Across the Southern Caucasus

Day 1: Baku

Arrive in Baku. Our travel specialists will be delighted to assist with flight arrangements if required.

Day 2: Baku

Arrive early morning and transfer to the hotel for immediate occupancy. Enjoy an afternoon tour of the Azerbaijani capital, including panoramic view of the city and bay; dine at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Gobustan - Absheron

Admire Gobustan’s 20,000-year-old rock carvings. Enjoy an excursion to Absheron to see the Ateshgah Fire Temple and Yanar Dagh fire.

Day 4: Shemahka - Kish - Shaki

Visit the Yeddi Gumbez mausoleum in Shemahka. Continue to Shaki, stopping en route at a sixth-century Georgian Orthodox church in Kish.

Day 5: Shaki - Kvareli - Telavi, Georgia

Tour Shaki, set in the scenic Caucasus foothills, taking in its 18th-century palace. Cross the border into Georgia for a vineyard lunch and wine tasting. Continue to Telavi via the Gremi Church of Archangels and Royal Tower.

Day 6: Telavi - Sighnaghi - Tbilisi

Enjoy a morning visit to Telavi market. Meet a qvevri master, who will demonstrate how these large earthenware wine-keeping jars are made. Sample local wine and ‘fire-water’ brandy before lunch at Tsinandali wine estate. This afternoon, tour the hilltop town of Sighnaghi.

Day 7: Tbilisi

Tour the Georgian capital, including the Old Town, with its beautiful Orthodox churches, mosque, synagogue and sulphur baths. Continue to the history museum on Rustaveli Avenue.

Day 8: Gori - Uplistsikhe - Kazbegi

Visit the sixth-century Jvari Monastery, followed by Mtskheta, then continue to Gori, birthplace of Joseph Stalin. See the museum, his private train, and the house where he was born. Travel to Kazbegi via the cave city of Uplistsikhe, set on the path of the Silk Road.

Day 9: Kazbegi - Tbilisi

Walk to the picturesque Gergeti Trinity Church, which dates from the 14th century. On a good day you may even catch sight of the summit of Mount Kazbegi, one of the most beautiful peaks within the Caucasus. Drive on to Tbilisi and enjoy free time in the city.

Day 10: Haghpat - Dilijan

Cross the Armenian border and continue to the UNESCO-listed Haghpat Monastery, a masterpiece of Armenian architecture, followed by the Goshavank Monastery. Travel on to Dilijan.

Day 11: Dilijan - Sevan - Yerevan

See lake Sevan, then travel on to the Pegan Temple at Garni, and hear a performance of Armenian spiritual music. Take in Geghard Monastery followed by a visit to a local home to see the preparation of Armenian lavash bread.

Day 12: Yerevan

Tour Yerevan, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Visit the city’s museum of ancient manuscripts, and the genocide memorial complex.

Day 13: Khor Virap – Noravank – Yerevan

Travel to Khor Virap monastery, where Armenia’s patron saint, Gregory the Illuminator, was imprisoned. Enjoy the views of the Ararat Mountain, then continue to Noravank monastery, situated within a breathtaking gorge. Later, arrive in the wine-producing village of Areni for lunch. Return to Yerevan.

Day 14: Yerevan - Ejmiatsin - Zvartnots

Tour the centuries-old monuments Ejmiatsin and Zvartnots, including the Cathedral of Ejmiatsin, and the seventh century Zvartnots Temple. On the return journey to Yerevan, visit the village of Parakar, enjoy a traditional Armenian lunch, and participate in a traditional arishta noodle-making masterclass. Later join a farewell dinner at an Armenian restaurant.

Day 15: Depart

Tour ends in Yerevan.