description
● Tehran – Crossroad of cultures with old heritages; ● Masuleh - fairy-tale village over tea fields; ●Ardabil - Safavid mausoleum; ● Tabriz –Unesco world heritage largest covered bazaar in the world; ●Wings of Tatev - longest reversible aerial tramway built in only one section; ● Echmiadzin - "the Armenian Vatican”; ● Yerevan – Pink city with great museums.; ● Sevan lake - Armenia emerald; ● Tbilisi - the biggest jewel in the crown of Georgia
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Professional Tour guide
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Accommodation in Hotels
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VIP Scania or Volvo Buses with professional driver
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All days Breakfast
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Main Meals (Only for the days on which the group is on the road)
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Visa authorization codes
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All Airport transfers
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Water and snacks in bus
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Local insurance
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Entrance fees
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Foreigner tour guide accommodation
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1
day 1
: Arrival Tehran Airport
After arriving in Tehran in the early morning, our professional guide will be waiting for you with a bus (which will be selected based on the number of people in the group) and a driver. Our team will accompany you throughout the entire trip. After leaving the airport we will go straight to the hotel in Tehran for a short rest and breakfast.
2
day 2
: Tehran
After breakfast we will head for the Golestan Palace in Tehran Grand Bazaar, then we visit The National Jewelry Treasury and The National Museum of Iran. In the evening we visit the Milad Tower of Tehran, afterwards we will have dinner in the hotel. At night those who are interested can accompany our tour guide to Darband by using the Tehran metro. Darband is a path winding up a narrow rocky valley with water cascading down the slope. The trail heads up into the hills past picturesque teahouses, restaurants and fruit-conserve stalls.
3
day 3
: Tehran - Masouleh - Anzali (distance 500 km)
After breakfast we will travel northwards to the Caspian Sea. On the way we will stop at a town called Rudbar, famous in Iran for it’s marinades. You can buy local specialties: Lavashak - pressed fruit sheets, or pickled olives in nut and pomegranate. Afterwards we travel to Masuleh, passing numerous rice and tea fields. Located at the steep slope of the Talesh Mountain, surrounded by lush forests, this village impresses with its great view and buildings. You can spend your free time in the thicket of honey and gold houses, that hide a maze of streets and passages leading to the panorama terraces on the roof of the buildings, secret restaurants and shops for handicrafts and spices. After this experience we drive to Rasht/Bandar-e Anzali for dinner and overnight stay.
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day 4
: Bandar Anzali - Ardabil - Tabriz (distance 470 km)
After breakfast we will start the road leading initially along the Caspian Sea coast, and then higher, climbing among the forests and meadows to the slopes of the Sabalan Volcano. Our destination will be Ardabil, where we visit the UNESCO-listed Mausoleum of Sheikh Safi ad-Din. Known for its magnificent architecture and rich decorations the complex occupies a special place in the culture of Iran as the family home of one of the most powerful dynasties in the country's history. In addition to the mausoleum, there are such interesting objects as an unusual Music Hall, a Dervish House or a hermitage in which the pious Sufi fasted for 40 days. Then we will continue our journey to Tabriz, where we will have dinner in the hotel and stay overnight.
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day 5
: Tabriz - Kandovan - Julfa (distance 240 km)
On day 5 we explore Tabriz - a city with a history of over 4,500 years, which is located in the north-west of Iran. Tabriz is the largest non-Persian city in Iran, whose inhabitants have been known for centuries for trade, noted also by the famous traveler Marco Polo. You can use your free time walking through the central streets, passing the elegant Municipality Palace located at the Clock Square, and Ipek Yoli, a street known for its ancient sculptures. We will also visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bazaar of Tabriz, one of the largest in the Middle East and at the same time one of the most important trade centers on the Silk Road. This spectacular labyrinth of covered streets and houses, in particular the goldsmiths market, the bazaar with spices, and the bazaar market Mozzafariye, where high quality carpets are sold. Afterwards we travel to the village of Kandowan, which is carved in the volcanic rocks. Unlike other similar places in the world, it is still inhabited, so we will have the opportunity to have a look at this culture. The residents of this village are very hospitable and often agree to show their rock apartments from inside. After this short visit we will drive on to the border river Aras. Accommodation and dinner will be in Jolfa or nearby.
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day 6
: Julfa - Tatev - Goris (distance 240 km)
After an early breakfast we will drive along the Aras towards the border. Aras (1072 km long) is one of the most important rivers of the Caucasus. He has a considerable political significance, constituting a border between several countries. Initially we will drive along the Nakhjavan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan until we finally reach the border of Armenia. After customs and passport control we will move on and stop for photos on the Meghri Pass (2,535 m above sea level), which means that we will be 36 m higher than the highest point of Poland! Driving through the passes and valleys of southern Armenia, we will finally reach the village of Halidzor. Not far away is the Tatev Monastery, built on a rock ledge. The cable car up there is the longest of this type in the world. Inside the monastery we will see the Church of the apostles Peter and Paul, academic buildings and a technical curiosity – gawazan - used to warn of earthquakes. After visiting the monastery complex, we will go to Goris for dinner and overnight stay.
