The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be organizing unique travel experiences prior to the actual conference. At this time, we would like to announce two trips with two true travel legends. Check in often for more updates and additional trips. The conference takes place from October 14-16, 2022. These trips will take place before the conference.
Click on the links below to overview the itineraries of our two announced trips.
To see greater detail, costs, and to reserve your seat, click here!
Explore Georgia And Armenia With Charles Veley
Charles Veley, founder of the Most Traveled People has traveled everywhere and then some. Most Traveled People was founded in 2005 and some consider Charles to be the father of “systematic travel”. Charles will be designing a trip that will be exploring both Armenia and Georgia and many UNESCO World Heritage sites as well. Come join Charles to discover his favorite experiences in the region.
Please bear with us as we finalize the agenda. We expect to have pricing shortly after the new year. Thanks for your patience.
Georgia/Armenia
Overview
Duration 6nights/ 6 days: Oct. 7-13. 2022.
Accommodation 4*/ 5*
Meal Plan Full Board
Kilometer 1633
Day 0. October 7. Arrival to Tbilisi.
- Self-transfer. Check in hotel. Welcome Dinner in traditional restaurant.
- Overnight in Tbilisi
Dinner Included
Day 1. October 8. Tbilisi – Kakheti – Signaghi – Tbilisi. (173km)
Our first day starts with a city tour, including the main attractions of Old and New Tbilisi.
We begin at Metekhi plateau, where we have a perfect panoramic view of the old city – including
Narikala fortress, Bath district, Meidan, Kala district and Betlemi district.
With just a few minutes travel by cable car, we can enjoy more magnificent views of Old Tbilisi. From
the top station of cable way, we’ll have views of the old city and botanical garden.
Next, we visit the Bridge of Peace – a modern pedestrian bridge in the heart of the old city, and a
favorite photo stop.
And of course, we will visit the heart of modern Tbilisi – Rustaveli avenue, with its cozy cafes, and
varied and colorful shops.
Next, we continue to Kakheti, the wine region of Georgia.
First stop: Georgian local bread bakery, where we will taste freshly baked Georgian bread called
“Shoti”, and different varieties of cheese.
The first winery we are visiting during wine tour is called “Okro wines”. It is Organic, and located in
the city of love – Sighnaghi. The city is also known for its defensive town wall all around it and well
worth seeing.
Next, we head towards Mosmieri winery for lunch. People from Kakheti love to impress visitors with
their local delicious food.
The last attraction is Qvevri (special Georgian clay jar used for wine making) maker Zaza, near the
town of Telavi. He will lead us into his fine workshop, and we will try his exclusive white wine.
Drive back to Tbilisi. Dinner in a traditional restaurant.
Overnight in hotel in Tbilisi.
Breakfast/lunch/dinner included
Day 2. October 9. Tbilisi – Gori- Gelati- Grigoleti- Batumi (414km)
Check out of our Hotel.
Visit Gori, one of the oldest cities in Georgia, founded in the 7th century AD as Tontio. Soviet dictator
Joseph Stalin was born there.
Visit Stalin museum, which retains its Soviet-era characteristics.
Continue to Gelati Monastery (UNESCO), founded in 1106 in the west of Georgia, the Monastery of
Gelati is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia, a period of political strength and
economic growth between the 11th and 13th centuries.
Drive to Grigoleti.
Visit the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands (UNESCO), known as a ‘slice of the Amazon in Eurasia’, a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion located along the southern shore of the Black Sea
Drive to Batumi. Overnight in Batumi.
Breakfast/lunch/dinner included
Day 3. October 10. Batumi – Mtskheta – Georgian-Armenian Border – Lori (524 km)
Check out of our Hotel.
Visit the ancient city of Mtskheta. It is a classic example of medieval church architecture and a
testimony to the fine art and culture of the Georgian dynasty.
See Svetitskhoveli, a masterpiece of the Early and High Middle Ages, recognized by UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site. It is currently the second largest church building in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity
Cathedral. Known as the burial site of the claimed Christ’s mantle.
Continue to Georgian-Armenian border. Passport control. Entering Armenia.
Drive through Lori region to visit local UNESCO World Heritage Sights.Visit Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries, two of the most ancient sights of Lori, built in the 10-13th
centuries, and once the largest centers of science, with a rich collection of manuscripts, and facilities
for copying library manuscripts, plus cafeterias and universities.
See the 12th c. Sanahin Old Bridge, also included in the list of UNESCO Heritage Sights.
Drive to Avan Dzoraget Heritage hotel by Tufenkyan at the river bank.
Overnight
Breakfast/lunch/dinner included
Day 4. October 11. Lori – Dilijan – Sevan – Yerevan (165 km)
Visit Dilijan National Park town, elected to be a part of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.
Dilijan International College continues to unite students together from all across the globe. Visit The
Old Dilijan Complex, which demonstrates the historic spirit of the city.
Continue drive to Sevan. Lake Sevan, with its altitude of 1900 m above sea level, is one of the biggest
high altitude fresh-water lakes in the world.
