:

Frequent flyer number: Seating (Aisle or window) Frequent flyer number: Seating (Aisle or window)

Name of next of kin (not travelling with you): Name of next of kin (not travelling with you):

Relationship to you: Contact number: Relationship to you: Contact number:

Please provide a photocopy of the photo page of your passport together with this booking form.

ROOMING PREFERENCES I am travelling: ☐ on my own ☐ with a friend or family member Name of friend or family member (if not passenger 2) I/we would like: ☐ a single room ☐ a twin share room ☐ a double room ☐ If single would you like us to organize twin-share on your behalf? Are you a smoker? ☐ Yes ☐ No (Please note that Single Supplement will be payable if we are unable to arrange twin-share for you)

YOUR SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIRMENTS/ALLERGIES Please indicate below if you have any special dietary requirements. Appropriate meals will be requested for you on all flights and group meals based on this information. PASSENGER 1 PASSENGER 2

MEDICAL CONDITIONS Please indicate below if you have any serious health issue that may affect your travel insurance coverage, your physical capacity to undertake some activities on tour or may otherwise need to be considered by the tour leader/manager during the tour. PASSENGER 1 PASSENGER 2

YOUR TRAVEL PLANS ☐ I/we wish Opulent Journeys to arrange air travel I/we plan to undertake additional travel before/after the tour and ☐ Economy Class ☐ Business Class would like Opulent Journeys to organize this (please describe destinations and length of stay required below) TRAVEL INSURANCE Would like to receive a quote? ☐ Yes ☐ No HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS TOUR

Opulent Journeys Pty Ltd trading as Opulent Journeys ABN 95 603 945 982 PAYMENT OPTIONS ☐ Paid directly by cheque made payable to Opulent Journeys ☐ Direct Deposit into the Opulent Journeys bank account ☐ Paid by credit card (Please complete details below) Bank: Westpac Account Name: Opulent Journeys ☐ MasterCard ☐ Visa ☐ American Express Bank BSB: 032 000 Account Number: 902713 Card Number: Please list the payment description as per the following for Direct Name on card: Expiry Date: Deposits: Card Holders Signature: Date: Reference: Your surname. This will assist our office in locating your payment when we receive your completed booking form. (Payments by credit card will be subject to a Merchant Administration Fee as follows: 1.5% for Visa / MasterCard / American Express)

YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF BOOKING CONDITIONS PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND SIGN BELOW FITNESS DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT Most of our tours require a MODERATE level of fitness. However, A deposit of $1,500 per person is required to confirm your in certain destinations or in certain seasons or because of the booking on a tour. Final payment of the tour fee, insurance and nature of travel, certain tours will require an ACTIVE level of any additional travel will be due 100 days before departure. fitness. Please find more information on fitness level at CANCELLATION FEES www.opulentjourneys.com.au/fitness_level If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply: RESPONSIBILITY Over 100 days Forfeit of deposit OPULENT JOURNEYS Pty Ltd act only in the capacity of agents for the 99-42 days 45% of the tour cost passenger in all matters of transportation, tour operation and other 41-15 days 80% of the tour cost services. The company itself is not a carrier or hotelier, nor do we own 14 days or less 100% of the tour cost aircraft, hotels or coaches. We exercise every care in the selection of reputable airlines, coach operator, hotels and other suppliers or the Cancellation fees for air tickets issued by or on behalf of Opulent various travel services which are used in the tour. Opulent Journeys Pty Ltd Journeys will apply as determined by Airline Tariff Regulations, and/or its associated Companies or Agents assume no responsibility for and may vary as to the type of ticket issued. Depending on the loss, injury, accident, delay or damage or irregularity that may be caused reason for your cancellation, these charges may be recoverable by to person or property, however caused or arising before commencement the insurance policy you purchased. and/or during any tour under its management, sponsorship, procurement or otherwise. It is the responsibility of the passenger to make sure he/she FORCED CANCELLATION is in possession of the proper visas and other travel documents and those In the event that, due to failure to reach a minimum number of they are in compliance with current government and transportation tour participants (excluding the tour leader), it is necessary to companies’ regulations. The right is reserved to modify the itinerary in any cancel the tour, you will receive a full refund of your deposit. If it way considered necessary or desirable, or to change any reservation, hotel is necessary to cancel the tour, we will advise you not later than feature and/or means conveyance, without allowance or refund but the extra cost, if any resulting there from, must be paid by the passenger. The 30 days prior to the tour departure. right is also reserved to cancel or withdraw any tour, to replace any tour UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR leader with another, to cancel or withdraw any booking made for a We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions passenger, or to decline to accept any person as a member of a tour. The of the tour, such as meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transportation companies or firms shall be exempt from all liabilities in transfers. respect of any detention, delay, loss, damage, sickness or injury however and by whomsoever caused and of whatever kind occurring of or to the TRAVEL INSURANCE passenger at any time when the passenger is not on board a carrier or Opulent Journeys requires all participants to obtain conveyance used or operated by the transportation companies or firms. comprehensive travel insurance. We offer a comprehensive policy The contract of passage in use by the transportation companies or firms with a reputable insurer if required. concerned shall constitute the sole contract between transportation companies or firms, and the purchase of these tours and/or passenger. All PASSPORT AND VISA tickets, deposit tickets, coupons or orders are furnished and issued subject It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure that they possess the in all respects to those terms and conditions under which the means of necessary travel documentation for the tour, such as a valid transportation or other services provided there by are offered or supplied passport and any required visas. In general a passport should be by owners, public carriers, or managing agents. The issuance and valid at least 6 months beyond the end of your journey and have acceptance of receipts, tickets, vouchers, coupons, or exchange orders two clear pages for each country to be visited to allow for entry shall be deemed consent to the above conditions. The tour is based on flights as detailed in the itinerary, however any other IATA or non-IATA and exit stamps en-route or for any visas applicable for countries carrier may be used for tour co-ordination. in your journey. I/we accept the conditions on this booking form. I/we have read the PRICES information about the physical requirements of the tour and confirm that I All prices are in Australian Dollars, on twin share basis, and based /we are able to meet these requirements: on costs and exchange rates applicable when this brochure was Signature: Date: printed. Opulent Journeys reserves the right to adjust prices whether or not you have already made full payment. We will do everything within our control not to adjust prices and will SEND generally only amend prices in the event of marked fluctuations in Please send your completed booking form and passport copy to exchange rates, fuel costs and other operating costs on which Opulent Journeys prices are based. GPO Box 4389 Sydney NSW 2001 Or email: [email protected]

Opulent Journeys Pty Ltd trading as Opulent Journeys ABN 95 603 945 982

Private Train

About the Train Price per person (land only) Cabin type Twin share Single suppl. Cat. Superior $11,985 $3,555 Please note: the price is based on minimum of 12 people Tour price includes Flight from Istanbul to Baku; 4 nights on board your special train in Superior cabin; 11 nights in first-class hotels with bath or shower; all meals as per itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner); all transport and excursions in modern tour buses with air-conditioning as per itinerary; airport transfers on the first and last day of the itinerary; entrance fees for all sights as per itinerary; English-speaking local guide in Istanbul, English-speaking Superior Cabin Compartment tour manager and guides during train journey from Baku to Batumi. Tour price does not include International flights; visa fees (e-visa for Turkey USD65, Azerbaijan USD23, Opulent Journeys will assist you with the visa process); travel insurance; porterages & gratuities; personal expenses; and anything not mentioned in the itinerary. To Make a Booking As all our tours are bespoke, we aim to provide a seamless, individual service to you. We are aware you may have many questions about the tour and are very Friendly staff happy to assist, so please contact us directly.

Cat. II – Superior Cabin Fitness Level - Moderate • Sleeps up to 2 guests Tour participants will need to carry their own luggage, • 2 lower beds (26.7 × 73.6 in/68 × 185 cm) board a bus unaided, and navigate uneven surfaces including stairs. On occasions you may need to walk up Features to 10 kilometres over a day. • Large window • Table This journey is not suitable for guests with limited mobility • 2 shared bathrooms with sink and toilet per car or who depend on CPAP machines. Please contact us • 9 compartments per car for more information about your specific requirements • Shower shared between 1 to 3 cars before booking.

Gergeti Trinity Church near Mt Kazbek

For further information please contact Opulent Journeys : 1300 219 885 New Zealand: 0800 456 219 Email: [email protected] Web: opulentjourneys.com.au