5-day Armenia History & Archaeology Tour5 Days | Yerevan, Garni, Geghard, Etchmiadzin, Khor Virap, Areni village, Noravank Monastery, Oshakan, Amberd fortress

Arrival in Yerevan. Meet your driver at the airport. Transfer to the hotel. Check in at 2 p.m. and after a short rest start exploring the city. One of the oldest cities of the world, Yerevan is famous as a pink city and calls visitors with its humble and at the same time splendid landscapes. Start the city tour with a visit to the 572-step Cascade Monument, which serves as the main symbol of the city. The mega scale staircase is 118 meters high and 50 meters wide. A panoramic view from the monument opens up breathtaking city view with Opera House, Mount Ararat, Swan Lake, Republic Square, and Abovyan Avenue, which you will also walk by during the tour. If it is a weekend, visit Vernissage, the biggest souvenir market in Yerevan. Continue to the Armenian Genocide memorial complex on the hill of Tsitsernakaberd. An excellent round-up of the tour will be a visit to the Megeryan carpet factory where you can observe a process of creating famous Armenian rugs. You will see carpets from different regions of Armenia and find out about hidden meanings of elements used in their design. In the evening, enjoy dinner and traditional folklore show. Overnight at hotel.

Depart Yerevan and drive to Garni, one of the major villages in Armenia famous for its fortress. The fortress is the only pagan sacred place from the 1st century that survived aggressive introduction of Christianity in the 4th century. Descend Garni Gorge to explore a monumental rock formation called Symphony of Stones. Next stop is at the monastery complex Geghard (means a spear in Armenian). The beautiful landscape of Geghard is framed with towering cliffs. Decorative art cut into rocks reflects and explains Medieval Ages development throughout the region. The complex was introduced to the history in the 4th century as a sacred spring inside a cave. Continue to the Holy See of Armenia, Etchmiadzin. Visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral*, which is the residence of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Catholicos of All Armenians. Drive back to Yerevan. Overnight at the hotel.
* The site is presently under renovation works.

At 09:00 head to Khor-Virap Monastery (“deep pit”). According to the legend, St. Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, was kept here in the basement for 13 years for the disseminating of Christianity until King Tiridates decided to adopt new religion. The monastery's location allows you to enjoy the best views of the Mount Ararat. Drive to Areni cave complex, where in 2008 the earliest shoe was found. On the way, stop in Areni for a wine degustation at a local winery. Continue to the famous Noravank Monastery situated on the ledge of a deep winding gorge. The Noravank ensemble stands amidst the bizarre-shaped precipitous red cliffs. Return to Yerevan. Overnight at the hotel.

Meet your guide and driver at your hotel. Take the way to Amberd – rare historical site that survived and reached us in a good condition from the 7-th century. Some say that it was built in the 11-13th centuries, attributing it to the near located church. Amberd means ‘fortress in the clouds’; the name is due to its location 2300 meters above sea level. Continue to Oshakan, which is known as a burial place of the father of the Armenian alphabet Saint Mesrop Mashtots. A cathedral named after him houses his grave which was rebuilt by Catholicos George IV in 1875.
Return to Yerevan. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.

Check-out from the hotel till noon.
Transfer to Yerevan International Airport. End of the tour.