Blessing of Grapes August 11-21

By taking part in this tour package you’ll have a unique opportunity to participate in one of the most important Armenian festivals, Blessing of Grapes Ceremony which is held on 12 August of 2012 in Echmiadzin town. In Armenia it isn’t allowed to eat grapes before they are blessed. In August the Armenian Apostolic Church is celebrating the feast “Assumption of the Virgin Mary” -the blessing of grapes. By the time of this festival the grapes ripen. On the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Ceremony of the Blessing of the Grapes is conducted, and the harvest for the entire year is blessed on that day. Our clergymen had chosen grape for benediction since Christ blessed the wine made from grapes and gave it to his disciples as a symbol of his vital blood. The same blessed grape would become blessed wine, and from that very grape people preserved a bit for the next year grape blessing ceremony as a sign of richness and abundance.   Learn more…

August 11 – Day 1
Arrival at Zvartnots International Airport. Our tourist guide will welcome you at the airport. Transfer to hotel in Yerevan.

YEREVAN CITY TOUR  - V: Republic Square, Opera House, “Cascade” Monument and Stairs, "Mother Armenia" Monument with a breathtaking view of Yerevan, Victory Bridge, Hrazdan Stadium, Sports and Concerts Center, Presidential Palace, National Assembly Building, Academy of Sciences, Tsitsernakaberd-Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and Museum.

Visit Matenadaran, a unique Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts and a Museum.
Matenadaran is the largest center of study and safekeeping of Armenian manuscripts in the world.

Lunch at a traditional Armenian restaurant, where you’ll enjoy the best dishes of the miraculous Armenian cuisine. Overnight in Yerevan.

August 12 – Day 2 “BLESSING OF GRAPES FESTIVAL”

Leave for Echmiadzin town, the Holy See of the Armenian Apostolic Church, where the Armenian Catholicos (Supreme Patriarch) resides. The church of Echmiadzin are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Visit St. Hripsime Church which was built in 7^th century and is considered a masterpiece of early medieval Armenian architecture.

Continue to Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral. It was originally built by Saint Gregory the Illuminator  in 301-303A.D., when Armenia became the first officially Christian state in the world. It is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Here you can enjoy the festival of “Blessing of grapes”.

On the way back to Yerevan visit the Ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral. Zvartnots  was a majestic cathedral built as Armenia's main cathedral in 641-661A.D.  The remnants of Zvartnots, even in ruins, are a majestic sight. The Ruins of Zvartnots are listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Lunch at a traditional Armenian restaurant. Overnight in Yerevan.

August 13 – Day 3

Tour to Garni Pagan Temple and Geghard Monastery. The Pagan Temple of Garni is the only non-Christian temple currently standing in the Caucasus. Gracing the hillside the pagan temple was dedicated to the God of Sun, Mithra. It was built in 77A.D. by the Armenian King Tiridates I. The architectural complex of Garni was Armenia's foremost center of Hellenistic culture and the summer residence of Armenian kings. The fortress is situated in a picturesque locality and commands a broad panorama of orchards, fields and mountain slopes covered with motley carpets of varicolored grasses, of the jagged and precipitous canyon of the Azat river. The artistic merit and uniqueness of its monuments place Garni among outstanding creations of architecture of world importance.

About 9km from Garni is located the Monastery of Geghard, which is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Geghard is an incredible ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out of a mountain. Though the monastery has been around since before the 4^th century, the main cathedral was built in 1215.It is said that the holy lance that pierced the body of Christ was kept here. The architectural forms and the decoration of Geghard's rock premises show that Armenian builders could not only create superb works of architecture out of stone, but also hew them in solid rock. Lunch at an Armenian village house in Garni village. Overnight in Yerevan.

August 14– Day 4

Visit Tsaghkadzor town ("Valley of Flowers"), a major ski resort town in Armenia. Enjoy the fascinating beauty of the surrounding nature from Chair Lift which will take you to the slopes of the forested Teghenis Mountain. Then proceed  to the Lake Sevan, the "blue-eyed bride of Armenia”. It’s one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world situated at 1900meters above sea level. It takes up 5% of Armenia and it’s the main source of fresh water of the country. Visit Sevanavank Monastery (9^th century) on a peninsula which used to be an island before 1950’s. Lunch at a nice beach-side restaurant where you’ll try the barbeque of the fish from the lake. Continue to Dilijan spa town. Hiking to Jukhtak Monastery (12th century), nestled in an attractive forest grove in Dilijan National Park. Overnight in Dilijan.

