sign in sign up
<<
Home , Baku, Istanbul Metro

Travelling across the by

from to (by way of )

Azerbaijan, and

1st to 25th July 2019

This journey seeks to connect the three very distinct countries which together form the Caucasus. What links them culturally? They were vibrant places during the later Russian Tzarist period. They have been places of seismic change: oil in Baku, Stalin was born in Georgia and the first Christain state was born in Armenia. They lie between hospitable and the descendents of Byzantium. They also sit between and . They are places which have been influenced by their overbearing neighbours: invaded by Russia, Iran and the Ottoman Turks. Their geography varies from some of the highest mountains in to deserts, from the Mediterranean climate of the Black Sea to the perpetually snowy peaks of the . The area may rightly claim to be the birthplace of the grapevine and very early mastery of goldsmithing. Nowadays a train line links these three fascinating countries. The party will be restricted to 11 of us in total. Travelling across the Caucasus by train

The itinerary Day 3: After breakfast we’ll start the imposing mansions of the oil our Baku city tour. Visit Martyrs’ barons, built during the oil boom of Day 1: Flights from and Alley, enjoy the panoramic view 1870-1914. After lunch we’ll drive to into . Transfer by of Baku bay. Then we’ll visit the see the rock paintings, 65 to Sultanahmet, the heart of Icheri Shekher (Inner town) with km from Baku, and then return to ancient /Istanbul to its historical buildings and narrow the city by way of the Bibi Heybat our comfortable three star for lanes. We’ll enter the town through Mosque. Overnight at the hotel. overnight. (-/-/-) the Shemakha Gate, visit the (B/L/D) of Shirvanshakhs’ 14-17 centuries, Day 2: A walking tour of Old Istanbul (described by UNESCO as “one of the Day 4: After breakfast you will drive led by Rufus Reade. Evening check- pearls of ’s architecture”) to the (30 km in for our flight to Baku, capital of the residence of one of the powerful away from the city centre), visiting Azerbaijan. Late evening arrival in Azeri dynasties, before walking to the Ateshgah, a Zoroastrian Fire Baku, on the shores of the Caspian the medieval caravansaray that was Temple (here we will see natural gas Sea, at the Heydar Airport. one of the main halts for caravans feeding flames). Our route will take Transfer to our 4 star hotel, the travelling along the . There us past the Cultural Sapphire for two nights. (B/-/-) will also be an opportunity to see Centre, (by the architect ).

