Armenia & Georgia Hiking Tour

This trip begins with a city tour in Yerevan, bustling capital having a history of over 2700 years. You will start your tour with a short walk in the city center, and then visit the History Museum of Armenia. The excursion around the museum will be a fascinating journey through the pages of Armenian history. After lunch, you will head to Geghard Cave Monastery partly carved in pure rocks. Garni Pagan Temple is the only preserved in the Caucasus region. You will be back to Yerevan and have the opportunity to feel the pulse of Yerevan night life. From the second day, you will start your hiking routes around this ancient country.

This day you’ll begin the exploration of Southern Armenia. Our first stop will be in Areni wine market where you’ll have a chance to taste famous local wines. You will continue the trip through the deep narrow canyon surrounded by red rocks to the beautiful two storied Noravank Monastery. Then you will head to Hermon village standing amidst a charming valley of the River Yeghegis. After check in at the hotel, you will start your hike to the medieval well-preserved fortress of King Smbat, standing on the elevation of about 1950 m. The hike will continue to Tsakhats Kar Monastery on the elevation of 2080 m. Afterwards, you will have a walk on a slighter note to Yeghegis village where you will see Jewish Cemetery and little churches right in the gardens of villagers. Your hotel in Hermon village has all the amenities (swimming pool, thermal baths, and gym) as well as bikes and horses for a pleasant and active pastime.

This day you will conquer the part of the Great Silk Road and see one of the well-preserved caravanserais built in 1332 by Armenian Orbelian prince to accommodate weary travelers. It seems that the time has stopped here as very little has changed since ancient times. During your trip, you will also visit the medieval cemetery of khachkars (cross-stones) – Noratus. Khachkars are unique works of art, they can be found only in Armenian culture. In the stone patterns of khachkar, the master embodied his soul and faith. Here you will visit Hayravank – 9th to 12th century Armenian monastery.

This day you will be driven to Lake Sevan – one of the highest alpine freshwater lakes in the world. From the hilltop of Sevan Peninsula, you will admire amazing views to the lake. A little later you will be transferred to Parz Lake and start the hike in Dilijan National Park along stunning forest trails. You will cross the amazing Areguni Pass and reach Goshavank Monastery of Gosh village, where the great scholar of the 13th century Mkhitar Gosh lived (the trail length – 8km). After the hiking, you will be transferred to Dilijan – a cozy town that keeps the unique spirit of rural Armenia.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will head to Yenokavan village near Ijevan town where you will have a short transfer to the Lastiver trailhead. You will have a pleasant hike by a wonderful forested route to the most unspoiled and rugged area of northeastern Armenia. You will head into a deep gorge and descend to cascading waterfalls and the most scenic meadows in Armenia, perhaps Armenia’s best-kept secret. The tour will end with an exploration of the ancient Lastiver Caves. In the evening you’ll return back to the town of Ijevan for a rest and overnight.

After discovering the wonderful culture, nature, and architecture of Armenia, you will start a fascinating journey around Georgia. After breakfast, you will be transferred to Armenia-Georgia border, from where after passing the customs “Sadakhlo” you’ll head to Tbilisi – the hospitable capital of Georgia. The first place to visit is the historical district of Metekhi where the Assumption Church is located. During the tour, you will also have a chance to enjoy the beautiful architecture of the Bridge of Peace, designed by a well-known Italian architect. Then the cable car will take you to Narikala fortress – the well-known symbol of Tbilisi. The fortress is located on a hill overlooking Tbilisi and Kura River – an excellent place for memorable photos. You will also have a chance to stroll around the most famous streets of Tbilisi – Chardin, to visit the mosque located on the Botanical Street, the waterfall – an amazing attraction of the Botanical Garden. Your last stop will be at the royal baths complex of XVII-XIX centuries which is one of the most famous sights of the Old Town.

This day you will be transferred to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) which is one of the most picturesque villages of Georgia. On the way, you will stop in Gudauri resort town and see the famous balcony dedicated to the treaty of Georgievs. From this place opens the breathtaking views. After reaching Stepantsminda you will start hiking to the Holy Trinity Church of Gergeti located at an altitude of 2170 m. The hiking to the church will take about 1,5 hr. Afer visiting the Holy Trinity Church the trip will continue to Gveleti Big Waterfalls. At the end of the day, you will be driven to the Juta village for rest and overnight in camp.

In the morning you will walk towards Chaukhi Mountains and enjoy the beautiful nature. Your hiking will continue to Khevsureti which is known for its amazing mysterious Abudelauri lakes. Formed by glaciers the lakes have three different colors: green, blue and milky color. Lots of legends and myths are connected to these lakes. After crossing the Chaukhi pass you will have an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Abudelauri White Lake. Next, you will visit Blue and Green Lakes and near Green Lake, you will have a rest and overnight in the guesthouse.

You will wake up in an amazing place surrounded by unbelievable nature. This day you will continue your trip to the village Roshka, where 4 wheel drive vehicle will be waiting for you to take you to Borjomi. On the way, you will stop to see Ananuri medieval fortress and visit the ancient town Mtskheta which was the first capital of Georgia. The Historical Monuments of Mtskheta are considered a UNESCO world heritage site. At the end of the day, you will reach Borjomi for rest and overnight.

This day you will discover Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, one of the biggest in Georgia. You will walk to the lovely Likani River Gorge then climb up the Chitakhevi Range. In Borjomi NP you will enjoy breathtaking scenery, birds singing and isolation far away from the daily hustle. Here you may come across with rare species of plants, birds included in the Red Book. Evening transfer to Tbilisi for rest and overnight.

Transfer to the airport, departure.