Georgia and Armenia Tour

Exploring Two of the Oldest Countries in Europe

The Georgia and Armenia Tour

11 days / 10 Nights


About this Tour

Please note that this is only a sample itinerary, designed for a relatively short trip to an area where there is a great deal more to see.

Should you decide to extend your trip and spend more time in either or both of these two countries, it can be easily arranged since all our tours are private and tailor-made.

So if you do have more time and feel that you would like to see this region more in depth, we will help you decide how to modify the itinerary.

About Georgia and Armenia:

Travelers looking for new experiences frequently overlook Georgia and Armenia, which represent two ancient and distinctive civilizations.

Both countries are located on the eastern edge of Europe in a region that used to be known as the Trans-Caucasus. They are two of the most ancient countries in the world.

Now they are wide open for tourism, with good hotels and very good food and wines. This tour will provide a good opportunity to explore the historic and scenic highlights of both countries. The tour starts in Armenia and ends in Georgia.


The Georgia & Armenia Tour Prices*

* Single room supplement for all tours is $595. For example, if two people travel together but each person has his or her own room, the cost is an additional $595.

Included in the tour price:
  • Meals as mentioned in the itinerary below
  • English-speaking guide and private vehicle
  • Assistance in getting a visa, but not the cost of a visa
  • Entrance fees for all museums and tourist attractions
Not included in the tour price:
  • Tipping
  • Extra beverages
  • Mini Bar at hotels
  • Personal services such as laundry, etc.

Georgia and Armenia Tour: Day 1

Arrival in Yerevan, Armenia

Arrival in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

A private driver will meet you at the airport and transport you to the opulent Grand Hotel Yerevan, which is within walking distance of Republic Square.

  • Overnight at the Grand Hotel Yerevan

Georgia and Armenia Tour: Day 2

Yerevan Walking Tour

After breakfast,

Set out on a walking tour of Yerevan, where modern café society thrives alongside Persian and Soviet vestiges of the city’s long and tumultuous past.

Wind your way through Old Yerevan, then admire the monumental architecture of Republic Square.

Climb or take an escalator up The Cascade, a grand stairway housing an art gallery and adorned by manicured gardens.

Pay your respects to the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex.

Then visit a wind instrument studio and hear demonstrations of traditional instruments, like the double-reed duduk.

Gather for a welcome dinner this evening.

  • Overnight at the Grand Hotel Yerevan
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Landscape Around Mount Ararat

Georgia & Armenia – Day 3

Khor Virap – Yerevan

We will travel south to the green pastures of the Ararat Valley, arriving at Khor Virap (which means “deep pit”), an early Christian monastery dedicated to Armenia’s patron saint, Gregory the Illuminator. You will have a chance to descend into the deep pit or dungeon where Gregory was imprisoned.

Explore the monastery’s walled complex and hear the story of Gregory, who was held prisoner here for 13 years by King Tiridates. Gregory is said to have cured the pagan king of illness and converted him to Christianity. Tiridates then imposed the Christian religion on his people, and Armenia became the world’s first Christian nation.

From the monastery’s hilltop position, take in magnificent views across the plain to Mount Ararat, believed to be the place where Noah’s Ark came to rest after the Great Flood.

Later, back in Yerevan, it may be possible to enjoy a performance by the Nubar Folk Ensemble, a traditional song and dance troupe, or by another group (this will depend on the dates of your tour).

The evening is free to explore Yerevan at your leisure.

  • Overnight at the Grand Hotel Yerevan
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Georgia & Armenia – Day 4

Gyumri – Vardzia, Georgia

Driving towards the Georgian border, we stop in the city of Gyumri for a delicious lunch of fresh fish and Armenian flatbread, called lavash.

Gyumri was a great historical center in Armenia but was damaged in the 1988 earthquake. However, there has been much reconstruction, and there are still wonderful things to see there, such as the Holy Savior Church.

We leave Gyumri and cross the border into Georgia, arriving at Vardzia. End the day with a regional wine tasting and a traditional Georgian dinner.

Your hotel for this night will be a beautiful small hotel, the Vardzia Resort, with views of the nearby cave monastery.

  • Overnight at the Vardzia Resort
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Georgia & Armenia – Day 5

Vardzia – Gruzia – Vardzia

The first part of the day will be devoted to a full tour of the Vardzia Cave Monastery, a massive complex of man-made caves hewn from a sheer rock wall.

Dating back to the 12th Century, it is considered one of Georgia’s most important tourist attractions and is still an active monastery.

You will be able to climb sets of stairs from one level to the next to see this fascinating complex, where you step back in time over a thousand years.

