Wine Lovers Unite in Armenia

Wine Lovers Unite in Armenia

Are you Wine Lover? If yes, then during these 8 days you'll make an unforgettable journey through Armenia. You will learn about the culture, traditions, food, drinks and lifestyle of Armenians. You will have an opportunity to bake Armenian national bread Lavash, taste Armenian wine and cheese, see ancient monasteries, churches, temples, be the part of the astonishing nature.

Itinerary

Day 1: Evening walk in Yerevan

Stop At: Tavern Yerevan, 5 Amiryan St, Yerevan 0010, Armenia
We will have Armenian delicious national dishes for dinner.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Dancing Fountains, Republic Square, Yerevan 0013 Armenia
The singing and dancing fountains at the Republic Square of Yerevan attract both travelers and locals. Operating between spring and fall, the fountains include a colorful light show and feature not only classical music, but also pop, rock and jazz.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel

Day 2: Khor Virap - Noravank - Bird Cave - Zorats Church - Areni - Yeghegnadzor

Stop At: Khor Virap, Artashat, Lusarat Armenia
Khor Virap is one of the most popular destinations in Armenia, because it is where St. Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years before curing King Trdat III of a disease. This caused the conversion of the king and Armenia into the first officially Christian nation in the world in the year 301.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Noravank Monastery, Areni Armenia
Noravank is a 13th-century Armenian monastery, located in a narrow gorge made by the Amaghu River, near the town of Yeghegnadzor. 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 Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building, one of the earliest examples of cantilever architecture.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: T'rchuneri (Bird) Cave, Highway, At the Entrance To Noravank Canyon, Areni Armenia
The excavation is located above the Arpa River, inside a Karst Cavern made from tens of thousands of years of mineral water dripping into limestone crevices.
It consists of three rooms or halls, the first two of which are connected by passageways. There are also niches and “basement” and “attic” floors opening upward and downward from the first room. The total area of the cave is about 500 square meters.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Zorats Church, Yeghegis Road, Yeghegis Armenia
Zorats Church (literally, Soldier Church) sits on a hill overlooking the river. Recent excavations have uncovered a number of foundations from the early medieval times, when a monastery was established.
A number of rough tomb stones lie on the ground in front of the church, and they are quite revealing; each bears a carefully carved eye hole at one end. The purpose for these holes is unclear, though researchers believe the stones are ancient and that they suggest this is a very old worship site, converted to Christian use at an early age.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Areni Wine Factory, Areni Armenia
Founders Armen and Ashkhen will tell us about their wine factory and will allow us to taste different kinds of Armenian wine.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a guest house.

Day 3: Vardenyats Pass - Hayravank - Sevanavank - Haghartsin - Dilijan

Stop At: Vardenyats Pass (Selim Pass), M10 Highway, Geghhovit Armenia
Vardenyats pass (Selim) is an ancient caravanserai. The building served as a place where caravans who moved from Europe to the East stopped for an overnight stay.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Hayravank Monastery, Hayravank Armenia
Hayravank is a 9th to 12th century Armenian monastery located along the southwest shores of Lake Sevan.
Surrounding the monastery are numerous khachkars and gravestones that are part of a small cemetery. To the northwest a short distance from the site, are the remains of Bronze Age through medieval fortification walls and foundations of a settlement. A polished black vessel of the Early Bronze Age was discovered during archaeological excavations in the area. Weapons of metal and stone, tools, clay idols, numerous vessels, fireplaces and two tombs, all from the Iron Age were discovered in the vicinity as well.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Monastery Sevanavank, next the Holy Mother of God Church, Sevan Armenia
Sevanavank is a monastic complex located on a peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan.
According to an inscription in one of the churches, the monastery of Sevanavank was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Haghartsin Monastery, Dilijan Armenia
Haghartsin is a 13th-century monastery located near the town of Dilijan. It is located in a rainforest on a mountainside.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at guest house.

Day 4: Ijevan - Goshavank - Yerevan

Stop At: Ijevan Wine Factory, 9 Yerevanian Street, Ijevan, Armenia
Ijevan Wine-Brandy Factory is a leading enterprise of Armenia for the production of wine, fruit wine and cognac. The factory was opened in 1951 in Ijevan during the Soviet period.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Goshavank Monastery, Gosh Armenia
Goshavank is a 12th- or 13th-century Armenian monastery located in the village of Gosh. The impressive monastery which has remained in relatively good condition also houses one of the world's finest examples of a khachkar.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Club, 40 Tumanyan St, Yerevan 0010, Armenia
The Club is a Restaurant, where guests can savor delicious modern Armenian cuisine while enjoying Armenian, European and New World wines from an extensive list, including the ones from The Club’s own Trinity Canyon Vineyards.
Every evening is unique at The Club, with performances by the city’s most fascinating musicians.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel

