On this day we explore Yerevan, Armenia’s ancient (the earliest recorded settlement dates back to 782 B.C.! of the oldest cities in the world, a city of Christian cathedrals) and young capital (airports, theatres and museums, universities and academies, parks and research labs, squares and industrial sites and, finally, of art-loving and sophisticated people..) We will see manuscripts decorated by medieval painters, explore traditional houses hidden behind imposing Soviet-style buildings.

Here are some highlights which we will visit and start to feel the city spirit.

• Republic Square • Opera House • The Matenadaran- the Research Institute of Armenia which houses beautiful illuminated manuscripts created centuries ago by scribes.
• National Art Gallery has a huge collection including Armenian artists as well as Russian and west European masterpieces
• The Tsitsernagaberd Monument and Museum-This monument commemorates the 1915 of around 1,5 million Armenians. It was built around 1965 and the monument and its eternal flame are pilgrimage sites for Armenians all around the world
• Sculpture and park of Hayastan” (panoramic view of Yerevan)

Tour to South Armenia: Khor Virap Monastery:
Khor Virap is a place of pilgrimage for Armenians all over the world. According to history, Armenian pagan king Trdat imprisoned Saint Gregory the Illuminator in a cave which became known as Khor Virap. He was the first Patriarch of all Armenians. From here one can enjoy the majestic view of Mount Ararat (where Noah’s ark landed according to the Bible), not too far from the Arax river. Khor Virap is the closest point to Mount Ararat from the territory of Armenia, the most convenient place for observing and taking pictures of the biblical mountain.

Proceed to Noravank Monastery Complex:
Noravank monastery is considered to be the pulpit of Syunik bishops. The main church of St. Karapet was built in 1227. The reliefs on the entrance tympanum and the windows on the western facade are very interesting from an architectural point of view. To the south of the complex one can see a two-storied sepulchre church built in 1339. This tomb monument can be traced to the 4th or 5th centuries. To the right of the entrance of the tympanum, one can find recently discovered stalactite caves. The monastery had been completely reconstructed and reopened in 1999. The magnificent landscape of mountains, surrounding the monastery, display a beautiful array of colours from the sun’s reflection.

Drive back to Yerevan. Areni village and Winery. Tour and tasting. Return to Yerevan.

Dilijan is a famous spa rich in curative mineral springs, some of which are comparable to those at Vichy in France and Davos in Switzerland. The surrounding mountains are covered by forests and Alpine meadows. The climate is rather mild with cool summers and warm sunny winters. Armenians believe that if there are woods, mountains and mineral springs in paradise, then paradise has to look like Dilijan. Its picturesque locality, healthy climate, mineral springs and rich flora attract many tourists.

Goshavank Monastery Complex:
The monastery can be reached by a road by way of Parz (Limpid) Lake which originates in Dilijan. Goshavank was built in the 12th c. by Mkhitar Gosh, the famous scientist of medieval Armenia, famous author of fables. The oldest construction of the complex is the Virgin church (1196). There are monumental khachkars next to the main church.

Trip to Sevan Lake - pearl of Armenia. Peninsula and churches of Sevan:
Sevan, this wonder of nature, is 60 Km from Yerevan on a highway which cuts northward through mountains and rocks. Sevan is so austere and majestic that the gentle turquoise waters are astonishing. They fill the gigantic depression situated at the height of almost 2000 m above sea level. Sevan, with its pure air and sandy beaches, is a popular holiday resort. Sevan has always been famous for its fish “Ishkhan” which means “prince-fish” in Armenian. The fish has graced many Lords’ tables in old times. One of the most interesting sites in Sevan is the monastery on the rocky peninsula founded in 874 AD by King Ashot I and his daughter Mariam. Other monuments include Sevan Monastery (874) and Astvatsatsin Church.

Drive to St. Echmiadzin (Holy See). En route – Hripsime Church:
This is a masterpiece of architecture and a marvellous example of cross-cupola architecture of the 7th century. Weddings and baptisms are performed here on Saturdays and Sundays. Remnants of very old constructions were discovered under the temple in 1959 while the temple was being restored. Virgin’s tomb lies here in the crypt of the church.

Cathedral of St. Echmiadzin (UNESCO World Heritage). Liturgy (on Sundays only). This oldest Christian temple was founded in 301 and is one of the first churches in the Christian World. Holy Mass takes place on Sundays in the Cathedral. It is an architectural monument of early Christianity. It houses a unique museum of religious artefacts. There is a small altar in the centre of the Cathedral where, according to legend, Christ descended from Heaven and with a golden hammer pointed to the site upon which the Cathedral was to be built. The remnants of a pagan temple have been discovered during excavations made inside the Cathedral.

