15d12n15d12n JewelsJewels ofof Caucasus:Caucasus: ,Azerbaijan, GeorgiaGeorgia && ArmeniaArmenia (EBAKS) VALID FROM APRIL – OCTOBER 2020

36 PLANNED MEALS / / SHEKI / SIGNAGI / 12 BREAKFASTS TBILISI / GORI / BORJOMI / AKHALTSIKHE 13 LUNCHES / BORJOMI / MTSKHETA / HAGHPAT / MEAL PLAN 11 DINNERS DILIJAN / YEREVAN

RUSSIA 1 STEPANTSMINDA

GEORGIA GORI MTSKHETA 2 BORJOMI KAKHETI 1 2 TBLISI SIGNAGI Gergeti Church Georgia SHEKI 1 HAGHPAT ARMENIA 1 DILIJAN DAY 1 Alley for a panoramic view of Baku city. Next, continue to SINGAPORE BAKU (AZERBAIJAN) the Medieval Fortress and the Legendary Maiden’s Tower, AZERBAIJAN BAKU 2 which commands a sweeping view of the bay. 2 YEREVAN Welcome to a unique experience! Note: Azerbaijan has very limited facilities for tourists like comfort stops TURKEY • Assemble at Changi airport for our flight toBaku , the capital and between rural cities. Most petrol stations have 1 or 2 cubicles and mostly commercial hub of Azerbaijan. eastern style Lunch / Dinner DAY 2 BAKU DAY 3 • On arrival, be welcomed by the local guide and commence BAKU: GOBUSTAN & ABSHERON PENINSULA our city tour. CAUCASUS N START/END • Drive along the Caspian shore to Gobustan, home to the famous • Baku guided tour: Explore Ichari Shahar which extends from rock petroglyphs and mud volcanoes, the ‘Gobustan Rock Art NIGHT STAY the curve of the Baku Bay through the hills behind it. The Cultural Landscape’. Old Town is a warren of narrow alleys and winding passages • Tour the volcanic desert sites and view some of the 4,000 rocks BY FLIGHT neatly hemmed in by high fortress walls. The Shahs dominates it. Visit Shehidler Khiyabany-Memory covered with drawings from the Neolithic period, depicting the BY COACH customs of ancient tribes, hunting scenes and dances. EUROPE by Dynasty Travel 124 125 www.dynastytravel.com.sg | Book Online. Anytime, Anywhere! DAY 7 DAY 9 TBILISI STEPANTSMINDA BORJOMI • Travel on the famed Georgian Military Highway, a highlight of • Visit the unusual Rabati Castle Complex in Akhaltsikhe (closed any trip to Georgia. This scenic route served as link between on Mondays and public holidays) with houses a mosque, a synagogue, Europe and Asia over the centuries and connects Tbilisi to the an Armenian church and a catholic church. Rare examples of Russian city of Vladikavkaz. traditional darbazebi cluster around the castle. • Enjoy stunning views of the as we cross • Continue to the Vardzia Cave Monasteries Complex, one of Jvari Pass, the highest point at 2395m, as we drive towards Georgia’s most impressive historic monuments. At 1300m above Stepantsminda. sea level, the complex is carved into the slopes of the Erusheti • Transfer to 4WD vehicles to the beautiful Gergeti Trinity Church. Mountains and used to have as many as 13 floors. Note: Climbing of Set against the backdrop of Mount Kazbegi, the views from the mountain path, steps and stairs required. Walking stick advisable for elderly tourists. church are truly breath-taking! Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner DAY 10

DAY 8 BORJOMI MTSKHETA TBILISI KAZBEGI GORI BORJOMI • Depart for sacred Mtskheta, the ancient capital and religion centre of Georgia • Continue our journey to Gori, the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. • Visit Sveti-Tskhoveli Cathedral (UNESCO), the first Christian • Visit the museum which traces his life from his humble beginnings church to be built in Georgia and also the largest functioning to his death, the house where he was born and raised and his cathedral. It is believed that the Robe of Christ is buried here. private train carriages. • Visit the beautiful 6th century Church of Jvari (UNESCO) which • Embark on a long drive to Borjomi, a resort town in the Samtskhe- is perched on a cliff overlooking the city and confluence of the Baku Javakheti region famous for its mineral water industry, the Rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi. number one export of Georgia. Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of stone baths in the area, proving that • Return to Tbilisi. DAY 5 these mineral waters have been utilized by people for thousands Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner SHEKI KAKHETI (GEORGIA) SIGNAGI of years. TBILISI Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner • Drive to the Azerbaijan-Georgian border. • We arrive in Kakheti in Georgia’s historic wine region where grapes have been cultivated for about 8000 years. Enjoy wine tasting in a cellar before lunch. • Continue to the fortified town ofSignagi , nicknamed the city of love. Quaint cobbled streets, ancient churches raise high above the sea of rust-coloured rooftops, fortified walls and sweeping plains of Mud Volcano the Alasani Valley means enchanting views in every direction. • Continue to the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. • Continue to tour the mud volcanoes. Over a thousand mud volcanoes Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner are known to exist in the world, and some 400 of those are in the coastal area of Azerbaijan. • Depart for Absheron Peninsula, an extension of the Caucasus DAY 6 particularly noted for its oil deposits. TBILISI • Visit the Baku Ateshgah, often called the ‘Fire Temple of Baku’ • Tbilisi guided city tour: Ride the cable car to Narikala Fortress and the Burning Mountain (Yanar Dag), a natural gas fire which blazes and be rewarded with the best views of Tbilisi. Walk to the Mother continuously on a hillside. Georgia monument and continue downhill to the Sulphur Baths. Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Walk to Sioni Cathedral, which claim to fame for its sacred cross of St. Nino which according to legend is made from vine branches DAY 4 bound with the saint’s own hair. See the unusual clock tower at the BAKU SHAMAKHI QABALA SHEKI Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre and the Holy Trinity Cathedral, listed amongst the world’s largest Orthodox churches and the largest

