Areni Wine Factory

Day 1: Starting our trip from Yerevan we will leave for Monastery Khor Virap which stands before the snowcapped flanks of Mount Ararat offering a spectacular view of the mountain. The name Khor Virap means “deep pit”, named after the prison where St. Gregory the Illuminator, the first Armenian Catholicos, was held. You can still open climb down the pit using a narrow ladder in order to experience its atmosphere. After, we will head to Areni winery, where you will have a degustation of Armenian wine.  The next stop will be Monastery Noravank, which dates back to XIII—XIV centuries. The last point of the first day of the trip will be the mountain spa town - Jermuk, where we will stop for overnight. The name of the town is derived from the Armenian word of "jermuk" or "jermook" meaning "warm mineral spring".  Day 2: In the morning, after having breakfast we will leave for the best preserved caravansary in Armenia, Selim built of basalt blocks in 1332 by Prince Chesar Orbelian, according to an inscription in Armenian and Arabic. After visiting Selim we will head to Noratus, which is  famous for its cemetery, the oldest part of which includes over 800 khachkars (stone crosses), carved between the 9th-17th centuries. The next stop will be Monastery Hayravank, which dates back to the 9th-12th centuries. And the last destination of our wonderful trip is Sevanavank - one of the most prominent examples of medieval Armenian architecture. It was founded in 874 AD by princess Mariam. The church buildings were constructed from black tuff, which probably gave the monastery its name Sevanavank - “the Black Monastery”.