Below you’ll find itinerary details, useful information and instructions for your airport pickup. Please read carefully!
Day 1 (August 31st): Yerevan, Armenia
Activities: Group orientation, city walking tour, evening out in Yerevan
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 2: Yerevan
Activities: Day trip to Zvartnots cathedral, Echmiadzin and Arinj village (Levon’s cave)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3: Areni/Vayk
Activities: Journey to the town of Areni/Vayk via the Khor Virap monastery
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day 4: Goris
Activities: Zorats Karer (the “Armenian Stonehenge”), the mountain village of Goris
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day 5: Goris
Activities: Visit to the 9th century Tatev monastery and surroundings
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6: Dilijan
Activities: Full day drive to Dilijan, visits to Sevan Lake, the Noratus tombstones and Sevanavank
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7: Tbilisi
Activities: Border crossing into Georgia, evening out in Tbilisi
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Day 8: Tbilisi
Activities: Visit to the ancient capital of Mtskheta, afternoon wander around Tbilisi
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 9: Gori
Activities: Uplistsikhe caves, monuments of Gori
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 10: Stepantsminda / Kazbegi
Activities: Full day drive through the stunning mountains to reach remote Stepantsminda
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Day 11: Stepantsminda / Kazbegi
Activities: 4WD tour through the mountains to the Gergeti Sameba Church
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day 12: Tbilisi
Activities: Return to the capital city with stops along the way
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 13: Tbilisi
Activities: Day trip to the Telavi wine region, Tsinandali Estate and wine tasting, farewell dinner back in Tbilisi
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Day 14 (September 13th): Tbilisi – Departure day
Activities: You’ll be transferred to the airport in time for your departing flight
Meals included: Breakfast
The above is a general outline and does not include every activity. There will be plenty more that you will be doing on this trip. We like to keep the tour flexible though by avoiding an hour-by-hour set schedule. We believe in that this style of travel is the most beneficial!
Also, most days include group activities and free time. Of course, your incredible guide, Masha, always be around to assist with free time, to provide recommendations and to help out in any way she can.
Once you land in Yerevan, you’ll learn more about the awesome experiences ahead!
Meet Masha Preslitskaya!
She’s experienced, knowledgeable, super-fun and honestly, one of the best guides you’ll ever come across. Masha will be with you every step of the way and as you’ll soon discover, she’ll work hard to ensure that you have the most memorable travel adventure possible.
A couple of weeks before the trip starts, we’ll send out details for you to join a WhatsApp group that will only be for members of this tour. Masha will start to communicate with you then, answer any specific questions and keep you in the loop at all times.
Visa: As you do not need any visas for Armenia or Georgia, simply bring your passport with you. Free entry visas will be provided upon arrival in each country.
Meals: For the included meals listed above, you may order a reasonable amount of food and non-alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is not included with these meals. For other meals that the group eats together, bills can usually be paid separately or we will simply collect all the money at the end of the meal to pay the total bill.
Packing: Packing lightly will make it easier to load up the van and will also be less of a hassle as you move from place to place. There may be times when you’ll need to walk with your luggage for a short while to reach our accommodation.
SIM cards: If you do not have an international plan for your phone, you can obtain a local SIM card upon arrival in Yerevan and again in Tbilisi so that you will have internet on your phone during the trip. Please bring a photocopy of the details page of your passport as this is sometimes needed to purchase a SIM card as a foreigner. It costs about $10 USD and Masha can assist once you arrive.
(The wifi at the hotels should range from excellent to decent.)
Local currency: As for exchanging money, the best method is via ATM machines which can be found in all cities and towns in both countries. This method ensures you’ll get the best exchange rate and you won’t have to carry around a large amount of cash. However, please check with your bank to make sure they don’t charge high foreign ATM fees.
If your bank fees are too high, you can also exchange USD, GBP or Euros at money exchange offices located in most cities and towns. On the days the trip visits smaller villages, you would want to make sure you already have local currency.
Please follow the below instructions upon arrival at Yerevan’s Airport:
Please note: Sometimes you are required to fill in a landing card upon arrival in Yerevan’s airport. Under the “Address in Armenia” section, you can enter the hotel details in Yerevan:
Holiday Inn Express Yerevan, 97, 2 Pavsttos Buzand Street, Yerevan / Tel: +374 60 404000
