Thursday March 17th – Baku

• Arrival in Baku at your own leisure and transfer to our centrally located hotel.
• At 18:00 meet up with your YPT guide and the rest of the group and head out for a traditional Azerbaijani dinner.
• Try the classic rice dish of Plov or a meatball broth called Kufta Bozbash or Azeri Dolma. Despite being nominally a nation of Shiite Muslims, more than 160 years of Russian presence have left Azerbaijan with strong taste for alcohol, so you can wash the meal down with a local Xirdalan beer or Azeri wine.
• Overnight in Baku

Friday March 18th – Baku

• After breakfast we’ll meet our local Baku guide and head to the vantage point over Baku to see the Azerbaijani capital in it’s full glory, we’ll then begin our tour of Baku old town, a UNESCO world heritage site, this fortified area is the historical core of Baku. We’ll see the ancient landmarks of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower.
• See the famous carpet museum (actually shaped like a carpet) from outside.
• Heading into the suburbs of Baku, we’ll check out the Baku Fire Temple, a castle-like religious temple used as a Hindu, Sikh, and Zoroastrian place of worship.
• Check out the iconic and jaw-dropping Heydar Aliyev centre. Named after the long-running president of Azerbaijan, the centre is famous for its distinctive flowing, curved design. It’s a fantastic example of post-modern architecture, the building’s shape is an eternal cycle, connecting the past with the present.
• Check out some of the surviving Soviet architecture of Baku.
• Now, no journey to the land of fire would be complete without a visit to the burning mountain! We’ll ascend into the hills around Baku to Yanar Dag. Similar to the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan, this is a natural gas fire which burns continuously on a hill near the Caspian Sea. The flames steadily burn 3 metres into the air feeding off natural gas under the rock. Legend has it that the blaze was ignited by a shepherd discarding a cigarette in the 1950’s and it continues to burn to this day.
• On the way back from Yanar Dag we’ll be able to see some Soviet oil industry ruins from the car.
• Return to Baku for an evening meal and prepare for our departure into the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
• Overnight in Baku.

Saturday March 19th – Baku-Nakhchivan

• We’ll make an early start and head to the lesser visited terminal of Baku airport for our short flight to Nakhchivan, this will avoid the frontline of Nagorno-Karabakh and cross over Iran. We’ll arrive in Nakhchivan city in mid-morning where our local Nakhchivan guides and escorts will be waiting for us.
• We’ll drop our luggage at our hotel and kick start the tour of this little known republic.
• First, we’ll visit the tomb of the Prophet Noah: This is one of the most important places in the autonomous republic related to the biblical Flood. It is claimed, researched and confirmed that Prophet Noah has been buried here.
• We’ll then visit one of the most outstanding landmarks in Nakhchivan: the Momine Khatun Mausoleum, decorated with a complex geometric pattern and quotes from the Koran, this grand decahedral mausoleum was built 1186 in memory of the mother of Atabay ruler Mahammad Jahan Pahlavan. It is called the Taj Mahal of Nakhchivan and was considered as a medieval skyscraper of its day reaching 34 meters in height.
• We’ll visit the military museum of some of the local residents who became high ranking officers of the Soviet army.
• Check out the Khans house, this was the home of the Nakhchivan ruler Rahim khan and was built on a high hilltop called the “Khan height”, which makes it look extremely magnificent. There is a spectacular view of the capital city from this point.
• We’ll enjoy a traditional Nakhchivan lunch.
• Head to the Karabaglar village to see the ruins of small mausoleums scattered over ancient fields and tower fortifications.
• We’ll pay a visit to the Duzdag Salt mines Hospital. We’ll tour the whole complex and meet those who regularly use it. This is a unique place used for natural medical treatment of asthma and bronchitis. The medical treatment is made by keeping the patients in the empty salt mines for several hours per day.
• Head back to Nakhchivan city for an evening meal and drinks.
• Overnight in Nakhchivan.

