9 Days Georgia & Armenia Travel date 30 May to 07 Jun 2019 TOUR INFORMATION GEORGIA & ARMENIA INTRODUCTION The Caucasus mountain range lies between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and is considered part of the natural boundary between Europe and Asia. Its isolated and ancient lands are one of the world’s most ethnically diverse regions, containing more than 60 languages from five distinct language families, giving the region an astounding cultural diversity. This trip takes you to Armenia & Georgia. Armenia is an ancient and proud millennia-old civilization in a remote mountain landscape, the first state to adopt Christianity as an official religion; Georgia, the lush green heart of the Caucasus, followed not long after. With its fabulous cuisine and culture, diverse landscapes and a wealth of ancient churches, cathedrals, monasteries and cave cities, this is a part of the world truly like no other. For those who have time, you may wish to extend the trip to Azerbaijan. The capital, Baku boasts a UNESCO World Heritage old city while the countryside is where time really stood still. SPECIALS • Private lectures by historian in Stalin Museum, and Georgian National Art Museum in Tibilisi, Armenian History Museum • Visit the IDP village in Tserovani, meet with villagers, see their homes, visit the school, businesses of the village • Private live Capella performance inside Geghard Monastery • All meals included beverages • Small group size of maximum 16 people • Escorted by Scott Dunn Travel Concierge • Tipping to Guide, Driver & Porter included • Comprehensive Travel Insurance included DEPARTURE DETAILS ITINERARY DAY BY DAY • Land Tour Price: Optional Extension Twin Sharing: S$6,990/- Single Supplement: S$1,750/- Day 1 26 May (Sun) Arrive Baku • Airfare (subject to availability) Day 2 27 May (Mon) Baku Economy from S$2,287/- Day 3 28 May (Tue) Baku / Gobustan / Shemakha / Sheki Business from S$6,341/- Day 4 29 May (Wed) Sheki / Sighnaghi • Deposit amount: Day 5 30 May (Thu) Sighnaghi / Tbilisi S$2,000/ per person Main Tour • Registration Closing Date: Day 1 30 May (Thu) Arrive Tbilisi 28 Feb 2019 or when tour is fully Day 2 31 May (Fri) Tbilisi / Mtskheta / Uplistsikhe / Tbilisi subscribed Day 3 01 Jun (Sat) Tbilisi / Ananauri / Gudauri / Kazbegi • Travel date: 30 May – 07 Jun 2019 Day 4 02 Jun (Sun) Kazbegi • Early Bird Offer: Day 5 03 Jun (Mon) Kazbegi / Sahahin / Haghpat / Dzoraget First 4 rooms booking enjoy Day 6 04 Jun (Tue) Dzoraget / Lake Sevan / Yerevan complimentary room upgrade Day 7 05 Jun (Wed) Yerevan / Khor Virap / Echmiadzin / Yerevan from Standard room to Signature Day 8 06 Jun (Thu) Yerevan / Geghard / Garni / Yerevan Room in Rooms Hotel Kazbegi Day 9 07 Jun (Fri) Depart Yerevan • Azerbaijan Pre-Extension: 26 May – 30 May 2019 Raffles City Tower #10-03, 250 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179101 | Tel: +65 3158 6530 | Travel Licence No: 029233 [email protected] | www.scottdunn.com ITINERARY GEORGIA & ARMENIA DAY 01 - 30 MAY (THU) - SINGAPORE TBILISI Flight: 30 May - Singapore / Doha QR 945 0220/0515 (7h 55m) 30 May - Doha / Tbilisi QR 355 0715/1130 (3h 15m) Upon arrival, you will be transferred to lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, we start exploring the Georgian capital. Destroyed and rebuilt nearly 30 times, it is today one of the most lively and cosmopolitan cities in the Caucasus. Walk through the narrow streets and inner courtyards, and stroll down Rustaveli Avenue, the main thoroughfare. Visit Metekhi Church of the Virgin, which was rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries; Sioni Cathedral in the town centre, the main cathedral of Tbilisi and seat of the Catholics of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Visit Janashia State Museum with its treasury collection Accommodation: Biltmore Tbilisi Meals: Lunch & Dinner included DAY 02 - 31 MAY (FRI) - TBILISI | MTSKHETA | UPLISTSIKHE | TBILISI This morning drive 45 min to Mtskheta, ancient capital of eastern Georgia. Georgia’s conversion to Christianity occurred in Mtskheta in 337AD. Visit its historical, fully-functioning churches including the beautiful 7th century Jvari Church perched on a cliff overlooking the city, the Sveti- Tskhoveli Cathedral, the first Christian church to be built in Georgia and its largest functioning cathedral, and the Samtavro monastery complex, with its shrine to St Nino, converter of Georgia. In the afternoon, Gori, infamous as the birthplace of Josef Stalin, and have lunch before visiting the Stalin Museum. Then proceed just outside the town to visit Uplistsikhe cave town, developed to service the trade route from India to the west in the 1st millennium BC. The town is a complex of rock-cut streets, residences, churches, secret tunnels, water passages, markets and the oldest theatre in Georgia, all hewn out of the mountain side.. Accommodation: Biltmore Tbilisi Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included DAY 03 - 01 JUN (SAT) - TBILISI | ANANAURI | GUDAURI | KAZBEGI Today we drive north along the Georgian Military Highway. Completed in 1817 to link Georgia with Russia this has long been an important military and economic route through the mountainous region. About 45 