The first stop is near Charent’s Arch, named in honor of Armenian poet Eghishe Charents, who loved this place and frequently visited it.

The next stop will be the Monastery complex of Geghard. St. Geghard symbolizes the lance with which the Roman centurion pierced Jesus after the crucifixion. Later the lance was brought to Armenia and kept in Geghard Monastery for 5 centuries. The complex presents Armenia of the 13th century, which is considered the Golden Age of the country’s architecture. However, the most astonishing part of this complex is its architectural solution churches drilled into the solid rock constructed following the rules of Armenian architecture. Geghard Monastery is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Garni Temple (77 A.D.) is another historical site included in this tour. It is the only standing heathen temple in the whole post-Soviet area. The temple gracefully stands on a high plateau overlooking the Azat River gorge. The surrounding area itself is incredibly beautiful. The Greek-roman bathhouse with the mosaic, made out of 30,000 pieces of natural stones, as well as the ruins of the royal palace, will take you to the 3rd century A.D.

Not far from the temple of Garni (about 10 minutes walk), there is a cozy local restaurant with an amazing view of the temple, where you can relax and take part in the master class of tasting freshly baked lavash – traditional Armenian flatbread.