 Sunday March 20th – Nakhchivan-Ordubad

• Breakfast at our hotel
• The water in Nakhchivan is a big deal, there are over 200 mineral water springs in Nakhchivan covering 60% of all water sources of Azerbaijan.There are six types, sixteen categories and thirty-three species of mineral waters in Nakhchivan.
• We’ll drive to Daridagh thermal spring deep in the mountains of Julfa region The water in the area is used for people suffering from stomach diseases.
• Drive to Ordubad which is the second largest town and a medieval city of the Caucasus, well known for its exports of fruits and spices, and for its cuisine.
• We’ll see what the hype is all about and stop for a local lunch to try the Ordubad cuisine.
• Tour of Ordubad, we’ll see one of the many underground canals called “kahriz”, a source of water for houses and orchards.
• See the stunning 17th century Juma Mosque, which looks more like a palace. Today, soviet era photos are exhibited here. The entrance area was once decorated with statues of Russian communists and the roof was also designed in Russian architecture, but these were removed during the fall of the USSR.
• See the Soviet observatory.
• Head back to Nakhchivan stopping at the 12th century Gulustan monument, a medieval sepulchral monument, the settlement here was destroyed when its Armenian population, was deported to Isfahan.
• We’ll then enjoy a trip highlight: a visit to the Azerbaijani Machu Picchu!
• Like the mysterious city of the Incas, the 6th century Alinja Fortress is located on a mountain slope, rising up to the top in a stepped form. The fortress witnessed the footsteps of many empires and saw many conquerors. It was often destroyed and rebuilt.
• Evening dinner in Nakhchivan followed by free time
• Overnight in Nakhchivan.

 Monday 21st March – Nakhchivan

• Breakfast at our hotel
• Our first stop of the day will be Batabat which is a beautiful landscape with forests, mountains, lakes expect with floating islands and ice cold, crystal clear water. Normally the temperatures in this region are very cold so bring a jacket!
• Return back to Nakhchivan and Lunch
• We’ll visit an ancient pilgrimage site which is one of the holiest places for Muslims around the world. Ashabi-Kahf is a sanctuary in a natural cave which is located between the mountains of Ilandag and Nahajir in Azerbaijan. It has been considered as a sacred place since ancient times.
• We’ll pay a visit to the Nakhchivan History Museum and the Carpet Museum
• Dinner at a local restaurant, bidding farewell to those leaving tomorrow. We’ll stop by grocery stores to prepare for tomorrow’s long roadtrip.
• Overnight in Nakhchivan

 Tuesday 22nd March– Nakhchivan/Tehran

• Today, we leave Nakhchivan early for the road trip which will take us all the way to Tehran and through the city of Tabriz.
• Meet up with the group joining us for the Iran part of the trip at 5pm in the hotel lobby
• Visit to the heart of Old Tehran to soak up the night time atmosphere, drink some local tea and people watch.
• Traditional Iranian dinner of kebabs at famous restaurant Ayaran restaurant, near Ferdosi square.
• Overnight in New Naderi Hotel or similar

Wednesday 23rd March – Tehran

• Head out on our day tour of the main sights of Tehran with first stop being a visit the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini.
• Head on to the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery, expect to see a lot of locals around paying their respects
• Stop at the Shah’s Monument AKA Revolution Monument for photos
• Drive through Tehran past anti-US propaganda and the US embassy (possibility of actually seeing inside the embassy, something which was considered impossible only a couple of years ago!).
• Explore the Erbat Museum with its heavy doses of brutality and propaganda, not for the fiant-hearted!
• Shopping in the Tajrish Bazaar of Tehran and visit a nearby mosque.
• Dinner at the Armenian Club. Armenians are the main ethnic Christian minority in Iran.
• Overnight in New Naderi Hotel or similar

Thursday 24th March – Tehran-Esfahan

• Drive to Esfahan (4-5 hours) with plenty of stops for breaks and photos
• Lunch in a restaurant in one of the smaller cities on the way.
• Go to the famous old Khaju bridge.
• Walk across bridge and mingle with locals.
• Visit one of the oldest carpet shops. Explanation on a variety of Persian carpets and opportunity for a purchase. The presentation involves a show how carpets are made and explanation of 30 different styles of carpets.
• Dinner in a local restaurant of the local speciality of chelo kebab
• Evening visit to the 300-year-old Abbasi Hotel for traditional Iranian tea.
• Overnight at the centrally located Esfahan tourist Hotel.

