GEORGIA, ARMENIA & AZERBAIJAN 24 DAYS FROM PER PERSON
$11,580 FULLY INCLUSIVE WITH FLIGHTS FROM NEW ZEALAND
MOST MEALS
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
ample Georgian cuisine S Discover ancient caravanserais Learn about the 1st Christian nation Marvel at Mount Kazbegi Taste the popular local wines Explore an abandoned cave town
PRICE INCLUDES • 20 breakfasts, 19 lunches, 20 dinners • International flights and current taxes • Domestic transportation • 3 – 4 star accommodation • Touring with guides and entrance fees • Visa fees for New Zealand passport holders
Gergeti Trinity Church
ITINERARY DAYS 1-2: FLY VIA DOHA TO AZERBAIJAN Fly to Baku, Azerbaijan’s laidback capital. On arrival, transfer to your hotel. Stroll down Martyrs’ Lane to the seafront before heading into Icheri Sheher, the atmospheric old city for a delicious local dinner. (D) DAY 3: BAKU CIT Y TOUR Explore the city, visiting the treasures of Icheri Sheher - Shirvanshah’s Palace, a caravanserai and the Maiden Tower. Later, visit the Carpet Museum and the main market square, with its numerous art studios and souvenir stalls. (B,L,D)
Enjoy Azerbaijani ‘dovga’
EXPERIENCES YOU’LL LOVE V isit a rural home in the Caucasus Mountains of Azerbaijan where, as well as getting a glimpse of the day to day life of the people here, you can try your hand at making yoghurt, the essential component of the national dish ‘dovga’. I n the remote village of Lakhiri in the mountainous Sveneti region, learn to make one of Georgia’s most popular snacks, khachapuri, a delicious cheesefilled leavened bread. I n the ancient city of Mtskheta, home to Georgia’s most beautiful frescoes, join a master craftsmen to discover more about the art of icon painting, and the secrets of the traditional craft of ‘teka’ (felt) making.
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DAY 4: VISIT YANAR DAG Visit Yanar Dag, meaning ‘Burning Mountain’, a fire fed by natural gas seeping through the sandstone and Ateshgah, the UNESCO-listed Fire Temple of Baku. Explore the medieval fortress of Mardakan and, after lunch, drive to Gobustan National Park to visit the Petroglyph Museum and view rock carvings dating back to 10,000 BC. (B,L,D) DAY 5: CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS Head north through the spectacular landscapes of the Caucasus Mountains. Stop in the ancient city of Shamakhi, visiting the 8th-century Juma Mosque and pop into a local home to try your hand at traditional yoghurt making. Continue to the city of Gabala. (B,L,D) DAY 6: EXPLORE SHEKI Discover the ruins of the ancient walled city Chukhur Gabala and visit the Gabala Historical Ethnography Museum. Visit Nidj village to meet the native Udin people before arriving in Sheki. Browse the wares of the colourful bazaar, visit Sheki Palace and the village of Kis. (B,L,D)
VISIT
W E N DY W U TO U R S . CO. N Z
DAY 7: GEORGIA WINE TOUR Cross over the border into Georgia. Explore a traditional market and visit a local family. Lunch on homemade food, wine and Georgian ‘chacha’ before travelling through picturesque landscapes of vineyards and wine villages, to the magnificent wine cave at Kvareli and the Chavchavadze Estate. Continue to Akhasheni Wine Resort which, as well as being your overnight accommodation, will host you for a wine tour and tasting. (B,L) DAY 8: DISCOVER SIGHNAGHI Travel to the beautiful 18th-century town of Sighnaghi. Continue to Bodbe Convent, the burial place – so legend tells – of St Nino, who converted Georgia to Christianity in the 4th-century. Arrive in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia and have dinner in the atmospheric old town. (B,D) DAY 9: EXPLORE TBILISI Explore the sights of Tbilisi. Visit the 13th-century Metekhi church, the monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali and Narikala Fortress. Stroll through the Sharden area, where narrow streets are lined with cosy cafés, wine bars and souvenir shops. (B,L,D) DAY 10: DISCOVER ANCIENT MTSKHETA This morning, visit the 3,000-year-old ancient capital – Mtskheta. Spend time visiting the city’s historical sights including the UNESCO-listed Svetitskhoveli Cathedral where, preserved in the crypt, it is said the robe of Christ resides. Later, travel to Gudauri to visit a local painter to learn about Georgian icon painting and ‘teka’ (felt) making. (B,L,D) DAY 11: UPLISTSIKHE CAVE TOWN Travel back along the scenic Tergi River to Gori, the hometown of Joseph Stalin. Visit the Stalin Museum and the tiny house where he was born. Continue to the abandoned cave town of Uplistsikhe,
