Echoes of Armenia

Day 1

Stop 1.Arrival

Arrival at the airport. Meet your guide and driver and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 2

Stop 1.Republic Square

Breakfast at the hotel. Start your journey through Yerevan, where ancient history meets vibrant modern life. Begin at Republic Square, framed by grand neoclassical architecture, where the singing fountains come alive at twilight.

Stop 2.Opera House

See the Opera House, a symbol of the city's artistic spirit, surrounded by green gardens and walking paths.

Stop 3.Northern Avenue

Stroll along lively Northern Avenue, a pedestrian street full of energy and contemporary art installations.

Stop 4.Cascade Complex

Climb the Cascade Complex with its fountains and terraces, up to the top where the whole city opens up beneath you.

Stop 5.Ararat Brandy Factory

Visit the Ararat Brandy Factory, founded in 1887 and famous for crafting Armenian brandy with traditional methods and premium ingredients.

Stop 6.Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial & Museum

Visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, dedicated to the 1.5 million Armenians who perished in the Armenian Genocide, and the Genocide Museum. *The Genocide Museum is closed on Mondays. Distance: ~60 km Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 3

Stop 1.Etchmiadzin Cathedral

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Vagharshapat to visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral, considered the oldest cathedral in the world and the spiritual heart of the Armenian Apostolic Church. *The Etchmiadzin museum is closed on Mondays.

Stop 2.Zvartnots Cathedral

Visit the ruins of Zvartnots, a grand 7th-century cathedral and a masterpiece of early Christian architecture.

Stop 3.Tasty House Cooking Class

Stop in Musaler village at Tasty House for a cooking masterclass with our host Mrs. Zara, a former TV host who used to cook Armenian recipes with celebrities. She will share Armenian cooking techniques and secrets around the coffee and tea table. Lunch at Tasty House.

Stop 4.Gyumri

Drive to Gyumri. Dinner at a local restaurant. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Distance: ~160 km Overnight stay: Gyumri

Day 4

Stop 1.Gyumri City Walking Tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Discover Gyumri, Armenia's second-largest city, with its unique 18th–19th-century architecture, cuisine and famously hospitable people. Explore the historic streets, the lifestyle of the Gyumretsis, the birthplace of George Gurdjieff and the city's main churches.

Stop 2.Blacksmith's House

Visit a renowned blacksmith's house to see his family's collection of traditional Gyumri ironwork.

Stop 3.Haghpat Monastery

Visit Haghpat Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a testament to the architectural and intellectual heritage of medieval Armenia.

Stop 4.Sanahin Monastery

Continue to Sanahin Monastery, also listed by UNESCO.

Stop 5.Dzoraget

Drive to Dzoraget. Meals: breakfast Distance: ~210 km Overnight stay: Dzoraget

Day 5

Stop 1.Fioletovo Village

Breakfast at the hotel. On the way, stop at Fioletovo village and 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 2.Dilijan Old Town

Continue to Dilijan, the forest resort known as "Armenian Switzerland" and home to many artists, composers and filmmakers. Walk through the old town with its well-preserved 19th-century buildings, museums, shops and cafés, and visit a traditional ceramics workshop and a woodcarver's studio. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Stop 3.Haghartsin Monastery & Gata Masterclass

Visit Haghartsin Monastery, high in the forested mountains. Its oldest building, the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, dates back to the 10th century, and the complex is known as the site of an early music school in Armenia. Join a gata masterclass to learn about this traditional Armenian sweet and the rituals of its preparation. Distance: ~100 km Overnight stay: Dilijan

Day 6

Stop 1.Lake Sevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Set off to Lake Sevan, the "emerald of Armenia" and one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.

Stop 2.Sevanavank Monastery

Visit Sevanavank, founded in 874 by Princess Mariam. After the lake level dropped by about 20 metres in the Soviet era, the former island became a peninsula.

Stop 3.Noratus Cemetery

Visit Noratus, an ancient cemetery with the largest field of medieval khachkars (cross-stones) in Armenia.

Stop 4.Cheese Farm

Discover one of the lesser-known treasures of Armenian cuisine at a cheese farm in Gegharkunik, where cheeses are aged naturally in old cellars. Tasting of wine-cheese, cognac-cheese, horats and parmesan-type cheeses.

Stop 5.Return to Yerevan

Transfer to Yerevan. Dinner at a local restaurant. Meals: breakfast, dinner Distance: ~200 km Overnight stay: Yerevan

Day 7

Stop 1.Khor Virap Monastery

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Ararat province to visit Khor Virap, set on a hilltop in the Ararat Plain with breathtaking views of Mount Ararat. Its name means "deep dungeon", referring to the pit where St. Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned.

Stop 2.Noravank Monastery

Drive to Noravank, a stunning monastery complex surrounded by dramatic red rock formations.

Stop 3.Old Bridge Winery

Visit Old Bridge Winery in Yeghegnadzor for a tour of the winery and a tasting of local Vayots Dzor wines. Drive back to Yerevan. Meals: breakfast Distance: ~250 km Overnight stay: Yerevan

Stop 4.Noa Winery (optional)

Optional visit to Noa Winery in the Ararat Valley, known for combining traditional winemaking with modern practices on rich volcanic soil. Package: Classic Wine Tour-2, 27 USD per person. Wines of the day: Noa Tozot Rosé, Noa White Cuvée, Noa Red Classic, Noa Natural Sweet.

Day 8

Stop 1.Geghard Monastery

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Geghard Monastery, set in the dramatic cliffs of the Azat River Gorge. Known as Geghardavank, "the monastery of the spear", it is famous for its rock-cut architecture.

Stop 2.Garni Temple

Visit Garni Temple, built in the 1st century AD during the reign of King Tiridates I and dedicated to Mihr, the sun god, showing Hellenistic and Roman influences.

Stop 3.Lunch with Lavash Baking

Lunch at a local restaurant with a lavash baking presentation.

Stop 4.Symphony of Stones

Visit the Symphony of Stones, basalt columns in the Garni Gorge formed by volcanic activity, arranged like giant organ pipes. Drive back to Yerevan. Meals: breakfast, lunch Distance: ~80 km Overnight stay: Yerevan