UPON ARRIVAL AT TBILISI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WE MEET YOU TO TAKE YOU TO YOUR HOTEL. MAKE EARLY CHECK IN TO THE HOTEL AND HAVE FREE TIME TO RELAX. HAVE A CITY TOUR IN THE AFTERNOON.
Tbilisi is a vibrant example of the mix of nationalities, cultures, religions, and ethnic groups found in Georgia. Tbilisi was founded in the 5th century AD by Vakhtang Gorgasali, the Georgian King of Kartli (Iberia) and made into a capital in the 6th century. Today, get acquainted with the city on a walking tour, passing through the old quarters and the center, with its famous sulfur springs along the Mtkvari River. Visit the Metekhi Church, pass across the Metekhi bridge, the first bridge built to connect the Mtkvari River’s left and right banks, stand in Sioni church, where St. Nino’s cross from 337 AD is kept, and stop at Anchiskhati church, the oldest church in Tbilisi. Traditional houses with balconies and grape vines accompany your stroll towards Narikala, the 4th century fort overlooking the city. The fort provides an exquisite view of the city and region. Later, enjoy dinner at a traditional Georgian restaurant with a folklore show.

In the morning you will have a Georgian Dance workshop. In the afternoon, depart to Mtskheta, the ancient capital of eastern Georgia. Country’s conversion to Christianity occurred in Mtskheta in 336 AD, and it is considered one of Georgia’s most important religious centers. While in Mtskheta, visit the Svetitskoveli Cathedral and the beautiful Jvari Monastery, situated on the edge of a cliff. Later, you will Drive back to Tbilisi.

Drive along the stunning Caucasus Mountains to Kazbegi region. The drive is as exciting as the region itself. Embark on 4 wheel drive to Gergeti Trinity church. Upon arrival, take a 4 wheel drive car to Gergeti Tsminda Sameba Trinity Church, built in the 14th century and situated nearly 7,000 feet up on the hill. From this spot you have an unforgettable view of Mount Kazbek, rising over 16,500 feet and covered with glaciers and permafrost. According to the legend, the titan Prometheus who brought fire to men was chained on Mount Kazbek. You will have lunch with the local family and masterclasses of Georgian dishes. Later, Drive back to Tbilisi.

Drive to the Eastern part of Georgia – wine region Kakheti. Visit Telavi, capital city of the region and take a guided tour in the local museum and Palace of the king Erekle II. Later, have lunch in the local restaurant with a folk show and Georgian folk songs. After, Drive to Sighnaghi and Take a guided city tour. Meaning “shelter,” Signagi is one of the smallest towns in the country with one of the richest histories. The city sits on a hill surrounded by a fortified wall. A large variety of languages and nationalities mingle with the unique mountain landscape to make Signagi one of the most breathtaking places on the planet. Explore multiple architectural monuments and learn about the traditions of local people, all while enjoying the splendid views that open up on the gorgeous Alazani Valley, known as the cradle of Georgian wines. You will have Dinner and wine tasting in the local winery and Later you will drive back to Tbilisi.

Dance masterclass in the morning.

On the Afternoon of the fifth day you will visit Gori and Uplistsikhe cave town. Located 1.5 hour drive from Tbilisi, Uplistsikhe is a cave town, once a glorious and vibrant city, center of the Georgian kingdom, now a popular attraction for many people. Uplistsikhe is one of the oldest settlements in the world dating back more than 3500 years, where people lived until late middle ages. Main street, living areas and pagan temples together with wine cellars and ritual pots, create a unique landscape of the place. Constant enemy invasions and natural disasters played a major role in reshaping the history and architecture of this majestic place. After that, Continue driving to nearby town Gori, where you will visit the museum of Joseph Stalin in his hometown. Later, drive back to Tbilisi.

ENJOY YOUR FREE TIME TO EXPLORE TBILISI FOR YOUR LEISURE. (NO DRIVING OR GUIDE SERVICE PROVIDED).

In the morning after breakfast drive to Tbilisi International Airport and Depart to Baku. After checking into your hotel, you will have a city tour of Baku. Baku boulevard- Walking through Baku Boulevard which stretches along a south-facing bay on the Caspian Sea. It traditionally starts at Freedom Square continuing west to the Old City and beyond. Since 2012, the Yeni Bulvar (New Boulevard) has virtually doubled the length to 3.75 km. Baku Eye – is a Ferris wheel on Baku Boulevard in the Seaside National Park of Baku, capital of Azerbaijan. The wheel is 60 meters tall and has 30 cabins, each holding eight people. It makes a complete turn in 30 to 40 minutes. Visiting “Old Town” or “Inner City”. The territory of ”Inner City” – 22 hectares, which represents a small fraction of the total area of Baku (44,000 hectares). However, the concentration of architectural and historical monuments, dictates the need for this excursion into a separate and make this part of Baku, perhaps the most
interesting to explore: Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, listed in 2001 under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments as cultural property. It is a legendary place and world-famous landmark in Baku
and houses a museum, which presents the story of the historic evolution of Baku city. Palace of Shirvanshahs is a 15th-century palace built by the Shirvanshahs and described by UNESCO as “one of the pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture”. It is located in the Inner City of Baku. Minaret Synyk Gala: The most ancient building not only in “Icheri-Sheher” but in the entire Azerbaijan is Mohammed Mosque also known as Synyk-Kala which means “Destroyed Tower” which was bombarded in
1723 but survived. The half-destroyed minaret still towers over the mosque as if reaching for the sky. Caravan Saray, Juma Mosque: The Cathedral Mosque was built in the 12th century on the site of a temple of fire-worshipers. Located in the historic Icheri Sheher, the mosque has been rebuilt several times and is also known as Friday. After lunch, have Dance lesson in the conference hall of the hotel or some dance studio with a local dance Teacher.