Visit Sevanavank, a 9th c Monastery on the top of peninsula where a gorgeous view of the whole lake
opens up to you.
Lunch at Taghkunq village, near Sevan, in the restaurant Tsaghkunq, ranked among the Top 10
restaurants in Armenia according to Forbes. Includes a traditional specialty of the house, where
Armenian lavash bread will be baked especially for you along with a finger-licking meal.
Drive to Yerevan. City tour of the main streets and squares.
Visit Legendary Ararat cognac factory to see the production of cognac, along with a degustation of
highlighted batches.
Welcome dinner in a traditional Armenian restaurant. Overnight In Yerevan
Breakfast/lunch/dinner included
Day 5. October 12. Yerevan – Echmiatsin – Garni – Geghard – Yerevan (117 km)
Visit the Mother Cathedral and churches of Echmiadzin (UNESCO). Built in the 4-7th centuries, they
are very important witnesses to the implantation of Christianity in Armenia.
Visit the Echmiadzin treasury, which hosts the values of the history of the Armenian church.
Drive to Kotayk Region to visit Garni (UNESCO), the only surviving Pagan Temple in the whole ex USSR
territory. This 2000 year old temple will impress you with its style and surrounding nature. Then
15min drive and another masterpiece well worth visiting. Geghard (UNESCO) is a 4-13th century
Monastery, half of which is from a single piece of rock. With a rich background history and its own
sacred spring as a water source, Geghard is the most visited sight in Armenia.
Drive back to Yerevan
Dinner in restaurant. Overnight in Yerevan.
Breakfast/lunch/dinner included
Day 6. October 13. Yerevan- Wine Region- Areni Cave- Noravank – Yerevan (240km)
Our tour to Armenia’s Wine region will be through Ararat valley, known as a cradle of civilizations.
First, we visit the Old Bridge winery show room. Try one of the best wines of this region. Armen the
owner will tell us about his wines, and the local homemade food served on the table.
Photo-stop for the Biblical Mountain Ararat where Noah descended and planted the first grape.
Visit the oldest known winery- an open archeological site in Areni village, 6100 years old. In this rich
site, the oldest shoe in the world (5500 years old), and also the oldest human brain were found.
We’ll drive through a very narrow canyon to Visit Noravank, a 9-14th century Monastery and
Masterpiece of Armenian architecture, surrounded with picturesque red rocks and a fascinating
background history.
Visit Trinity, an organic winery, for degustation and dinner. The winery owner will tell you all about
the wines, as well as the traditions of Armenian feasts.
Drive back to Yerevan
Hotel not included.
Breakfast/lunch included
End Of Trip
To express interest in attending this trip, please email us at info@extraordinarytravelfest.com.
This trip is designed and managed by Lusine Melkoyan. Lusine is the Founder of Next Is Armenia. Lusine has been creating content and has been a tourism professional for over 10 years. Please check her out on YouTube and Instagram.
Explore Armenia With Harry Mitsidis
This is an amazing opportunity to travel and explore Armenia with Harry Mitsidis, the founder of Nomad Mania. Nomad Mania, founded in 2012, is one of the most popular travel clubs for the extreme travel community. NM divides the world into 1301 regions and divides Armenia into three different regions. Harry will be creating a custom agenda where you will visit many highlights in Armenia and of course all three NM regions.
Armenia
Overview
- Duration: 6 nights/ 6 days: October 7-13 – 2022
- Accommodations: 3* / Guest House
- Meal Plan: Half Board
- Kilometer: 966 km
Pricing
- $1260 per person (6-9 people)
- $1060 per person (10-13 people)
To express interest in attending this trip please email us at info@www.extraordinarytravelfest.com. We will follow up with booking directions.
Day 0. October 7. Arrival Self-transfer to hotel. Rest Day.
- Rest Day Overnight in Yerevan (hotel included)
Day 1. October 8. Yerevan – city tour- Garni Pagan temple- Geghard- Yerevan (110km)
- Start your day with observing city tour in Yerevan, learn the history of the city. Visit main streets and squares.
- Visit Manuscript museum- one of the biggest book depositories in the world, representing book creation culture and history in Armenia.
- Visit Legendary Ararat cognac factory to see the production of cognac and have degustation of the highlighted ones.
- Visit Megeryan carpet factory where you will be represented the culture of 1000 years of carpet waiving techniques and history. And still this factory keeps totally all traditions and techniques of carpet waiving and known as heritage keepers.
- Lunch at factory. They also revive old Armenian recipes and combine them with modern tastes.
- After lunch drive to Kotayk region to visit the only Pagan Temple survived and reconstructed in whole ex USSR territory. 2000 year old temple will impress you with its style and surrounding nature.
- Then 15min drive and another masterpiece is worth to visit. Geghard 4-13th c. Monastery half of which is from one piece of rock with reach background history and entire water source is the most visited sight in Armenia.
- Drive back to Yerevan / free time/ overnight.
Breakfast/lunch included
Day 2. October 9. Yerevan- Wine Region- Areni Cave- Noravank- Shaki- Karahunj- Goris (250km )
- Tour to Wine region will be through Ararat valley, known as cradle of civilizations.
