Silk Road Tour

Armenia has always had a unique geographic location, 
linking the great powers of the Eastern and Western worlds. 
At the same time, Armenia maintained close economic ties with neighbouring countries. The East - West trade routes passed across the Armenian plateau and favoured the development of the country's economy, trade, commerce and culture. At the highest points in its political history, Armenia was a powerful kingdom and reached the zenith of its territorial expansion, stretching from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea and from the Mediterranean to Lake Urmia in what is now Iran. It took control over main branches of the Great Silk Road in the Middle East. 

One of its three principal branches still stretches along the Ararat Valley through the territory of modern Armenia. We invite you to visit the country that has always played a role as the bridge between Eastern and Western civilisations, and to discover a wealth of preserved evidence of the integration processes of the ancient and medieval world.
Explore: 
· Traces of pre-historic civilisations, numerous antic fortresses and temples
· Ancient trade routes of the Great Silk Road 
· Following the traces of Strabon and Marco Polo
· The ancient trade centres - Dvin, Armavir, Artashat 
· The stone witnesses of the Great Silk Road - Selim, Aruch and Talin caravan-sarays
· The mute evidences of different civilisations

Forgotten Trails - Silk Road Tour  
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Length: 11days/10nights
Start and finish of the tour: in Yerevan.
Accommodation: hotels in Yerevan and Gyumri, private house in Odzun, guest house near Sevan, hotel "Basen" in Sisian .

Day 1-2: Arrival at Zvartnots airport. Time for leisure. Museum of History. Lunch at the restaurant. City tour. Erebuny fortress and museum (782 BC). Dinner, overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.
Day 3: Etchmiadzin, Cathedral (303AD), St Gayane (630AD) Ethnographic museum in Sardarapat, lunch. St.Hripsime (618AD) churches, Zvartnots (643AD). Dinner, overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.
Day 4: Aruch (7th cc.) church and caravansary, Mastara (5th cc.), Harichavank (7-13th cc.), lunch-picnic. Gyumri. Marmashen (10-11th cc.). Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Gyumri.
Day 5: Kobayr (12 -13th cc.) Haghpat (10 -13th cc.) lunch-picnic, and Sanahin (10 -13th cc.) monastery complexes, Odzun temple (6th c.). Dinner and overnight at the private house in Odzun. 

Day 6: Dilijan, Goshavank monastery complex (10-13thcc.), lunch, Haghartsin (10-13th cc), Lake Sevan, peninsula, Sevan Monastery (9-13thcc.). Noradouz medieval khachkars field (9 -17th cc.). Dinner and overnight at the guest house near Lake Sevan.
Day 7: Lake Sevan, Selim pass and caravan-saray (10-15th cc.), Yeghegis village, Zorats church (14th c.), Gndevank (10th c.), Sisian. Dinner and overnight at the hotel "Basen" in Sisian.
Day 8: Karahunge ancient observatory (5 mil. BC), Khndzoresk ancient village in caves (I mil. BC), lunch at the restaurant in Goris. Tatev monastery complex and university (9-13th cc.). Dinner and overnight in the cottages of the tourist base in Sisian.
Day 9: Sisian, Tanahat monastery complex (13th c), Gladzor university. Noravank (13-14th cc.), lunch-picnic. Khor-Virap (4th c.). Artashat ancient trade center. Dinner, overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.
Day 10: Matenadaran - institute and museum of medieval manuscripts. Geghard (4-13th cc), lunch-picnic, Garni pagan temple (1st c.). Museum of S.Paradjanov. Parting dinner, overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.
Day 11: Transfer to the airport. Departure.