Extreme Armenia, 2025 -10 days/11nights

On arrival, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN

Republic Square, Yerevan, the rose-colored capital, so called because most buildings use a pink shade of "tuf" stone, quarried in Armenia. 
Let’s start our acquaintance with the city of Yerevan by stepping through its ancient history at the Erebouni museum and Fortress, which was founded in 782 B.C. 
While we are driving we see many of the other remarkable landmarks in Yerevan as: Sports and Concert Complex, Kievian Bridge, Bagramyan Avenue, President’s Palace, Academy of Sciences, National Parliament, Opera Theater.
Next stop is Cascade, which is a huge white staircase built on the Yerevan hillside in the 1970s, with water fountains running down the sides, all reminiscent of a natural river or stream cascading. It connects the central district to Haghtanak Park -“Victory” Park to the center of the city. The structure has escalators so that it is unnecessary to manually ascend the stairs all the way to the top. Today you will enjoy a tour of the most enigmatic of cities, visiting the remarkable Matenadaran Library and Research Institute of Armenia which houses about 22000 rare manuscripts. This is one of the richest depositories of manuscripts and books in the world.
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

We embark on our journey to the land of ancient treasures of Christian history - Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (UNESCO) the "religious capital" and the seat of the Supreme Patriarch-Catholics of all Armenians. The story holds that the place where Noah made the fire after the flood is the site upon which the main Cathedral, one of the earliest Christian churches, was built. Nowadays, it is located in the lower chamber, underneath the main Altar of the Cathedral. Participation in DIVINE LITURGY
Then we will admire the Churches of Sts. Hripsime and Gayane (7th century) named after the faithful nuns, these churches are dedicated to these virgins, 3rd century followers of Christ who were martyred.
Next visit is to the Zvartnots Cathedral. The ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral are located on a flat plain within the Ararat Plateau between the cities of Yerevan and Etchmiadzin. Built in the middle of the 7th century, under the instructions of the Catholicos Nerses the III. 
Karas, the winery name, means ‘amphora’ in Armenian, it is seated under the eternal gaze of Mount Ararat where tradition and expertise come together. The visit of winery will be with testing and enjoying of variety Armenia wines … classic red, classic white, sparkling extra bruit, rose/sparkling semi-sweet dyutich 
Back to Yerevan
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

In Garni and Geghard, you can see many natural sights, the Azat canyon and Khosrov reserve are wonders of nature. They appear to be gigantic basalt “organ” in the rocks, where the stone symphony dies out.
Our first stop is Garni, the location of the rare pre-Christian pagan temple maintained in Armenia, dating from the 1st century AD is a splendid example of ancient architecture. 
Next is an enjoyable walk down to the Garni Canyon where one cannot help admiring the volcanic basalt formations and natural beauty. It’s like a “Symphony of stones'' – one of the most dramatic scenes in Armenia. 
Today there is an opportunity to follow the whole process of how one of the finest jewels of Armenian cuisine is crated in a tandoor from formless traditional table/lavash making: “Eat thy bread with joy”.
Master Class of Traditional Armenian bread “lavash” being baked in tonir (ground oven). The preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Then we will reach Geghard (Cave monastery) (UNESCO) architectural complex (12-13th centuries), carved out of one monolithic rock. Due to the extraordinary acoustics, when the local singer begins to sing in this chamber it is hard to believe a large choir isn’t singing… be aware it is only one man… 
Afterwards we’ll drive towards Lake Sevan - the emerald of Armenia. This is one of the planet’s largest high-alpine lakes. On arrival we will visit the lakeside churches of St. Arakelots (Apostles), which along with its neighbor the church of St. Astvatsatsin (Mother of God), present a spectacularly picturesque scene overlooking the lake itself. 
Drive to Dilijan: “A piece of Switzerland in Armenia” - Earth and sky, woods and fields, rivers, the mountains are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn otherwise…
OVERNIGHT IN DILIJAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

“Old Town Dilijan” complete with craftsmen workshops, small shops with traditional Armenian products and crafts, museum, showing typical 19th century living with all its local customs and handmade wood furnishings.....
Dilijan National Park is one of the four national parks of Armenia. 
We’ll also visit the Monasteries of Haghartsin and Goshavank (10-13th cc). All Cross Stones in Goshavank are remarkable due to their special type of handcraft work, called as "needle-made"- the pride of Armenian architecture. We continue our adventure through Tavush Region and our next visit is the astonishing Yenokavan village which is a unique summer resort in this region. The canyon near the village is lush with forests, rivers and has caves with ancient carvings.
OVERNIGHT in YENOKAVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

Today you’ll spend the whole day in Yell Extreme Park located in the heart of the astonishing Yenokavan village which is a great place for breathtaking views and unforgettable experiences, including fun activities for all ages. 
It is a unique destination where people can try various activities such as zip-line, paragliding, rope-park, via ferrata or horizontal climbing, zorbing, paintball, horseback riding, and off-road tours by truck. 
Surly zip-lining is the top-rated activity for today. During this activity, you can fly through the air on 5 zip-lines moving from one platform to another located on different mountains. The length of lines varies from 135 to 750 meters with a speed up to 80 km/h. The canyons and gorges that lie below the zip lines are about 200-300 meters high.
Let’s be prepared to spend an unforgettable day here.
OVERNIGHT in YENOKAVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch

Hiking trip to Lastiver
Lastiver is a 100-meters depth gorge covered with dense. There are several caves in the gorge with some petroglyphs; some not accessible easily. To reach the caves, people once built a long ladder of logs. In form, it is more like a dam than a ladder. Therefore, people used to call it Lastiver, which means “up the dam.”
At the end, the path will lead us to a beautiful waterfall, which is formed at the lowest point of the gorge. In good weather, we will have an opportunity to swim in the cool water streams of the river Khachaghbyur.
•    Length of the route – 7 km
•    Difficulty level – easy
After we will continue our trip driving to Lori Region.
OVERNIGHT IN ALAVERDY
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

This morning we’ll start with an ideal confluence of pure mountain air, the fragrant aroma of the woods and meadows, and the secluded natural environment. We will visit wonderful monasteries Haghpat and Aghtala.
The other Unesco World Heritage is the monastic complex of Haghpat which represents the highest flowering of Armenian religious architecture between the 10th and 13th centuries. This unique style developed from a blending of elements of Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture and the traditional vernacular architecture of the Caucasus. You’ll admire exquisite frescoes depicting scenes from life the of the Holy Mother of God at Akhtala Monastery,  a 10th-century fortified Armenian monastery perched on a hilltop by the north bank of the Debed River. 
RAFTING ON DEBED RIVER
The Debed River is 152 km long and presents a level 4 difficulty. The most favorable time for rafting, in terms of weather and water level, is the period from March to October. 
During the rafting trips we also usually have small hiking and water jumping. Life jackets and helmets are provided by the company.
OVERNIGHT IN ALAVERDY
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

During this day we’ll see one of the most beautiful mountains in Armenia Mt. Aragats. There are four summits Between South and East summits the crater wall is broken, and a stream flows down to the village of Aragats. A sharp ridge descends south from the South summit. Between the other summits are high saddles with sweeping views.  
After we’ll walk on the shores of amazing mountainous Lake Kari. Lake Kari a small crystal-clear lake, nestled close to southern peak of Mt. Aragats at a height of 3207m and covered mostly by snow and ice. 
We’ll visit the medieval fortress of Amberd which is a fortress complex with a church built on the slopes of Mt. Aragats at 2,300 meters above sea level in the 11-13 c.c. The church is slightly down the hill from the fortress, nearer to where the two streams join.
Artashavan – New Complex of Armenian Letters: “It is difficult to express the deep feeling Armenians have for their language, which many regard as the lifeblood of their culture”.
Next stop is Saghmosavank Monastery (Monastery of the Psalms) – is 13th century Armenian monastic complex, 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.
Back to Yerevan
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

We’ll depart Yerevan this morning and travel south, through the plains of Ararat to visit Khor Virap Monastery, magnificently set against the towering slopes of Biblical Mount Ararat, presenting us with some quite spectacular photo opportunities. The monastery is the site where St. Gregory the Illuminator was incarcerated and is a place of pilgrimage for many Armenian Christians. 
We also aim to visit the site of Noravank Monastery. Situated on a hill overlooking a twisted gorge, this is not only a place of breathtaking beauty, but also an architectural delight, that dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. 
Close by is the village of Areni, famed for its wine and surrounded by a landscape of towering peaks and we’ll have time to sample some of the local produce of this delightful mountain community, before returning to Yerevan.
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

Visit to Tsitsernakaberd memorial and museum to the 1915 Genocide, which is one of the most impressive monuments in Yerevan.
Visit to “MEGERIAN RUGS” Factory & Show room: Which brings together time-honored traditions and a range of exquisite aesthetics to create objects of art for modern living and you will become acquainted with the ancient technology of Armenian carpet making.
Visit to “NOY” ARARAT Brandy, Wine Factory:  “…one does not drink brandy, one derives pleasure from it.” Just let's do it in one of the oldies factories in "NOY" Yerevan Brandy factory, Tour and tasting

Later this afternoon we will stroll through the ‘Vernissage’, the bustling open air handicraft market. The Vernissage is the perfect place to get a little taste of Armenia and a unique scenario to witness the fusion between national traditions with contemporary taste You can find almost anything in this weekend open market Vernisage. In just a few blocks, you will see, besides art, carpets, old collections of coins and medallions, jewelry, music, books, carved wood, lace, embroidery, ceramics, posters, food, tools, parts for electronics and even pets. It is open year round.

Today you say goodbye to Armenia. Still you will carry a lot of amazing memories with you back home.

FAREWELL DINNER IN A TYPICAL ARMENIAN RESTAURANT WITH LIVE NATIONAL MUSIC AND DANCE
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Dinner
 

Transfer to AIRPORT, DEPARTURE

Have a nice and safe flight!!!