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ARTS & CULTURE • ARMENIA & GEORGIA<br />
Armenia & Georgia:<br />
Treasures of the Caucasus<br />
Duration • 11 days & 10 nights<br />
Category • Superior<br />
Expert-led group tour • From £2,995 (incl. flights)<br />
History • Art • Archaeology<br />
Tour overview<br />
Explore the spectacular highland<br />
countries of Armenia and Georgia,<br />
the world’s oldest Christian nations,<br />
with experts Dr William Taylor or<br />
Rowena Loverance. Both countries<br />
contain a treasure trove of ancient ruins,<br />
churches and monasteries together with<br />
centuries-old folk traditions. Europe<br />
meets Asia in this spectacular and<br />
historic region of the Caucasus, where<br />
visitors will find a friendly welcome,<br />
excellent food and wine, and varied<br />
landscapes.<br />
Signature Experiences<br />
Visit awe-inspiring medieval<br />
monasteries<br />
Private guided visit by a senior<br />
curator at the Georgia Museum of Art<br />
Exclusive visits to monasteries and<br />
meetings with local religious leaders<br />
All meals included<br />
Expert lecturers<br />
Rowena Loverance is a<br />
Byzantine art historian,<br />
specialising in sculpture,<br />
mosaics and icons. She<br />
worked <strong>for</strong> more than<br />
20 years at the British<br />
Museum and is a visiting<br />
research fellow at King’s College, London.<br />
Dr William Taylor, an<br />
expert in Ottoman and<br />
Orthodox studies, is<br />
also an Anglican priest<br />
and Chairman of the<br />
Anglican and Eastern<br />
Churches. His personal<br />
contacts guarantee special access to many<br />
monasteries and churches. He has worked<br />
in Jordan, Cairo and Turkey, and travelled<br />
in the Middle East and Central Asia.<br />
Day 1: Fly to Yerevan, via Paris<br />
Fly from London (regional connections<br />
available) to Yerevan with Air France via Paris.<br />
Arrive and transfer to the Metropol Hotel (or<br />
similar) <strong>for</strong> 4 nights. (N)<br />
Day 2: Yerevan<br />
Take a full-day tour of Yerevan with visits<br />
including the Matenadaran repository of<br />
ancient Armenian manuscripts, and Erebuni<br />
Fortress, where you meet a local expert<br />
(subject to confirmation). Continue to<br />
Tsitsernakaberd, a museum commemorating<br />
the Armenian genocide, and which overlooks<br />
the city to snowcapped peaks beyond. Next,<br />
visit the National Art Gallery, which contains<br />
some excellent examples of medieval frescoes<br />
and Armenian and European art. (B, L, D)<br />
Day 3: Etchmiadzin<br />
Drive west to visit the UNESCO World Heritage<br />
Site of Etchmiadzin (now called Vagharshapat),<br />
the spiritual centre of the Armenian-Gregorian<br />
Church, and take a private behind-the-scenes<br />
tour of the monastic complex. Visit a fine<br />
example of Armenian architecture at the St<br />
Hripsime Church be<strong>for</strong>e visiting Etchmiadzin<br />
Cathedral, the oldest state-built cathedral<br />
in the world, dating back to the early fourth<br />
century. Inside the cathedral is the reputed<br />
Holy Lance that pierced Christ’s side during his<br />
crucifixion. End the day at the seventh-century<br />
ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral. (B, L, D)<br />
Day 4: Garni • Geghard<br />
Drive east of Yerevan to visit the temple of Garni,<br />
a classical Hellenistic temple that is the bestknown<br />
structure and symbol of pre-Christian<br />
Armenia. Nearby is the medieval monastery of<br />
Geghard, partially carved out of the adjacent<br />
mountain and surrounded by cliffs. (B, L, D)<br />
Zvartnots temple with Mount Ararat in the background, Etchmiadzin, Armenia<br />
Day 5: Lake Sevan & monasteries • Tbilisi<br />
Cross the border to Georgia, stopping en route<br />
to see Lake Sevan and the UNESCO-protected<br />
monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin, unique<br />
<strong>for</strong> their 10th-century architectural styles.<br />
Proceed to Tbilisi and stay 2 nights at the<br />
Museum Hotel (or similar). (B, L, D)<br />
Day 6: Tbilisi<br />
Today's full-day tour of Tbilisi includes a cable<br />
car ride to fourth-century Narikala Fortress,<br />
which occupies a scenic spot overlooking the<br />
city; and the fifth-century Metekhi Church, an<br />
unusual cross-cupola church which became<br />
an infamous prison during the Soviet era.<br />
Visit the State Museum, home to hundreds of<br />
Caucasian icons and metalwork dating from<br />
the Bronze Age to the 20th century. Spend<br />
the remainder of the afternoon at the Georgia<br />
Museum of Art on a private guided visit, led by<br />
a senior curator. (B, L, D)<br />
Day 7: Mtskheta • Gori • Kutaisi<br />
Drive north-west to the UNESCO World<br />
Heritage Site of Mtskheta. Lying at the<br />
confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers,<br />
the city was the place where Christianity was<br />
proclaimed as the official religion of Georgia in<br />
337AD. Continue to the church of Jvari nearby,<br />
then to Gori, birthplace of Joseph Stalin. Visit<br />
the intriguing Stalin Museum, which features<br />
numerous personal artefacts, including Stalin’s<br />
notorious armour-plated railway carriage.<br />
Drive to Kutaisi and spend 1 night at the<br />
Bagrati Hotel (or similar). (B, L, D)<br />
Day 8: Bagrati • Gelati • Ubisa • Tbilisi<br />
This morning, visit Bagrati Cathedral, which<br />
occupies a prominent position over Kutaisi.<br />
Continue to the Gelati monastery complex,<br />
built by the <strong>for</strong>mer king of Georgia, David IV<br />
154<br />
View our full range of itineraries, hotels and experiences at CoxandKings.co.uk