Wander and Wine in Armenia and Georgia

Day 1 – Arrival

If it’s a clear day, your flight into Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport should be a good way to whet the appetite for what’s to come. Gaze out the window as you glide past the snow-mantled massif of 5,137-meter-high Mount Ararat – despite lying over the border in Turkey, it’s the national symbol of Armenia.

We’ll have someone waiting at the airport to help you refocus, grab the bags, and get to the hotel. It’s only a short transfer, so before you know it, you’ll be meeting your new travel pals over a Camino welcome dinner in a traditional Armenian tavern. What better way to start an adventure like this than with harissa-topped aubergines, stuffed dolma vine leaves, and leg-kicking kochari folk dances?

Accommodation: Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel (or similar), Armenia
Included: Dinner

Day 2 – Yerevan

All rested up? Good! Today’s jam-packed with culture, history, and – of course – wine.

Straight after breakfast, the group heads out on a walking tour of a city that’s older than Rome. You’ll see the tuff-stone architecture of Republic Square, which is known locally as ‘Hraparak’ and is very much the nerve centre of modern Armenia. You’ll conquer the 572 steps of the Yerevan Cascade – there’s a pinch-me moment at the top when you spy out the snowy summit of Mount Ararat soaring in the distance.

But any Camino Woman would tell you that we don’t do simple sightseeing days. That’s why you venture out of town in the afternoon to the self-billed “first boutique winery in Armenia”. Learn about five millennia of winemaking in the Aragaston hills, sample dry Voskehat whites and complex, smoky reds made using the local Haghtanak grape, and finish up with lunch right next to the vines.

Before bed, there’s a special treat – we won’t spoil the surprise, but suffice to say it involves an encounter with an Armenian oboe master. Didn’t expect that, eh?

Accommodation: Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel (or similar), Armenia
Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 3 – Azat Gorge and the Symphony of Stones

After all that vineyard cheer and Armenian dining, it’s about time this trip lived up to its billing as a wine and hiking adventure.

Your first trailhead awaits in the village of Goght. You’ll walk through rustic neighbourhoods straight over the lip of the Azat Gorge. The sight of the great Symphony of Stones that lies within is something you won’t forget in a hurry – these mighty basalt columns tower more than 50 meters high and overhang the path at certain points.

Keep some sighs of wonder for later, though, because this hike concludes at the Garni Temple, a 2,000-year-old shrine that looks like it’s been plucked out of central Rome and dropped in the midst of the Armenian mountains.

Hungry? Thought you might be. Luckily, the plan is to meet up with a local in Garni village, who will show you how to knead, roll, and bake traditional lavash bread in an underground tandoor oven.

The route back to Yerevan goes via the incredible UNESCO Monastery of Geghard. In a country that’s said to have over 4,000 churches, this one’s sure to stand out, as you wander rock-cut chapels that were carved straight out of the cliff faces sometime around the 4th century!

Accommodation: Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel (or similar), Armenia
Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4 – Yerevan to Goris via Arpa and wine country

There’s a chance you’ll need a wakeup call from your guide this morning. You see, the group may or may not have capped off yesterday evening with a visit to a brandy factory. The good news is Mount Ararat stands ready to provide. Stepping out onto the terraces of the Khor Virap monastery, you’ll come face to face with the mystical, snow-shouldered peak. It’s a soul-stirring moment to share with your newfound compadres!

It should also help break up the long-ish drive to your second hiking destination: The Arpa Protected Landscape. Lacing up the boots here is a journey into the cultural and natural riches of southern Armenia. The walk might only be 3.1 kilometres but it packs a hefty punch – there’s a chance you’ll spot bezoar goats and encounter caves used by winemakers some 5,000 years ago.

Walk complete, the focus shifts from trail to bottle. First, you’ll visit hallowed ground in the world of winemaking by dropping into the Areni-1 Cave, to witness the first known winery on the planet (it pre-dates the Egyptian pyramids by quite some way!). Later, we drop by the family-owned Momik Wine Cube for vintages that are a little more, shall we say, modern.

