Armenia & Iran Sightseeing Tour

After your arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel in Yerevan and checked in. Your journey will start with the city tour around Yerevan. Some decades ago Alexander Tamanyan, the general architect of Yerevan, created the contemporary masterplan of the city which we can see today. The warm smiles of its inhabitants give unique friendly atmosphere to this city – ancient and modern at the same time. One of the stops included in the city tour is Matenadaran Museum, which houses over 17,000 ancient and medieval manuscripts and is considered the significant bearer of one of the largest manuscript collections in the world. You will enjoy Yerevan’s vibrant nightlife with an abundance of outdoor cafés and the sounds of live music.

The day will start with a visit to the Mother Cathedral of Holy Echmiadzin, the religious center of all Armenians around the world. The residence of Catholicos, Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church is located in Echmiadzin. Here the first official Christian church was founded in the first half of the 4th century. Next stop will be at the ruins of Zvartnots Temple. Zvartnots is of great value not only for Armenians but also for international society, as it is inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After returning to Yerevan, you will visit Vernissage fair – an open-air souvenir market. This day you will also visit the traditional food market, where you will find the whole variety of Armenian dried fruits and other delicious goodies.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to the 13th century Geghard Cave Monastery, which is located deep at the bottom of the canyon and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The towering cliffs of its surrounds are part of the monastery’s complex which is both carved from the adjacent mountain as well as partially built from local basalt stones. The tour continues to Garni village, where the Hellenistic-inspired Garni temple is located. The tour will continue to Lake Sevan, the “blue pearl of Armenia” and one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world located at an altitude of 1900 meters above the sea level. The stunning hilltop view of the azure lake framed by the surrounding mountains amaze its visitors. Here you will see Sevanavank – a medieval monastery. After the excursion, the tour continues to Dilijan resort town, one of the greenest towns of Armenia. Dilijan is often called “Armenian Switzerland” by the locals. The forested and reclusive town is home to numerous Armenian artists, composers, and filmmakers and features some traditional Armenian architecture. The Sharambeyan Street in the center has been preserved and maintained as an “old town,” which is known for craftsman’s workshops, a gallery and a museum. In the evening, you will return to Yerevan for having rest at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will head to the south of Armenia, to Khor Virap Monastery, a historic site located amidst Ararat Valley. The monastery was built on the place of the royal prison of Armenian city of Artashat. Nowhere else the Biblical Ararat has such a magnificent view. You will continue your trip through a narrow canyon to the valley of red rocks, where Noravank monastery is located. This region of Armenia has become famous for its unique grapes sort Areni hence the best Armenian wines are derived from. Your trip will continue to Karahunj – an ancient archeological site near the town of Sisian in the Syunik province of Armenia. Karahunj translated as “speaking stones”, is considered the world’s oldest astronomical observatory. At the end of the excursion, we will drive to Goris town.

This day begins with visiting Old Khndzoresk – a cave town with a large number of caves that were inhabited until the 20th century. You will explore the cave town after crossing the bridge, hanging over the canyon. The trip will continue to Tatev monastery complex, one of the outstanding masterpieces of Armenian architecture. You will get to the monastery by “Wings of Tatev” – the longest rope way in the world (5.7 km) that stretches over Vorotan River Canyon with 320 m depth.

The day will start with a drive to Agarak – Meghri (Armenia – Iran border). After passing the customs, you will begin your exciting trip to Tabriz. The way will take several hours. Then there will be a transfer to the city center hotel for an overnight.

You’ll start the second day in Tabriz with a visit to Tabriz Bazaar. Tabriz Bazaar is known for its amazing unique architecture and is also an interesting place to communicate with the Iranian salespeople. In 2010 it was included into the UNESCO world Heritage list. In the afternoon, you will have a tour to El Gölü (Shah Gölü). It is a beautiful large park with a square artificial lake surrounded by the sidewalk in four sides. A stroll around the lake in the evening cool followed by а cup or two of tea in the open-air cafe is not to be missed. Shah Gölü has been the campus of former Qajar Dynasty’s Crown Princes and is one of the great places to visit at Tabriz. In the evening, you will return to the hotel in Tabriz.

In the morning, you will drive to Ardebil – the town, known for its silk and carpet trade tradition. Since the duration between Tabriz and Anzali is about 6 hours, it is better to have a stop at the Ardebil to rest a little. After arriving at Anzali, you will have a tour to the lagoon. It is a beautiful port. The boat excursion will be a pleasant experience and you will see beautiful sea birds and see fishermen near the port.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will head to Masouleh which is an Iranian city with unique architecture and beautiful nature. Masouleh-Rood-Khan is the river passing through the city, with a waterfall located just 200 meters away from the village. Many other springs are found around Masouleh, which is surrounded by beautiful forest from the valley to the mount. Fog is the predominant weather feature of this place. After the traditional lunch at Masouleh you will move to Ghazvin in the afternoon.

After breakfast, you will move to Alamut castle – a mountain fortress located in Alamut region. After the excursion, the tour continues to Tehran – the capital of Iran and the largest city of the country. This grand bustling metropolis of 14 million people will impress you with its unique atmosphere and lots of attractions. Here you will visit the Saadabad castle – a palace built during the Pahlavi era (it contains 18 castles or houses). In the afternoon, you will be able to have a tour to Darband with its beautiful nature or go to the grand bazaar of Tehran – an old historical market of Tehran.

Transfer to the airport, departure