IRAN, Historical  ARMENIA, GEORGIA
10 night / 11 day

DAY 1 – July 25 – Friday

Depart for Iran
On the way: The day begins with a tour to the Southern part of Armenia.
Driving through the fertile plains of the Ararat valley, you will reach Khor Virab Monastery – the beginning of the History of Christianity in Armenia, magnificently set against the towering slopes of Biblical Mount Ararat. This setting offers some of the most spectacular photo opportunities in all of Armenia.
The monastery is the site where St. Gregory the Illuminator was incarcerated and is a pilgrimage destination for every Armenian as well as for foreign believers.
On the way to Noravank, you will taste and enjoy a guided tour of the famous“Areni Winery.”  In Armenian, there is a famous saying that “Wine is bottled poetry”. Next, we will take the path through the narrow gorge, revealing  Noravank Monastery, nestled inside the deep red landscape of the tuf stone mountains.
Lunch will be served in the historic 12th c. refectory of Noravank Monastery.
Tatev Monastery
Next  is a visit to Yeghegnadzor; Sisian one of the richest town with historical monuments; 
Goris nestled in a bowl of green hills and mountains
Overnight in Goris: Check in
Dinner

DAY 2 – July 26- Saturday

Breakfast served
Check out from the hotel
Border Meghri  (Armenian – Iranian Border)
Lunch/Picnic
Enroute visit to Julfa - St Stepanos Monastery - Marand - Continue to Tabriz.
Transfer to the hotel and check in.
Overnight in Tabriz, Dinner

Day 3 - July 27 - Sunday

Breakfast served
Depart for Western Armenia (Turkey)
Check out from the hotel

Tabriz is admired  for its beautiful monuments, Kondovan Village
City tour in Tabriz to visit Blue Mosque.
Lake Urmia – Gonbad – Salmas – Khoy - Ghara Kelisa (Pilgrimage to St.Thaddaeus Monastery)
Lunch
Border Maku – crossing the Turkish border (Iranian – Turkey Border)
Bayazet - Transfer to the hotel and check in.
Overnight in  Bayazet, Dinner

Day 4 – July 28 - Monday

Breakfast served
Check out from the hotel
Dougbayazid it was settled by Armenians in the Daroynk Fortress during the times of the Kingdom of Urartu (over 3000 years ago);
Panoramic view of Mt. Ararat from the Western Armenia
Berkry Waterfall - the pleasant waterfall to the northeast not surprisingly  has plenty of fish restaurants serving local delicacies.
Lunch
Van – city tour
Overnight in Van, Dinner

Day 5 – July 29 - Tuesday

Breakfast served 
Check out from the hotel
Van-Tushpa one of the ancient and the first capital of Great Armenia in the second millennium B.C., ancient fortress of Van Kingdom, Mher's Door - with the famous Urartian cuneiform inscription. This city is set in a verdant oasis at the foot of a rocky peak. An imposing 9th century B.C. citadel overlooks the new and the old parts of town. Steps carved in the tock lead to the Urartian fortress. Halfway up the steps, inscriptions in cuneiform pay homage to Xerxes.  Within the fortress are several Urartian royal rock tombs.
The exotic  Van Cat, protected specie, has thick white fur and one blue and one green eye. 
Lake Van is at an altitude of 1720 meters and  is ringed by beautiful mountains.
Mount Sipham (4058 meters) is on the northwest side.
Forty one kilometers southwest of Van - Akhtamar island ,on which only the majestic 10th century Holy Cross Church has survived and has been renovated; every place with a breathtaking view of Lake Van as it has been said “Van is in this World - Paradise is in the Next”;  
Varagavank -  about 10km east of the town of Van  are the remains of the once huge complex of Varagavank Monastery, known by locals as Yedi Kilise or Yedikilise (Seven Churches), reflecting it's past glory. The ruins are still worthy of a visit. A few churches of the monastery remain in various states of collapse, two without roofs, one with frescoes, and some nice carved crosses, particularly along the front under the arches. Once the best known monastery of Vaspurakan and seat of the Archbishop of Van, the monastery takes it's name from Mt. Varag (now Erek Dagi), whose southern slopes it rests on. The monastery was destroyed by the Turkish army on April 30th 1915, during the siege of Van.
Lunch in Van
Datvan – Mt. Nemrut makes a challenging climb. In its center a deep crater bubbles with volcanic hot springs. Mush the center of both Paganism and Christianity in Armenia.
Overnight in Mush, Dinner

