Tour program 7 days / 6 nights
Colorful yet white nights in peaceful family holiday in Armenia, New Year holidays. Food and hospitality in every corner, Armenians tend to visit those days each other and be together, and enjoy long winter holidays together.
There will be entertainments for everybody: if you prefer a quiet rest, it is better to reserve beforehand a little table in one of restaurants. Fans of noisy companies prefer to spend time at New Year’s Eve in clubs or on the main square which becomes a place of city fun. Or you can simply walk in streets enjoying the atmosphere of this amazing city.
Day 1. Yerevan – City Tour
Arrival in Yerevan. Transfer and accommodation at the hotel.
Lunch at a national restaurant. City sightseeing tour: Akhtanak Park, “Mother Armenia” monument, Cascade, Alexander Tamanyan Monument, Republic Square.
Free evening in the city.
Day 2. Yerevan
Breakfast in the hotel. Free day. Walks around the city. New Year’s Eve celebration.
Day 3. Yerevan
Breakfast in the hotel. Free day. Walks around the city. New Year’s Day celebration.
Day 4. Yerevan – Garni – Geghard – Lavash Master Class – Echmiadzin – Zvartnots – Yerevan
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the unique cave (rock-cut) Geghard Monastery (12th–13th centuries), some halls of which have exceptional acoustics. The monastery’s name is linked by church legends to the Holy Lance, said to have been kept here—the spear that pierced Christ on the cross, wielded by one of the Roman legionnaires guarding Him. The diamond-shaped spearhead is preserved in the Armenian Church museum in Echmiadzin.
Excursion to the summer residence of Armenian kings – Garni Fortress and the pagan Temple of the Sun (1st century AD), the only surviving Hellenistic temple in the CIS countries.
Lunch at a national cuisine restaurant. Lavash bread baking master class in a traditional tonir oven.
Trip to the ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Vagharshapat. Tour of the Catholicosate – residence of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Catholicos. Visit to the Holy Echmiadzin Cathedral (founded in 303 AD), whose name means “Descent of the Only-Begotten,” or “The Place of Christ’s Descent.”
Familiarization with Armenian architectural monuments of the 7th century – St. Hripsime Church and the ruins of Zvartnots Temple (7th century).
Return to Yerevan. Free time. Walks in the evening city.
Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.
Day 5. Yerevan – Tsakhkadzor – Sevan – Village Tsakhkunk – Yerevan
Breakfast in the hotel. Trip to the resort town of Tsakhkadzor. Visit to the Kecharis Monastery complex. Optional cable car ride to the top of Mount Tsakhkunyats.
Visit to the “Blue Pearl of Armenia” – the high-altitude Lake Sevan (1,900 m). Tour of the Sevanavank Monastery (9th century) on the Sevan Peninsula, which offers a magnificent panoramic view of the highland lake.
Trip to the village of Tsakhkunk. Lunch at a small guesthouse and restaurant in Tsakhkunk. Guests can enjoy delicious Armenian cuisine and participate in a cooking master class. After the busy excursion and lunch, guests can warm themselves by the fireplace with a glass of wine or brandy.
Return to Yerevan. Free time. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.
Day 6. Yerevan – Khor Virap – Noravank – Bird Cave – Village Areni – Yerevan
Breakfast at the hotel. Trip through the Ararat Valley. Excursion to Khor Virap Monastery, which in Armenian means “Deep Pit,” where Gregory the Illuminator, the future first Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, was imprisoned for many years. The monastery is located opposite Mount Ararat (5,165 m), along the Armenian-Turkish border. From the monastery walls, there is a panoramic view of the majestic mountain.
The route continues through picturesque mountains and gorges toward Noravank Monastery (12th–15th centuries) – a spiritual center of the Orbelian principality, home to many outstanding figures of medieval Armenian culture.
Lunch. Visit to the Bird Cave – Areni-1, where the oldest leather shoes in the world were discovered during excavations.
Trip to the village of Areni, famous for its vineyards. Visit to a regional tasting center or winery. Wine tasting of various brands and varieties.
Return to Yerevan. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.
Day 7. Yerevan – Market – Vernissage – Airport
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to thecentral market. Shopping for spices, herbs, dried fruits.
Visit to the Sunday Vernissage fair, where you can buy gifts, souvenirs, jewelry, and other handmade items crafted from wood, semi-precious stones, silver, and other materials.
Transfer to Zvartnots Airport. Departure from Yerevan.
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