Accommodation: Hayi Tun Guesthouse (or similar), Armenia
Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 5 – Hin Khot and Tatev

What if we told you that today you’ll be hiking to a place known as the Machu Picchu of Armenia? Wandering around the ghost town of Hin Khot high in the craggy peaks of Syunik province, it’s possible to imagine a time gone by, when the now-abandoned houses buzzed with life and people streamed through the narrow streets. 

And just when you thought that was the highlight of the day done and dusted, we raise you the longest double-track cable car on Earth. Vertigo gauges will be tested on the 5.7 kilometres ride over the Vorotan Gorge, but it’s worth doing battle with gravity because the reward is the sweeping panorama that unfolds from the Tatev Monastery at the top.

Before returning to the hotel, we drop by an amazing social enterprise called Goris Crochet. Its aim? To empower local women by offering training in Armenian crafting techniques. You’ll get a chance to meet and speak to the women workers, learn about their lives and watch them weave unique products from scratch.

Accommodation: Hotel Arevi (or similar), Armenia
Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 6 – Smbataberd Fortress hike

By this point in the trip, your Camino crew will have trodden in the world’s oldest winery, hiked with your guide to the Machu Picchu of the Caucasus, and possibly even spotted a leopard. So, finding your way into an impregnable fortress set more than 2,000 metres up in the Teksar Mountains should be a cinch, right? One thing’s for sure: There are wow moments aplenty on the way up, as you skirt a ridge above the deep gorges of the Vayots Dzor region.

You’ll hike for around four hours in total and earn yourself a more relaxed afternoon. That’s assuming your idea of ‘relaxed’ is indulging in brandy-infused cheeses and homemade wines at a family farm before resting on the banks of a lake known as the “Blue Pearl of Armenia.”

Accommodation: Toon Armeni (or similar), Armenia
Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 – Dilijan

You’ll wake up in the town of Dilijan today. And what a place it is to wake up in! You’ll instantly see why they call it the “Switzerland of Armenia”. Fern-tinted forests swirl all around, paving the way into the greater Diljan National Park and its peaks and troughs of glorious mountains.

Camino Women don’t need much convincing to get a-trekking in a place like that, so you start the day with a 7km odyssey through the hornbeams and oaks to a secret picnic spot that magics away any stress you might be feeling. Of course, an enchanting monastery also awaits somewhere in the woods – you should have noticed by now that barely a day can go by in Armenia without a visit to a church that leaves you speechless with emotion!

All that’s surely worked up an appetite, which is why your group returns to the guesthouse to learn how to make Gata pastries under the guiding hand of a local chef. They’re an Armenian specialty that works like an on switch for the taste buds, thanks to the sweet mixture filling khoriz. Think a melt-in-your-mouth mix of flour, butter and sugar. Yum!

Accommodation: Toon Armeni (or similar), Armenia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8 – Odzun

You’re halfway through your wine-infused hiking odyssey in the Caucasus, so it’s time to slow the pace a little and let you meditate on all the amazing trails you’ve conquered so far.

The group strikes out north to Odzun village, where a short-ish trail leads through forests to a half-ruined monastery on the edge of a gorge. This is firmly off the usual tourist trail, so your Camino crew should find some solitude for re-sharing all those favourite memories and moments.

You’ll have lunch in the company of bumble bees at a local honey farm, where you’ll also help prepare some honey-infused wine and taste the sweet stuff straight from the hives. The setting is idyllic to the max; perfect for kicking back with a book to the sound of rustling apricot trees.

(Talking of which … this is your chance to do some apitherapy, an optional extra at the honey farm that’s said to calm the nervous system. Without giving too much away, let’s just say it involves sleeping in contact with the bee colonies to get natural vibration massages from the buzzing!)