August 15– Day 5
Explore the exotic beauty of Dilijan resort town, named “a piece of Switzerland in Armenia”. Walking in the Old District of Dilijan town, Shamberian street with its worshops. Then continue to Haghartsin and Goshavank Monasteries.

Haghartsin Monastery is nestled in a temperate rainforest on a mountainside. It is one of those spots in Armenia that feels like you are walking through a huge, unreal movie set. It was founded in the 12^th -13^th centuries. It was a scholarly, cultural, and educational center in the Middle Ages.

Goshavank Monastery was erected in place of an older monastery, named Getik, which had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1188. Mkhitar Gosh, a statesman, an outstanding scientist and a writer, an author of numerous fables and parables and of the first criminal code, took part in the construction of the monastery, which was named as Goshavank in his honor. Lunch at a lovely restaurant on Aghstev river bank. Overnight in Dilijan.


August 16– Day 6
Tour to Lori region, the most beautiful forested area of Armenia with its miraculous mountainous woodlands and bottomless gorges. Visit the masterpieces of medieval Armenian architecture, Sanahin and Haghpat Monasteries. Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries are huge complexes in the North of Armenia founded in the 10^th-13th cc. The both monasteries are outstanding masterpieces of Armenian architecture in which artistic merits transcend the limits of the national culture. They are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Lunch in the picturesque Alaverdi town. Visit Odzoun, a domed basilica church having earlier 6^th century origins as its architectural design suggests. Back to Yerevan. Overnight.

August 17– Day 7
Free day. Explore Yerevan on your own.


August 18– Day 8
Explore the "jewels" of Aragatsotn region at the foothills of Mount Aragats (4090m), the highest mountain of Armenia having 4 snow-capped peaks. This mountain has been exuding a mystic aura throughout the centuries. There are over 1000 historic monuments on its slopes. We'll visit Amberd Fortress founded in the 7th century by Kamsarakan Princes. The name of the fortress means "a fortress in the clouds", a fitting name given to it because of its elevation (2300m) on the slopes of Aragats.
Continue to Saghmosavank Monastery (13^th century). It is situated at the edge of a deep gorge at the foot of Mt. Ara, with Mt. Ararat and Mt. Arargats rising majestically on the western and northern horizons. Then proceed to the village of Oshakan where St. Mashtots Church is located. The primordial alphabet-giver, St. Mesrop Mashtots is buried under the altar of the church. He invented the Armenian alphabet in 405A.D. It's a hall-type church with frescoes. The church is surrounded by a garden with ornamented Armenian alphabet letter statues.

Lunch in Ashtarak town.After lunch we'll visit Karmravor, a tiny, but a very beautiful cruciform church dating from the 7^th century, in the town of Ashtarak. Its unique red tiled roofing came down to us completely unharmed. Continuing to Mughni’s St. Gevorg (St. George) Church, founded in the 13^th century.It houses some relics of St. George. Especially striking is the black and orange striped dome of this church. It's surrounded by a beautiful orchard of fruit trees and roses. Overnight in Yerevan.       

August 19– Day 9

Visit a Carpet Factory in Yerevan. You’ll get acquainted with the difficult and interesting process of carpet making. Armenia is the cradle of carpet-weaving. Visit Pak Shuka (“Covered Bazaar”), where you can taste and buy sun-kissed Armenian fruits, vegetables, dried-fruits, spices, home-made cheese and fresh bread. Lunch at a traditional Armenian restaurant.
Then we'll visit the History Museum of Yerevan. The History Museum is one of the world’s great repositories of Armenian art. Its vast collections, comprising about 40.000 items, represent Armenia’s material culture from the remote past till the present day.

August 20– Day 10
Free day. Explore Yerevan on your own.


August 21– Day 11
Transfer to airport. Departure.

Online Booking
First name  *
Last name  *
E-mail  *
Country  *
Phone  *
Your message  *
* Required fields