Caucasus Tour – 13 Days: Discover the Crossroads of Europe and Asia

Welcome to Azerbaijan! Your Caucasus tour is beginning in Baku. You will be transported from the airport to your hotel to check in and rest. We will have a welcome dinner at 7:00 PM with a short introduction about Azerbaijan, located on the shores of the Caspian Sea and one of the most economically developed states of the Caucasus region, which once was a part of the Silk Road. Tonight we will stay overnight at the hotel in Baku.

After breakfast at the hotel we spend the day exploring Gobustan, where you will see more than 4000 rock carvings depicting the lifestyle of the ancient inhabitants of the area near the Caspian Sea. After lunch we’ll visit the Museum of Art. Then if the weather permits, we will take a forty- minute cruise of the Caspian Sea. We will have dinner at a local restaurant followed by a colorful folk show, and then spend the night at the hotel in Baku.

Today after breakfast we will explore Baku, the capitol city of Azerbaijan. We will see a magnificent panoramic view of the city, and visit the Shirvan Shahs Palace and a twelfth-century architectural monument called Caravanserai. After lunch we’ll visit the Absheron Peninsula and see the Fire Worshippers Temple and historical monuments and fortresses. We will have dinner at a local restaurant and retire for the night in the hotel in Baku.

We will have breakfast at the hotel before driving to Sheki, about a four-hour drive. En route we will visit mud volcanoes, The Diri Baba Mausoleum, and some mosques. We will stop for lunch at a restaurant along the way. When we arrive in Sheki we will check in to the hotel, and have time to rest before heading for dinner. We will spend the night at the hotel in Sheki.

After breakfast we will have a half –day excursion visiting Khan’s Palace and Museum of History. We will have lunch at a local restaurant and then be transported to Lagodekhi, the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia. After passing through border formalities we will begin sightseeing in Georgia. We will see the Gremi Complex, once the capitol of the Kakheti province, and visit a local family to observe the baking of Shoti, Georgian bread. We’ll be offered samples of fresh baked bread with local cheese and a cup of coffee before moving on to Telavi. There we will have dinner at a local restaurant and spend the night in a hotel in Telavi.

After breakfast at the hotel we’ll we will begin sightseeing in the Kakheti region, known for its production of wine. Midpoint of our Caucasus tour we will also see the Great Caucasus Mountains and the valleys of Kakheti, and have the opportunity to observe the culture and traditions of the country. We’ll visit an eleventh-century church/monastery, explore the estate of a nineteenth-century Georgian Duke, and sample a glass of wine made in a very unique and unusual method -quite different form the European method. When we continue on to Sighnaghi, the Fortified Town of Love, we’ll leisurely walk the grounds and enjoy some more wine tasting at a winery established by an American painter. Afterwards we will make our way to Tbilisi, stopping for lunch and dinner at restaurants along the way. We’ll stay overnight at a hotel in Tbilisi.

After breakfast, we’ll explore Mtskheta, the ancient capital and spiritual heart of Georgia, founded over 3,000 years ago. Discover the 6th-century Jvari Church and the 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site believed to hold Christ’s Robe. Then continue to Gori, the center of the Kartli region, to visit the Stalin Museum and the Uplistsikhe Cave Town—a fascinating settlement from the 1st millennium BC once located on the Great Silk Road. Later, we’ll drive along the Georgian Military Highway, stopping for photos at the Ananuri Fortress overlooking the Jinvali Reservoir. Lunch and dinner will be served at local restaurants en route. Overnight stay in Gudauri.

Today after breakfast we will have a stunning drive along the Tergi River traveling from Gudauri to Kazbegi. When we arrive in Kazbegi we’ll take a leisurely two-hour stroll through beautiful valleys and woodlands leading to the Gergeti Trinity Church. If the weather is clear enough we may catch a glimpse of one of the highest glaciers in the Caucasus on Mt. Kazbegi-16500 feet high. On our way back we’ll stop for lunch at a local cafe’, then walk to our vehicle and drive to Tbilisi. After checking in to our hotel accommodation we will have time for a short rest before going out to dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner we will be treated to a folk show, and then retire for the night at the hotel in Tbilisi.

After we have breakfast at the hotel we will embark on a walking tour of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. We’ll see churches, a synagogue and interesting nineteenth-century buildings. We’ll also view exhibits in the Georgian History Museum and walk along the main street of Tbilisi, Rustaveli Avenue. We’ll stop for lunch before driving to the Georgia/Armenia border, known as “Sedakhlo”. Once we get through border formalities we will begin getting acquainted with Armenia with visits to historic sites. We will visit the Monastic Complex, an outstanding example of medieval Armenian architecture that is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. During the middle ages this complex served as the primary educational center for Armenian scholars and scientists. We will then drive to Dilijan, where we will check in to our hotel and have dinner at a local restaurant. We will stay overnight in Dilijan.

After our hotel breakfast we will begin with a tour of Lake Sevan, the Emerald of Armenia. This is the second largest alpine fresh- water lake in the world, and the biggest in Caucasus. We will also visit the peninsula of the Sevan Monastery. Later we will drive to Selimcaravanserai, built in 1332 by Prince Orbelian. Before having lunch in a local cave café we will visit a monastery and a wine factory. We will end the day with a visit to the famous biblical Ararat Mountain, where Noah cast the anchor of his ark. We will have dinner at a restaurant and see a folk show, then spend the night in a hotel in Yerevan.

After breakfast today we’ll drive to the Geghard Monastery, a magnificent monument of medieval Armenian architecture that is partly carved out of a mountain. From there we will continue on to Garni Temple, a citadel and pagan temple of Garni. We will enjoy lunch at a local home, where you will have the opportunity to watch the baking of “lavash”, the Armenian national bread. You will also get to observe a barbeque making process that takes place in an underground stove called a “tonir”. We will then have lunch before returning to Yerevan. Sightseeing during the latter half of our day will include visiting the depositary of ancient manuscripts called Matenadaran. Matenadaran contains historical documents of Europe and Asia that are many centuries old. We will end our day with dinner and an overnight stay in Yerevan.

This morning we will have our breakfast at the hotel and then drive to Etchmiatsin. On the way we’ll visit the St. Hripsime Church. We will have lunch in a local community, where we will taste a variety of local homemade dishes. Afterwards we will drive back to Yerevan, stopping at the ruins of the Zvartnots Temple, a great example of seventh -century architecture. For the second part of the day our main attraction will be the Armenian History Museum. Then we’ll visit the Tsitsernakeberd Memorial and Museum of Victims of Genocide. We will have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, and spend the night in a hotel in Yerevan.

This is the last day of the Caucasus tour, the last segment of the Silk Road Travel. We will have breakfast at the hotel, and then arrange transportation to the airport for your flight home. We hope you have enjoyed your time with us and made many cherished memories.