Upon Your arrival our representative will meet You at the airport and accompany to Your hotel. After having a rest You will start a tour through Yerevan. The walking tour starts from the Heart of the city - Republic Square. You will visit History Museum of Armenia which is located on the square. Here You will get acquainted with the rich history of the Armenians. The museum has a national collection of 400,000 objects and was founded in 1920. Then You will continue walking on the Northern Avenue up to the Opera Theater. It is located on Freedom Square. Not far from Freedom square is Saryan s park where you can see pictures of Armenia drawn by Armenian artists. Then You will continue the walk to Matenadaran, a repository of ancient manuscripts, research institute and museum. It holds one of the world s richest depositories of medieval manuscripts and books which span a broad range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, history, medicine, literature, art history, and cosmography in Armenian and many other languages. After it You will walk to Cascade complex and see the giant stairway and modern sculptures. Together You will reach the top of the stairway and admire the mesmerizing panorama of Yerevan.
This day You will go Kotayk province where the only pagan temple in Armenia is located. Garni temple is the simple of pre-christian Armenia. Not far from Garni temple is Garni canyon. The canyon is attractive for the wonderful natural rocks, formed of regular hexagonal cylinders. These rocks start from the beginning up to the highest point of the canyon. The canyons formation is so unique that it almost looks artificial. Here is no human intervention. The composition is called “Symphony of Stones” or “Basalt Organ”. Your next stop will be Geghardavank, a monastery partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. This one belongs to christian Armenia. Geghardavank that means "the Monastery of the Spear", originates from the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion. The holly spear is kept in Etchmiadzin Cathedral.
The Khor Virap is the most famous sanctuary in Armenia. It was the prison of the first Armenian Catholicos Gregory the Illuminator. He was kept there for 13 years. From the Monastery You can admire the view of Biblical Mount Ararat. In Armenia, the Areni Cave complex is also known as "Birds Cave". The caves are the site at which archaeologists have discovered what is likely the worlds oldest winery, and ancient human brain, the remnants of a 5,000-year-old skirt made of straw, and the worlds oldest leather shoe. The Areni winery is a 6100-year-old winery that was discovered in 2007 in the Areni cave. It is the oldest winery in the world. In Areni winery You have the opportunity to taste Armenian wine. Noravank literally "new monastery" is a 13th-century Armenian monastery. The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surb Astvatsatsin church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building. Your next stop will be Jermuk city. It is attractive for its fresh air, waterfall, artificial lakes, mineral water pools, the surrounding forests and walking trails. The Jermuk ropeway is 1000 m long. The highest point is 2480 meters high.
This day You will start the tour to Tsaghakdzor, one of the most popular health resorts of Armenia. Tsaghkadzor literally means valley of flowers or flower canyon in Armenian.The Kecharis Monastery is one of the significant religious complexes of Eastern Armenia located in Tsaghkadzor. The Tsakhkadzor Ropeway is located on a slope of Teghenis Mount. From the height of 2819m, where the speed chairlift will take you in 32 minutes, all Armenia is visible at a glance – in clear weather, it offers a breathtaking view of Mount Ararat.Then You will continue Your way to Lake Sevan. Lake Sevan is the largest body of water in Armenia and the Caucasus region. Its is also one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world. It is considered the "jewel" of Armenia and is "recognized as a national treasure" in the country. You will also visit Sevanavank Monastery. Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After the artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the era of Joseph Stalin, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula. After this You will return to Yerevan and visit Noy Wine Factory and taste Armenian wine. Then You can walk a little in the city center and admire the beauty of night Yerevan, and, of course, enjoy the concert of dancing fountains of Republic Square.
Day 5: Transfer to the airport – Departure
