South of Armenia in the Guinness record book SIC

Day 1: Friday: Arrival. Transfer to the selected hotel.

Day 2: Saturday: Tsaghkadzor (Kecharis, Ropeway*), Lake Sevan, Dilijan (Goshavank, Haghartsin), Ijevan winery - Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Tsakhkadzor town, the magical place of forested mountains. Visit to Kecharis Monastery. Optional: opportunity to go up to the mountain peaks by rope way, (at extra charge 5$ per ticket for going up the first level and back). Drive to Sevan, one of the greatest high mountainous freshwater lakes of Eurasia. Photo stop to make pics for sweet memories. Visit Sevanavank monastery, which stands in its greatness on the peninsula overlooking the lake for centuries. Drive to Dilijan or so called “Armenian Switzerland”. Visit Haghartsin Monastery (11-13th century) and Goshavank Monastery (11th -13 th cc), famous for the carved stone, which is a rare monument that belongs to the series of "embroidered khachkars" (cross stone). Visit to "Ijevan wine and Brandy factory’’. Tasting of different types of wine. Drive back to Yerevan. O/N in Yerevan.

Day 3: Sunday: Echmiadzin (Hripsime, Gayane, Mother Cathedral, Sunday liturgy), Zvartnots - Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Etchmiadzin City, which is used to be the ancient capital of Armenia. Etchmiadzin cathedral is one of the ancient churches in the Christian world, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (2000), it is the center of Armenian Apostolic Church. The museum of the Cathedral, located behind the Altar, has collection of religious artifacts about Holy Mass, subjects made of gold, silver, precious stones, decorations, colossal silver boiler for making the myrrh and legendary Holy spear. Visit the majestic St. Gayane Church and St. Hripsime Church. A trip to one of the architectural wonders of Armenia: Zvartnots temple (641-661 BC) the temple of "Vigil Forces", which got its name from the word "Zwart", which translated from Armenian means "joyful and beautiful." The temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2000). Drive back to Yerevan. O/N in Yerevan.

Day 4: Monday: Yerevan - Saghmosavank - Alphabet park - Amberd - Karmravor - Oshakan - Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the monastery complexes of Saghmosavank, situated on the edge of the precipitous gorge of the Kasakh river. Continuation to Alphabet park - a location where all letters of Armenian alphabet made from tuff of human-size are scattered around volcanic stones. Visit to the Amberd fortress,
Welcome to the country of magnificence...meaning "fortress in the clouds" in Armenian. Visit small church Karmravor in Ashtarak town. Drive to Oshakan, a typical Armenian village with preserved traditions and lifestyle. The major sightseeing spot of Oshakan village is St. Mesrop Mashtots Church. The relics of Mesrop Mashtots, the founder of the Armenian alphabet (V c.), lie here. Drive back to Yerevan. O/N in Yerevan.

Day 5: Tuesday: Noravank - Tatev - Ropeway, Karahunj (Zorats Karer) – Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive through the spectacular canyon between the red rocks toward Noravank Monastery (13th c.), a major religious and cultural center, is closely connected with Gladzor’s famed university and library. Ride on the longest ropeway in the world (5,7 km), recorded in Guinnes record book, over the canyons to the monastery of Tatev. It is one of the unique and beautiful monasteries in Armenia, located on the steep of deep gorge surrounded with very strong settings. Drive back to Yerevan. On the road visit Karahunj (Zorats Karer or Dig Dig stones) prototype of English Stonehenge. O/N in Yerevan.

Day 6: Wednesday: Garni – Geghard – Lavash baking - Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the only remaining pagan temple in Armenia devoted to the God of Sun – Myrth, in Garni, surrounded by Canyon of Garni - magnificent and outstanding scene which creates the image of falling crags. It obtained the name "Symphony of Stones" due to its view. Visit to the ruins of Royal Palace and Royal bath-house nearby. Drive to the unique caved temple St. Geghard (12th -13th cc.), the name of which means “holy spear” in the honor of the long-preserved spear, the same spear that pierced the body of crucified Christ. Watching of “Lavash” (Armenian traditional flat bread baked in stone-make oven) making process in local village house. Drive back to Yerevan. O/N in Yerevan.

Day 7: Thursday: Yerevan City Tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Yerevan City Tour: City center, Republic square, Opera, Mother Armenia Monument. Visit to Cascade complex, which is considered the modern art center of Yerevan, with art pieces displayed throughout the whole area: the boulevard and up the stairs, from top of which you can enjoy the panoramic view on the city and Mountain Ararat. Cascade is home to Cafesjan modern art museum. This place becomes even more charming in the evenings, when it is full of people, both locals and tourists from all over the world, enjoying the magic and the warmth of the capital. You will enjoy spending time in one of the cozy open-air cafes surrounded by beautiful sculptures, redolent flowers shining brightly with magic colors. It is also a popular place for open air concerts at summer season. Visit to the fortress ruins of Erebuni, founded during the Urartian Kingdom by the King Argishti in 782 BC and the Erebuni museum. Visit to local market. Visit to Armenian handmade carpet factory with possibility to watch the production of the rugs. Very interesting one hour tour around Armenian brandy factory offers tourists familiarization
Welcome to the country of magnificence...with the history of the plant, process of brandy preparation, showrooms and halls of storages. Visitors will also have degustation of 2 types of brandy of different age in degustation hall. Continuation to Shopping Mall “Armenian brands’’, (optional for shopping). O/N in Yerevan.

Day 8: Friday: Transfer to the Airport. Departure

Note:

• In case of arrival on Saturday excursion to Tsakhkadzor - Lake Sevan - Dilijan - Haghartsin and Goshavank monasteries - "Ijevan wine and Brandy factory" will be replaced with excursion to Lake Sevan (Sevanavank), Dilijan (Goshavank, Haghartsin)
• In case of arrival on Sunday excursion to Etchmiatsin – Zvartnots will be replaced with excursion to Matenadaran, Echmiadzin (Hripsime, Gayane, Mother Cathedral), Cultural-Creative center CAU, Zvartnots
• In case of arrival on Tuesday excursion Noravank – Tatev – Karahunj (Zorats Karer or Dig Dig stones) will be replaced with excursion to Shaki waterfall, Tatev (Ropeway) and Areni winery