1st Day Istanbul - Yerevan We recommend you to be at Sabiha Gökçen Airport by **20:30**. At **23:25**, we depart for the capital of Armenia, **Yerevan**, with Pegasus Airlines flight PC 550. **Note:** Due to your flight time, your accommodation reservation has been started from today, so you can check into your rooms without issues. 2nd Day Yerevan (Breakfast, Dinner) Arrival in Yerevan at **02:30**. After completing the necessary procedures, transfer to our hotel and settle into our rooms. Accommodation is at our hotel. Breakfast at the hotel. Due to your late arrival, you will have free time to recover from your fatigue. Around noon, we start our **Yerevan City Tour**. Armenia, one of the oldest settlements in the South Caucasus, has hosted numerous civilizations throughout its history. With its warm spring, sunny summer, rainy autumn, and snowy winter, Armenia offers a unique experience, presenting deep cultural features, a hospitable populace, and a refined cuisine full of delicious flavors. Yerevan is one of the cities where modern and classical, old and new blend beautifully. During our tour of this beautiful city, one of the oldest in the world, we will see the neo-classical adorned **Republic Square**, the **National Opera and Ballet Theatre** from the 19th Century, the magnificent view of **Mount Ararat**, the modern art pieces at the **Cascade Complex**, the **Cafesjian Art Center and Sculpture Park**, the **Mother Armenia Statue** available in the glorious views of **Victory Park**, the **Parliament Building** which is one of the city’s symbolic structures, the **Buzandi Street, Aram Street, and Abovyan Street** housing the old buildings, the **Vernisaj Market** where you can buy souvenirs for your loved ones, and the always vibrant **Pushkin Street and Parpetsi Street** among other places we will visit. At the end of our city tour, we will have our **dinner** at a local restaurant known for the delicious examples of Armenian cuisine and folklore shows. (Dinner is included in the price, drinks are extra) After dinner, transfer to our hotel. **Restaurant to be used (Dinner with Folklore Show) Tavern Yerivan Riverside (Summer)** https://www.yeremyanprojects.com/en/restaurants/tavern-yerevan-riverside **Restaurant to be used (Dinner with Folklore Show) Tavern Yerivan (Winter)** https://www.yeremyanprojects.com/en/restaurants/tavern-yerevan 3rd Day Yerevan (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Voghjabert, Geghard, Garni, Hor Virap, Echmiadzin) After breakfast, we depart from our hotel for a day filled with magnificent beauties. Our first stop is the **Charent Arch** in **Voghjabert Village**. This work is designed to resemble a mouth opening towards Mount Ararat. (Approximately 15 km) According to the Bible, **Noah's Ark** came to rest in this area. Next, we take a trip to the **Geghard Monastery**, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Approximately 25 km) This monastery, carved from rock from the 4th Century to the 13th Century, is one of the significant Christian shrines in the world located in the shadow of the magnificent peaks of the Azat Valley. The monastery's treasure includes the spear that wounded Jesus. After this, we head to **Garni Village** where we will have our **lunch** at an authentic restaurant serving local Armenian delicacies. During lunch, you can bake lavash bread with local women. Afterwards, we will see the UNESCO World Heritage-listed natural formations known as the **"Symphony of Stones,"** a natural wonder. (Approximately 10 km) These rocks have been shaped into symmetrical hexagonal forms by rain and wind over thousands of years, creating a "Basalt Organ" appearance throughout the valley. We will then visit the **Garni Temple**, the only Pagan Temple that has survived since the 1st Century AD. (Approximately 10 km) This structure, which can trace its roots to the pre-Christian religious life of the Caucasus, was dedicated to the Sun God Mithras. Next, we will visit the **Khor Virap Monastery**, located at the foot of Mount Ararat, very close to the Turkish border. (Approximately 50 km) Armenia declared itself as the world's first "Christian Nation" in 301 AD. Originally constructed as a chapel in 642 and expanded in 1662, Khor Virap Monastery is one of the most important religious structures in the country. Our last destination will be the city of **Echmiadzin (Vagharshapat)** located in the Armavir province of Armenia. (Approximately 50 km) This city is home to the **Echmiadzin Cathedral**, which was built after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion in 301 and is still active today. The cathedral is considered the oldest cathedral in the world and holds titles as the center and throne of the Armenian Church. For dinner, we will take you to a very special place that you will enjoy for its delicious menu and cultural and artistic activities. Afterwards, transfer back to Yerevan. (Approximately 25 km) **Restaurant to be used (Lunch) (Sergei Mot)** https://www.instagram.com/sergeysplace/ **Restaurant to be used (Dinner) (Machanents House)** https://machanents.com/en/about-us/machanents-house/ 4th Day Yerevan- Tsaghadzor- Lake Sevan- Goshavank- Dilijan- Yerevan (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) After breakfast and checking out of the rooms, we depart from our hotel. Our first destination is the beautiful mountain city and winter ski resort, **Tsaghadzor**. (Approximately 60 km) During our break here, apart from the summer months, you can freely explore this magnificent village blanketed in snow and enjoy a drink at cafes. Next, we proceed to **Lake Sevan**, known as the **"Blue Pearl,"** the largest in the Caucasus and the highest in the world with an altitude of 1900 meters. (Approximately 90 km) The lake, referred to as the "Gokce Lake" in the book of Dede Korkut, was officially called "Gokce Lake" in documents until 1930. On our journey to this beautiful lake, the breathtaking natural views will impress you. Our first stop in the lake area is the **Sevan Cemetery,** which has the largest collection of khachkars in the world. After the mysterious looking cemetery, we visit the **Sevanavank Monastery**, built in the 8th century by monks and still in active use today. After having our **lunch at a local restaurant in Sevan Village**, consisting of seafood, we head to **Gosh Village** to visit the **Goshavank Monastery**, constructed in the 12th century as a monastery for the Caucasian Alpan (Alban) and later serving as a religious temple and school for Armenians who migrated from the Ottoman and Iranian territories in the 19th century. (Approximately 65 km) We then visit **Dilijan**, one of the most important tourist attractions in the Caucasus, known for its historic buildings and natural beauty, which is one of the best-preserved former settlements of the Middle Ages. (Approximately 25 km) During our tour here, we will see the town center and historical structures. After visiting, we will enjoy a dinner in Dilijan consisting of local flavors, and then transfer back to Yerevan. (Approximately 100 km) Accommodation at our hotel. **Restaurant to be used (Lunch) (Yasaman Sevan)** https://www.yasaman.am/en/sevan **Restaurant to be used (Dinner) (Old Dilijan Restaurant)** https://olddilijan.am/menu/20 5th Day Yerevan - Istanbul Transfer to Yerevan Airport at the times determined by our guide. At **06:30**, we depart for Istanbul on Pegasus Airlines flight PC 551. Arrival in Istanbul at **08:00**. Please check your flight times one last time 48 hours before departure. Our company holds no responsibility for domestic flights not purchased from the company.