Best of Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival in Baku

  Your South Caucasus adventure opens in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Meet with your local tour guide and then transfer to your downtown hotel for rest.

  • Baku

• Day 2: Baku City Tour

  Nestling on the shore of the Caspian Sea, Baku offers a unique blend of traditional charm and urban bustle. Snap a photo of the iconic flame-shaped skyscrapers as you walk through the Alley of Martyrs. Stroll around the 12th-century walled inner city of Icheri Sheher and discover the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Maiden Tower, and so on. Getting out of the North Gate, you will explore Fountain Square and Nizami Street for a glimpse of the new Baku. Thereafter, visit the Heydar Aliyev Center - another landmark of Baku made up of unconstrained streamlines.

  After the sightseeing, participate in a masterclass on Azerbaijani cuisine at Shah Restaurant, learn how to make Qutab (Azerbaijani stuffed flatbread) and enjoy a delicious dinner in Azerbaijan style.

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  • Baku

• Day 3: Tour around Baku

  About 64 km southwest of Baku, the Gobustan National Park will amaze you with cave paintings and petroglyphs that showcase prehistoric life dating back from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. Start your visit with the interactive Petroglyphs Museum before exploring the outdoor rock landscape. Weather permits, go further to see mud volcanoes closely.

  Later, drive to the suburb of Baku to appreciate the Ateshgah, often called "the Fire Temple of Baku". This castle-like temple was used as a worship place for Zoroastrians from India and now is a museum giving you chance to know about the culture and beliefs of this religion. Round off the tour at Yanar Dag, a mountain with natural gas burning for several thousands of years.

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• Day 4: Baku - Shamakhi - Sheki

  Leave Baku behind and head to Sheki, a gem on the legendary Silk Road. On the way, stop by Shamakhi to visit the grand Juma Mosque. Originally constructed in 734, it is considered the first mosque in Azerbaijan.

  Once arrive, you will spend the rest of the day rambling around the beautiful old red-brick buildings of the Old Town to find out about the lavish decorated Palace of the Sheki Khans and the ancient Caravanserai.

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  • Sheki

• Day 5: Sheki - Kvareli - Telavi

  Enjoy the last minute to browse the colorful Sheki Bazaar and then drive about 2 hours to the Azerbaijan-Georgia border. Say goodbye to your Azerbaijani guide, complete the border formalities, and cross the 500-kilometer neutral territory on foot.

  A new tour guide waiting for you on the Georgia side will take you to pass through the beautiful landscape of vineyards and wine-producing villages to visit Winery Khareba, whose wine cellar was converted from a former Soviet air-raid shelter. Get ready to see the bottled wine in the tunnels and taste some of Kakheti's finest wine. Overnight in Telavi.

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  • Telavi

• Day 6: Telavi - Tsinandali - Bodbe - Sighnaghi - Tbilisi

  The eastern region of Kakheti has a lot to look forward to besides wineries. Visit Tsinandali, where Prince Alexander Chavchavadze, who was regarded as the "father of Georgian romanticism", erected a palace and an English-style garden. Take in the beautiful mountain views from the Bodbe Convent, followed by a stroll around the Royal Town of Sighnaghi. Get lost in the quiet and intricate cobblestone alleys, enjoy its medieval architecture with carved balconies, and catch the stunning Greater Caucasus Mountains on the horizon.

  When the tour is finished, head to Tbilisi for some rest.

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  • Tbilisi

• Day 7: Tbilisi City Tour

  Start your Tbilisi sightseeing with the ancient Orthodox Christian church of Metekhi dating back to the Middle Ages. In front is the monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali, the legendary founder of Tbilisi. After getting a bird's eye view of the city from the Narikala Fortress, walk down to the district of Sulphur bath houses. It's also one of the most ancient, inhabited neighborhoods of Tbilisi.

  Thereafter, wander around the Sharden area to see the medieval Sioni Cathedral, the Anchiskhati Basilica, and the clock tower of the famous Rezo Gabriadze Theatre. Pass through the gorgeous glass pedestrian Bridge of Peace and then round off the day at the Rike Park.

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  • Tbilisi

• Day 8: Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Ananuri - Kazbegi

  Journey onward to Kazbegi this morning. Along the way, stop by Mtskheta to visit Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, both of which are outstanding examples of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus. Next, take in the natural beauty around the Ananuri Fortress Complex setting along the turquoise waters of the Aragvi River.

  Conclude the day with the Gergeti Trinity Church, situated under the snow-capped Mount Kazbek, at an elevation of 2170 meters.

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  • Kazbegi

• Day 9: Kazbegi - Gori - Uplistsikhe - Tbilisi

  On the way back to Tbilisi, make a detour to Stalin's hometown of Gori and the abandoned rock-hewn town of Uplistsikhe. Learn more about this Soviet political leader at the Stalin Museum. While in Uplistsikhe, you'll find temples, churches, wineries, and many other rock-cut architectures.

  Arrive in Tbilisi in the late afternoon and have a good rest.

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  • Tbilisi

• Day 10: Tbilisi - Haghpat - Sevanavank - Yerevan

  After breakfast, head to cross the Georgian-Armenian border and meet with your new tour guide.

  Armenia is a small but charming nation boasting a rich history. You will first visit the UNESCO-listed Haghpat Monastery, a masterpiece of religious architecture found in AD 976. Followed by the Sevanavank Monastery standing on a peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan. If on a clear day, you may shoot excellent photos of the architecture with the lake as a backdrop.

  Continue to Yerevan, your base for the following tours.

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  • Yerevan

• Day 11: Yerevan - Etchmiadzin - Yerevan

  Spend half a day exploring Etchmiadzin, the "spiritual capital" by Armenians. You will find Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

  Return to Yerevan for an educational visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex on Tsitsernakaberd Hill. Afterward, continue to the Cascade Monument, a giant stairway made of limestone, with no less than 572 steps. From the top, you will be rewarded with unobstructed views of central Yerevan and Mount Ararat. There's no better way to end the day than sitting back in a café on the side of the monument and relaxing with classical music.

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  • Yerevan

• Day 12: Yerevan - Khor Virap - Noravank - Yerevan

  Set out for Khor Virap Monastery standing high on a hill overlooking the Ararat Plain. Listen to your guide explain how St. Gregory the Illuminator – the first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church - converted Armenia from paganism to Christianity in AD 301. Continue to visit Noravank Complex sitting in a picturesque valley surrounded by mountains and plains. Then, explore the Areni Cave Complex with artifacts dating from the Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age. Here you can find the oldest brain, shoe, and winery in the world.

  After the tour, return to Yerevan for the night.

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  • Yerevan

• Day 13: Yerevan - Garni - Geghard - Yerevan

  Start the day with a visit to the Temple of Garni, the only Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia located 30 km from Yerevan. Later, stop at the medieval Monastery of Geghard partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs.

  The afternoon is yours to relax or explore the city at your own pace.

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  • Yerevan

• Day 14: Yerevan, Departure

  Your trip to the South Caucasus is coming to an end. Bid farewell to Armenia and board your international flight back home.

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  • Yerevan