Tuesday, May 21 — Yerevan
Transfer to “Sadakhlo-Bagratashen” Georgian-Armenian border point. Cross the border, met Ms Marianna, our Armenian guide and driver to start the journey to the land of ancient traditions and the oldest temples. Drive to the Lori region and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Haghpat monastery. This stunning example of traditional Armenian architecture was erected in the 10-13th centuries. Standing on a hillside, Haghpat beautifully overlooks Debed River Canyon. The location of the monastery was chosen to protect the peace and seclusion of the monks. Drive through Dilijan to the Lake Sevan, one of the largest high-mountainous freshwater lakes in the world. The coastline of the Lake Sevan is rich with thick woods, white cliff faces, mountain steppes, and Alpine meadows. Visit Sevanavank Monastery located at the lake, which is surrounded by mountains. Afterwards we will continue to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
We check into room 525 of the Grand Hotel Yerevan.
Wednesday, May 22 — Night train
After breakfast, check out from the hotel and start Yerevan city tour. Yerevan is one of the oldest cities of the world, it’s famous as a pink city and calls visitors with its humble and at the same time splendid landscapes. Visit Cascade Monument which was the main symbol of the city’s 2780th anniversary with the equivalent number of stairs. Mega scale staircase is 500 meters high and 50 meters wide. On the top of the monument you will enjoy breathtaking city view with Opera House, Mount Ararat, Swan Lake, Republic Square, and Abovyan Avenue, which you will also walk by during the tour. Continue to the Holy See of Armenia, Etchmiadzin. Visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral which is the residence of the head of Armenian Apostolic Church the Catholicos of All Armenians. At 21:30, we board an overnight train, headed back to Tbilisi.