DAY 1 THURSDAY       TBILISI

Arrival at Tbilisi International Airport by flight QR0251 at 12:45. Meet/assist at airport. Transfer to the hotel. Check in. Sightseeing city tour in old town incl. Metekhi Church and Sioni Cathedral, take cable car to Narikala Fortress and then to Rustaveli Avenue. Dinner at restaurant. Overnight in Tbilisi. (-/- /D)

DAY 2 FRIDAY   TBILISI – MTSKHETA – GORI – UPLISTIKHE – TBILISI (220 km)

Breakfast. Drive to Mtskheta – the old capital of Georgia, visit Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage Sites). Continue to Joseph Stalin’s birth place in Gori and visit the museum devoted to Stalin. Lunch. Visit the ancient cave town of Uplistsikhe, which played a significant role in Georgian history over a period of approximately 3,000 years. Return to Tbilisi. Dinner. Overnight in Tbilisi. (B/L/D)

DAY 3 SATURDAY TBILISI – ANANURI – GUDAURI – KAZBEGHI – TBILISI (350 km)

Breakfast. Take the Georgian Military Road to Kazbegi across the Caucasus Mountains. Visit the 17th century Ananuri Castle. This fortress with its churches, was the seat of power of medieval Georgian dukes of Aragvi, and presently, it is one of the most scenic fortresses of Georgia. Continue to the ski resort of Gudauri, whose bare hillsides make for Georgia’s best downhill ski runs, and stop at the Jvari Pass at 2,379m above sea level. Continue to Kazbegi, a valley town at about 1,750m above sea level, just a few miles short of the Russian border, with the famous hilltop silhouette of Gergeti Trinity Church and the snowy peak of Mt. Kazbek towering to the west. Take a Jeep ride from the local village up the hill for visiting the 14th century Gergeti Trinity Church. Return to Tbilisi. Dinner, featuring Georgian folklore show. Overnight in Tbilisi. (B/L/D)

DAY 4 SUNDAY TBILISI – BAGRATASHEN – HAGHPAT – DILIJAN – LAKE SEVAN – YEREVAN (320 km)

Breakfast. Check out from hotel. Drive to the Georgia-Armenia border. Arrive at Sadakhlo-Bagratashen border crossing. After border formalities, change the guide and transportation. Start the Armenian part of the tour and visit the 10th century Haghpat Monastery. This pearl of a monastery, perched on the lip of the Debed Canyon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch.

Drive to Lake Sevan via Dilijan, a resort town renowned for its charming nature and some traditional Armenian architecture. Stroll through the Dilijan’s Historic Center, the cobbled Sharambeyan Street with its collection of stone and wooden traditional houses, shops, restaurants, souvenir stalls and workshops. Continue to Lake Sevan. Lake Sevan’s outstretched blue waters and historic sights make it one of Armenia’s key places to visit. Walk up to the 8th century monastery of Sevanavank on Sevan peninsula. Continue to Yerevan. Check into a hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Yerevan. (B/L/D)

DAY 5 MONDAY   YEREVAN – GEGHARD – GARNI– SYMPHONY OF THE STONES – YEREVAN (90 km)

Breakfast. Drive to one of the most beautiful monasteries in Armenia, the 13th century cave monastery of Geghard (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Continue to the oldest surviving building on the territory of Armenia, the 1st century Garni Pagan Temple. Lunch at the local village house featuring traditional Armenian bread lavash baking process. Take a local 4x4 cars for driving down to Garni Gorge. The Goght River in Armenia carves through this beautiful, eye-catching gorge, referred to as Garni Gorge and located next to a village with the same name. The cliffs themselves are extremely beautiful, consisting mainly of well preserved basalt columns. The
orderly octagonal columns look almost like an organ, that is why they are called 'Symphony of Stones'.

Return to Yerevan. Yerevan city tour. Visit Mother Armenia monument and get a spectacular view of Mt. Ararat with panorama of central Yerevan. Take a tour of Cascade complex, Opera House, Northern Avenue and Republic Square. Dinner. Overnight in Yerevan. (B/L/D)

DAY 6   TUESDAY YEREVAN – ECHMIADZIN – ZVARTNOTS – YEREVAN (60 km)

Breakfast. Drive to Echmiadzin, the spiritual and administrative center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. En route visit ruins of the 7th century Zvartnots Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Visit the churches of St. Hripsime and St. Gayane. Visit the Main Cathedral of Echmiadzin and Echmiadzin Museum, where amongst other relics, you can see the Holy Spear, with which Jesus Christ was pierced on the cross. Lunch.

Return to Yerevan. Visit Armenian Genocide Memorial. Visit the Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts. Visit fruit market “Shuka” for buying local sweets, dried fruits, nuts etc. Dinner with national folk show program. After dinner visit the Republic Square to see the 'Dancing Fountains', a choreographed water show synched with lights and music. Overnight in Yerevan. (B/L/D)

DAY 7   WEDNESDAY YEREVAN – KHOR VIRAP – NORAVANK – TATEV – GORIS (275 km)

Breakfast. Check out from hotel. Drive to Khor Virap monastery, where the Mt. Ararat reveals its breathtaking size and splendor. Drive to the masterpiece of medieval Armenian architecture, the 14th century Noravank monastery. Lunch. Stopover for wine tasting at the local wine factory in Areni. Drive to one of the most spectacular and impressive places in Armenia, the 9th century Tatev Monastery. Take the cable car “Wings of Tatev” from the Halidzor Village to the magnificent complex of Tatev. The cable car, clocking in at around 5,7 km, passes through the magnificent landscape, over the serpentine roads with the breathtaking views of Syunik Mountains. The 'Wings of Tatev' is included in the Guinness Book of World Records as world’s longest non-stop double track cable car. Continue to Goris. Check into a hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Goris. (B/L/D)

