Barev Armenia Tour ® 3 Marshal Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 0019, Armenia +37477-520-71, [email protected], BarevArmenia.com Individual tour program Tourpackage: «Trekking and cultural tour in Armenia», June (12 days / 11 nights) Customer: Hans Leixl, [email protected], 2 or 4 or 6 persons Tour manager: Sati Apresyan, [email protected] Day 1 | Airport – Yerevan city tour ----------------------------------------------- Arrival at the airport and transfer to the hotel in the center of Yerevan, accommodation and rest. Tour in Yerevan with stops near statue of David of Sassoun and Mother Armenia statue at Victory park with an incredible overview of a city. The Cascade complex, Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Opera house. *Tour to Matenadaran – research institute and museum, which holds one of the world's richest depositories of medieval manuscripts and books as well as manuscripts of ancient Armenian recipes are kept. Lunch in the restaurant with national cuisine. Visit to Nana Manucharyan's pottery workshop in Yerevan, where you will take part in the process of making Armenian traditional salt cellar. In anscient times these kind of figures had ritual and worship signifisance. On the departure day you can take the already fired and glazed ware with you. 18:00 Rest. 19:30 Welcome dinner at “Yerevan Tavern” restaurant with folk program (Armenian national songs and dances). 21:00 Evening walk from the Northern Avenue to Republic Square. Participation in Dancing fountains show. 22:30 Return to the hotel. *Instead of Matenadaran we can suggest you History museum of Armenia, where different eras of the Armenian Highland are represented - beginning from the Paleolithic to the present days. Day 2 | Yerevan – Sevaberd – Akna lake ------------------------------------------------------- Transfer To Sevaberd – Trekking to the beautiful Akna lake at an altitude 3030m above sea level. Overnight in tents- 6-7 Walking hours. Day 3 | Akna lake – mt. Aghdahak – Vanq Lake -------------------------------------------------------------- Trekking from Akna lake near the shepard settlement of Yezidis to mt. Aghdahak (3597) which is famous for its crater lake. Continuing to Vanq lake or Vishapalich lake, which is famous for it's vishapakars. On our way we will see petroglyphs which, with their completeness, performance techniques, huge number of symbols and variety of themes, do not have analogs in other countries. Overnight in tents. 8-9 Walking hours. Day 4 | Vanq lake – Geghard – Garni - Yerevan --------------------------------------------------------------- Trekking from Vanq lake to Geghard village. The slope near the village offers incredible view on Azat gorge and Mount Ararat. 5-6 hours walking tour or we will take a ride on SUVs to the village. Photo-stop near Charents arch against the backdrop of Mount Ararat. Tour to Geghard medieval monastery – a fantastic example of medieval Armenian architecture of XII century. It is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Horse riding in the gorge of Garni (upon request): Acquaintance with horses. Basic practical horse riding lesson. Garni gorge, a nature miracle called “Stone Simphony”, medieval bridge. Havuc tar monastery complex which was religious and cultural famous centre of Medieval Armenia. Horse riding will take 2 hours. Tour to pagan temple Garni – the only preserved monument, referring to the era of paganism and Hellenism. Live performance of duduk (Armenian instrument) in pagan temple (upon request). Lunch at village house in Garni, participation in baking Armenian bread lavash. Tasting also gata (Armenian national pastry). Return to Yerevan. Tasting of best Armenian wines at Voskevaz wine club (by order). BarevArmenia.com| Barev is your password to sign in Armenia! ®1 Day 5 |Yerevan – Khor Virap – Areni – Bird cave - Noravank – Goris --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Breakfast at hotel. 09:00 Check out of a hotel and heading for the South of Armenia. 10:00 First stop – Khor Virap Monastery which offers magnificent view on biblical Mount Ararat. 13:00 Visiting Trchuneri (Bird) cave, where we also can find 6000 years old winery. Few years ago the oldest shoe in history had been found also in this region. Despite the fact, that the archeological excavations are still ongoing, we have a chance to peak into a mystical cave. 14:00 Lunch in the local; winemaker’s house or at the local restaurant. 15:00 It is Areni wine region, where famous red wine Areni is produced. We will not miss a chance to taste it at one of local wineries or at home of local peasant 16:00 Visiting of Noravank Monastery of XIII century, hidden in mystic red cliffs 19:30 Accomodation at 3* hotel in Goris. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel. Day 6 |Goris – Kapan – Baghaburj – Navchay mountain village --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transfer from Goris to Kapan After we will get small village Baghaburj in few kilometers from Kapan. From here starts our way to the foot of the mountain Khustup – through the labyrinthine paths and trails. During our walking tour there will be feeling, like the peak of Khustup is looking at us and following our every step. The mountain is so beautiful, that there is a feeling, like we are in some kind of Hollywood movie. After nearly 5 hours of walking we will reach this Navchay mountain village, hidden in one of mountain gorges. This is where we will organize our camp zone and prepare a delicious dinner and then go to sleep – surrounded by wildlife, under spectacular starry sky. Day 7 | Navchay mountain village - «Gates» – Peak of Khustup – Navchay mountain village ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In the morning, after breakfast we will begin our climbing to the top. During our journey we will meet herd of horses living in freedom. After three hours of walking we will reach one remarkable place, which is called “Gates” for its look. The magic of this place is that on separate sides of the “gate” the nature is so different, that there is a feeling if it's really a gate from one place in a totally different dimension. After the “Gates” we will reach closer to the peak of the mountain. Here we will find cold and very tasty water spring, where we will make a short stop, and then continue our way to the top of the mount. Just before the peak we will meet quite big cliffs, which look impassable at first glance. Here we will meet wild mountain goats and flocks of wild turkeys, which are on the verge of extinction. At the top we will meet the monument, erected in memory of Armenian national hero, Armenian fedai, whose nickname was “Khostup Eagle” – Garegin Nzhdeh. From here we will rise the top of the mountain through the safest secret path. Soon the unbelievable scenery will open before our eyes – breathtaking scene of clouds under our feet, which are penetrated by mountain peaks. After a rest on the top of the mountain, we will return to the “Gates”, and then – to the mountain village Navchay. Day 8 | Navchay mountain village – Tatev – Khndzoresk - Goris -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09:00 On our way back the feeling of the height and unbelievable views will be following us. First we will return to Baghaburj, and this will take 2-3 hours of walking, and then we will be heading towards Jermuk on transport. 12:00 We will rise from Alidzor village to Tatev monastery on a cableway “Wings of Tatev”. 13:30 Lunch in the local guest house. 15:30 Khndzoresk old cave village where we will do easy hiking: 160-meter long suspension bridge. 18:30 Accomodation at 3* hotel in Goris. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel. Day 9| Goris – Karahunj - Jermuk ------------------------------------------------- After breakfast visit to Karahunj – Zorats Qarer, is a prehistoric archaeological site of VI millennium BC, which is often called as the “Armenian Stonehenge”. Jermuk resort town where we will visit Jermuk waterfall, mineral water springs. After a walk through the city, we will take a ride on SUVs to the hot mineral springs, where anyone can take natural bath in any weather. Rest, dinner and accomodation in Jermuk town. BarevArmenia.com| Barev is your password to sign in Armenia! ®2 Day 10 | Jermuk – Shatin - Selim - Noratus - Sevan - Dilijan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Breakfast at the hotel. 09:00 Departure for tour. 10:00 Bezoar goats observation in Shatin village. 12:00 Vardenyats (Selim) caravanserai – one of the important destinations in Armenia on Great Silk Road. This buildings were built along commercial routes for the accommodation of travelers, who were travelled from Europe to the East. 13:00 Noratus – the biggest khachkar cemetery on the territory of modern Armenia. 14:30 Lunch at seaside Tsovatsoc restaurant, a dish from local sig fish, brand kebabs from Sevan crayfish. 16:30 Tour to Sevan lake – the biggest lake in Caucasus. On the North-West shore we will visit Sevanavank monastery. 18:00 Resort town of Dilijan, which is surrounded by the territory of Dilijan Reserve - one of the richest in the whole Caucasus region. Overnight and dinner in Casanova inn beautiful hotel. Day 11 | Dilijan – Kobayr - Odzoun – Haghpat - Yerevan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 08:00 Departure for tour. 09:30 Hiking to Kobayr Monastery, constructed in 12th century. It was one