Day  1. Arrival in Yerevan, meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel, sightseeing tour of the city (optional)

• Yerevan is one of the ancient cities in the world founded in 782 B.C. by Argishti II. During the excursion you’ll attend the Republic Square, which had been building for 50 years by different architects, nevertheless a perfect architectural ensemble has been made; Opera and Ballet National Academic Theatre is a unique architectural complex in the center of Yerevan; Ring boulevard, where you’ll see monuments to Andranik Zoravar, Griboedov, Zoravar Vartan Mamikonyan, Michael Nalbandyan, Ivan Aivazovsky; St. Grigor Lusavorich Cathedral; Cinema ‘’Russia’’, Komitas Chamber Music House, Cascade hills, Yerevan train station of Sasuntsi David, which has become the symbol of Yerevan.
• Visiting "Erebuni" Historical and Archaeological Museum
• Greeting dinner

Day  2. Garni, Geghard, Vernissage

• The temple of Garni is 28 km south-west from Yerevan, over the gorge of the River Azat is located a fortress of the same name. On the hill, surrounded by vineyards, rise the remains of the pagan temple (the I century). The pagan temple Garni is the only monument to the epoch of Hellenism in Armenia. The temple, dedicated to the sun goddess Mythra, was built in the second half of the first century, in the days of Tiridates I.
• Geghard Monastery is 7 km north-west from Garni, above the gorge of the River Azat. There was founded a cloister named Ayrivank (Cave-Monastery) because of its location in natural and artificial caves. The later name of the Monastery – Geghard, church legends connect with the spear, once kept there, the one, with which Jesus Christ was pierced by one of the Romanian legionaries, guarding him.
  
  The diamond-shaped tip plate of that spear nowadays is kept in the Museum of Armenian Church in Etchmiadzin.
• Dinner
• Vernissage is located in the center of Yerevan not far from the Republic Square – the favorite place of the tourists and guests. Here they sell pictures, jewelry, woodwork, national souvenirs, semi-precious stones, rarity, etc.

Day  3. "ARARAT" Brandy Factory or "NOY" Wine and Brandy Factory. Ashtarak, Karmravor, St. Marine, Oshakan

• "ARARAT" Brandy Factory is located on the right bank of the River Hrazdan, the building was built by the project of an architect O. Margaryan in 1953. The beginning of the production of cognac in Armenia was in 1887 in Iravani by a merchant and philanthropist Nerses Tairyan, which subsequently was obtained by Nikolay Shustov in 1898. In 1948 due to the reorganization of the Yerevan Wine and Brandy Factory (this was the previous name of Shustov’s factory in late 1940s) into the Yerevan Winery, the manufactory of alcohol distillation and cognac manufactory were merged into the separate Yerevan Cognac Factory. In 1953, after the finishing of construction and moving in a new building, the independent history of Yerevan Cognac Factory began.
• "NOY" Wine and Brandy Factory is located on the territory of the Fortress of Iravani, built in the XVI century by Persian Farad Pasha. In 1853 the Fortress was almost ruined by a severe earthquake and its territory was bought by Nerses Tairyan. In 1887 Tairyan began the production of Armenian cognac, which in 1989 continued Nikolay Shustov. The modern construction was built by an architect R. Israelyan in 1938. During the excursion you can get accustomed to the unique productions of cognac and wine, degustate them and purchase.
• Dinner
• Ashtarak is located on the bank of the River Kasakh, 20 km north-east from Yerevan. Ashtarak is one of the oldest towns of Armenia with a variety of monuments of Material culture.
• Karmravor Church the most famous monument of Ashtarak is well preserved Karmravor Church, built in the VII century. This is the only monument in Armenia, tiled roof of which retained until our days.
• St. Marine Church is located in Ashtarak and was built in 1281. St. Marine Church is devoted to one of the 40 virgin martyrs.
• Village Oshakan is 4 km south from Ashtarak. Here is the burial place of great Armenian Saint Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the alphabets of very different in language nations – Armenian, Georgian and Albanian Caucasians. Above the grave of Saint Mesrop Mashtots, located in the south-east of the village, in 443 was built a small chapel by Vahagn Amatuni, where in 1875-1879 was built a church by Catholicos George III. On the right side, near the altar, was a tomb, where in the foundation of an ancient chapel, under the marble tombstone, the relics of Mesrop Mashtots are at rest.