En route – visit to Zvartnots temple (UNESCO World Heritage):
Zvartnots, built as Armenia’s main cathedral in 641-661, was to suppress Echmiadzin Cathedral by its grandeur and extraordinary artistic splendour. This determined by the size of the temple, its layout and spatial arrangement, its structural features and its decoration which emphasizes the central axis of the building and its upward sweep. The building consisted of three polyhedrons with rich ornamentation of outer walls and capitals. Zvartnots collapsed as the result of an earthquake in 930 and was never restored. A few years ago the columns of the first floor were restored. The international airport Zvartnots is only a few kilometres from the area where the “angels have fallen down.”

Day trip to Garni Pagan Temple and Geghard Monastery.
This pagan temple of Garni was built in 1st. c. AC and was devoted to one of the Armenian Pagan Gods - Mitra. After Armenia converted to Christianity in the 4th c., the rulers of the country used the temple as their summer residence. King Khosrov stayed there often as the area was his favourite hunting ground. Garni was destroyed when the Arabs conquered Armenia but was rebuilt in the beginning of the 10th c. Its final destruction came in 1638 during the Turkish invasion. A violent earthquake buried what remained from it in 1679. The complete restoration of the temple began in 1970 and was over in 1978. The temple consists of dwellings and bath quarters built in the 3rd century in the Roman style. The fantastic landscape of Garni canyon shakes the human imagination.

Proceed to Geghard Monastery (UNESCO World Heritage):
Geghard was initially known simply as Ayrivank (Cave Monastery). The present buildings comprising it date back to 10-13th cc., at which time it was renamed as Geghard meaning “lance” (spear) in Armenian. The name refers to the biblical lance used by a Roman soldier to pierce Christ’s body to find out if he was alive or not. The lance was kept in Geghard for a long time before being moved to the museum of Echmiadzin Cathedral. The main church, constructed in 1215, is the oldest building in the monastery complex. Avazan church, 1283, is carved right into the solid rock and is an incomparable work of art. It leads to a rectangular portico and then to another church deeper in the rock. Along the southern and eastern walls of the monastery, high above the valley, medieval dwellings appear. The monastery has withstood many assaults during a period of seven hundred years. Its walls have sheltered many scholars and it was revered throughout Armenia as one of the greatest spiritual and cultural centers in the country. Hundreds of khachkars (cross-stones) and caves are built in the rocks surrounding the Monastery.

Return to Yerevan city centre where you will have fee to time to visit The Central Fruit Bazaar “Shuga” - Take a walk through the huge central market in Yerevan, and Vernissage (souvenirs, arts and crafts market).

Areni Village, Vayots Dzor Region

• Exhibition and tasting of traditional dishes;

• Armenian specialized restaurants and independent chiefs represent the traditional Armenian holidays and national cuisine along with other nationals;

• 13 church holidays will be introduced for the exhibition-tasting, with their peculiar dishes.

Sardarapat, Armavir Region

• You will have the exclusive opportunity to taste different types of Tolma cooked by representatives of different villages and regions. Tolma is peculiar in every region each having its own flavor prepared with special spices.

Tsaghkunq village, Lake Sevan, Gegharkunik Region

• Become the participants of national games (team building) devoted to "Navasard" holiday;

• Taste delicious traditional food prepared in the ground oven & on the fireplace;

• Feel the Artistic nature of the by national Armenian dances and songs ensembles through the animated spectacles.

Akhtalla, Lori Region

• September 7th - "Rock" Concert;

• September 8th and 9th - the main Barbeque Festival;

• Competition between the chiefs;

• Discover the various ways of Barbeque cooking; "Barbeque in the fireplace", "Barbeque on the horizontal bar", "Barbeque in the hole" (shepherd barbeque), "Barbeque in ground oven", etc.

• Competitions for "The best taste", "The best look", "The best idea", "The best traditional barbeque";

• "Best BBQ" awards.

Areni Village, Vayots Dzor Region

• Armenian wine-maker's fair;

• Public and professional wine tasting;

• Business meetings;

• National music, dances, games, theatrical performances;

• Contests- "Armenia in your eyes" best wine label contest, "Gold keg" prize for the best wine among the best wine producers, "Wine tasting contest" among homemade wine producers, "The best souvenir of the festival" etc.