Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia tour
Highlights
Yerevan | views of Mount Ararat | Holy City of Echmiadzin | Geghard Monastery | Amberd Fortress | Lake Sevan | Narikala Citadel | Tbilisi | Uplistsikhe cave town | Gelati Monastery | Borjomi Gorge | Khertvisi Fortress | Sheki | Absheron peninsula | Maiden's Tower | Zoroastrian AtesgahDescription of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia tour
This thrilling tour of the Caucasus region: Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, has all the elements of a classic holiday. Over 19 days you will explore sacred sites, cosmopolitan cities, beautiful scenery and enjoy a rich variety of cultural encounters. A busy itinerary sees you on the move every day, whether it be to a monastery, a local winery, or a fascinating museum. You will travel as part of a small group accompanied by a knowledgeable tour leader, and enjoy an immersive, authentic look at a region that has only in recent years reached the tourism radar.Begin in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to visit popular locations such as the Cascade and the Vernisage crafts market. Yerevan is an excellent base from which to visit must-see landmarks such as the Echmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia’s Mother Church and said to be the oldest cathedral in the world. You may even catch part of the Sunday service.
Via other well-known sites including the Temple of Garni and the Amberd Fortress you’ll continue on to picturesque Lake Sevan, Armenia’s most popular holiday resort, before crossing the border into Georgia. A guided tour of Tbilisi showcases highlights of the Old Town including the Sioni Cathedral and the State Museum.
Just a handful of the notable visits you’ll enjoy in Georgia include the fascinating Vardzia Cave Town, carved into the cliffs from the 12th century, and the Stalin Museum in his hometown of Gori. From the resort of Gudauri you’ll do a little trekking in the Kazbegi Mountains, then continue on to the highly regarded Kakheti wine region where there will no doubt be time for some tasting.
Finally crossing over into Azerbaijan, the tour takes you to Baku, with its Maiden’s Tower and Shirvanshah's Palace, and the remarkable Fire Temple nearby, on the Absheron Peninsula.
And of course this is no more than a brief summary of an utterly spellbinding trip. You would be hard-pushed to find a better way to experience the Caucasus.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
Check dates, prices & availability
The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.
Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Responsible tourism
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia tour
Carbon reduction
Your holiday will help support local people and conservation. We must also reduce CO2. Learn about the CO2 emissions of this holiday and how to reduce them.
Environment
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.
In Georgia we are also working with the German government organisation ‘GIZ’ to help our partners train locals further down the supply train – from guides and drivers to hoteliers and restaurant owners. This helps to professionalise the industry in Georgia at a local level and benefits all businesses that we interact with.
In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. CoolEarth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.
Community
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
3 Reviews of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia tour
Reviewed on 28 May 2019 by Jean Slater
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The monasteries in Armenia, the mountains and Tbilisi in Georgia and the history of the conflicts in the area were the most intriguing.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Read up on your history and on current events to fully appreciate the struggles of these countries.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No question, we contributed to the economy and welfare of the people in all three of these countries and we feel that our presence encouraged responsible travelers.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
This trip was beyond my expectations . We had the most incredible tour leader, Alex, for Georgia and Azerbaijan. We could not have felt more comfortable and the knowledge of this young lady was immense.
Reviewed on 11 Jul 2018 by Allan Wild
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The knowledge and passion for their countries of the tour guides in Armenia and Georgia, also the spectacular scenery, good food and excellent wine.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Explore the restaurants and choose local, not European, dishes. The local people are friendly and welcoming and always ready to give advice
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Two of the accommodations were guest houses and various meals were taken in private homes. This gave an opportunity to sample local food, much of it grown in their own gardens, and to interface with the community. The standard was simple but more than adequate and the welcome was warm.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent in Armenia and Georgia but some development of the Azerbaijan extension is required
Reviewed on 01 Sep 2011 by Deborah Orokieta
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Church going in Armenia and Georgia, visiting a sea resort in Georgia, eating excellent food in guesthouses, climbing up hills and rocks to reach an isolated church.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure u can stand 3-4 hour rides on a bus. Not many motorways there.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Not really, though we ate a few times in family guesthouses. The use of a coach minimizes the pollution, but that's about it. We had to buy so many plastic bottles of water that I am not sure that in that department we were green.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
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