Day 6 – July 30 - Wednesday

Breakfast served
Check out from the hotel
Mush valley  a rarely found natural setting, being in the highest region of the area, in present  in Turkey too. Plain has a natural beauty, with lakes and greenery between high mountains; especially it's very famous for its tulips. Many Armenians were inspired by the landscapes of "blanket of tulips" (Mush valley) and created their masterpieces.
Sulukh Bridge - with 12 arches.
Lunch
Visit to the remains of St. Garabed Monastery, in the mountains of Mush.
About 8 km east of the town of Mush is situated St. Arakelots Church. According to local tradition, and also recorded in a document dated 1079, Arakelots monastery was founded in the 4th century by Saint Gregory the Illuminator to house various relics he received in Rome. Those relics (which included the left arms of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and right arm of the apostle Andrew) account for the monastery's name. Most of the monastery was contained within a circuit of high walls. Behind those walls was a large church with a dome, a a three-tiered bell tower that stood in front of the church, two chapels to the north and south of the large church, and various monastic accommodations and ancillary buildings. A little to the south, and outside the walls, was a second domed church. If you hope to experience this unrepeatable monastery let's muster up our courage to do it.      
Erzrum – is one of the largest city  in area, sprawls on a high plateau at an altitude of 1950 meters.
Overnight in Erzrum, Dinner

Day 7 – July 31 – Thursday

Breakfast served
Sarikamish this is the site of a famous battle between the Russian and Turkish forces (19th).
Kars - City Tour (walk).  Kars is a town that is dominated by the ruins of the ancient castle, sits at the top a rocky hill over-looking Kars and St. Arakelots (Holy Apostles) Cathedral(10th century), Armenian Old Houses & Kars Museum with the wide collection of antiquities. 
Lunch
About 42 kilometers east of Kars, on the ancient Silk Road is the medieval city Ani, one of the capital's of Armenia.Today the great City of Ani is in ruins... a ghost town, a mere shadow of the once world-renowned splendor of 1,000 years ago; can attract us even today; panoramic view of Mt. Ararat from the Western Armenia;
Overnight in Kars , Dinner

Day 8 – August 1 - Friday

Breakfast served
Depart for Georgia
Kars – city tour

Ardahan - the history of this territory is traced back to later than the 8th century BC.
The Kur river divides Ardahan and separates the ancient part on one side from the new city on the other. A  16th century castle is one of the most stately citadels  with 14 towers and a span of 745 meters, stands in the old part of the city.
To the north of Ardahan via Posof   lies the border gate Turkey – Georgia
Lunch in Akhaltsikhe
We drive through Borjomi to visit the National park and taste the famous Borjomi mineral water.
Overnight in Bakuriani- famous ski resort (2100m) in the winter and walker’s paradise in the summer.
Overnight in Bakuriani - Dinner

Day 9 – August 2 - Saturday

Breakfast served
Walking along Bakuriani park  - Depart from Bakuriani.
Drive to Gori -  Uplistsikhe (“the Lord’s citadel”) is a  cave town dated to the 7thc. B.C. where you can see a big hall for pagan rituals and a church of the 9th c. It served as a strategic point on the Silk Road from ancient times until the 15th c A.D.,
Lunch
Mtskheta. Jvari - the unique paragon of architecture and landscape mixture-the church of 6th-7th centuries.  Svetitskhoveli - the greatest church in Georgia and the unique masterpiece of architectural art;
Tbilisi  - Rest – Walking tour in Rustavelli Avenue
Overnight in Tbilisi - Dinner

Day 10 – August 3 - Sunday

Breakfast served
A full-day city tour of Tbilisi  -  capital of Georgia from the 5th C A.D
Armenians  in Tiflis  - cultural tour.Khogivanq, St. Gevorg Church – Sayat Novas Tomb, Narikala Fortress
Sameba – the Cathedral of 20th c. represents the synthesis of traditional styles dominating the Georgian church architecture at various stages of its history, but also contains several innovations. Metekhi Church (13th century) with the equestrian statue of the city’s royal founder standing above the steep cliffs of the Kura (Mtkvari) River is one of the classic images of Old Tbilisi. Abanotubani (Baths` district) - Fed by naturally hot mineral waters, the sulphur baths have been an essential part of Tbilisi life for centuries. Walk along Shardeni Street,
Lunch.
Sioni Cathedral (7th century) is considered one of the most sacred places in the country since it houses the holy cross of St Nino, the young woman who converted Georgia to Christianity in the early 4th century.
Overnight in Tbilisi - Dinner

Day 11 – August 4 - Monday

Breakfast served – Check out
Departure for Sadakhlo border. (Georgian – Armenian Border)
On the way, through retained ancient village setting on the slope of the hill, you will get acquainted with inhabitant’s life. After descending from this area, we follow the road of two magical and beautiful monasteries: Sanahin and Haghpat, where artistic merits transcend the limits of the national culture.
Lunch will be served in the restaurant of  Alaverdy
Return to Yerevan – Check in

Single supplement is 290Euro


TOUR PRICE INCLUDES

1. Full transportation and transfers in Armenia/Iran/Turkey/Georgia  as specified in itinerary
2. Meals as specified in itinerary (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
3. Tour guide
4. Hotel Accommodation
5. Entrance fees to museums and sightseeing destinations

NOTE: the price does not include visa fee for Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia

For individual and family arrangements or details,
please refer your enquiry to: info@simatours.com

BOOKING FORM

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