You will then have an interesting visit to a well-known local, award-winning winemaker Giorgi Natenadze, and sample some of his wines made in the ancient ways. Georgia is considered to be the oldest wine-producing country in the world.

  • Overnight at the Vardzia Resort
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Georgia & Armenia – Day 6

Borjomi

On our way to Borjomi, we’ll stop at the Silk Road city of Akhaltsikhe and tour the fairy-tale-like Old Town with a local historian as our guide. A highlight of this visit is Rabati Castle, which you will be able to walk through.

We will then drive to Atskuri Village, an old village with an interesting fortress. There will be time for a cooking class, lunch with a master chef, and finally a visit to the nearby Green Monastery.

Finally, at the end of the day, check in to the Borjomi Crowne Plaza Hotel, a very nice spa hotel in the heart of this resort town.

  • Overnight at the Crowne Plaza Borjomi
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Jvari Monastery in Georgia

Georgia & Armenia – Day 7

Borjomi – Stepantsminda

Start the day with a walking tour of Borjomi, which is a hydrothermal health resort, and visit the Borjomi Mineral Water Park, where the mineral springs were discovered over one thousand years ago. You can sample some of the mineral waters produced there.

Borjomi is a very old resort town with overlays of medieval, Russian tsarist, and Soviet history and is an interesting place to roam around.

From Borjomi, we drive on into the mountains to the town of Stepantsminda. This is a very scenic area and a center for hiking and other mountain activities.

Our next stop will be the ancient city of Mtskheta, founded in the fifth century B.C., the former capital and the birthplace of Christianity in Georgia.

Mtskheta (don’t even try to pronounce it) is one of the oldest cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is filled with old churches and other historical buildings. The Jvari Church is particularly noteworthy.

We will continue along the Georgian Military Highway, a centuries-old road that winds through mountainous landscapes dotted with feudal fortresses and leads to the nearby Russian border.

Check into your hotel for the next two nights, the beautifully designed ROOMS Hotel Kazbegi, in the heart of the mountains. The hotel is also known for its fine cuisine.

  • Overnight at the ROOMS Hotel Kazbegi
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Georgia & Armenia – Day 8

Stepantsminda

From Stepantsminda, we will take a short ride up to the 14th-century Gergeti Holy Trinity Church. Or if you prefer you can hike up to the church, and a local guide will accompany you on foot.

Whichever way you arrive, you will enjoy spectacular mountain views from the mountainside church.

Leaving the church, we go on a scenic drive through the mountains that will bring you to the small village of Tsdo, where you will get a cooking lesson and lunch from a local family.

We invite you to try khinkali, a savory dumpling filled with meat and spices.

The last stop of the day will be a visit to a local felt-maker’s studio, where you can learn about this traditional art form.

  • Overnight at the ROOMS Hotel Kazbegi
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Georgia & Armenia – Day 9

Tbilisi

In the morning there will be a chance to walk the historical Old Town center of Tbilisi.

You will stroll down narrow, cobblestone streets past colorful houses with distinctive balconies.

Tbilisi also has ancient domed sulfur baths, which you can sample if you plan ahead. You will certainly smell the sulfur as you walk by.

There will also be time for a cable car ride up to the ancient Narikala Fortress, from where you are granted a fabulous panoramic view of the city below.

The day will also include a visit to the historical museum, where you can learn why Georgia was known as The Land of the Golden Fleece.

This evening, discover Tbilisi’s modern cuisine while dining at the charming Cafe Littera at the Writers’ House of Georgia, an early 20th-century mansion turned into a cultural center. Meet the restaurant’s celebrity chef.

  • Overnight at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Georgia & Armenia – Day 10

Tbilisi – Dmanisi – Tbilisi

On the last full day of the tour, you will drive to Dmanisi, around 60 miles southwest of Tbilisi. Dmanisi is the site of one the Georgian National Museum’s branches.

At the Museum you will meet up with a local archaeologist who can tell you all about the Pleistocene hominin fossils and their ongoing research.

These fossils are 1.8 million years old and were unearthed in Dmanisi in 1991. After our visit it will be time for lunch at a beautifully restored watermill.

Upon returning to Tbilisi, we’ll explore the art nouveau Sololaki district with a local architect.

Finally, at the end of the day, a special farewell dinner … a six-course Georgian feast with regional wine pairings.

Dinner will be accompanied by a storytelling tamada, or toastmaster, and folk singing by a Georgian polyphonic quartet.

  • Overnight at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Georgia & Armenia – Day 11

End of Tour & Departure

The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel. You will be transported back to the airport today for your return flight home.

If you have time you might be able to get in some quick gift shopping.

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