• Travel into the Azerbaijan Mountains from Baku. CAUCASUS in Georgia. • Stop at Maraza village known for its two-storied mausoleum-mosque • Enjoy some free time at leisure. from the 15th century called Diri Baba. Breakfast / Lunch • Make a stop in Qabala for lunch before we continue our scenic drive to Sheki. • Visit Sheki Khan’s Palace, a medieval fortress, a local History Museum, mosque and handicrafts workshop. EUROPE by Dynasty Travel Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner 126 Yerevan 127 www.dynastytravel.com.sg | Book Online. Anytime, Anywhere! DAY 14 DAY 15 YEREVAN SINGAPORE ARRIVE SINGAPORE • Drive to Khor Virap Monastery which imprisoned St Gregory the We hope that you have had an enjoyable vacation with Dynasty Travel illuminator in a pit of thirteen years. and look forward to bring you to your next holiday destination. • Continue to Vagharshapat, Armenia’s 4th largest city just 10km north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. • The city is best known as the location of Etchmiadzin Cathedral Note: The sequence of the tour is subject to change without prior notice. During and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the center of the Armenian major conferences, fairs & festivals, accommodation may be located outside the city Apostolic Church. or in an alternate city without prior notice. Please refer to the main Europe brochure • Visit the ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral, a masterpiece from the for booking terms & conditions. middle ages and an important example of Armenian architecture with unique design and technique. • Enjoy home-cooked lunch with the local community in Echmiadzin before returning to Yerevan. • Visit the legendary Armenian Brandy Factory commonly known for its famous brand ‘ArArAt’. • Bid farewell to Caucasus as we transfer to the airport for our flight home after dinner. Breakfast / Lunch

Old Town of Tbilisi

DAY 12 DILIJAN YEREVAN • Set off for Lake Sevan, the largest lake in the Caucasus at 1900m above sea level. Its colours and shades change with the weather from a dazzling azure to dark blue and a thousand shades in between. • Continue to the Temple of Garni, the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia. • Nearby is the Garni Gorge where we can see well-preserved basalt columns referred to as the ‘Symphony of the Stones’ carved out by the Goght River. • Next, visit the Armenian monastery carved out of cliffs and named after that spear that stabbed Jesus, the Geghard Monastery. Gergeti Church • End the day at Yerevan, the capital of Armenia where ancient culture and traditions are integrated with modern lifestyle. Garni Gorge Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 13 DAY 11 YEREVAN TBILISI HAGHPAT (ARMENIA) DILIJAN • Yerevan guided tour: Start our walking tour from the Republic • Bid goodbye to Georgia as we travel towards the border for the north of Armenia. (Note: Please be prepared as we need to cross the border by foot Square, the masterpiece of neoclassical architect - Alexander with our luggage. There is a distance of roughly 1km of walk between the 2 borders. The Tamanian. Continue to the Cascade, an open-air museum of modern road condition in Armenia is not good but is compensated by beautiful sceneries) art with massive stairways leading up to the Victory Park. See the • Meet up with our Armenian guide to visit Haghpat in the Debed Opera House, Swan Lake and walk through the Northern Avenue, Canyon of Lori, an area rich with historical monuments and natural for better insight into the modern architecture of the capital.

beauty. • Tour the History Museum (close on Mondays) with exhibits of historical CAUCASUS • Learn about the beliefs of Russian Molokans, a national minority, in treasures related to the faith of Armenians arranged chronologically either Fioletovo or Lermontovo village with a local host. from early mankind up to recent historical events. We can also find • Continue to Dilijan, the ‘Switzerland of Armenia’, surrounded by the world’s oldest old shoe here. dense forests valleys and mountains. • Enjoy some free time for shopping before dinner. • Visit Sharambeyan Street which presents the history of Dilijan Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner workshops of craftsmen and artists. EUROPE by Dynasty Travel Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner 128 Zvartnots Cathedral 129 www.dynastytravel.com.sg | Book Online. Anytime, Anywhere!