Holy Easter in Armenia April 14 - 21, 2025

The Mystery of Easter is the mystery of Jesus Christ, His Salutary Holy Blood shed for mankind and His Rising from the dead for mankind. The Son of God should incarnate, be subjected to tortures, be crucified, buried and the third day raise from death
(Ps 15:9-11, 29:4, 40:11-13, 117:16-17, Ho 6:2-3).
 

On arrival at Zvartnots International Airport our representative will be waiting to welcome you at meeting point. Transfer to your hotel, check in and relax in comfortable rooms with full facilities.
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
 

Our first day of touring we’ll begin in the heart of Armenia – Yerevan.
Yerevan.... the rose-colored capital of Armenia.... It is named as such because most of its buildings have traditionally used a pink shade of "tuf" stone which is quarried in Armenia. This is an unmistakable and prominent feature of Yerevan’s cityscape.
As we get acquainted with Yerevan, we start from the very beginning of its history, Erebouni Fortress and museum, the fortress was founded in 782 B.C., 29 years before Rome, the “Eternal City”, was built.
Our next stop is essential to all who visit Armenia… Tsitsernakaberd memorial and museum to the 1915 Genocide, which is one of the most impressive monuments in Yerevan. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Armenian Genocide and to honoring 1.5 million innocent Armenian victims who went through the horrors in the beginning of the 20th century. 
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 we are offer to the “MEGERIAN RUGS” Factory & Show room: Which brings together time-honored traditions and a range of exquisite aesthetics to create objects of art for the modern living and you will become acquainted with the ancient technology of Armenian carpet-making. Today the lunch will be provided  at a special restaurant in Megerian Carepet Factory where you will have the opportunity to taste Armenian traditional meals with old recipes by “Araratyan Khohanots – Armenian Cuisine”.
Today’s last visit is to the Cascade - Gerard Cafesjian Sculpture Garden. The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting some of the best of Armenian culture to the world. 
Free evening
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
Meals: breakfast, lunch
 

Let’s head today to the north-west of Armenia towards Mt. Aragats, which are the highest peaks in Armenia and the fourth highest ones in the Armenian Highland.
Aragatsotn Region is very famous for “Armenia Alphabet Park”. Standing next to a small pool of water and with the tall Holy Cross hovering in the background lays a monument of 39 giant carved Armenian letters in stone and statues of famous Armenians. The park was dedicated to the creator of the Armenian language, Saint Mesrop Mashtots, which he created over 1,600 years ago and is still spoken today.
Saghmosavank (“Monastery of the Psalms'') is located in the village of Saghmosan, on the right bank of the Kasakh River. This was one of the richest and most prominent spiritual and cultural centers of the middle Ages.  
After that we'll drive up towards Amberd Fortress which was used as a summer residence for kings, built on the slopes of Mt. Aragats at 2.300 meters above sea level in the 11-13 c.c. 
Nearby is one of the other Medieval Armenian churches - St. Astavatsatsin (St. Mother of God). 

Lunch and hospitality with an Armenian Family.
Today there is an opportunity to visit one of wineries of Armenia - ARMENIA WINE which is the icon of modern Armenian winemaking. In constant pursuit of improvement, at the winery they strive to balance ancient traditions with the newest technology. The visit of winery will be with testing and enjoying of variety Armenia wines … 
Armenia white dry, Armenia Red dry and Armenia Pomegranate Semisweet served with cheese and meat platers. 
Back to Yerevan and free evening
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

Christ, displaying true humility and humbleness, washed the feet of his disciples after the last Supper (Jn 13:1-16).
Today we will visit Garni, which is the rare pre-Christian pagan temple maintained in Armenia, dating back to the 1st  century AD. 
It is said that music has a way of speaking without lyrics and can somehow speak directly to a person’s soul. Today’s visit will give us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share and feel this language of music expressed through the DUDUK, an Armenian musical instrument which is arguably one of the most powerful of all instruments in its ability to move someone to their very core. 
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 we’ll have an opportunity to follow the whole process of how one of the finest jewels of Armenian cuisine is created, “lavash” (flat bread), in a “tonir” (ground oven).  The preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional flat 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…
In the evening of Holy Thursday, a solemn service is held in Geghard monastery, It celebrates the Betrayal, Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Back to Yerevan

OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch

But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 26:63).
We’ll depart Yerevan this morning and travel south, through the plains of Ararat to visit Khor Virab 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. 
Vayots Dzor is famous for its millennial wine making traditions, as the oldest winery dates to 6000 years was discovered in Areni village of the region. 
Areni-1 cave complex multicomponent site and late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age ritual site and settlement  is located near the Areni village in southern Armenia along the Arpa River. There were found an earliest lather shoe and the earliest known winery in the world at the site.
In ArpaParnas Wine & Rest Valley you can have authentic experience test and buy the best wine assortments of the region. Lunch and testing in Arpa Parnas restaurant 

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.

In the evening: SOLEMN SERVICE OF GOOD FRIDAY in Church of the Holy Mother of God/KHOR VIRAP

OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

Today we’ll drive to Lake Sevan -the emerald of Armenia, a blue-eyed beauty under the sky. Lake Sevan is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, situated at an altitude of 1,897 meters above sea level. The most picturesque view of Lake Sevan is seen from the peninsula atop which Sevan Monastery (9th c.) towers over the lake.  
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…
The old approach in the new century ... “Old Town Dilijan” complete with craftsmen workshops, small shops with traditional Armenian products and crafts, museums, and ultimately 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 will also visit the 10-13th centuries Haghartsin & Goshavank Monastery, nestled in the forest and Cross Stones are remarkable due to their special type of handcraft work, called as "needle-made"- the pride of Armenian architecture. 
Back to Yerevan

The feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (the Easter Feast) starts this evening and is continued after midnight.
CANDLELIGHT Service and DIVINE LITURGY in the church of the Holy Trinity, in Yerevan.
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch
 

Christ rose from the dead, by means of His Death He destroyed Death and granted eternal life. “I am the Resurrection and I am the Life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (Jn 11:25).
On this glorious day we will visit one of the ancient treasures of Christian history - the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. It is the Vatican of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the place where Surb Grigor Lusavorich (St. Gregory the Illuminator) saw a beam of light in a divine vision, and where he built the first Mother Church of Armenia (303AD).
We will also participate in DIVINE LITURGY.
Continuing our day, we’ll make a short stop at the Churches of St. Hripsime (UNESCO) and St. Gayane. Both of them are unique for their different types of central-domed churches developed in the Early Middle Ages and became widespread in Armenia during the 7th century. 
The next visit is the ruins of the Zvartnots Cathedral… It's special for its rare construction technique that was not common during the 7th century and the methods used were considered extremely advanced
Back to Yerevan
Later in the day we’ll visit Vernissage - Yerevan’s Flea Market is probably one of the interesting open air cultural markets in the world. It is the best place to get a little taste of Armenia and a unique spot to witness the fusion between national traditions and modern art.
OVERNIGHT IN YEREVAN
MEALS: Breakfast/Lunch

TRANSFER to AIRPORT

HAVE A NICE FLIGHT!!!