Crossroads of the Caucuses

Fly New Zealand to Dubai. Overnight on the flight.

Connect through to Istanbul. Transfer to your hotel.

Your walking tour this morning includes Topkapi Palace Museum, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the famous Grand Bazaar.

Continue exploring Istanbul this morning with the Basilica Cistern and Spice Market. Join a cruise on the Bosphorus before relaxing this afternoon.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Baku. On arrival transfer to your hotel and this evening is at leisure.

Explore fascinating Baku today starting at Martyrs Lane for a panoramic view of the city. Then head into the Old City to see the Shirvanshah Palace, Maiden Tower, Fountain Square and Green Bazaar.

Head into the historical and cultural reserve of Gobustan this morning and visit the Gobustan Petroglyphs Museum. Afternoon at leisure.

Head west for Sheki this morning, stopping en route to see the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi. On arrival in Sheki, visit the Sheki Khans Palace and Upper Caravanserai, an 18th century remnant of the city’s merchant history. Join a Shebeke workshop in stained glass windows.

Transfer to the border to meet your Georgian guide. Explore the most fertile part of Georgia – Kakheti, which borders the Great Caucasus range. This region is known as a birthplace of viticulture and wine-making. Have lunch with a wine-making family.

Visit the local farmers market in Telavi before heading to the fortified town of Sighnaghi, famous for its wine and carpet-making culture. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Kizikhi area and the unusual charm of Sighnaghi Royal Town. Walk the narrow streets with buildings characterised by their intricately carved wooden balconies. Lunch is a culinary masterclass and wine tasting before continuing to Tbilisi.

Visit Metechi Church, Sioni Cathedral and Anchiskhati Basilica, the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, before heading to Narikhala Fortress for wonderful views across the city. Visit the National Museum of Georgia before a stroll along Rustaveli Avenue.

Drive to Mtskheta – the ancient capital of Georgia. Visit the UNESCO sites of Jvari, where St. Nino, a female evangelist, erected a cross on the site of a pagan temple and Svetitskhoveli, the fortified cathedral where the Robe of Christ is said to be buried. Meet a member of the community of IDP (Internally Displaced People) from the Russian occupied South Ossetia Region before joining an enamel workshop.

Drive to the cave town of Vardzia, via the Khertvisi Fortress. Visit newly renovated Rabat Castle which is often called a symbol of tolerance and the Akhaltsikhe Synagogue of the Georgian Jews before returning to Borjomi for overnight.

After breakfast drive to Gori, known as the birthplace of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Visit Stalin’s Museum in Gori where you can see the house where Stalin was born, and his personal railway carriage. Continue to the 16th – 17th century fortress and church of Ananuri. Overnight in Gudauri.

See the high peaks, roaring rivers and mountain lifestyle of Georgia’s northern borderlands by travelling via one of the oldest roads in Georgia, which the Russian Tsar Alexander I named the Georgian Military Highway. Weather permitting we will visit ‘Mkinvartsveri’ or Mt Kazbek, a dormant volcano soaring to 5047 m. Join a jeep tour to Gergety Trinity Church – the most important altar of 14th century, located on the slope of Mount Kazbek. Enjoy a home-hosted lunch and dumpling making class in the tiny, remote village of Tsdo. After lunch meet a wool felt master and learn about this centuries-old craft tradition.

Drive to the Sadakhlo border crossing, stopping en route in Tblisi for lunch. Cross into Armenia this afternoon and visit Haghpat monastery, famous for its unique school of manuscripts. Visit the COAF Smart School, a modern centre offering free education to rural children, and enjoy a stay at the Concept Hotel here.

Visit artisan workshops in Dilijan then head for the monastery of Sevanavank at Lake Sevan. The panoramic views are a just reward for the steep climb of 200 steps. Culinary workshop and lunch before continuing to Yerevan. After a rest join a walking tour of downtown Yerevan

Drive from Yerevan to the UNESCO World Heritage site cave monastery of Geghard with a live performance of medieval Armenian spiritual chants in one of the cave chambers of the monastery. Then drive to Garni to visit its pagan temple dating from the 1st century. This Greco-Roman temple was dedicated to the deity of the sun and justice, Mithra. After lunch witness one of the most impressive natural monuments of Armenia, “Symphony of Stones”, located in the Garni Gorge. Overnight in Yerevan.

Drive to Khor Virap monastery for views of Mt Ararat. Back in Yerevan visit the Armenian Genocide Museum & Memorial before meeting a musician for a presentation of traditional Armenian woodwind musical instruments followed by a live performance on various instruments. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

Fly to Dubai arriving this afternoon. Transfer to your stopover hotel.

This morning depart for New Zealand, travelling overnight.

Arrive mid-morning.