minutes out of Tbilisi, we stop to visit Ananuri, the beautifully sited 16th century fortress complex with its exquisitely carved churches; then continue into the Caucasus Mountains for another 1 hour to Gudauri, Georgia’s top ski resort. After a brief rest to take in the mountain scenery, we continue for a 1½ drive through alpine meadows and mountain passes littered with medieval watch towers to Kazbegi. By 4 WD vehicles drive to visit Tsminda Sameba Church, perched in a beautiful, solitary spot high above the village of Kazbegi, one of Georgia’s iconic sights. Accommodation: Hotel Rooms Kazbegi Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included Raffles City Tower #10-03, 250 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179101 | Tel: +65 3158 6530 | Travel Licence No: 029233 [email protected] | www.scottdunn.com ITINERARY GEORGIA & ARMENIA DAY 04 -02 JUN (SUN) - KAZEBGI This morning we travel by 4x4 cars drive Juta village from were start hiking tour towards Chaukhi massive and enjoy picturesque landscapes. (Note: hiking takes one way 2 hours) Afterwards have picnic lunch on nice place. After lunch have hiking tour back to Juta village and then continue drive back to Kazbegi. After arrival have a walk in the village and visit local felt master and find out old history, techniques and process of sheep wool treatment and dyeing with natural paints as well as enjoy several species of herbal teas. Drive back to Hotel. Accommodation: Hotel Rooms Kazbegi Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included DAY 05 - 03 JUN (MON) - KAZEBGI | SAHAHIN | HAGHPAT | DZORAGET Drive about 3 hours back to Tbilisi. From here it is an hour to the border crossing to Armenia at Sadakhlo; after the immigration formalities, meet your Armenian guide and driver. Drive another 30 minutes to visit the 10th century monastic complexes of Sanahin and Haghpat, outstanding examples of medieval Armenian architecture and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Then we drive towards Dzoraget, along the Debed River nestled among the forest-covered hills. Check-in to the Avan Dzoraget hotel, built in 2004 but designed to evoke the historical atmosphere of a medieval Armenian castle. Accommodation: Avan Dzoraget Hotel Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included DAY 06 - 04 JUN (TUE) - DZORAGET | KHOR VIRAP | ECHMIADZIN | YEREVAN This morning we head towards Yerevan, en route we will stop by the lake Sevan- The emerald of Armenia, the pearl of Caucasus and the second highest fresh water lake in the world. to visit 9th century Sevan Monastery. Visit Noratuz - cemetery of thousands of Khachkars (cross-stones). Arrive Yerevan for dinner. Accommodation: Hotel Aleksander Luxury Collection Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included Raffles City Tower #10-03, 250 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179101 | Tel: +65 3158 6530 | Travel Licence No: 029233 [email protected] | www.scottdunn.com ITINERARY GEORGIA & ARMENIA DAY 07 - 05 JUN (WED) - YEREVAN | KHOR VIRAP | ECHMIADZIN | YEREVAN After breakfast excursion to Khor Virap, in the Ararat Valley about 40 minutes’ drive from Yerevan. Set against the stunning view of Biblical Mt Ararat, this large 17th century monastery is built over the 4th century site of St Gregory’s imprisonment in a pit for 12 years. Then drive about 30 minutes to Echmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Visit the ancient cathedral, on the site where St Gregory the Illuminator first built in 301-303 AD; also visit the Zvartnots ruins from the 7th century. Both Echmiadzin and Zvarnots are UNESCO World Heritages; return to Yerevan for dinner. Accommodation: Hotel Aleksander Luxury Collection Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included DAY 08 - 06 JUN (THU) - YEREVAN | GEGHARD | GARNI | YEREVAN Then drive about 1 hour to Garni, a pagan Hellenistic temple in a picturesque setting and have 1 hour hiking tour in picturesque Garni canyon to see natural monument called stone symphony. Have lunch at a local house, where we participate in an Armenian Lavash-making ceremony. Visit to the close by UNESCO World Heritage Geghard monastery, rock-cut from caves, producing some beautiful acoustics. Return to Yerevan for dinner. start on a city tour, including a visit to the Memorial Park and the Museum of the Armenian Genocide. Accommodation: Hotel Aleksander Luxury Collection Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included DAY 09 - 07 JUN (FRI) - YEREVAN SINGAPORE Flight: 07 Jun - Yerevan / Doha QR 286 0300/0455+1 (2h 55m) 07 Jun - Dohan / Singapore QR 944 0715/2015 (8h 00m) Accommodation: N/A Meals: N/A Raffles City Tower #10-03, 250 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179101 | Tel: +65 3158 6530 | Travel Licence No: 029233 [email protected] | www.scottdunn.com PRICE INFORMATION GEORGIA & ARMENIA Land tour price per person Hotels Twin share Single Supplement Tbilisi: Hotel Biltmore Tbilisi (Deluxe Room) x 2 nights Kazebgi: Hotel Rooms Kazbegi (Standard Room) x 2 nights S$6,990/- S$1,750/- Dzoraget: Avan Dzoraget Hotel (Standard Room) x 1 night Yerevan: Hotel Alexander (Superior Room) x 3 nights * These prices are based on minimum 10 people travelling together.