Day 1 Baku
Arrival in Baku, a city of over two million inhabitants on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Hotel rooms available at 15.00. Free time.

Tip: Dust is washed off on the trip at the traditional Taza Bay hamam, just outside the old town, where you can hire your own bath attendant. http://www.tazebey.az/homeen.htm

Day 2 Baku – Gobustan – Baku ( 130 km )
At 10.00 a driving and walking tour of Baku starts in the Old City. The prosperity brought by oil is clearly visible in Baku’s cityscape today, and the city has made its living mainly from the oil industry since the 19th century. The real architectural gem of the tour is the Icheri Sheheriin, a quaint medieval old town located next to the Maiden’s Tower. Icheri Sheheri is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the Middle East. In the afternoon, drive to Gobustan, about an hour’s drive to see the petroglyphs of Gobustan National Park. Many of these stone carvings and drawings, thousands of years old, tell of a time when the local climate was more temperate and the vegetation more lush. Gobustan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Baku and free time. (A)

Tip: For an unforgettable night of music, head to a jazz club in Baku.
http://www.jazz.az/

Day 3 Baku – Absheron peninsula – Baku 80 km
09.00 am Meeting with your guide. Visit to the Green Bazaar followed by a drive to Surakhan, where you will visit the temple of Ateshgah or Zoroastrian fire. So there are many reasons, new and old, to call Azerbaijan the land of fire. Return to Baku and visit the Heydar Aliyev Centre (A).

Day 4 Baku – Sheki 340 km
Check-in. At 09.00 a.m. meeting with the guide. Drive to Sheki, a remarkable city at the crossroads of historic silk roads and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the way visit the town of Shamakhi which is one of the oldest towns in Azerbaijan. Conquered and destroyed by the Mongols in 1222, it became the capital of the Shirvan (Şamaxı) Khanate in the mid-1700s. In 1805 the region was annexed to Russia. Arrival in Sheki in the afternoon, sightseeing in the city. Accommodation in hotel.

Day 5 Tbilisi – Ladodekhi – Signagi – Bodbe – Tbilisi 280 km

Handover of rooms. At 09.00 the drive to Georgia starts. At about 11.00 am arrival at the border with Azerbaijan. A guide and driver will be waiting for you on the Georgian side. The journey to Tbilisi passes through the Kakheti Governorate which is a wine producing region of Georgia. The first stop is in the town of Signagi. Sighnaghi is home to a number of historical and cultural sites and has been under special state protection since 1975. The town is surrounded by the remains of 17th century fortified walls. Later, a visit to St Nino’s Church. Arrival in Tbilisi at the end of the evening. Accommodation in hotel. (A)

Day 6 Tbilisi
Sightseeing tour of Tbilisi. During the tour you will see different religious buildings – churches, synagogues and mosques. You will take a walking tour of the oldest part of the city, which, with its narrow alleys and leaning wooden beams, are reminiscent of the Caucasus of yesteryear. You will stop to see the Metekhi Church, built in the late 1200s and restored several times. The church was built by King Vakhtang Gorgasali (who, according to legend, founded the city of Tbilisi) as early as the 400s. Next, you will visit one of the city’s old baths, built directly on top of a hot spring. Many people come here to treat their skin or rheumatism, for a massage or just to relax. Hotel accommodation in Tbilisi. (A)

Day 7 Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Uplistsikhe – Tbilisi 240 km

At 09.00 a meeting with the guide. Drive to Mtskheta (UNESCO), one of the oldest cities in Georgia. Sightseeing tour of the city. Mtskheta has numerous attractions. The Cathedral of Svetiskhovel, built in the 1000’s, dominates the cityscape. According to tradition, the robe of Christ is buried there and the first church in the country was built there in the 300s. King Vakhtang I replaced the earlier wooden church with a stone church in the 500s, and its remains are still standing. The present church became the burial place of the kings of eastern Georgia. It was damaged by Timur Len’s troops in the late 1300s.
Later, visit the ancient rock-hewn city of Uplistsikhe and the 600s church of Atenis Zion, located near the city of Gori. The Silk Road passed through Uplistikhe. Later, a visit to a winery for a tour and wine tasting. Return to Tbilisi.
Overnight in Tbilisi. (A)

Day 8 Tbilisi – Sadakhlo border – Lake Sevan – Yerevan 325 km

At 09.00 a meeting with the guide. Drive to the Georgia-Armenia Sadakhlo/Bagratash border. Change of vehicle and guide at the border. Visit to the UNESCO 900’s Byzantine fortified monastery complex of Haghpatavank. Drive to Yerevan via Lake Sevan. Lake Sevan, at an altitude of almost 2,000 metres, is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. The lake is also famous for its medieval church on its shores. Arrival in Yerevan in the evening with hotel accommodation. (A)

Day 9 Yerevan – Echmiadzin – Yerevan 100 km
After breakfast at 09.00, meet your guide and drive to Echmiadzin Cathedral. St. Echmiadzin is the center of spirituality of all Armenia and one of the centers of Christianity in the world. Return to Yerevan, on the way we will stop at the Temple of Zvartnots, a jewel of 600th century architecture, also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Return to Yerevan. Overnight in Yerevan. (A)

Optional and extra charge excursion to Ararat Brandy factory: visit a brandy factory in Yerevan, where you will taste brandies from different years. These brandies have been the pride of the country for generations and have become a symbol of Armenia worldwide. For years, Stalin offered Armenian brandy to Winston Churchill. 2 brandy tastings €15/person. 3 brandy tastings €40/person.

Day 10 Yerevan – Garni – Geghard – Yerevan 80 km

At 09.00 a meeting with the guide. Drive to Matendaran – the manuscript museum. In addition to books and manuscripts, the museum has miniatures dating back hundreds of years. The collection of miniatures is about 15 000 pieces and is unique in the world. Drive to Garn.

The Temple of Garn is the only pagan temple of Hellenistic classical architecture in Armenia to have been restored to its original form. It was built in the 100s AD. The temple was built in 100 BC in honour of the god Mithra. After Armenia adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301, Garn became the summer residence of the kings with Roman-style baths. The temple was built according to the principles of sacral architecture, where the ratio 1/3 is important.

Before returning to Yerevan, visit Geghard Monastery. The monastery, partly built into the rock, is also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Some of the churches in the monastery complex have been completely excavated from the rock, while others are elaborate buildings with architecturally complex exterior walls and rooms deep in the rock (A).

Day 11 Yerevan

A shuttle service to the airport is available at an additional cost. Return home. (A)

Hotel in Azerbaijan
Deniz Inn Baku – standard
Azcot Hotel Baku – comfort
Hotel Issam In Sheki– standard
Sheki Palace Sheki – comfort

Hotel in Georgia
Gureli Hotel Tbilisi – standard
Solo Palace Tbilisi – comfort

Hotel in Armenia
Cascade Hotel Yerevan – standard
Ani Central Inn Hotel Yerevan – comfort