Flights and Visas

Flights are not included in the price of this holiday and may be booked separately. Options include flights from London or from Edinburgh with Turkish Airlines flying via Istanbul, into Baku: the cost of the holiday includes one night in Istanbul between flights, and a free day in this great city. There are flights from Kutaisi in Georgia returning to London Luton. The airline schedules are normally available 10 to 11 months ahead of travel dates, though some airlines give less notice. Ian Dickson Travel in Edinburgh are aware of the requirements of this holiday and can book your flights: contact Mark Robson on 0131 556 6777, once the tour is confirmed. Alternatively you can book your flights directly with Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air. Georgia and Armenia do not cur- rently require visas from British passport holders, and a visa online can be acquired for Azerbai- jan and for without surrendering your passport. JOURNEY DETAILS There will be free time until we have Christianity in Georgia: the 6th Location Turkey, Azerbaijan, an early dinner and then transfer to century church at Jvari and the Georgia and Armenia the railway station for our sleeper magnificent medieval cathedral of Svetitskhoveli. From here we will Dates 1st July to 25th July train to . (B/L/D) drive along the Georgian Military 2019 Day 5: On arrival into Tbilisi, the Highway which heads into the Duration 24 nights capital of Georgia, we’ll be met and Greater Caucasus. We will spend the Max 10 travellers transfered to our city centre hotel. next two nights in Stepantsminda. Price £3750 (based on Before beginning our city walking (B/-/D) sharing a twin/double room). tour there’ll be a chance to catch Single room supplement £535 our breath in a coffee shop in the Day 10: From the Military Highway Deposit £375 old town. We intend to see the you can see to the north the What’s included: Accommoda- Metekhi Church (13th century), and magnificent covered peaks of tion in comfortable western-style the functioning synagogue, Sioni the Caucasus including Mt Kazbegi (approx equivalent to 3 cathedral (6th-7th centuries) and (5047m). On what amounts to a star, rooms with attached facil- ancient, atmospheric Anchiskhati foothill sits a church which invites ities) in Istanbul, Baku, Tbilisi, Church (6th century). Transfer to pilgrimage. It’s a 4 hour round walk Yerevan, , and Batumi, hotel. (-/L/D) though you can get a taxi if you elsewhere accommodation is in want. The path leads up through guesthouses, all meals as de- scribed in the itinerary (B/L/D) Day 6: Tbilisi is a compact city which varied woodland, until you get above (light snack lunch (or pL=picnic lends itself to a free day. The coffee the trees to a wide grass apron to lunch) and fuller dinner), all shops spilling out onto narrow reach this lovely church dedicated land transport by rail, road and lanes invite you to linger. There is to the Holy Trinity. At the end of the Istanbul metro as described in an open air market on the so-called afternoon we’ll drive to the border the itinerary, entry to all the sites ‘Dry Bridge’, with bric-a-brac and with the Russian Federation before mentioned. some antiques. Close to the centre is returning to our accommodation in Since this itinerary is published a botanic garden which makes for a Stepantsminda. (B/-/D) many months before train tickets good walk. No activities are planned are released the exact itinerary for today. (B/-/-) Day 11: We’ll head back down the may be subject to change but Georgian Military Highway pausing broadly the itinerary indicates a realistic proposal! Day 7: We will drive to the desert at the fortified monastic complex at What’s not included: your inter- area close to the Azeri border to see Ananuri. We’ll arrive in Tbilisi in national flights, luggage porter- the David Gareja cave complex and time for some leisure before boarding age, personal travel insurance, monastery (originally 6th century). the 20:20 night train to Yerevan (B/ laundry, phonecalls, all beverages For those wanting to, there is a 50 pL/-) and those meals not described. minute walk (rated moderate) up Our Guides: we will have the on to the ridge where you can see Day 12: The overnight train is due help and services of local En- the painted churches of the Udabno into Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, glish-speaking national guides in Monastery. After a picnic lunch we in time for breakfast, which we’ll Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ar- will drive across the steppe-like grass have after we have checked into our menia.Tour Leader: the tour is hotel (rooms may not be available escorted by Rufus Reade. lands to Telavi for two nights in a Walking: All walks rated easy to guesthouse. (B/pL/D) for such an early arrival time). moderate. After breakfast we’ll drive to see The tour is organised by Rufus Day 8: Telavi lies in a wide fertile Reade Tours, 40 Pilrig Street, valley: to the north are the Greater Edinburgh EH6 5AL Caucasus, and at river level are [email protected] a number of very interesting Tel 0131 554 1078 monasteries and churches. We Flights: There are UK flights from will visit the 11th century cathedral the London Heathrow and Edin- at Alaverdi before continuing to burgh with Turkish Airlines into the 16th-century Church of the Istanbul where we can stay the night. We then have a free day in Archangels at Gremi. Nearby is the Istanbul with an optional sight- one of the oldest churches in the seeing walk led by Rufus Reade country at Nekresi which involves before an evening flight to Baku. a walk uphill through trees to There are return flights from the recently restored monastery Kutaisi with Wizz Air to London/ complex. We will return to Telavi for Luton (currently on Thursdays). our second night. (B/L/D)

