ITINERARY

The Caucasus Region
Visiting Azerbaijan - Georgia - Armenia

AZERBAIJAN

Arrive BAKI (Baku) Bina Airport                                                      
HOTEL HYATT REGENCY

Morning free to rest

BAKI (BAKU)

Baki, the capital of Azerbaijan, is the biggest metropolis in Trans- caucasia with a quarter of Azerbaijan’s population. This beautiful city is built around a perfect harbor. Baki Bay is a notch in the underside of the Apsheron Peninsula.

There has been one settlement or another since at least the 5th century. It was run by Arabs, Turks, Persians and finally by Russians. Oil has been scooped since the 10th century and large scale oil extraction since the 1870's. In 1935, the drilling began offshore. Hitler’s drive to Strangel the flow of oil was stopped at Stalingrad (now Volgagrad). The production has now fallen as oil deposits have been discovered in Siberia. But the city is still surrounded by pipelines and refineries.

Baki is a composition of actually three cities, old town, boomtown and Russian town with the old walled city to the west and the modern city to the East and North. The compact medieval fortress, whose original walls were built between the 12th and 16th century, was strong enough to withstand a long Mongol Tartar siege in the 13th century, has been recently restored.

BAKU

9:00 AM - Baku Sightseeing with visit to Shakhiler Khihabany Park with Panoramic view of Baku.

 2:30 PM - Visit to the Azerbaijan History Museum

 3:30 PM - Visit of the Old city by foot. During this walk through Icheri Sheher, the historic center of Baku situated within the ancient city walls, you will see such architectural monuments as Maiden Tower and the Shirvanshakhs’ Palace, Karavansarays ancient mosques, etc.

 5:00 PM - Visit to the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum

 7:00 PM - Return to the hotel for dinner

BAKU

Morning Absheron Peninsula tour

Drive to the suburb to the see Mosque in Amiradjany.

Continue to the Fire Worshippers' Temple
The Ateshgah fire-worshippers' temple was restored in the 18th century by congregation from India. The original building was built on a spot where natural gas was coming out of the ground, causing "ever-burning flames" which used to inspire Zoroaster and his followers. The temple was destroyed in the 7th century. An explanation on the cult and the history of the place will be given. Thereafter visit the tower type Temple in Markadany Suburb.

1 - 2:00 PM - Free Time

2:00 PM - Afternoon excursion to Gobustan.
Excursion to the volcanic desert to southwest of Baku slong the Caspian shore. Here you will see rock paintings made by ancient people who used to live there in caves more then ten thousand years ago.

Leave BAKU after breakfast for Sheky visiting enroute Diribaba
B,L,D Mausoleum in Maraza, Observation of Djuma Mosque and Yeddy Gumbez Mausoleum in Shemakhy.

Lunch will be served enroute.

In the afternoon continue through Mughanly - Ismailly - Gebele - Oguz.

Arrive in Sheky about 4:00 PM.
HOTEL YUKHARI CARANSARY

Brief visit of SHEKY.

Leave SHEKY and drive via Sakata to the Georgian Borer town
of Lagodekhi. Where we arrive at 12:00 Noon. Transfer to a Georgian bus.

GEORGIA

Drive to nearby Kakheti for lunch.

Afternoon drive through pleasant countryside to TBLISI..
HOTEL MARRIOTT

TBILISI (TIFLIS)

Tbilisi lies in a bowl surrounded by hills where the Kura river is flowing through it. The city existed sometimes before Vakhtang Gorgasali, moved the Iverian capital here from Mtskheta probably in 458. Since then it has nearly always been the most important city in what is now Georgia. Commanding the route between East and West Trans-caucasia. The city changed hands between Persians and Turks countless times. The Persians burnt it down one last time in 1795. Shortly before it became a Russian provincial capital. Today it is one of the chief industrial cities in the Caucasus area.

TBILISI

Morning city tour
Walk around the Old Town and sense a rare blend of European and Asian cultures. Oriental markets, sulfur, bathhouses, countless churches, wooden houses with intricately carved balcones make Tbilisi a wonderful attraction. During the brief periods of relative calm and economic prosperity Georgia was a real Paradise for merchants. Numerous caravans from all over the world headed from Georgia, which was a crossroads of trade routes.Tbilisi was the country’s biggest wine market. By the end of the 18th century, the city enactedthe plan by Georgian geographer Vakhushti and planted many gardens in and around the city.

