Khaghoghorhnerk/ Blessing of Grapes

Meeting at Zvartnots airport, transfer, accommodation
at the hotel. Continue tour to the famous Ararat Cognac
factory: tour in the factory with tasting of 3 kinds of
brandies. Tour to Erebouni Museum and Fortress.
Erebouni Museum of the History of the Foundation
of Yerevan was established in 1968. The opening of
the Museum was timed to coincide with the 2750th
anniversary of Yerevan. The Museum stands at the
foot of the Arin Berd hill, on top of which the
Urartian Fortress Erebouni has been constructed.
The City-Fortress was excavated, some parts of the
structure were reinforced and restored and the
fortress was turned into an outdoor Museum.
Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Sightseeing tour to Garni
the Pagan temple. It was built in the first century
A.D. by the Armenian King Tiridates with the
money he received after visiting Emperor Nero
in Rome. Continue tour to Gueghard Cave
Monastery. Gueghard is another incredible
ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out
of a mountain. Though the monastery has been
around since before the 4th century, the main
cathedral was built in 1215.Walk in Vernissage
(this market is open on Saturday and Sunday) the
market where you can buy souvenirs and jewelers
silver handicrafts made by Armenian masters.
Farewell dinner at national restaurant with national
folk music. Overnight at the hotel in Yerev

Date	Low	High	Notes
Aug 14 - Aug 22	500	650	per person, BB

Breakfast at the hotel. Trip to the Church of S.Astvatsatsin
(Mother of God) and the smaller Church of S.Arakelots
(Holy Apostles, later S.Karapet) are both located on a
peninsula which was once an island in Lake Sevan .
According to an inscription on the south wall of the
Church of S.Arakelots, the monastery was founded in
874 AD and it is attributed to Princess Mariam, the
wife of Prince Vasak of Kapur and the daughter of
the Bagratuni King Asot. For several centuries
thereafter it remained an important spiritual center
and was a pilgrimage site for thousands of visitors
from all parts of Armenia. Today, the monastery
consists of only the two churches and a ruined gavit
which are all situated on the southwest side if a hill
overlooking Lake Sevan.
The Church of S.Arakelots
has a trefoil inscribed within a cross type plan
surmounted by a conical dome. The entrance portal is
framed by and arch located on the southwest side.
A short distance to the southeast is the Church of
S.Astvatsatsin which was built in a similar fashion
immediately after the completion of S.Arakelots. However,
S.Astvatsatsin has some additional chapel and chamber
spaces and has a somewhat wider plan.The ruined gavit,
located to the west of S.Astvatsatsin has been dated to
the 9th or 10th century and was comprised of a square
space over which an erdik (corbelled lantern or dome)
was supported by a pair of wooden piers. Continue tour
to Parz lake in Dilijan. Overnight at the hotel in Dilijan.

Transfer to the Airport

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Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Echmiadzin.
Ejmiatsin is the spiritual center of Armenia and the seat
of the Catholics of All Armenians, the head of the Holy
Armenian Apostolic church. Continue tour to Hripsime
church. St. Hripsime Church in Echmiadzin, Armenia,
completed in 618, is one of the oldest surviving
churches in Armenia, and is known for its fine
Armenian architecture of the classical period, which
influenced many other Armenian churches. The
church, together with other nearby sites, is a
UNESCOWorld Heritage Site, and is dedicated to
Saint Rhipsime. Trip to St. Gayane church built in
630. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Sightseeing tour to Khor Virap
monastery. The Khor Virap (meaning )
monastery is one of the most popular tourist
destinations in Armenia. Its location, near the
closest point to Mount Ararat within Armenian
borders, offers a spectacular view of the mountain,
the national symbol of Armenia. Continue tour to
Noravank monastery. Noravank is a 13th century
Armenian Apostolic Church monastery, located 122
km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the
Darichay river. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer,
brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery.
The monastery is best known for its two-storey
S. Astvatsatsin church. Trip to Vedi wine factory for
tasting wonderful wine. Overnight at the hotel in Goris.

Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion tour to Khndzoresk
which is a cave village and there are many signs of past
settlement throughout the valley which are just waiting
for discovery. There are a very large number of caves,
although most of them are rather small. You will see that
many of the caves have been carved out by man and
served as houses for people. You will find the ruins
of a village, a beautiful ancient church,
very old tombstones.
Continue tour to Karahunge (Stonehenge), ancient
observatory 5mil B.C. Carahunge or Karahundj,
Zorakarer is 3, 500 years older than England's
Stonehenge and 3, 000 years older than the Egyptian
pyramids. The total area of the observatory is 7 hectares.
According to the scientist's findings, a temple consisting
of 40 stones built in honor of the Armenians' main God,
Ari, meaning the Sun, is situated in the central part of
Carahunge. Besides the temple, it had a large and
developed observatory, and also a university that makes
up the temple's wings.
Drive to Lake Sevan through Selim Pass visiting the
caravanserai (XIV c.). For many centuries the Great
Silk Road connected a complex network of trade
routes from Europe with Asia. It was a way to
establish contact with the great civilizations of
China, India, the Near East and Europe. Trade
caravans, diplomatic missions, merchants
representatives of religious circles, dervishes,
warriors – millions people have passed on this
road through time with nothing frightening these
brave travelers, neither the difficult roads, nor the
waterless deserts.
The East -West trade routes passed across the Armenian
plateau (Selim pass) and favored the development of the
country's economy, trade, commerce and culture.
About 70 miles north of Yerevan sits lake Sevan the
largest alpine in the world. This huge mountain lake
which takes up to 5% of Armenia's surface area and is
about 2,000 meters above sea level is one of the highest
among the freshwater lakes in the world. Some three
dozen of streamers pour into it and only one river origins
from the lake – Hrazdan.With its history and scenary lake
Sevan is among the most inviting destinations in the world.
Overnight at the hotel in Sevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Trip to Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries.These two Byzantine monasteries in the
Tumanian region from the period of prosperity during
the Kiurikian dynasty (10th to 13th century) were
important centres of learning. Sanahin was renowned
for its school of illuminators and calligraphers.
The two monastic complexes represent the highest
flowering of Armenian religious architecture, whose
unique style developed from a blending of elements
of Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture and the
traditional vernacular architecture of the Caucasian
region. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

Tamara Gevorgyan

Listing # RA-1198112