DAY 8   THURSDAY GORIS – MEGHRI – AGARAK/NORDUZ - TABRIZ

Breakfast. Check out from hotel. Drive to the Armenia-Iran border. Pass through Meghri town and arrive at Agarak-Norduz border crossing. Strategic Meghri, Armenia’s toehold on Iran, is worth exploring for its fine stone houses and stark but beautiful scenery. The town sits deep in the rocky, lushly irrigated gorge of the Araks River surrounded by sawtooth peaks. After border formalities, change the guide and transportation (around 12:30 pm). Start the Iranian part of the
tour and continue to Tabriz. (B/-/- ). Stop at Jolfa and visit the 9th century St. Stepanos Monastery, an Armenian monastery, situated in a deep canyon along the Araks River (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Continue to Tabriz. Check into a hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Tabriz. (B/L/D)

DAY 9 FRIDAY TABRIZ SHIRAZ (3 flights per week on M/-/W/- /F/-/- ) (330 km)

Breakfast. Start exploring Tabriz, the second largest city of Iran and important commercial center of Persia since antiquity. Visit the Bazaar of Tabriz, one of the oldest bazaars of the Middle East and the largest covered bazaar in the world (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Lunch. Drive to Tabriz a/p and take a domestic flight to Shiraz at 10:35 pm. Arrival to Shiraz a/p in the evening. Transfer to the hotel. Check in. Dinner. Overnight in Shiraz. (B/L/D)

DAY 10 SATURDAY SHIRAZ – PERSEPOLIS – SHIRAZ (150 km)

Breakfast. Drive to Persepolis, one of the most majestic ancient monuments in the world, the capital of the Achaemenid Kings of Persia (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Return to Shiraz and in the afternoon start exploring Shiraz, the treasure trove of Persian culture. It is the former capital of Iran and the celebrated birthplace of the great Persian poets Hafiz and Saadi. Visit the Citadel of Arg of Karim Khan, Nasirolmolk Mosque, continue to Eram Garden (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Visit Arg-e- Karimkhani (Karimkhan Castel), Shah Cherag mausoleum, Hafezieh. Dinner. Overnight in Shiraz. (B/L/D)

DAY 11 SUNDAY SHIRAZ – PASARGAD – YAZD (425 km)

Breakfast. Check out from hotel. Visit Pasargad (the tomb of “Great Cyrus”, Achaemenes King (UNESCO world heritage). Drive to Yazd, an architecturally unique city and the center of the Zoroastrian culture. The city was a Zoroastrian centre during Sassanid times and after the Arab Islamic conquest of Persia, many Zoroastrians fled to Yazd from neighboring provinces. Check into a hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Yazd. (B/L/D)

DAY 12 MONDAY YAZD – ISFAHAN (300 km)

Breakfast. Check out from hotel. Start exploring Yazd. Visit the 14th century Jameh Mosque, Eskandar Prison., the 13th century Amir Chakhmagh Complex, the Yazd Atashkadeh Fire Temple, where Zoroastrians from all over the world come to see the sacred fire that has been burning without interruption for 1,500 years. Drive to Isfahan, the Iran’s number one tourist destination. Visit Nareen castle in Meybod city and old part of Naeen city. Dinner. Check into a hotel. Overnight in Isfahan. (B/L/D)

DAY 13 TUESDAY ISFAHAN

Breakfast. Visit Chehel Sotoun (The Forty Pillars). Continue to visit Aaliqapu Palace, Imam Square (UNESCO world heritage), Imam Mosque, Vank Church, Khajoo and Si o se pol bridges. Dinner. Overnight in Isfahan. (B/L/D)

DAY 14 WEDNESDAY ISFAHAN – KASHAN – TEHRAN (410 km)

Breakfast. Check out from hotel. Drive to Tehran. Stop at Kashan town and visit the 19th century Boroujerdis House. Continue to Fin Garden. Fin Garden is a historical Persian garden, and it contains Kashan’s Fin Bath, where Amir Kabir, the Qajarid chancellor, was murdered by an assassin sent by King Nasereddin Shah in 1852. Continue to Tehran. Check into hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Tehran. (B/L/D)

DAY 15 THURSDAY TEHRAN

Breakfast. Check out from hotel. Full day sightseeing in Tehran, Visit National Museum, Golestan Palace (UNESCO World Heritage). Lunch. Visit Grand Bazaar, and Jewelry National Museum. Light dinner (sandwiches). Transfer to Imam Khomeini International Airport. Departure from Tehran by QR. (B/L/-)

LIST OF SUGGESTED HOTELS

TOUR PACKAGE PRICE PER PERSON IN USD (APRIL - OCTOBER 2017) 

PRICE INCLUDES

• all transfers according to a program in a car;
• accommodation in a DBL room;
• meals BB;
• English speaking driver/guide service (for 2 pax) and separate guide service starting from 4 pax;
• Jeep service in Kazbeghi;
• All entrance tickets to museums and temples according to the itinerary;
• fees to “Wings of Tatev” ropeway; 
• wine tasting in Areni;
• 4x4 cars’ rental for going to Garni gorge;
• 1 bottle of water per person per day.

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

• airfare;
• visas;
• insurance;
• lunches and dinners;
• tips.