Accommodation: Valex Garden (or similar), Armenia
Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 9 – Welcome to Georgia

Goodbye in Armenian is tstesutyun. It means “until our next meeting”, so start planning your return to this incredible corner of the world with your Camino sisters as the group’s attention turns to our second country, Georgia. But first, one last flurry from Armenia: a UNESCO monastery complex founded by a queen that rose to become a centre of scientific learning in the Middle Ages. Talk about finishing on a high!

You’ll whiz across the border and make the 120km drive straight to the city of Tbilisi. A quick snooze en route between sightings of Georgian villages and distant mountain ranges is a good idea, because we have a walking tour lined up straight after arrival. It’s a whirlwind of 13th-century churches, sulphur-scented hammams, and mighty castles – the perfect welcome to this culture-brimming country.

Accommodation: Tbilisi Philharmonic Hotel (or similar), Georgia
Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 10 – Kutaisi

You’ve done quite some travelling in recent days. Just think – only 72 hours ago, you were trekking through the forests of Dilijan! Enjoy a day of scenic driving and easy strolling as you venture west from Tbilisi to Uplistsikhe. You might not test the leg muscles much here, but have the brain in gear, because you’ll be guided through an ancient cave city, discovering everything from palaces to pagan temples cut into the rock. This was once a major stop off for caravan traders moving between Europe and Asia, so let your imagination run wild, conjuring visions of exotic spice sellers in the marketplaces and camels groaning across the squares.

Now, if that sounds like thirsty work, then good. The group’s first foray into Georgian wine comes next, at Baia’s Winery, where you’ll uncover the intricate and mysterious processes behind biodynamic winemaking.

With the taste of crisp Tsolikouri white wine still lingering on your tongue, you’ll then embark on a drive through countryside that looks like an oil painting. Your destination? Kutaisi and a hearty welcome from Tina, our local host. In her cosy home, you’ll dig into khachapuri cheese pies and cornflour breads cooked over hot stoves, all in the best of company, of course.

Accommodation: Grand Opera Hotel (or similar), Georgia
Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 11 – City stroll, canyons, and Mestia

Dive into the heady Green Bazaar of Kutasi this morning, pushing past stacks of pulses and dangling churchkhela nut sticks (a sweet local delicacy once eaten by ancient Georgian warriors). As you munch on your skewers of crushed walnuts doused in date syrup, you’ll then wander the old town area of Kutasi, where grand opera houses rub shoulders with statues dedicated to the nation’s favourite folk singer.

The real walking comes later on, as the group hops across to the Okatse Canyon for a 5km hike in the forest and along a suspended trail that defies gravity. You’ll step right over the gorge, with the forest canopy and gushing river water far beneath your feet, and soaring cliff faces lurching overhead.

You can get used to being on solid ground again on the drive to Mestia, where you’ll stay for the next three nights in an alpine-style lodge. It’s pretty darn cosy!

Accommodation: Lahili Boutique Hotel (or similar), Georgia
Included: Breakfast  and Dinner

Svan Towers

There’s arguably nothing more iconic in Georgia than the sight of the Svan Towers shrouded by the serrated tops of the Caucasus Mountains. There are an estimated 3,500 of the soaring structures dotting the highland region of Svaneti. It’s thought that they were built throughout the Middle Ages to defend against incursions by raiders and foreign armies. The towers are actually homesteads, offering multifunctional spaces that protected families and livestock, offered lookout points, and drew prestige to the villages they watched over.

Day 12 – Ushguli

Prep yourself for a skull-rattling 4WD journey into the high peaks of northern Georgia today. Your road – and it’s one crooked, rocky road – leads to the long-lost villages of Ushguli, the fabled home of the Svan towers.

That crisp feel of glacier-cooled air flows through the village streets; the scents of country mud and pine forest waft this way and that. You’ll learn about the incredible towers themselves, built as multi-purpose dwellings and defence structures. But, most of all, you’ll feel the pulse of a centuries-old community of high mountain people.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more sublime, you hop back in the 4X4 and push deeper into the mountains. Feel the god-like presence of Shkhara loom into view – it’s Georgia’s highest peak. Your challenge? A 4.3-kilometre trek to the tongue of the ice field that flows from the summit. Words can hardly do justice to the scenery here. We won’t try. You have to see it for yourself.