- Photo-stop for the Biblical Mountain Ararat where Noah descended and planted first grape.
- Continue to wine region which was a part of ancient silk road.
- Visit Oldest known winery- open archeological site in Areni village, 6100 years old. Here also the oldest shoe in the world was found, 5500 years old and the oldes human brain was found.
- Take road through a very narrow canyon to Visit Noravank 9-14th c Monastery surrounded with picturesque red rocks.
- Lunch in Trinity winery of organic wines. Meet the owner of the winery that besides the wines and grapes will tell you the traditions of Armenian feast.
- Drive to Syunik for visiting Shaki waterfall. A very short walk to waterfall which is the pearl of the area.
- Visit Karahunj 7600 year old observatory. Learn the mystic history about the stars Armenians worshiped and connected the ritual with New Year.
- Drive to Goris town. Dinner/ Overnight in Guest House
Breakfast/lunch/dinner included
Day 3. October 10. Goris – Old Khot- Tatev- Shatin- Yeghegis (157km )
- Have short observing tour in Goris. It is one of the least discovered places in Armenia by tourists. I would say it is the only city with original architecture surviving.
- Visit Old Khot Village. The ancient Armenian village of Hin Khot is rightly called the “Armenian Machu Picchu”. The mountainous terrain and landscape strongly resemble the ancient city of the Incas in South America – in Peru. However, Machu Picchu today is a tourist Mecca, but only Armenians know
- about the Hin Khot. We will have walk / hiking around the village, depending on weather and the group mood about an hour.
- After visit 9th c. Tatev Monastery which was like Oxford and Harvard for its times. Take the longest reversal cable car in the world to get there. The View and atmosphere is breathtaking.
- Lunch in Tatev Village.
- Drive to Shatin village to watch mountain goats in wild.
- Overnight and dinner in hotel in Yeghegis Village.
Breakfast/lunch/dinner included
Day 4. October 11. Yeghegis– Selim Silk Road Pass– Noratus– Cheese Farm- Tsaghkunq– Dilijan (178km)
- Start the day with passing old silk road. You can trace the Silk Road in Armenia by following its caravanserai, or inns; medieval stopping points where caravan riders and their pack animals spent the night. The Selim Pass Caravanserai is a valuable example of these inns along the Armenian Silk Road.
- Continue trip to Sevan lake. Visit Noratus village cemetery, the oldest part of which includes over 800 khachkars (stone crosses), carved between the 9th-17th centuries.
- Visit local family that has very unique cheese farm. Meet the family and have degustation of cheeses created by them.
- Continue to Tsaghkunq village. See an example of ancient Armenian house, have a bread backing masterclass and degustation. Learn history about bread backing traditions in Armenia. Lunch in restaurant where recently Co-founder of the world’s best restaurant in different years Noma, Michelin cook and world celebrity Mads Refslund made 15 day masterclass and feast for international food journalists. Today’s chef continues surprising guests.
- Drive to Dilijan. Observing tour in Dilijan. It’s known for spa resorts and traditional craft workshops. The town is surrounded by the forests of Dilijan National Park.
- Light walk/ hiking in national park.
- Visit Armenian food laboratory for tea break. Degustation of local wild goods experimented and made by local girl.
- Free time. Overnight in guest house.
Breakfast/lunch included.
Day 5. October 12. Dilijan- Gyumri (100 km)
- Drive to Gyumri. Cultural capital and second biggest city of Armenia. Gyumri and the surrounding area have been populated since the ancient times. Settlements that have recently been discovered that date back to the beginning of the 3rd millennium B.C.E
- Visit the first cobweb art gallery in the world in 21st c.
- Observing tour in city.
- Lunch in fish breading gorge famous among locals.
- Visit Aero Engineering club in Gyumri, where kids and teenagers learn mini airplane engineering and experience flying the planes with promote control.
- Visit local Artist Brothers’ workshop.
- Free time / Overnight in hotel.
Breakfast/lunch included
Day 6. October 13. Gyumri– Orgov- Amberd– Yerevan (171km)
- Drive to Yerevan.
- On the way visit Orgov Radio Optical Telescope-The scientific giant out of action build by Herouni. Soviet Russia wasn’t thrilled with Paris Herouni’s plans to build a radio-optical telescope in Armenia. The Armenian scientist was asked to consider Crimea, where the authorities even found a large natural pit for the purpose. Herouni struggled to get a permit from the government in Moscow for about 17 years before finally bringing to Armenia a scientific project of unprecedented scale.
- Visit Amberd Fortress 9th c. on the highest mountain in Armenia Aragats 4090m high.
- Lunch in Local house.
- Drive to Yerevan. End of trip. Hotel not included.
Breakfast/lunch included.
End Of Trip
To express interest in attending this trip please email us at info@extraordinarytravelfest.com.
This trip is designed and managed by Lusine Melkoyan. Lusine is the Founder of Next Is Armenia. Lusine has been creating content and has been a tourism professional for over 10 years. Please check her out on YouTube and Instagram.