Day  4. Matenadaran, Tsitsernakaberd. Dvin, Khor Virap

• Matenadaran is located in the center of Yerevan, the modern building, built by the project of an architect M. Grigoryan in 1959, is a storage of ancient unique manuscripts and has about 20000 storage units.
• Tsitsernakaberd   is located on the hill of the same name, on the right bank of the River Hrazdan in Yerevan, built by the project of architects A. Tarkhanyan and S. Kalashyan in 1967. The Memorial Complex and the Museum are devoted to the victims of Armenian Genocide of 1915.
• Dinner
• Dvin is 35 km south from Yerevan. Dvin is one of the 12 capitals and one of very important historical towns of Armenia with the history of more than 1000 years. The history of Dvin, built on the site of prehistorical settlement, dates back to 330s. According to the witnessing of historians King Arshakuni Khosrov II Kotak (330-338) founded the town on the hill, not far from Artashat. Only after 150 years after the foundation of the city, in 481 Nerses Bagratuni declared Dvin the capital of Armenia.
• Khor Virap i an architectural monument of the XVII century, monastery-fortress, is located on the hill, near the village of Pokr Verdi. In ancient times here used to be a historical city Artashat, one of ancient capitals of Armenia. The Monastery is one of the saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the place of pilgrimage. On the site of the monastery-fortress there used to be czar’s prison ‘’Virap’’, a deep pit, filed with poisonous snakes and insects, where condemned prisoners were thrown. Here bore his anguishes Saint Grigor Lusavorich, the initiator of acceptance of Christianity in Armenia (301). According to a legend, he was imprisoned in the dungeon by the order of King Tiridates III and spent there 13 years.

Day  5. Etchmiadzin, Hripsime, Shoghakat, Gayane, Zvartnots

• Check out
• Etchmiadzinis 15 km from Yerevan. This place is worshiped by Armenians all over the world, because here is the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Etchmiadzin, the former name of which is Vagharshapat, was founded in the first half of the II century on the site of ancient colony Vardgesavan. Since 163, after the destruction of Artashat by the Romans, the town has become the political, cultural, and later the religious and enlightening center of the country.
• St. Hripsime Church. Before the entrance to Etchmiadzin stands a magnificent St. Hripsime Temple. Hripsime is the name of a martyr, whose grave is located in the tomb, under the altar. On the site of her death in the fourth century A.C. was built a chapel, and in the seventh century Catholicos Komitas erected a temple.
• St. Shoghakat Church. Shoghakat is the name of one of the 40 martyrs, whose grave is also under the altar. It is located not far from the St. Hripsime Church. According to a blindly accepted belief, the temple got its name from the name of a virgin, who perished there. However, the name of the martyr, according to а legend, is Marine. The name ‘’Shoghakat’’ is connected with the vision of Grigor Lusavorich and means ‘’descending ray’’. The church was built in the XVII century.
• St. Gayane Church is south from the temple of Etchmiadzin. It was built in 630 by the designation of Catholicos Ezra, on the site of a chapel, erected in the place, where, according to the same legend, was buried Gayane, the abbess of virgin-christians and the governess of Hripsime, who also accepted martyrdom and, like Hripsime, was convicted to a rank of saints. In the southern aisle, near the altar apse, the relics of Hripsime are at rest.
• St. Etchmiadzin Cathedral. In 301 Christianity became the state religion in Armenia. According to a legend, the first patriarch Grigor Lusavorich had a vision as the only begotten, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven with a flaming hammer in his hands and indicated the place for building the Cathedral. There, where was an ancient pagan temple, in 303 was built the church, named Etchmiadzin, which in Armenian means “Descent of the Only Begotten Son".
• Zvartnots Temple  is 10 km from Yerevan. The construction of the Temple of Watching Forces began in 641-643 and had been conducting for 20 years. The initiator of the construction was Catholicos Nerses III the Builder (Shinarar), who engaged masters from ancient Armenian town Dvin, a city which was famous for its beauty. Extant to our days remains of Zvartnots are witnessing the glory of the building.
• Transfer to the airport