Day 5: Erebuni - Etchmiadzin - Zvartnots - Yerevan

Stop At: Erebuni Museum, Erebuni St, 38, Yerevan Armenia
The Museum stands at the foot of the Arin Berd hill, on top of which the Urartian Fortress Erebouni has stood since 782 BCE. The City-Fortress was excavated, some parts of the structure were reinforced and restored, and the fortress was turned into an outdoor Museum.
A cuneiform inscription testifies that the city was built by Argishti I the King of Urartu in 782 BCE. The majority of the fortress was built from raw bricks. The citadel was encircled by strong walls in some places built in three rows. The temple of God Khaldi occupied an important place in the fortress. The walls of the temple were decorated with numerous frescos. Archeologists have found giant karasses (pitches for storage of wine) buried in the ground.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Vagarshapat, Vagharshapat, Armenia
According to most scholars Etchmiadzin was the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia, and is often considered the oldest cathedral in the world. The original church was built in the early fourth century—between 301 and 303 according to tradition—by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Machanents Tourism And Art, 36 Shahumyan Street, Vagharshapat Armenia
In a cozy corner of the Cherry Trees' street of Ejmiatsin (holy capital of Armenia) is situated Machanents House.
Here in one place are around 9 galleries and museums: “Children’s gallery”, “Grigor Machanents”, Endza” and "Machanents International Art” galleries, "World poets' Winery" museum which is unique in the world, “Heart Voices” museum and etc.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Zvartnots Temple, Vagharshapat Armenia
Zvartnots Cathedral (literally 'celestial angels cathedral') is a 7th-century centrally planned aisled tetraconch type Armenian cathedral built by the order of Catholicos Nerses the Builder.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Maran Winery Shop, 18 Vagharsh Vagharshyan St, Yerevan, Armenia
The origins of Maran date back to 1828-30, when Sargis, son of Eynat and his wife Maran repatriated from Persia to the Armenian province of Vayots Dzor. In 1860 Harutyun, Sargis’s son, expanded the vineyard his parents had planted and called it Marani as a tribute to his mother. And after almost 200 years the traditions of Maran winemaking still live, encapsulated in our beloved wines "Noravank", "Bagratuni", "Areni Marani" and many others...
The company sales grape and pomegranate wines in Armenia and abroad.

Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel

Day 6: Divine Underground - Geghard - Garni - Yerevan

Stop At: Master Levon's Divine Underground, Village Arinj 5th St, 9th House, Arinj Armenia
Mr. Levon, received a vision in a dream and spent the rest of his life pursuing it. For 23 years, 16-18 hours a day, Levon used rudimentary tools to tunnel under his house and create an incredible underground maze with chapels, niches, and wall carvings.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Monastery of Geghard, Geghard Armenia
Geghard is a medieval monastery, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with enhanced protection status.
The monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery Road H3, Garni Armenia
An Ionic pagan temple located in the village of Garni. It is the best-known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia. The structure was built by king Tiridates I in the first century AD as a temple to the sun god Mihr.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel

Day 7: Voskevaz - Amberd - Saghmosavank - Yerevan

Stop At: Voskevaz Winery, Voskevaz 0220 Armenia
We will taste wine in Voskevaz winery which is located at the foothill of Armenia's highest mountain Aragats.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Amberd Fortress, Byurakan Armenia
Amberd is a 10th-century fortress located 2,300 meters above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Aragats at the confluence of the Arkashen and Amberd rivers. The name translates to "fortress in the clouds" in Armenian.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Saghmosavank Monastery, Artashavan 0211 Armenia
The Saghmosavank is a 13th-century Armenian monastic complex located in the village of Saghmosavan. Saghmosavank is situated atop the precipitous gorge carved by the Kasagh river. Their silhouettes dominate the adjacent villages and rise sharp against the background of the mountains crowned by Mount Aragats.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: In Vino, 6 Martiros Saryan St, Yerevan, Armenia
We will have a dinner in In Vino, which is the first wine club, merchant and bar in Armenia. In Vino offers more than 850 wines from Armenia and all over the world.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel

Day 8: Yerevan

Stop At: Vernissage Market, Northern Avenue 6/2, Yerevan 0013 Armenia
Vernissage is a big open air market which offers traditional Armenian jewelry, souvenirs, handicrafts and many other items. Here one can get bags, t-shirts, hats with typical Armenian pattern. Almost everything is handmade.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.