Train travel: the cost of the Day 9: We’ll leave Telavi to drive holiday includes the cost of train via the ancient capital of Georgia tickets (inc. sleeping compart- at Mskheta, where there are two ments). The tickets will be the churches in particular which are best available class. seen as central to the history of 7th century Zvartnots (an early town which we might have heard of around us, the rivers seem wilder, experiment in building a circular since it was devastated by the Spitak and the sense of living in an extreme church) and 5th century Echmiadzin earthquake in the closing days of the environment very real. We’ll (the headquarters of the Armenian . We drive on beyond drive back through this stunning Church), both of which in quite the town to Marmashen where landscape for dinner and overnight distinct ways represent the birth of we’ll have a picnic lunch around a at our accommodation in Mestia. Christianity in this country which beautiful 10th century church. We (B/-/D) was the first to adopt the Faith as the return to Gyumri, where we are state religion. Overnight Yerevan. staying in a former German Red Day 23: We’ll drive to the village (B/L/D) Cross hospital converted into a Mulakhi and start our walk towards comfortable hotel with an art theme. Mestia. After an initial uphill walk Day 13: In the morning we’ll drive (B/pL/D) we’ll descend to the beautiful valley to the edge of Yerevan to see the full of flowers (at this altitude Spring Urartian fortress at Erebuni (founded Day 18: We’ll explore Gyumri, extends into July!) with a view of the in 782 BC ) which marked the mainly on foot, keeping some rooms Chalaadi glacier (2300 m.) and the beginning of this place becoming the at our hotel for wash and change. At Mestia valley with its watchtowers. capital. After we have had time to 6pm we’ll catch the sleeper train for Dinner and overnight in Mestia. wander over the site we’ll drive into Batumi on the Black Sea in Georgia. (During the day we’ll have climbed the heart of the city to see a fabulous (B//L/_) 320m, and dropped down 500m, exhibition of illustrated manuscripts with a walking time of 4 to 5 hours). at the Matenadaran. Following a Day 19: The train gets into Batumi (B/P L/D) light lunch we’ll have free time to on the Black Sea coast in the early wander round the open air market morning. On arrival we’ll transfer to Day 24: We leave the Svaneti region of crafts, carpets, food, tools, and our hotel and have the remainder of and return to Kutaisi to see the paintings known by the French the day free. (-/-/D) lovely Gelati Cathedral (12th century) word Vernisage. Overnight Yerevan. – one of the earliest academies in (B/L/D) Day 20: The area around Batumi was Europe, and beautifully adorned historically Turkish and the language with frescoes, and the recently Day 14: South of Yerevan towers is still widely spoken. The Romans rebuilt Bagrati Cathedral (original the iconic shape of Mount Ararat. occupied the area in the first century foundations from 11th century). In its foothills sits the 17th century and built a fort at Gonio, 15km south Return to Kutaisi for overnight in a church of Khor Virap surrounded of Batumi, (close to the Turkish guesthouse, and our farewell dinner. by a cemetery and vineyards. After border) which we’ll visit. There (B/-/D) a visit there we’ll drive to the 13th should then be time to drive to see century monastery/part cave church the lovely Batumi Botanical Gardens Day 25: Transfer to Kutaisi airport at Geghard, perhaps one of the most where we can walk downhill for our flight home. (B/-/-) atmospheric places in Armenia. We’ll through the collection. Drive back return to Yerevan for overnight. to Batumi, for our second overnight. (B/-/D) Day 15: Leaving Yerevan we’ll drive to the high altitude Lake Sevan. On Day 21: One of the most its western shore is an extraordinary exciting areas of Georgia collection of intricately carved ‘cross- has to be Svaneti, stones’, Khachkars, at Noratus, part where small villages are cemetery/part memorial. We’ll head often characterised by to the northern end of the lake to see curious medieval stone the churches on the promontory at towers. Their purpose Sevanvank before continuing north is disputed: defensive or to for two nights. extravagant folly? From Batumi we’ll drive to Day 16: From Dilijan we can Mestia in the centre of follow the valley to 13th century Upper Svaneti. Dinner Haghartsin, which was an academy and overnight at a small as well as monastery. This cluster guesthouse in Mestia. of medieval buildings have a (B/-/D) solidity quite different from the towering cathedrals we may have Day 22: A three-hour seen elsewhere. Later we see the drive by local 4 wheel wonderful monastery at Goshavank drive will take us to (12/13th century) surrounded by the highest permanent woodland before we return to Dilijan village in Europe at for overnight. Ushguli (2200m). The Greater Caucasus Day 17: We will drive to Gyumri, a mountains towers