Spring in Armenia
This spring is profuse with lush flora and greens,
generous with crystalline air.
I want to share it with someone unknown
and praise nature's way with our own.
This evening that spreads, like a lake without shores,
surrounds me with incense as I write,
and my heart is surprised at such fullness of life
to find itself empty inside.
Vahan Teryan
Arrival in Yerevan. Check-in in the hotel. Meeting with the guide and the start of the city tour in Yerevan – one of the most ancient cities around the world, which is now about 3000 years old.
Places of sightseeing include
- The republic square
- Mother Armenia statue in the Victory Park
- The national theater of Opera and Ballet
- Swan lake
- Cascade complex
- Gafeschian museum
Free time
Visiting a wine restaurant and degustation as a complimentary from the company.
Night in a Yerevan based hotel.
Breakfast in the hotel. Meeting with the guide in the hotel. Transfer to the pagan temple of Garni. The temple was built in the 1st century and is dedicated to the God of Sun Mihr. It consists of 24 columns that represent the 24 hours within a day. A visit to the gorge of Garni the “Symphony of Stones”. Afterward a transfer to the Monastery of Geghard (the beginning of the 4th century), which is in the UNESCO world heritage list. The Monastery of Geghard is an inimitable masterpiece of the Armenian 13th-century architecture. Return to Yerevan to the “Ararat” brandy factory and a degustation of 2 types of brandy. Come back to the hotel. Free time. Night in the hotel.
Breakfast in the hotel. Meeting with the guide. Transfer to Echmiadzin. The Cathedral is the residency of the Catholicos of All Armenians. It is also considered to be one of the most ancient churches around the world. According to the legend, Jesus Christ pointed out this site for the future cathedral to be built in the dream of Gregory the Illuminator.
Afterward a visit to the ruins of the temple of Zvartnots – another UNESCO world heritage site. Zvartnots, also known as the Temple of the Vigil Angels. The building erected by Catholicos Nerses III laid the foundation for a new architectural direction. Unfortunately, the temple stood still only for 300 years. Today, an archaeological museum and a reserve have been opened on the territory of the Zvartnots temple, where you can see models and options for the reconstruction of the church, fragments of an ancient structure, as well as well-preserved massive stone slabs. Return to Yerevan. A transfer to the territory called "Vernissage" near the central square of the Republic in Yerevan. It is a fair of souvenirs, jewels, and objects of art and antiquities, operating under the open sky. Further, return to the hotel. Free Time.
Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the airport. Departure.