When you curl up in bed back at the hotel in Mestia, your mind will be filled with visions of green pastures, tower-topped hamlets with smiling locals, and the tallest peak in the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. Not bad for a day’s work!

Accommodation: Lahili Boutique Hotel (or similar), Georgia
Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 13 – Mazeri

After yesterday’s off-road adventure, it’s only fair that driving is kept to a minimum today. Luckily, the hiking hub of Mazeri, a charming village hidden below cloud-haloed peaks, is just 30 minutes away.

Power up with a coffee at the Hiker’s Café, which has the feel of a pioneer cabin and a stunning location beside the turquoise Dolra River, and then hit the trail. First, it’s a thick forest of swaying pine trees. Then, you cross rustic bridges made from tree trunks to emerge into the wildflower meadows.

This will be one of the harder hikes on the trip, but the reward matches the effort – you’ll stand below the roaring streams of the Shdugra Waterfall, feeling the spray of cold highland water on your skin, with views that extend as far south as the snowy Lesser Caucasus.

Accommodation: Lahili Boutique Hotel (or similar), Georgia
Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 14 – Culture and food before a return to Kutaisi

Let’s pause for a moment and reflect. In the last two days alone you’ve hiked to waterfalls that flow from the Caucasus Mountains and touched the glacier of Georgia’s highest peak. Those are some feats, so today’s a big reward in the form of hearty, taste-bud-tingling regional cuisine. Plenty of it. But before the group gets its eat on, we drop by the Enguri Dam to pay homage to one of Georgia’s most incredible engineering feats – it’s the world’s second-largest arch dam.

From there, you make for the village of Sisa Tura. One warning: Shots of potent chacha, a type of local grape vodka, are sometimes offered as welcome gifts to visitors here. Roll up your sleeves and join the villagers in the kitchen, where you’ll grind maize and roll out flatbreads with cow’s cheese. Needless to say, lunch will be filling!

There’s a bit of a drive back to Kutaisi but even more fantastic Georgian cooking awaits at the end of it, thanks to Agro Guesthouse Korena, a small-scale farm come hotel on the outskirts of the city. We cap off the day there with’Mchadi cornbread and bean stews made over an open fire.

Accommodation: Agro Guesthouse Korena, Georgia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 15 – The wine of Kartli, UNESCO history, and back to Tbilisi

It’s your final full day on the road. To stave off the melancholy, we’ve planned a day of wine, wine, wine, and more wine. Okay, maybe with a bit of culture thrown in for good measure.

Let the good vibes roll one last time as you settle in for a tasting session at the prestigious Château Mukhrani. It’s been listed among the top 100 vineyards in the world, is a former estate of a princely Georgian family, and sits at the centre of a region where winemaking has happened for thousands of years – just the thing your group needs to celebrate more than two weeks of hikes, monasteries, mountains, and friendship forming!

Suitably stewed in rich, oak-aged reds, we head back to Tbilisi via ancient monasteries and holy cathedral towns. But it’s still not a wrap. After a quick freshen up, you gather together with your Camino ladies at a Georgian restaurant where folk dancers grace the stage. It’s an evening of memory-making and story-swapping, a time to reminisce and plan future adventures together.

Accommodation: Tbilisi Philharmonic Hotel (or similar), Georgia
Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 16 – Farewell

Remember how you bid farewell to Armenia? Tstesutyun. After 16 days of marching up mountains from Zangezur to the Caucuses, sampling ancient wines in ancient wineries, feeling goosebumps before Mount Ararat and conquering trails both short and long together, this is very much a case of “until next time” with your newfound Camino family. Swap contacts, give big hugs, and leave with memories you’ll treasure forever.

Included: Breakfast