Dance lesson in the morning

Dance lesson in the conference hall of a hotel or some dance studio local dance teacher. Excursion to Gobustan. Gobustan geographical region is situated in East Azerbaijan and borders on the southern slope of Big Caucasus ridge in the north, Pirsaat River in the west, Harami and Mishov mountains in the south, the Caspian Sea and Absheron peninsula in the east. Gobustan – is an archaeological reserve in Azerbaijan, south of Baku, in Garadagh and Absheron regions, representing a plain located between the south- eastern slope of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and the Caspian Sea , and part of which is a cultural landscape of rock carvings , located in the 537 hectares. Later excursion to Yanar Dag. Yanar dag is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which itself is known as the “land of fire.” Overnight in Baku

Dance masterclass in the morning

The thousand-year history of Azerbaijan let us know that here at different times people worshiped different religions. Among them were religions like paganism, Judaism, Christianity as well as Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is a religion based on fire worship. Fire worship originated in the first millennium BC, and according to some sources, Zoroaster, who was the main prophet of fire worship, came from Azerbaijan. Also, as in many mature religions, Zoroastrianism has the concept of good and evil, and good always overcomes evil. The god of right deeds, goodness and justice was called Ahura Mazda. And the god of anger, evil and bad deeds was called Ahriman. Naturally, there were many more followers of Ahura Mazda than the god of evil, so good always defeats evil and the followers of good and faithful deeds will find eternal life and happiness in the next world. 27 kilometers from the central streets of Baku in the settlement of Mehemmedi there is a limestone mountain on the slope of which a hot gaseous medium flares up. This eternal flame includes Yanardag, which means fiery mountain. Scientists have determined that the eternal fire is about 5000 years old and it was he who served as a source of inspiration for fire worshipers in Azerbaijan. The fiery mountain was formed during a thunderstorm when lightning struck the trees near the mountainside and the flames flared up due to a leak of fuel supply gas. Azerbaijan has a large number of sources of gas in the form of a flame. Not for nothing is Azerbaijan called the “land of fires”. Overnight in Baku

The Absheron Peninsula, on which the capital city of Baku is located, has several medieval fortresses functioning as defensive and informative towers at one time. Today we will visit the Romani and Mardakan fortresses, which also belong to such
structures. Tour to the fortress in the village of Ramany. By the XI-XII centuries, Baku had become a major commercial and maritime port on the Caspian Sea. For security reasons, the rulers of the Shirvanshah dynasty begin large-scale construction work to strengthen the fortifications of the city. Three rows of fortress walls were built around the city, and a deep moat was dug. In addition, additional defensive structures in the form of signal towers and small fortresses were built on the mountains surrounding the city. All these towers and castles were included in the unified defensive system of the city, which today is located on the Absheron Peninsula. The beginning of the construction of towers and castles dates back to the XI-XII
centuries. This includes the famous Maiden Tower, Sabail Fortress, Ramana Fortress, Mardakyand fortress. Of these, today we will visit the fortress of Ramana and Myardyakany Excursion to the Ethnographic Museum Gala The famous historical and ethnographic open-air museum “Gala” is located 40 kilometers from Baku. The museum was founded in 2008 on the site of
archaeological excavations in the village of the same name and is dedicated to the history of the Absheron Peninsula. Here you can see how the Azerbaijanis lived, ate, drank and how they farmed in the period from the XVI to the XIX centuries. On the territory of the museum with an area of 1.2 hectares. there are ancient dwellings – portable tents made of animal skins and, later replaced by them, stone and clay-thatched houses with domes, an ancient forge, a market, pottery workshops, a bakery, a threshing machine and other interesting buildings of the Middle Ages. Azerbaijan has an excellent geographical location with 9 climatic zones out of all the existing 11. That is why the fertile land of Azerbaijan brings us the fruits of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. Today we will visit the oriental market called “Yashil Bazaar” This is followed by a visit to the cultural complex named after the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. The cultural center includes an auditorium (congress
center), a museum, exhibition halls, and administrative offices. The project of the center was developed in 2007 by the famous architect Zaha Hadid. In 2014, it was recognized as the world’s best building and received the Design of the Year award. The construction of the building was covered in one of the episodes of the Build It Bigger program on the Discovery and Science Channel, dedicated to the most daring engineering projects of our time and architectural masterpieces of the world. Currently, the Heydar Aliyev Center is considered one of the symbols of modern Baku.

EXPLORE BAKU FOR YOUR LEISURE. (NO GUIDE OR DRIVING SERVICE PROVIDED).

DEPART FROM BAKU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT