Yerevan - Khor Virap - Noravank - Areni cave 1 - Tour of the vineyards - Zorats Karer - Goris

Check out at 9:00
We leave for the Ararat valley to the Khor Virap monastery. All the way we will be accompanied by vineyards and orchards. The monastery was built on the site where, for about 13 years, in a deep pit, the future first Catholicos of Armenians Gregory sat, sentenced to death.
Illuminator. The building dates back to the 8th century. The complex also has the Church of the Holy Virgin, built in the 17th century. Nearby is the citadel of one of the former capitals of Armenia, the city of Artashat. A beautiful view of the nearby Biblical Mount Ararat can be enjoyed from the observation deck.

Visit to Areni-1 cave or Bird's grotto. In this cave in 2007 began
archaeological excavations that led to the conclusion that civilization in Armenia
originated 800 years earlier than scientists believed before. Was discovered here
leather shoes made from a single piece of leather, whose age is 36-33 centuries BC
era. And the main thing is that the finds became proof that it was on the territory of Armenia that winemaking originated and that wine was produced on an industrial scale in this cave.

Lunch and wine tasting.
Acquaintance with the owners of the winery. Visiting the vineyards.
Observation of the beautiful Noravank canyon.
We continue our excursion to the unusual red mountains. The nature of these places makes you have time to look at all sides with admiring eyes, because one wonderful landscape is replaced by another. Finally, we drive up to the Noravank monastery, which is the adornment of this gorge. The complex, like most monasteries in Armenia, harmoniously fits into the surrounding nature. The monastery complex begins to be built on the site of an older one in honor of the victory over the Seljuk Turks. The pearl of Noravank is the Church of the Holy Mother of God built in 1339 by the architect Momik.
Visit to the megalithic complex Zorats Karer (Karahunj). This is one of the oldest stone observatories in the world. Dates back to the 5th and even 7th millennium BC. The complex has 223 only numbered stones, 1.5-3 m high and weighing up to 8.5 tons. Tapered through holes were made on 80 of them. As you can see, there are many mysteries and unusual finds in Syunik.
Then we drive up to the city of Goris, which we can admire from the observation deck located along the road. The city is surrounded by rocks called "stone forest", which give this place a fantastic, even alien image. There have been settlements in these places since the Stone Age. The old name of the city is Kores. In 1870, according to the general plan, modern Goris was rebuilt, which consists of 36 streets intersecting at right angles. This is a very popular place among tourists, because there are many unusual places in the area.
Dinner with traditional fruit vodka tasting.
Overnight in Goris.

Goris - Khndzoresk - Tatev - Shaki - Yerevan

Check out at 9:00
Today we begin with a visit to a very interesting and amazingly beautiful place - the cave city of Khndzoresk. These caves were a place of rest and protection from the weather for ancient hunters. However, later people settled here, believing that the place is protected from enemies and in it
comfortable and warm to live. It is shocking that these caves were landscaped and people
lived in them until the 50s of the XX century.

Passing through Syunik, we reach the cable car "Wings of Tatev"
which is registered in the Guinness Book of Records. The record was not only
the length of the road is 5,752 meters, but the construction time is only 10 months.
Visit to the Tatev monastery, built in the 9th-10th centuries next to the 4th century church. This is a unique monastery complex located on a high cliff and protected from almost all sides by a natural landscape. The monastery consists of three churches: St. Gregory the Illuminator, the Cathedral of Peter and Paul and the gateway church of the Holy Mother of God. At one time, the monastery complex became a place of pilgrimage, a place of study (Tatev University), and an important strategic point. During the invasions, the Tatev fortress was an important defensive stronghold.
Dinner
On the way, we stop to admire the beautiful Shaki waterfall. The height of the waterfall is 18 m. The waterfall itself is located in a very beautiful area, indented by gorges with grottoes and niches, which further enhances the impression of the waterfall.
Evening dinner and wine tasting will take place at the winery.
Overnight in Yerevan.

Yerevan - Zvartnots - Echmiadzin - Sardarapat - Yerevan

Check out at 9:00
Drive to Vagharshapat town. On the way, we stop at the Zvartnots temple. A tour of the territory where the ruins of the temple are located and a visit to the museum of the complex. This temple was built in the 7th century, and at one time was a stunningly beautiful, unusual and new word in the construction of church architecture in Armenia.
Visit to the church of St. Hripsime, built in the 7th century.

Visit to the main monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Echmiadzin.
Acquaintance with the history of the Cathedral, monuments, buildings and khachkars
located on the territory. It is also the seat of the Catholicos of all
Armenians. Visit to the Treasury Museum of Holy Etchmiadzin. All three temples are included in
UNESCO World Heritage List․
Lunch with wine tasting at the winery.
Drive to the memorial complex and ethnographic museum of Sardarapat. The building was built on the site where the heroic battle of Sardarapat took place in 1918, which prevented the offensive of the Turkish aggressors. The exposition of the museum has thousands of archaeological and ethnographic exhibits that tell about the history of the Armenian people. Applied arts, national costumes, carpets, and other household items acquaint visitors with the traditions and originality of the Armenians.
Dinner with tasting will take place at the winery. Overnight in Yerevan.

Yerevan - Saghmosavank - Ashtarak - Ujan - Yerevan - Airport

Check out at 9:00
Drive to Aragatsotn region. The Saghmosavank monastery was built by the Vachutyan family in the 13th century. The complex consists of the churches of St. Zion, and the Holy Mother of God, a vestibule and a book depository. Standing on the edge of the Kasakh river gorge, you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes and feel the severity and beauty of the Armenian canyons.
We call in the city of Ashtarak, which seems to have descended from a fairy-tale picture. Each house is buried in fruit and nut orchards, and it is located on both sides of the Kasakh River gorge. There are many churches in this town, but we will visit Karmravor VII century, which has a very compact and unusual shape. The tiles of the unusual helmet-shaped dome have been preserved in their original form, and a unique painting was discovered in the church itself under a layer of plaster.

Then we go to the winery, where we will have lunch and wine tasting.
After lunch, a trip to the park of hedgehogs, located in Udzhan, which will bring great pleasure from the time spent.
Visit to a unique wine SPA salon. You will feel the bewitching power of grapes while taking spa treatments with wine, grapes and grape seeds.

Airport transfer.