8-Day Armenia Heritage Tour from Yerevan with Tatev and Lake Sevan

• Arrive in Yerevan, one of the most ancient cities in the world founded in 782 B.C.
• Transfer to hotel and overnight stay in Yerevan.

• Have breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Matenadaran-Depository and Museum of Ancient Manuscripts with a collection of about 17000 manuscripts. The heaviest book in Matenadaran is around 34 kgs and consists of 2 pieces.
• Afterwards, see the most beautiful panorama of Yerevan City and the biblical Mount Ararat from the top of the huge Cascade Monument. Cascade is just a masterpiece in terms of architecture and is decorated in a very stunning way.
• Pass through the Northern Avenue which connects the two Yerevan Famous Squares –The Republic Square and the France Square (where Opera House with the original statue of Rodin is located). The Republic Square in Armenia with the governmental buildings is considered to be one of the most beautiful squares of the world.
• Eat lunch at a local restaurant and go on a street tour including Yerevan State University and the Island of universities, Victory Bridge, Tsitsernakaberd Hill with Genocide Museum, Sports & Concerts complex, Kievyan Bridge, Residence of President, Academy of Sciences.

Overnight stay in Yerevan.

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and visit the religious center of Armenia –Echmiadzin, which is the “Vatican” city of Armenia with the Holy See of the Armenian Apostolic Church. World’s oldest official Christian church is to be found in Echmiadzin – the Mother Cathedral of Echmiadzin.
• Continue to St. Hripsime Church, a true masterpiece of early medieval Armenian architecture.
• Have lunch at a special restaurant in the Cultural Center in Echmiadzin.
• On your way back to Yerevan, visit the Ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral– the place of “celestial angels”. The remnants of Zvartnots, even in ruins, are a majestic sight.

Overnight stay in Yerevan.

• Eat Breakfast at the hotel and drive outside Armenia's capital to witness a quiet mountain road high above the city, offering a glimpse into Earth's ancient history.
• Take a halt at Charent's Arch– the breathtaking lookout point of the biblical Mount Ararat.
• Drive to the Geghard Monastery carved out of a huge monolithic rock, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Continue to the Garni Pagan Temple, the only Hellenistic temple in the Caucasus.
• Attend a master class of traditional Armenian bread "lavash" baked in tonir (ground oven). The preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• Eat lunch in the garden of villagers and drive back to Yerevan with your English-Speaking Armenian Guide.
• Enjoy Yerevan's lively evening and nightlife, full of music, plays, performances, and shows.

Overnight stay in Yerevan.

• Have breakfast at the hotel and begin a fantastic day dedicated to the exploration of Southern Armenia combining the magic of Armenia’s finest medieval architecture with stunning landscapes by driving through the agricultural heart of Armenia.
• Stop at the Khor Virap Monastery– the most important place of pilgrimage in Armenia.
• As you pass the Ararat Plain, experience the untamed beauty of Southern Armenia – surreal red rocks providing an eerie echo and honey-coloured villages sandwiched between them.
• Continue to the previous residence of Syunik’s bishops –Noravank Monastery, nestled at the edge of the narrow gorge in the impressive mountainous landscape with peculiar red hanging rocks.
• Visit the majestic Tatev Monastery, which we reach with the longest cable tram in the world (registered in the Guinness World Records Book). This used to be the wealthiest medieval monastery in Armenia.

Dinner and overnight stay in the small city Goris, surrounded by mountains which are famous for their medieval cave-dwellings carved out of the soft rock.

• After having breakfast at the hotel, visit the megalithic prehistoric complex "Zorats-Karer" (another name is Karaunj).
• Go on the Great Silk Road and pass through the Selim Pass (the highest point- 2410m). Stop at the caravanserai of Selim (14.c.), which offers hospitality to travellers along the silk road crossing the Selim (Sulema) mountains.
• After a few kilometres, admire the beautiful view of Lake Sevan– the 2nd largest fresh-water high-altitude lake in the world. Lake Sevan is a natural wonder and the pearl of incomparable beauty with stunning turquoise waters.
• On the Lake bank, visit the unique open-air museum, where a fantastic collection of stone art is preserved. It is a typical manifestation of the Armenian culture, as other nations do not have this type of culture and is already a UNESCO World Heritage.

Dinner and overnight stay at the lake.

• Have breakfast on the picturesque peninsula of the Sevan Lake, and visit the Sevanavank monastery, which once used to serve as a place of exile of the Armenian nobility.
• Proceed to Dilijan spa town in the Dilijan National Park, a protected area renowned for its serene lakes, picturesque hill trails and peaceful villages.
• Go for a short walk tour along with one of the most beautiful and oldest streets of the Old Dilijan – Sharambeyan, where you will find small art schools and souvenir shops.
• Continue to Haghartsin; a fairy-tale monastery set amidst flower-filled glade in dense rainforest. This is where people see a perfect harmony of untouched nature and splendid architecture.
• After lunch in a beautiful garden restaurant, head back to Yerevan for overnight.

• Check-out and transfer from the hotel to the airport.