Georgia & Armenia Explorer

Trip Code: KFSE

Why we love it

Visit the first café in Armenia to focus on the employment of people living with disabilities, stay by Lake Sevan with a local NGO committed to inclusivity and attend a cooking workshop founded by local women who aim to preserve Armenian culture., Veer off the tourist track and explore the lesser visited Georgia – see the Soviet ghost town of Tskhaltubo to wander the abandoned sanatoriums, explore Vardzia’s Cave Town to learn about 12th-century history and walk to Borjomi’s natural mineral springs., Hike with rangers in search of bezoar goats with the country’s first community-managed protected area – the locals here aim to preserve the environment and educate the community about the local flora and fauna., Learn about Georgia’s proud wine traditions with a visit to a local family winery and sit down to a hearty home-cooked lunch with a paired wine tasting. Then, enjoy another wine tasting on a farm visit in Armenia., Take in the stunning views of Khor Virap Monastery and Sevanavank Monastery – the ancient buildings set against the natural backdrops of mountains and blue lakes are just as impressive as the layered histories!

Is this trip right for me?

This trip has a couple of long travel days with a few stops along the way to break up the journey.

You’ll spend a night at a local lodge where the facilities will be simple and shared. Your support for the local NGO and the great location so close to Lake Sevan will more than make up for the lack of modern amenities and you’re sure to have a memorable stay.

Important information

1. A single supplement is bookable for this trip, excluding Day 8&9, and is subject to availability. Please consult with your booking agent if you are interested.
2. Please be advised that due to current border crossing restrictions for different Caucasus nationalities, your Trip Leader may be from nearby region. Your leader will have in-depth knowledge and extensive travel experience throughout the Caucasus. Local guides from Georgia & Armenia are represented throughout the itinerary to ensure you receive a diverse and uniquely local range of perspectives.

What to bring/pack

What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling. Generally speaking, we recommend you pack as lightly as possible and make sure that you are able to carry and lift your own luggage and walk with it for short distances or up or down a flight of stairs. Our travellers usually find the smaller their luggage is, the more they enjoy the trip not having to worry about carrying heavy bags! Aim to keep your main luggage under 15kg.

Many travellers carry their luggage in a compact smaller suitcase or backpack with wheels. We recommend your bag has carry straps or handles so it is easy to lift and carry for the times you are unable to wheel it (ie. on rough surfaces or up steps).

If you are taking overnight trains, or primarily using public transport then the smaller your luggage the easier it will be to store under or above bunks. Large suitcases may not be able to be taken on board. A lockable bag or small padlock for your bag will be useful especially when travelling on public transportation as well.

You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, camera, swimming suit, waterproof pouch/bag for phone, hiking shoes and jacket etc. when you’re exploring during the day.

Below we have listed the essentials for this trip:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list, WATER BOTTLE
Please bring your own water bottle to refill along the way. Although it can be difficult to avoid bottled water when travelling, please use the water dispensers which are provided on some of our vehicles and at some of our accommodation. Your group leader or local representative will advise whether tap water is safe to drink in your destination, and if it is, you can simply refill it with tap water. When unable to avoid bottled water, it is better to buy the largest available and distribute it into your smaller bottle for the day. If you are walking or trekking as part of your trip you will need to carry at least 2L of water with you.

Physical rating

3

Joining your group

Royal Inn Hotel, 9, Zakaria, Kurdiani St, Tbilisi, GEORGIA, Phone: +995 322192558

Royal Inn Hotel is situated in the historic Chugureti district, within walking distance from famous Dry Bridge and Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, where you can discover numerous little cafes, restaurants, and wine bars. All rooms have private bathrooms, wireless Internet access, telephone, TV, hair dryer as well as a mini-fridge-bar, coffee and tea making facilities.

Alternate Joining Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this joining point.
24 May 2025 (KFSE250524)
13 Sep 2025 (KFSE250913)
20 Sep 2025 (KFSE250920)
15 Oct 2025 (KFSE251015)
Vera Hills Boutique Hotel
16 Valerian Gunia St
Tbilisi
0108
GEORGIA
Phone: +995 322002828

Joining instructions

Finishing your trip

Royal Plaza Hotel, 9 Martiros Saryan St,, Yerevan, 0002, ARMENIA, Phone: +374 33628822

The hotel is located in the center of Yerevan, on one of the busiest wine streets of the capital, near Republic Square, Cascade, Opera House and other famous sights of the city. Rooms are equipped with all amenities including air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, as well as a private bathroom with a hairdryer and free toiletries. Breakfast is included.

Alternate Finish Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this finish point.
04 Jun 2025 (KFSE250604)
30 Jul 2025 (KFSE250730)
Yerevan

Yerevan
ARMENIA

If you have pre booked a departure transfer to Yerevan International Airport (EVN), you will be collected at the hotel reception 2,5 hours before your flight departure time. In case of flight cancellations, changes or if you are not able to find the driver, please contact the transfer operator directly: +37498 560755.

Alternatively, you can take public transport or a taxi. Take a licensed taxi with a meter, avoid any drivers who approach you directly. The journey takes about 20-30 minutes and cost the local currency equivalent of USD$15.

Meals & dietary information

Breakfasts included: 10

Lunches included: 3

Dinners included: 1

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in this region. Your group leader will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat dinner together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There's no obligation to do this though.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Please let us know your diet requirements before your trip starts. We'll try to accommodate your requests where possible but please be prepared as some dietary requirements may not be well understood in some destinations, hence you may have to miss on some food-related experiences or have access to limited food options.
Generally speaking, in bigger cities/towns vegetarians can expect a reasonable range of vegetarian venues and/or vegetarian options within tourist restaurant menus. However, vegetarianism is not the norm in this part of the world so options can be limited when eating at homestays, small local restaurants, street stalls, markets, etc.
More restrictive diet requirements (vegans, celiac, gluten intolerance, fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance, etc.) can also be accommodated along this trip but you should expect a lesser variety than what you can expect at home. We recommend that, if possible, to bring your own supply of snacks with you.

SIMPLE BREAKFAST
Some of the included breakfasts along this trip can be quite simple: toasts, spreads, juice and coffee or tea.

Climate & seasonal information

WEATHER
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit the Caucasus. Summers can be very hot and humid with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. This is a great time to escape to the mountains to cool off. This is a beautiful, fertile region so bring an umbrella and expect rain at any time of year.

WARM CLOTHING
Temperatures can be low in the spring and autumn months, especially at altitude, so bring a set of warmer clothes including thermal underclothes and a fleece jacket.

In case of emergency

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid's Local Operator: +49 8024 4679 540

Accommodations

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.

Transportation