Gastronomic and cultural tour around Armenia

Itinerary

Day 1

Airport – city tour in Yerevan

Arrival in Yerevan.

Check into the hotel. Yerevan City tour: Victory Park, Cascade monument, Republic Square and Northern Avenue. Visit Ararat brandy factory. In the evening visit an Armenian restaurant to taste traditional Armenian dishes. Spare time. Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 2

Yerevan – Garni – Geghard – Yerevan

Departure from Yerevan. The only completely restored Hellenic temple of Garni in the region and Geghard Monastery, which is carved into a rock – these two make the most popular tourist attractions outside of Yerevan in Armenia. On the road, we will make a stop near Charents’ Arch, to enjoy a fantastic view of Mount Ararat and take pictures. Garni is famous for its fruits and really delicious spring water. We will be hosted by locals and taste homemade Armenian traditional dishes; also, we will take part in a lavash baking ceremony – Armenian thin bread; the lavash baking tradition is included in the list of non-material heritage by UNESCO. Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 3

Yerevan – Khor Virap – Areni – Noravank – Hermon

Check out from the hotel. Move to the southern part of Armenia. Our first stop is near the monastery of Khor Virap, just at the feet of Mount Ararat. Afterwards, we will keep going southwards to the winemaking center of Armenia – Areni region. Here we will pay a visit to one of the numerous wine factories and will taste wine made from the indigenous grape sort called Areni. Our dinner is planned in the local restaurant, where we will offer you to try tanapour- a light soup containing matsoun (local yogurt) and pork khorovats (barbeque), which is believed to be the best in the region. After the dinner, we will go up to the monastery of Noravank, one of the most beautiful middle age masterpieces in the country. Supper and overnight stay are planned in a settlement called Hermon. Here we will be served a chicken stewed in wine with vegetables and spices.

Day 4

Hermon-Qarahunj-Tatev-Halidzor

This will be the most mysterious day of our tour. First we will visit Qarahunj, which is an ancient observatory. It is said to give you a feeling of being in perfect connection with the Universe. In its appearance, Qarahunj resembles the world-famous Stonehenge in the UK. The second stop is Tatev Monastery Complex and the longest ropeway in the world. It will be a very unique and different experience. Wings of Tatev is a 5.7 km (3.5 mi) cableway between Halidzor and the Tatev monastery in Armenia. It is the longest reversible aerial tramway and holds the record for Longest non-stop double track cable car. After visiting Tatev we will have a dinner at a restaurant near the ropeway. Overnight in Halidzor.

Day 5

Halidzor – Hayravank – Noratus – Dilijan

One of the most interesting days. On the way from Syunik to Tavush region, we have one more scheduled master class – selection and pumping of honey, production of “chechil” cheese or making baklava, depending on the season. A visit to Noratus – a unique collection of medieval khachkars (cross-stones), Hayravank and Sevanavank on the lake coast, from where an amazing view of the “blue pearl” of Armenia- lake Sevan is available. Degustation of dishes made from the goods from Sevan in a coastal restaurant Tsovatsots (trout fish and crayfish kebab). Supper and night stay in the Kasanova guest house in Dilijan. Here we will enjoy soup-puree harissa – old Armenian dish from overcooked wheat and poultry.

Day 6

Dilijan – Sanahit – Haghpat – Yerevan

We will have a brief tour of the green town of Dilijan and its surroundings. Then we set out for the most Northern region of Armenia – Lori – and its beautiful monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin, which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Mountain views with rich vegetation and deep gorges are really astonishing. The traditional bread in this region is not lavash, but matnakash, which is baked in special ovens, and here we will have a chance to take part in the bread-baking process ourselves. For the dinner, we will have some khashlama (stew) with lamb or goat meat and dishes made from local greens. Degustation of homemade fruit vodkas. Return to Yerevan.

Day 7

Yerevan – Shopping – Etchmiadzin – Zvartnots – Airport

Checkout. Departure from the hotel. Some time for shopping for souvenirs and local popular products– wine, cognac, dried fruits, greens, sweets, gold accessories, ceramics, etc. We will visit Vernisazh – an open-air souvenir market and Tashir – a market for sweets and dried fruits of local production. Departure for a destination called “Armenian Vatican” – Saint Ejmiatsin – the religious center of  Armenia and the Residence of the Catholicos of all Armenians- the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The town is located in 20 km from Yerevan. Here we will visit the Cathedral which dates back to the IV century, the museum-treasury of Ejmiatsin, where numerous saint relics are preserved – among them the Holy Lance. A dinner in the apricot garden of the restaurant Van, where we will be served dolma with grape leaves (one can also opt for famous local kyufta or tzhvzhik). Visit of the Zvartnots ruins – the biggest temple of Armenia of the early middle ages and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Transfer to the airport.