Friday 25th March – Esfahan

• After breakfast we head straight to the beautiful Ali Qapu Royal Palace dating from the early 17th century
• Sheikh Lotfollah mosque and Ali-qapoo palace.
• Explore the Naqsh-e Jahan Sqaure, the second largest public square in the world after Tian’anmen Square in Beijing!
• Lunch in a traditional restaurant at the square.
• Visit the Imam Mosque, famed for its traditional architecture, previously called the Shah Mosque before the revolution
• Chance to change money for small crisp rial denominations. There is an official change place with good rates but they also have a stack of small denominations that they hold. (They remembered us from last time and changed some money for the group).
• Visit Zurkhane gym to watch an ancient Persian sport workout, a strength building exercises done with traditional drum and bell music.
• Dinner in a local restaurant
• Overnight at the Tourist Hotel.

Saturday 26th March – Esfahan-Yazd

• Check out of hotel for the drive to Yazd (4 hours)
• We have lunch on arrival before diving straight into the amazing city of Yazd – 5000 years old and a centre of Zoroastrian culture
• Visit the must-see Amir Chakhmaq complex and nearby mosque
• Explore the old city and the Jame Mosque and head to Rafieian’s Old House, over 250 years old and a great example of traditional architecture in the region
• Dinner of the local kebab in one of the old-fashioned Persian restaurants in the city
• Overnight in Yazd

Sunday 27th March – Yazd-Shiraz

• After breakfast we head to the beautiful Dolat Abad Garden and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple as well as the famous Yazd Tower of Silence
• Lunch in Yazd before we hit the road for the drive to Shiraz (5 hours)
• On arrival we visit the citadel in the centre of the city and mingle with locals.
• Free walk around or relax with tea and shisha at a tea house.
• Dinner in Saray E Mehr restaurant in the middle of bazaar for traditional Di Zi dish
• Overnight in Parsian hotel.

Monday 28th March – Persepolis-Shiraz

• Up bright and early to visit the colour stained mosque when the morning light shines through spectacularly.
• Drive to Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Persian Empire during the Achemaenian era and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, burned to the ground by Alexander the Great but the ruins are one of the top sights in the whole of Iran
• Lunch at traditional restaurant called “Paradise” on the way to Necropolis tombs.
• Persepolis covers a vast area and we will explore the palaces, forts and treasury
• Drive back to Shiraz where we will visit the botanic gardens of Shiraz.
• Stop for traditional Shiraz ice cream at a famous local shop.
• Visit a famous Hafeizieh Iranian poet’s park and tomb. Great opportunity to mingle with locals and take photos.
• Dinner at hotel or out to a fast food joint for burgers, falafel, and sambusas
• Overnight in Parsian hotel.

Tuesday 29th March – Shiraz

• We catch the early morning flight back to Tehran and then head off on a cross-country drive to the Armenian border with a stop in Tabriz UNESCO world heritage site, a 13-century historic bazaar.
• Mid-afternoon we will cross the border into Armenia formerly one of the tensest points of the Cold War era.
• Transfer to Agarak and to our hotel for some R&R.
• Head out for a local dinner and our first beer after a week in the Islamic Republic of Iran!
• Overnight in Agarak.

Wednesday 30th March – Goris 

• In the morning we head to the city of Goris going via the scenic route crossing stunning Caucasus mountains.
• Lunch at an Armenian Borat house for home brewed coffee, roast chicken, and for those brave enough…vodka.
• Arrive at the Mirha hotel.
• Visit the “old village” cave city on the outskirts of Goris, Capadocia of Armenia.
• Dinner in an all-Soviet collectors house for traditional Armenian dishes and wine with a chance to buy Soviet memorabilia
• Overnight in Goris.

Thursday 31st March – Goris/Stepanakert

• Breakfast in the hotel.
• Head out to take the longest cable car in the world to visit the Tatev Monastery, the cable car is 5,700 metres long!
• Traditional Armenian lunch in Goris.
• Met by our trusty fleet of vans for the highlight of this trip, the transfer to Nagorno-Karabakh, one of 4 unrecognised breakaway frozen conflict zones in the former Soviet Union.
• On arrival we will check into the Jazz Club Hotel
• Visit the foreign affairs department and get our Nagorno-Karabakh visas. This is optional to get it in your passport, as this stamp means you cannot enter Azerbaijan.
• Leisurely walk into town for a walking tour of Stepanakert, one of the smallest and slightly quirkier capital cities of the region.
• We also take the time to visit the fabulous Soviet-era amusement park and drive the dodgems!
• Visit to the national stadium for a look around where the Republic of Artsakh play their home matches
• In the evening we’ll go for a local dinner and drinks in town
• Overnight in hotel.

