Great Caucasus
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PREMIUM 11D8N GREAT CAUCASUS TOUR CODE: MCGYDA The spectacular mountain scenery, wonderful walks and picturesque old villages with ancient towers are all part of a trip to the Great Caucasus. SEVANAVANK MONASTERY,ARMENIA 14 Exotic | EU Holidays HIGHLIGHTS RUSSIA AZERBAIJAN Flight path • Gobustan Traverse by coach • Baku Old Town Walking Tour Featured destinations • Diri Baba Mausoleum Stepantsminda Overnight stays 1 3 • Juma Mosque Mtskheta • Nohur Lake GEORGIA • Sheki Khan’s Palace 3 Tbilisi GEORGIA Sadakhlo Sighnaghi • Kakheti Wine Tasting 1 Haghpat Sheki • Sighnaghi ARMENIA Baku • Ananuri Fortress Sevan Yerevan Shamakha 1 • Kazbegi Town 3 Geghard • 4WD to Gergeti Trinity Church Garni Gobustan • Mtskheta Etchmiadzin Khor Virap • Jvari Monastery AZERBAIJAN • Svetitskhoveli Cathedral • Cable Car to Narikala Fortress TURKEY • Tbilisi Old Town Walking Tour ARMENIA • Haghpat Monastery IRAN • Lake Sevan • Sevanavank Monastery • Geghard Monastery • Garni Temple • Cascade DAY 1 awesome Muganly Mountain Pass and • Matenadaran Museum HOME → BAKU (AZERBAIJAN) make a quick photo stop at Nohur Lake (if • Vernissage Flea Market Meals on board time permits). Afterwards, transfer to Sheki • Gum Market Assemble at the airport for your flight to Baku Khan’s Palace, built in 1762 by Hussein Khan, • Khor Virap Monastery – the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan. the interior of the two-storey building is • Etchmiadzin Cathedral decorated with magnificent frescoes and lit • Zvartnots Cathedral DAY 2 by exquisite stained glass. • Ararat Brandy Factory ARRIVAL BAKU → GOBUSTAN → • Yerevan City Tour BAKU DAY 4 Lunch, Dinner SHEKI → LAGODEKHI BORDER Upon arrival, proceed to Gobustan to visit → KAKHETI (GEORGIA) → famous rock art and museum.The Gobustan SIGHNAGHI → TBILISI DELICACIES Rock Art Cultural Landscape is comprised Breakfast, Local House Lunch, Dinner of more than 6,000 rock paintings and was Today, transfer to Azerbaijian-Georgian Meal Plan recognised as a UNESCO Heritage Site in Border. Then enter region of Kakheti, 8 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 8 Dinners 2007. Then return to Baku on coach for an synonymous in the country with wine. orientation tour that includes sights of Baku Visit Kvareli Gvirabi, Georgia’s largest wine Specialities • Georgian dish with cheese City and the Flame Towers. Start walking cellar and enjoy wines testing. Thereafter, • Traditional meal with folk music tour to visit Baku’s UNESCO-listed Old City enjoy lunch with local family with including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, homemade dishes and wine. Then head Maiden Tower, Multani Caravanserai and east to Sighnaghi, one of the most unique market square. After dinner, head to hotel cities in Georgia. This city is surrounded 4 HOTELS and retire for the night. by an amazing defensive wall that offers AZERBAIJAN Baku Holiday Inn breathtaking views of Alazani Valley. AZERBAIJAN Sheki Saray DAY 3 Continue to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia for GEORGIA Tbilisi Holiday Inn BAKU → SHAMAKHI → SHEKI an overnight stay. ARMENIA Yeravan Opera Suite Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner In the morning depart to Sheki, en DAY 5 *Note: Hotels subject to final confirmation. Should there be changes, customers will be offered similar route make a quick stop at the Diri Baba TBILISI → STEPANTSMINDA → accommodations as stated in this list. Mausoleum at Maraza Village. Arrive at TBILISI Shamakhi and visit the historical Juma Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Mosque (also known Friday Mosque). Today you’ll start journey to the awesome Continue your journey through the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. Your EU Holidays | Exotic 15 11D8N GREAT CAUCASUS Yerevan. Next, explore one of world’s richest depositories of ancient books and manuscripts at the Matenadaran Museum (closed on Sun, Mon & Public Holiday). Afterwards, stroll through Vernissage, Yerevan’s popular open-air flea market, as well as the Gum Market, which offers a variety of fresh and dry fruits, spices, nuts, and teas. DAY 9 YEREVAN → KHOR VIRAP → ETCHMIADZIN → ZVARTNOTS → YEREVAN Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Today, visit the Khor Virap Monastery, which