Visit: Narikala Fortress - Main fortress of the city, dated from 4th century; Anchiskhati basilica - oldest ecclesiastical building, dates 6th century. The church received its name from the Anchiicon; Siony - the main cathedral church of Tbilisi. The cross of St. Nino is kept here; Old Caravansary - merchants oriental style building; Metekhi curch - VI - VII century, cross copal church, part of the Royal residential complex - Metekhi. XII - XIX cc. The prison was located here; Mtatsminda Pantheon - the most important and well known people of Georgia and russia are burried here; Rustaveli Avenue, main and the most beatiful street of Tbilisi, the faforite place for leisure and free time for the guests and natives of Tbilisi. Visits to Georgia art and State museums, exhibition of gold work dated to the 3rd century BC and medieval art from the 9th to the 14th century. Visit of Open area Museum where you can find the traditional types of houses of different provinces of Georgia.

Afternoon tour to Mtskheta
20 kms (12½ miles) North of Tbilisi at the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers was the capital of Iveria before Tbilisi from the third century B.C. to the 5th century A.D.King Mirian accepted here Christianity from St. Nino in the 4th century. Mtskheta remainded the headquarters of the Georgian church until the 12th century and has still several fine old churches. The first to be visited is Sveti Tskhoveli life-giving pillar. The first stone cathedral here, began by Bagrat III in the 11th century, was destroyed by Timur. Several important Iverian rulers tombs are in front of the cathedral. Next, we will visit the still working Samtavro, convent dated from the 11th century. Continue to the Dzhoari (cross) Cathedral, which stands on a hilltop overlooking the city. It was built in 506 to 604, replacing a big wooden cross put there in the 4th century. We will also visit Bebristsikhe Fort at the North end of town, which was an outlying defense for medieval Tbilisi.

TBILISI

Excursion to Gori, birthplace of Georgia’s most infamous son, Josef Stalin. Visit to the Museum, housing the life of Stalin Continue to Sioni of Ateni near Gori and view the Jvari Church. Continue to Uplisteikhe (Fortress of God) to view the ancient rock-cut town, dating back to the 1st half of the 1st Millenium B.C. This is a complex of rock-cut halls, caves, altars, passages and streets and included the most ancient theatre in Georgia.

Leave TBILISI this morning and drive to SADAKHLO border city and enter

 ARMENIA

Leave SADAKHLO and drive to Hakhpat to view the Monastery, one of the outstanding samples of the medieval Armenian architecture. Continue to the Sanain Monastery (10th Century).

Drive via Odzun to see the old church, before arriving in YEREVAN..
HOTEL MARRIOTT

YEREVAN (EREVAN)

The capital of Armenia lies on the sides of the Ararat valley at an altitude of 900 to 1300 meters (approximately 2000 to 3000 ft) above sea level. Yerevan dates back to 732 B.C. when Argistis, King of Uratu, began to build the fortress and the town of Erebuni, which now forms the center of the modern city. The city has been dominated by the Romans, Parthians, Arabs, Tartars, Turks, Persians, and Georgians. It became Russian in the early 19th century. It has grown from a pre world war I population of 30,000 to a thriving modern metropolis and a major center of Industry and culture with a population exceeding
one million.

YEREVAN

Morning city tour
The central plaza is designed as a unit in the Armenian national style. The fountains in front of the museum are enhanced by a colored light show at night. On the East side is the government house, which is the seat of the Armenian government. 1968, 2750 fountains were installed for Yerevan’s 2750th anniversary. The extensive partially restored excavations of the Erebuni fortress includes the ruins of a palace and a double defensive wall, which also includes a museum.

The History and Art Museum located in the same building. The History Museum has artifacts and models of old Urartu and Armenia as well as two carts preserved in the mud of Lake Sevan since the 14th or 13th century B.C. The Art Gallery of Armenia has a good section of Armenian Art from the 7th century A.D. The Matenadaran or ancient manuscripts library houses over 12,000 Armenian manuscripts from the 6th century on, which are collected from all over the world. The illuminated manuscripts and the cultured history is impressive

Afternoon tour covering the Genocide Memorial to the victims of the 1915 Genocide, on the hills, overlooking the city centre. It consists of a skyward pointing needle (symbolizing revival), a circle of basalt pillars leaning ground an enternal flame, and a wall with relief scenes. The memorial is separated from the city centre by the ravine of the Razdan River. We will continue to the Erebuni Fortress, to see the ruined palace.