Friday 1st April– Stepanakert surroundings

• Visit the extremely disturbing museum to the fallen soldiers during the war with Azerbaijan. This museum contains a variety of objects and photographs and tells horror stories about the war.
• Next we head for a private tour of the brand new but never properly used Stepanakert airport
• Drive by a military base with the chance to see tanks on a training course
• We then go to the Tank monument, the first captured tank of the war, which is a fantastic photo opportunity
• TRIP HIGHLIGHT picked up by our Lada fleet to visit the “DMZ” abandoned town, Agdam, AKA “The Hiroshima of the Caucuses”, situated at the front line of this frozen conflict zone – very off the beaten track.
• #NOTE# Technically it is not permitted to visit here, so the situation will be judged when we arrive. People will have to strictly follow instructions here.
• Quick lunch stop along the way to Gandzasar.
• Visit the Gandzasar monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in the world, tracing its roots to 600 AD, it survived multiple bombing attempts by Azerbaijan during the conflict.
• Explore the ancient cemetery around the monastery.
• Drive to the wacky village of Vank to see the Titanic and Seastone hotels, strange places built by a local eccentric billionaire, and a real weird treat of the trip.
• Return to Stepanakert to have dinner at Ureni – a traditional Karabakhi restaurant.
• Overnight in Stepanakert.

Saturday 2nd April– Stepanakert-Yerevan

• After breakfast we bid farewell to the first unrecognised country of our trip and make our way to the capital of Armenia, Yerevan.
• During our drive we’ll visit the Papik and Tatik monuments and stop at the Armenian Stonehenge, which is twice as old as the English one!
• Roadside lunch on way to Yerevan.
• Visit Khor Virap, an ancient monastery overlooking Mount Ararat.
• On arrival into Yerevan we will check into Envoy Hostel where there will be a chance for some R&R in the hostel.
• Dinner in a traditional Armenian Restaurant.
• Night on the town in Yerevan. Yerevan is a very young party town and will provide for a great night out!
• Overnight at the hostel.

Sunday 3rd April – Yerevan

• After a longer lie-in than usual we’ll head out this morning to the Vernissage flea market which is usually bustling on a Sunday to pick up some Soviet memorabilia!
• We set off on more of a walking tour of Yerevan with a visit to the Republic Square and the alleys of Abovian Street
• Next stop is Freedom Square complete with cascades waterfall art installations and the opera house, as well as parks where we can grab a coffee and people watch, lazing on a Sunday afternoon!
• Visit the cascades waterfall art installation as well as the opera house and parliament
• Dinner in a famous traditional Armenian restaurant in downtown Yerevan.
• Overnight in Yerevan.

Monday 4th  April – Yerevan

• This morning we head out of the city to visit the Geghard monastery, one of the oldest churches in Armenia, carved entirely out of the mountain!
• We then head to the town of Garni and site of a 2000-year-old pagan temple
• Lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants in the hills of Yerevan.
• This afternoon we will visit the Armenian Genocide monument and museum on a hilltop overlooking the city
• Dinner in Yerevan before a few hours where you’re free to go for a wander or grab a coffee or stock up on supplies for tomorrow’s road trip.
• Overnight in Yerevan.

Tuesday 5th April – Tbilisi

• Early morning departure as we take our car to go to Tbilisi.
• After going through customs and driving some more, arrival in Tbilisi and we go for lunch at a traditional Georgian restaurant
• Check into Envoy Tbilisi Hostel and free time/rest time until lunch
• Lunch in a most hard to find local gem, a place called Sofia Melnikova café, for a variety of Georgian specialties, like the best hand-made khinkali in the city – a type of Georgian dumplings
• In the afternoon we go on a walking tour of Tbilisi; first stop Independence Square! We then head on to the parliament and the ‘dry bridge’ market, an all-Soviet memorabilia market with the chance to buy military hats, medals, pins, stamps, and caucuses-style swords and knives!
• Next we get on another cable car and go to visit Narikala Fortress overlooking Tbilisi. We’ll also see the Kartlis Deda (Mother Georgia) monument above Tbilisi

• Dinner in a local restaurant in the Old Town before we go for a relaxing time in traditional Georgian/Turkish sulfur baths with local beer (extra charge)
• Overnight in Tbilisi.

