Transcaucasian Trail Hike Armenia

On arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to the group hotel. This evening your Armenian guide will provide a trip briefing (meet at the hotel reception desk in the lobby) before you all enjoy a traditional welcome meal. Overnight: Ani Plaza Hotel or similar

Meals: D

Today we will have a tour of the capital. Our tour will start from the Victory Park, at Mother Armenia monument, from where you will behold a panoramic view of the city. We will then visit other sights of the capital, including the Republic Square, the Opera house, the Cascade where you will see the statue of the world-famous sculptor Fernando Botero “The Black Cat”. We will also drive via Baghramyan Avenue, where you will see the Parliament, the Palace of President, and the National Academy of Sciences. We will visit the Genocide Memorial Complex with the museum. Visit Matenadaran museum, which hosts the biggest collection of medieval Armenian manuscripts. *Please note that our trip itinerary will depend on current opening times (and days) of the museums/historic sites and therefore the order of sights visited may vary accordingly. Overnight: Ani Plaza Hotel or similar

Meals: B,L,D

Today we drive east of Yerevan towards Garni village where we'll enjoy a light warm up walk. From the village we start hiking through the canyon to 1st century A.D. Garni Temple, a unique example of Armenia's pagan past. At one time this was the summer residence of the Armenian kings located in a picturesque place overlooking a deep canyon. Apart from the ruins of the royal complex, you will also see a bathhouse with an interesting mosaic. We will have an enjoyable walk down to the Garni gorge where we will admire volcanic basalt formations called “the symphony of stones”. Not far from Garni we will drive to Geghard Cave Monastery, a UNESCO site. We soak up the medieval Armenian architecture of the Monastery; some chambers of the monastery were carved out of solid rock. The monastic complex received its name after the Holy Lance which was kept here in the middle ages. The cave enclosures of this cultural and architectural wonder are notable for amazing acoustics. The secret of the chamber has never been found. Afterwards we drive to Lake Sevan, which is the “blue eye of Armenia” or the “Pearl of Armenia”. This fresh–water lake of volcanic origin is situated at an altitude about 6.500 feet. Its crystal–clear transparent water changes colour several times during the day. It is turquoise in direct sunlight, then turns a greenish shade, and finally becomes gray by the evening. It is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world located at 1900m and is surrounded by snow-covered mountains. Hiking: ~3km, 1.5-2hrs Altitude change: -120m, +100m Driving: 2.5 - 3 hrs Overnight: Hotel at Lake Sevan (twin-share)

Meals: B,L,D

After breakfast, we start our hiking approximately 10 minutes drive from the hotel. There will be a steep uphill walk up to the Vartenyats mountain range, where we will have beautiful views to Sevan Lake. From here we will take the Transcaucasian trail along undulating hills amongst the wildflowers before a steep descent through forests to the village of Kalavan. Hiking: ~11km, 4.5 - 5hrs Altitude change: +450m, -850m Overnight: Kalavan village guesthouse (twin-share with shared bathroom)

Meals: B,L,D

Following a hearty breakfast, we will drive 45 minutes to Khachardzan village to continue our hike along the Transcaucasian Trail to the village of Gosh. On the way we will have a picnic lunch before arriving at Gosh Lake, which is a small lake hidden in the forest. In the Gosh village we will stay in a small hotel near the 12th century Goshavank Monastery. This monastery was named in honor of Mkhitar Gosh. He was an Armenian scholar, writer, public figure, thinker, and priest. He wrote the "Book of Laws", the first Armenian Legal text. Hiking: ~16km, 5.5-6hrs Altitude change: +1052m, -883m Overnight: Local guesthouse (twin-share)

Meals: B,L,D

From the hotel we will start to walk again along the Transcaucasian Trail to Parz Lake, located in the midst of the forests of Dilijan National Park, famous as Armenian Switzerland. The area is a popular destination in summer, for both locals and visitors. Afterwards, we will drive to Dilijan and visit the preserved 19th century part of town, before arriving at our guesthouse for dinner and overnight. Hiking: ~7.5km, 4hrs Altitude change: +551m, -452m Overnight: Local guesthouse (twin-share)

Meals: B,L,D

In the morning our private vehicle will take us to village of Shamakhyan (10 minutes), which is one of the districts of Dilijan Resort town to start today's hiking. We will ascend to Haghartsin Mound from where we will have majestic views of Haghartsin medieval monastery hidden in the Dilijan forests. After visit of Haghartsin Monastery, we will drive to our final stop in the village of Haghpat near the border with Georgia. The fantastic scenery of Haghpat Monastery makes this visit an unforgettable experience. Hiking: ~14km, 5.5-6hrs Altitude change: +500m; -550m Overnight: Local guesthouse (twin-share)

Meals: B,L,D

In the morning we will start our hiking towards Sanahin Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our hike will pass through Armenian colourful villages enjoying the peace and magnificent scenes of remote mountainous villages such as Hahgpat and Akner. We will finish our hike in Sanahin village. This village is the birthplace of the Mikoyan brothers: Anastas - a prominent Soviet politician; and Artem, one of the engineers of the famous MIG jets. After our visit we will enjoy a farewell lunch, and then our vehicle will take us to the border and then onto Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. This trip concludes upon arrival into Tbilisi. If you are ending your Transcaucasian Trail Hike here, you can be taken directly to Tbilisi airport. Do not book departure flights before 9.00pm (21:00) given the visits and lunch on the Armenian side, and the additional time for border formalities into Georgia and travelling times/possible delays into Tbilisi on the last day of the tour. If you are continuing on the Transcaucasian Trail Hike Georgia, you will be taken to the Tbilisi group hotel. End of services. Additional nights accommodation, and private airport transfers on any other day, can be arranged for extra cost. Hiking: ~9km, 3.5-4hrs Altitude change: +420m; -550m.

Meals: B,L