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day 7
: Goris - Jermuk (distance 100 km)
We will start the day in secluded, rarely visited by foreigners, mountain areas of Armenia. It is worth taking comfortable shoes for walks in the nature. We will stop at the mysterious crumbs of Zorac Karer. The stone circles, more than 5,500 years old, had a religious function in the past, and because of the telescopic holes cut into them, it is suspected that they also served as an astronomical observatory. Then we will take the well-worn but "reliable" Soviet off-road vehicles to one of the most mysterious places in Armenia, located at an altitude of about 3000 m above sea level, on the beautiful mountain Ughtasar with it’s petroglyphs lake. The paintings engraved on volcanic rocks for over a dozen thousand years depict hunting scenes, solar symbols, and ritual dances or mythical characters. Afterwards we drive to Dzermuku, an Armenian high-mountain resort well-known for its healing waters and hot springs. There will be an opportunity to photograph the highest waterfall of Armenia, the 72 meter waterfall called Dzermuk. We will also visit the Mineral Water Pump House located at the lake. Accommodation will be in a hotel in Dzermuku or nearby.
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day 8
: Jermuk - Noravank - Yerevan (distance 190 km)
In the morning we will drive along the Arpa River. We will stop at the Kechut water reservoir, famous for fancifully designed hydrological elements. Then we will visit one of the most beautiful monastery complexes in the country - Norawank. Built in the 13th/14th century this building is characterized by its unique reliefs and the two-level church of Our Lady. Our next stop is Armenia, where in 2007 the oldest vineyard in the world, more than 6,000 years old, was discovered. The valley is known for the cultivation of fruits and for excellent vineyards, so we will have the opportunity to taste local spirits. Then we will see the economic heart of Armenia, the Valley of Ararat. We will pass the place where - under favorable weather conditions - we can see as many as 4 countries simultaneously: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey! In the afternoon we arrive at Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where we will walk around the city. Starting with The Cascades, an interesting complex with fountains and a sculpture park, we will pass The Opera House, the Northern Boulevard, which is the representative promenade of the capital, to the Republic Square, famous for its socialist realist architecture.
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day 9
: Yerevan - Amberd - Yerevan (distance 110 km)
On day 9 we move towards the Ararat Volcano, which is the highest mountain in Armenia (4090 m above sea level). Our destination is the remains of the Amberd castle ("fortress in the clouds"). Built in the times of the biblical Urartu kings, todays shape was obtained in the seventh century as the seat of the Kamsarakan family. We will see fortified walls built with powerful basalt blocks, remnants of towers and living quarters, as well as an interesting solution of water supply and baths of the 10th /11th century. We will also reach Kari Lake, located in the slopes of the Ararat volcano. This beautiful lake is fed mainly by melting snow and the walk along its banks guarantees not only great landscapes, but also a feeling of communing with the virgin nature. Warning! Periodically the access to the lake may be impossible due to snow. On the way back we will stop in the village of Bjurakan, famous for being the astronomical observatory and for the medieval remnants. We will visit a workshop in which we can watch the art of making traditional musical instruments, including the national instrument of Armenia - duduk, and hear their sound.
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day 10
: Yerevan - Sevan (distance 70 km)
We will go deep into the mountains of Geghama. We will reach the partially-carved Monastery of Geghard, called the “Spear Monastery" – as according to records, the Longinus spearhead was kept there, pierced by the side of Christ on the cross. Today it is one of the best-known sacral objects in Armenia, which initially served as a pagan temple and which is associated with a cave of water emerging inside the cave. Then we will go to Garni, famous for its delicious apricots, where we visit the ruins of the summer palace of the Kings of Armenia with the rebuilt temple of the god Mitra. In addition we will have the opportunity to descend to the canyon of the Azat River, where the water has carved a "Symphony of Stones" in the basalt rocks. The beauty of this place is unique in the world. Our next sight is the Sevan Lake high in the mountains, also called “The Emerald of Armenia". Located at an altitude of 1900 m above sea level the reservoir and the surrounding mountain ranges are best to enjoy the Sevanawank Monastery. Periodically it is possible to take a cruise on the lake. Our hotel is in Idyvanie or nearby.
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day 11
: Sevan - Tbilisi (distance 300 km)
Today we cross the Armenian-Georgian border and drive to Tbilisi. We will pass the elegant Szawi Rustaweli Avenue, the Opera House and the old Parliament and take a walk around the Old Town. We will see, among others the golden statue of Saint George, Sioni Church, one of the most sacred relics of Georgia – Saint Nino’s Cross, the Majdan Square, as well as countless houses with openwork balconies. We also take the cable car to the Narikala Fortress, where we enjoy the amazing view of the city. Our last sight of today is the famous Tbilisi Baths.
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day 12
: Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Ananuri - Tbilisi (distance 140 km)
After breakfast we head to Mtskheta, the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Iberia, and one of the most visited places in the country. In the town we visit the Temple of Sveti Cchaowels, which until recently was the seat of the Patriarchs and where many valuable relics and icons have been gathered. After some free time for coffee and the purchase of souvenirs we will stop at the watchtower at the Jvari Church to enjoy the view which already delighted romantic Russian poets. Then we will head towards the High Caucasus through the winding, mountainous Georgian Military Road. Our destination will be the Fortress Ananuri located at the Lake Zynwalskim. Embracing a rich history this beautiful building attracts attentions with its well-preserved architecture and ornamentation. Take a walk around the fortress and the lake! Afterwards we return to Tbilisi for the night.
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day 13
: Departure
Check-out from the hotel after breakfast and transfer to the airport in Tbilisi
