SuomeksiArmenian villages and monasteries
Depart: 8th-16th of October 2010
Duration: 10 days and 9 nights.
Route: Helsinki - Riga - Jerevan - Echmiatzin - Khor Virap - Vayots Dzor - Dilijan - Gyumri - Ashtarak - Yerevan - Garni - Jerervan - Riga - Helsinki
Flights by Air Baltic
Price: 1 480 e
- accommodation in dbl rooms: hotel Best Western Congress Jerevan 4 nights, Dilijan Resort one night, hotel Dzoraget one night, hotel IsUz Guymi one night. On the way to Jerevan we will spend the first night in the aeroplane.
- Breakfasts and one meal/day
- City tour in Jerevan, Memorial of Armenian Genocide, historical museum, The famous market place in Jerevan Vernisage, Matenadata manuscript museum.
Hotels
Hotels
Hotel Congress (Best Western) is located near the centrum in the middle of a beautiful park. There are 126 rooms in the hotel and in each of them is a bathroom, air condition, satellite TV, phone, Internet and minibar. There is also a restaurant, bar and swimming pool in the hotel.
Hotel Dilijan resort is located in the beautiful city of Dilijan close to the mountains. There are 71 rooms in the hotel and in each of them is a bathroom, satellite TV, phone and minibar. There is also a restaurant, bar, conference rooms, gym and swimming pool in the hotel. www.hoteldilijan.am
Hotel IsUz in Gyumri is a small and cosy hotel, where are 12 rooms. Hotel locates in the center in the old, constructed house, where are two restaurant,s shop, hair dresser e.g. In rooms there are bath/shower, TV, internet and phone. www.isuz.am
Program
Friday 8th of October 2010
At 19.00 meeting the group at Helsinki airport. Tour leader has a sign Armenia. At 20.45 Air Baltic flight to Riga arriving at 21.50. At 00.30 flight to Jerevan arriving in the morning at 06.00.
Saturday 9th of October .2010
After arriving at Jerevan(local guide waiting for us at the airport) transfer to the hotel, where rest until the midday. After lunch city tour in Jerevan including visit historical museum and the Memorial of Armenian Genocide. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Sunday 10th of October 2010
Breakfast. We will drive to Echmiadzin the religious capital of
Monday 11th of October 2010
After breakfast w will start our trip to the South, to the area of Ararat. The first stop will be the monastery of Khor Virap which was build in the place where adoption of Christianity in Armenia happened in 301. It´s possible to take pictures of the mountain Ararat which is located on the area of Turkey. We will continue our trip to Vayots Dzor province, where we are going to see the monastery of Noravank. It is located on very beautiful place on the mountainside. Then we will continue to the village of Aren which is famous for its red wine. We will have a wine tasting. Then we will travel the Silk Road to the gorge of Suleim which is situated at the altitude of 2400m above the sea level. There is an old inn of caravans, Caravanserai, from the 1300 century. Then we will continue on the west side of the lake Sevan to Dilijan. On the way there we´ll visit the old church of Arakelots. Accommodation in Dilijan. Dinner.
Tuesday 12th of October 2010
After breakfast we will get to know handicraft and art shops in Dilijan and to a beuatiful city. After that our tour continues to the monastery of Goshavank which is located on the beautiful mountainside. The monastery works as a church for the parish and at the moment they are building rooms for pilgrims. On the way there we will stop by at the village of Old Believers who were "born" when Catherine the Second expelled them from Russia. Then our tour continues to the monastery of Haghpat where is also a church for the parish. Haghpat is on the Heritage sites of UNESCO. Then we will continue to Akhtal where are frescos from the Byzantine time. Journey to Dzoraget where is accommodation and dinnner.
Wednesday 13th of October 2010
After the breakfast we will drive to Gyumri which is the second large city and former capital of the country. There aren´t much left from the old buildings because the earthquake destroyed the city in 1988. There is an catholic orphanage which was found after the earthquake. Tour in the etnographic museum and after that accommodation and dinner. We are visiting Ashtarak where is an old church from the 700 century and it´s made of bricks. After that we will drive to Amberd fortress which is from the 800 century and is situated 2000m above the sea level.
Thursday 14th of October 2010
After breakfast we will start our journey back to Jerevan. On the way there we will visit the famous ruines of Amberd castle and the city of Ashtarak where is the oldest church of Armenia. Accommodation in Jerevan in the same hotel. Dinner.
Friday 15th of October 2010
After breakfast departure to the monastery of Gerghard where we will have church music concert and on the way back visit temple are of Garn. Back to Jerevan where we will visit the cognac factory called Ararat. We will also have tastings. Farewell dinner.
Saturday 16th of October 2010
Transfer to Jerevan airport where flight at 7.45 to Riga arriving at 9.35.
Flight to Helsinki departs at 13.00 arriving at 14.10.