Ancient Footprints

Day 1

Stop 1.Arrival

Arrival at Zvartnots International Airport, where your local guide meets you and transfers you to the hotel. Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 2

Stop 1.Republic Square

Breakfast at the hotel. Discover Yerevan, a city with over 2,800 years of history that combines ancient culture with a vibrant modern vibe. Start at Republic Square.

Stop 2.Opera House

Visit the Opera House, a stunning architectural piece at the hub of Yerevan, surrounded by a park and outdoor cafés.

Stop 3.Cascade & Cafesjian Center for the Arts

Continue to the Cascade, an open-air museum of modern art with massive stairways and home to the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

Stop 4.Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial & Museum

Visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Park and the museum dedicated to the first genocide of the 20th century. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Stop 5.History Museum of Armenia

Visit the History Museum of Armenia, one of the most respected museums in the region, with a collection of 400,000 objects covering the history of the Armenian people from prehistory to modern times.

Stop 6.Blue Mosque

Stop at the 18th-century Blue Mosque, built during the Persian rule and named after the colour of its entrance tiles.

Stop 7.Welcome Dinner

Dinner at a traditional restaurant. Optional: welcome dinner at the house-museum and art café of Lusik Aguletsi, a famous Armenian painter and ethnographer, decorated with her jewellery, national costumes, carpets and traditional items. 13 USD per person. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 3

Stop 1.Etchmiadzin Cathedral

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the Mother Church of Armenia, built in 303 AD over a pagan temple and often considered the oldest cathedral in the world.

Stop 2.Zvartnots Cathedral

Visit the UNESCO-listed ruins of Zvartnots, a perfect example of 7th-century Armenian architecture, overlooking Mount Ararat.

Stop 3.Lunch with Zara at Tasty House

Lunch at a local house with our host Zara, a well-known former TV host.

Stop 4.Yerevan Brandy Factory

Visit the famous Yerevan Brandy Factory, founded in 1887. At the 1900 Paris Exhibition its brandy won the Grand Prix. Tour the factory museum and taste aged brandies with rich chocolate and vanilla notes.

Stop 5.Fruit Market

Visit Yerevan's fruit market for Armenian delicacies such as dried fruits, sujukh, basturma, herbs and fresh produce. Dinner at a traditional restaurant.

Stop 6.Art Takard, Khachpar (optional)

Optional: visit Art Takard ("Art Trap") in Khachpar village, a sculptor's house with a permanent exhibition of abstract modern art with traditional Armenian elements, for a coffee or tea break with the host's signature dessert. 10 USD per person. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 4

Stop 1.Lake Sevan

After breakfast, set off early to Lake Sevan, the "emerald of Armenia" and one of the highest large freshwater lakes in the world.

Stop 2.Sevanavank Monastery

Visit Sevanavank, a beautiful monastery on a small peninsula on the western shore of the lake, once a last refuge for Armenian kings in times of trouble.

Stop 3.Dilijan

Head north to the forested resort town of Dilijan, known as "Armenian Switzerland" and home to many artists, composers and filmmakers.

Stop 4.Haghartsin Monastery

Visit Haghartsin Monastery, high in the wooded mountains, with eagles soaring above the trees.

Stop 5.Fioletovo Village

Stop at Fioletovo village to meet a Molokan family. The Molokans are a religious community that emerged in Russia; their name comes from the Russian word "moloko" (milk), as they drink milk on Orthodox fasting days. Tea with traditional pastries.

Stop 6.Bogdan's Cross-Stone Studio (optional)

Optional: stop in Vanadzor to visit Bogdan Hovhannisyan, who has carved khachkars (cross-stones) for 30 years and believes children should learn crafts at school. His studio is open to anyone looking for a space to create. 10 USD per person.

Stop 7.Alaverdi

Drive to the Lori region. Dinner at the hotel. Meals: breakfast, dinner Distance: ~200 km Overnight stay: Alaverdi

Day 5

Stop 1.Haghpat Monastery

After breakfast, drive to Haghpat Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the outstanding works of medieval Armenian architecture.

Stop 2.Akhtala Monastery

Continue to the monastic complex of Akhtala, inside a well-preserved medieval fortress that once protected north-western Armenia. It blends Armenian, Georgian and Byzantine styles and is famous for its unique frescoes.

Stop 3.Odzun Church

Visit Odzun Church, one of the oldest basilicas in Armenia. Beside it stands a funerary monument with two carved stelae showing scenes from the Bible and the introduction of Christianity in Armenia.

Stop 4.Honey Tasting at Sergey's Home

In Odzun village, visit Sergey's home for a tasting of honey and herbal tea, followed by lunch. Free time in Lori and dinner at the hotel. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Distance: ~100 km Overnight stay: Avan Tufenkian Dzoraget Hotel

Day 6

Stop 1.Armenian Alphabet Monument

Breakfast at the hotel. On the way to Amberd, stop at the Letter Park, dedicated to the Armenian alphabet.

Stop 2.Amberd Fortress

Visit the medieval fortress of Amberd, halfway up Mount Aragats at 2,300 metres, on a rocky cape where the Amberd and Arkashen rivers meet.

Stop 3.Saghmosavank Monastery

Continue to Saghmosavank, the "monastery of the Psalms", in a breathtaking setting above the deep canyon of the Kasagh River. Lunch at a local house with a chance to talk with locals.

Stop 4.Karmravor Church

Visit the small 7th-century Karmravor ("reddish") church in Ashtarak. Drive back to Yerevan for dinner at a restaurant.

Stop 5.Fairytale House (optional)

Optional: in Ashtarak, join a folklore event at the Fairytale House, themed around national holidays, with medieval folk songs, dances, instruments, customs and ritual food. Depending on the season, take part in village activities such as harvesting. 150 USD per group. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Distance: ~210 km Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 7

Stop 1.Khor Virap Monastery

After breakfast, visit Khor Virap Monastery in the Ararat Valley, against the backdrop of biblical Mount Ararat, where according to legend Noah's Ark came to rest.

Stop 2.Noravank Monastery

Continue to Noravank ("New Monastery"), a great religious and cultural centre of the 12th–13th centuries, reached through stunning mountain landscapes. Lunch at a restaurant.

Stop 3.Areni-1 Cave

Explore the Areni-1 Cave, whose history goes back at least 6,000 years. Today it is an archaeological site displaying ancient objects from clothing to housewares.

Stop 4.Trinity Canyon Vineyards

Visit Trinity Canyon Vineyards, close to the world's oldest known winery site, for a tour and tasting of Trinity wines. Drive back to Yerevan for dinner at a traditional restaurant. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Distance: ~260 km Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 8

Stop 1.Matenadaran

After breakfast, discover the secrets of Matenadaran, home to ancient books, manuscripts and relics from Europe and Asia.

Stop 2.Geghard Monastery

Visit Geghard Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site partly carved into the mountain, higher up the Azat River gorge. Optional: performance of sharakans (Armenian medieval hymns) by a local quintet inside Geghard. 140 USD per group.

Stop 3.Garni Temple

Visit Garni Temple, built in the 1st century AD by King Tiridates and probably dedicated to Mithra, the sun god.

Stop 4.Lavash Making in Garni

Lunch at a local house in Garni, where you take part in baking lavash in an underground tonir oven.

Stop 5.Farewell Dinner

Drive back to Yerevan for free time and a farewell dinner at a traditional Armenian restaurant. Optional: meet a duduk player and enjoy Armenian music. The duduk, made of apricot wood, is on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 90 USD per group. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Distance: ~90 km Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 9

Stop 1.Departure

Transfer to the airport.