Wednesday 6th April – Gori-Tbilisi

• After breakfast we depart for Gori – the hometown of the infamous Joseph Stalin! The journey takes only a few hours, and you’ll find that Stalin is still very heavily regarded here, which makes for some interesting conversations with the locals.
• Visit THE Stalin Museum and Stalin Statue. The museum tour includes his former train and the house he was born in.
• Head to the Akhaltsihe cave city, a 3000-year-old settlement overlooking the Potshovi river.
• Transfer back to Tbilisi where we’ll grab dinner and then visit one of the first Irish pubs in the Soviet Union called The Hangar and then on to a local hangout called Dive Bar
• Overnight in Tbilisi

Thursday 7th April– Stepansminda-Tbilisi

• Up early to drive towards Stepansminda, near the Russian border
• Stop at Ananuri fortress overlooking Zhinvali reservoir
• Visit a massive Soviet “Georgia–Russia Friendship” monument overlooking Jvari pass
• Walk around the beautiful Trinity monastery with views of Mount Kazbegi (5035m)
• Lunch at the house of eccentric “Mother Georgia” local grandma for variety of traditional dishes including handmade (by you) Khinkali
• Transfer back to Tbilisi before we get dinner in Tbilisi and stock up on supplies for the…
• Overnight train to Zugdidi in Western Georgia.

Friday 8th April – Zugdidi-Sukhum

• Early morning arrival into Zugdidi and from here we will be heading to the second unrecognised country of our trip – Abkhazia!
• We’ll arrive at the border crossing. This is a very tense border, where very few tourists cross, and is one of the most heavily militarised places in Europe.
• Transfer to Sukhum, the capital of the breakaway republic, and until recently war-torn city.
• On arrival we’ll check into our hotel and then go for a walking tour of Sukhum. During Soviet times Abkhazia was the pearl of Soviet tourism, and whilst many Russians still come here its glory days have passed.
• We’ll walk along the promenade as the locals start clocking off work and people-watch with a beer
• Dinner at Naartaa, a traditional Abkhazian restaurant specializing in shashlik and wine before we go out for bowling at a local nightclub.
• Overnight in Sukhum

Saturday 9th April – Sukhum surroundings

• After breakfast we drive to New Athos. The beautiful New Athos monastery was built in the 1880s by Tsar Alexander III of Russia
• Visit the wonderfully quaint and beautiful Psyrtskha Train Station and a small Soviet hydroelectric station hidden in the cliffs.
• We jump on the New Athos cave metro to visit one of the largest and most spectacular caves in the world!
• Continue to the amazing Lake Ritsa with stops in Lupshara canyon bound by massive limestone cliffs
• See beautiful Lake Ritsa, home of one of Stalin’s favourite dachas
• Late lunch in a traditional Abkhaz house with a choice of fresh lake trout, smoked meat and cheese
• More time to relax by the lake in these stunning surroundings before we return to Sukhum for dinner and a few sundowners overlooking the Black Sea.
• Overnight in Sukhum.

Sunday 10th April – Sukhum

• Breakfast at the hotel before we head out for an incredible day – this is extreme urbex crossed with dark tourism in a country which doesn’t officially exist!
• Our first stop is the burned out Abkhaz parliament for some urban exploration from another level.
• TRIP HIGHLIGHT – We then work our way through the old, half-abandoned military sanatorium and botanical garden full of Lenin mosaics and an old cinema, we find new things here every time we come!
• Hit the beach before dinner in Sukhum, coupled with traditional food and drinks on the promenade.
• Depart towards the border with a stop at “Istochnik”, a hot spring resort for a chance to get a water massage and a relaxing swim in many pools (extra charge)
• Stop to see the “flaming” spring
• We then cross into Georgia proper and get to Zugdidi where we board the overnight train to Tbilisi.

Monday 11th April – Tbilisi 

• Early morning arrival in Tbilisi where we end our tour. YPT can assist with onward travel or more travels in the Caucasus!

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