Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia tour
| country: | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia |
| departures: | 2010: 25 May, 15 Jun, 10 Aug, 7 Sep 2011: 24 May, 14 Jun |
| price: | From £2444 - £2540 (20 days) including flights from the UK, from £1797 - £1888 excluding flights. Single supplement £430. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia tour
Exploring Armenia
This mountainous land is dominated by Mount Aragats (4090m) and the looming presence of Mount Ararat (5165m). In Yerevan, we see the Matenadaran library, which houses one of the finest collections of ancient manuscripts in the world. We visit the great monastery of Echmiadzin and walk on the slopes of Mount Aragats to mighty Amberd Fortress. On the old Silk Road we discover Selim Caravanserai and Lake Sevan, famous for its ever changing hues.
Tbilisi & the 'Georgian Military Highway'
Crossing into Georgia we visit Tbilisi, the fascinating capital. In the twisting alleys of the old quarter a mix of cultures are ever present - churches are cheek-by-jowl with mosques, Orthodox priests rub shoulders with Armenian Jews. A dramatic drive takes us via the ancient capital Mtskheta to Kutaisi, Georgia's cultural heart, and then on to Bakuriani, our base for exploring Vardzia, the impressive underground cave city hewn from the cliff face by early Christians. We then make a spectacular journey on the old 'Georgian Military Highway' to Gudauri, sited below the lofty peaks of the Caucasus range.
To the Caspian Sea
Heading east, we cross into Azerbaijan. We journey along an ancient caravan route, which for centuries has connected Baku on the Caspian Sea with Tbilisi and the West. Pausing at Sheki, once famous for its silk-weaving and embroidery, we visit the exquisite Khan's Palace and enjoy a walk into the Caucasus foothills. Our tour ends at Baku, with ample time to wander the backstreets and bazaars of the Old Town, a treasure trove of shops and street cafés.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Yerevan. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Yerevan; excursion to Garni and Gegard. |
| Day 3-4: | Visit Zvartnots Cathedral, Echmiadzin Monastery and excursion to Amberd Fortress. |
| Day 5: | Drive via Noravank to Selim Caravanserai; continue to Chambarak at Lake Sevan. |
| Day 6: | Via Dilijan to Aghartsin and Aghpat Monasteries and on to Tbilisi (Georgia). |
| Day 7: | Sightseeing tour. |
| Day 8: | Via Mtskheta to Kutaisi. |
| Day 9: | In Kutaisi; visit Gelati and Motsameta Monasteries. |
| Day 10: | Drive via Ubisi Church to Bakuriani. |
| Day 11: | Visit Khertvisi Castle and Vardzia. |
| Day 12: | Drive to Gori and on to Gudauri. |
| Day 13: | Visit Kazbegi; walk in Caucasus Mountains. |
| Day 14: | Drive via Winery to Telavi. |
| Day 15: | Visit Alaverdi Cathedral and Gremi Fortress; on to Sheki via Azerbaijan border. |
| Day 16: | Drive to Kish village; visit village church and walk to castle. |
| Day 17: | Continue to Baku. |
| Day 18-19: | In Baku; walking tour of old town; optional excursion to Qobustan and mud volcanoes. |
| Day 20: | Fly London. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Community:
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are a cultural treasure trove, not only for their historic sites but for their traditions and heritage. We always want to show you as much of the real country as we can so we employ a local tour leader and variety of local guides who can really bring the culture to life for you in an authentic way. Staying in small and relatively out of the way places and using local guesthouses really brings us closer to the local culture and gives us many opportunities for unique experiences. Using local guides and crew is consistent with our policy to generate local employment and deliver direct economic benefits to the areas we are travelling in. We also do this by using locally owned hotels, spreading our business to a variety of local restaurants. In this area which was relatively isolated until recently, the income we generate is really significant to these small businesses. It is important that the people who work for us are treated fairly and confident in their work. This is why we take care to train all our local tour leaders and give them all the support they need to do their job well. Environment: We support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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