sits on a spur above the Ararat Valley and offers spectacular views of the majestic Mount Ararat (5,163 metres). Tuck into a hearty lunch in a local art school before heading to the Echmiadzin TBILISI_OLD TOWN, VIEW FROM CABLE Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. CAR TO NARIKALA FORTRESS Visit the 7th century ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral, which was built at a time when first stop will be at the Ananuri Fortress, a DAY 7 much of Armenia was under the Byzantine large complex consisting of two castles TBILISI → SADAKHLO BORDER empire. Afterwards, see the Ararat factory connected by a curtain wall, situated in an (ARMENIA) → HAGHPAT → SEVAN → and enjoy a taste of authentic Armenian extraordinarily beautiful site overlooking the YERAVAN brandy. In the evening, enjoy a farewell broad Aragvi River. Journey continues to Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner evening meal and be entertained by an Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) the administrative Have an early breakfast before heading to Armenian Folk show. center of Khevi province. Here you will the Sadakhlo border to cross into Armenia. switch to 4WD vehicle and drive up to the Start your acquaintance with Armenia visit DAY 10 beautiful Gergeti Mountain where the 14th to Haghpat Monastery located on a hillside YEREVAN → HOME century Gergeti Trinity Church sits at an looking down on the Debed River and across Breakfast, Meal on board elevation of 2,170 metres right under Mount to a 2,500-metre peak, it is also inscribed After breakfast, head towards Georgia and Kazbegi. Head back to Tbilisi, where you in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. transfer to the airport for your flight home. will enjoy delicious Georgian cuisine and Then head to Sevan, visit the Sevanavank be entertained by national folk dance and Monastery, consisting of two rough-hewn DAY 11 musical shows at the local restaurant. churches built on a peninsula overlooking HOME SWEET HOME Lake Sevan which is one of the largest lakes We hope you enjoyed your trip with our DAY 6 in the world. It stands out with its sweet company and we look forward to seeing you TBILISI → MTSKHETA → TBILISI and astonishingly blue water. Continue to again for your next trip. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Yerevan - the capital of Armenia, for dinner Commence the morning by driving to and an overnight stay. Additional activities that complement your holidays Mtskheta, cultural and religious centres will be at your own discretion and is entirely optional. of Georgia. Discover the UNESCO World DAY 8 *minimum group size may apply. Heritage Sites including the 6th century YEREVAN → GARNI → GEGHARD → • Garni Gorge by 4WD: USD15 Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli YEREVAN • Ashtarak Tour with local house lunch: USD65 Cathedral. Then, head back to Tbilisi and Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner take an aerial cable car up to Narikala Head east to Garni, see the extraordinary Tipping Guideline: (based on 11D8N) Fortress (if weather permitting) and enjoy Pagan Temple built in the 1st century AD. • USD88 per person the breathtaking panoramic views of the Then continue to visit Geghard, one of Tbilisi city. Then, spend 2-3 hours walking medieval monastery being partially carved Remarks: through the historic centre of the city, out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded • A minimum group size of 15 passengers is required which has been Georgia’s capital for the by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World for a confirmed departure. greater part of 1500 years. During this Heritage Site. Enjoy your lunch at a local • The sequence of the itinerary, flight schedules and walking tour, visit the 13th century Metekhi house where you get the chance to see hotels are subject to change without prior notice in Church and Sioni Cathedral. You also view the preparation of the Armenian national the event of unforeseen circumstances. (exterior only) 19th century caravanserais, bread “lavash”. Thereafter, back to Yerevan • Visa is required to enter Azerbaijan & Armenia. the blue-tiled Orbeliani Baths and the Old and make a quick photo stop at Cascade, Town’s mosque and Synagogue. a giant stairway made of limestone in 16 Exotic | EU Holidays.