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2021: Starts Yerevan 10th October 2021 - Finishes Baku 23rd October 2021
BOLSHOI
TWIN : GBP £ 8,290 / USD $ 11,190
SINGLE : GBP £ 13,090 / USD $ 17,670
SUPERIOR
TWIN : GBP £ 5,070 / USD $ 6,845
SINGLE : GBP £ 7,040 / USD $ 9,505
STANDARD
QUAD* : GBP £ 4,025 / USD $ 5,435
*If there are 3 people in a 4 berth cabin then the price is £ 4,670 / US$ 6,305 per person. Single supplement for hotels only is £ 530 / US$ 720 per person.
You arrive in Yerevan in the early morning. Your hotel room will be ready when you arrive. After a late breakfast you see the Cathedral of Yerevan, the Radio Yerevan building, and Cascade with beautiful panoramas. In the afternoon, you travel to the heart of the Armenian Church in Vagharshapat, the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, thought to be the oldest Christian cathedral in the world.
Later you visit a children’s art center. On the way back to Yerevan, you see the impressive ruins of the seventh-century Zvartnots Cathedral. Free evening to relax.
MEALS: Breakfast & Lunch
OVERNIGHT: Imperial Palace Hotel ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 2 - YEREVAN
TEMPLE OF GARNI AND CAVE MONASTERY
After a guided tour of the impressive manuscript repository, Matenadaran, you visit Garni Gorge, the Greco-Roman Temple of Garni, and the medieval Geghard cave monastery, one of the most beautiful monasteries in the Caucasus. Before lunch you view a bread-making demonstration of traditional unleavened Armenian flatbread Lavash.
MEALS: Breakfast & Lunch
OVERNIGHT: Imperial Palace Hotel ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 3 - LAKE SEVAN
VISIT THIS HUGE LAKE , SEVAN MONASTERY & THE SPA TOWN OF DILIJAN
Today you travel to 2,000-meter-high Lake Sevan, known as the Pearl of Armenia, a highlight of your journey. After a visit to the Sevan Monastery, you head to the idyllic spa town Dilijan.
Later you are off to Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city to overnight.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Hotel Villa Kars ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 4 - BATUMI
CROSS INTO GEORGIA & TO BATUMI ON THE SHORES OF THE BLACK SEA
Today we cross the Armenia Georgia border through the mountain scenery of the Lesser Caucasus until you reach Batumi on the spectacular Black Sea coast.
This Georgian port and seaside resort is quaintly situated on a bay against the backdrop of green mountains. The sparkling skyline of the palm-lined promenade is astounding - thanks to recent developments by international investors.
Note that more people will join the group today.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Hotel World Palace ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 5 - BATUMI
CITY TOUR OF BATUMI & FREE AFTERNOON
Today enjoy a city tour of Batumi’s historic center, where merchants from all over the world have left their footprints. Orthodox churches, synagogues, and mosques—the city’s stunning architecture is a testament to its diversity. The Batumi Botanical Garden is a subtropical paradise whose terraces on the steep coast provide an amazing view of the seashore.
The afternoon is free to further explore the city.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Hotel World Palace ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 6 - BATUMI
VISIT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN BEFORE JOINING THE TRAIN TO KUTAISI
The Batumi Botanical Garden is a subtropical paradise whose terraces on the steep coast provide an amazing view of the seashore.
Later that day, the friendly crew of your special train gives you a hearty welcome at the station, where your train sets off towards Kutaisi. From the top of the Bagrati Cathedral, you enjoy the view over the historic city of Kutaisi, just a stone’s throw away from the picturesque Gelati monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Tsars Gold Private Train
DAY 7 - AKHALTSIKHE & VARDZIA
PASS THROUGH A LAND OF CASTLES
The train route from Kutaisi through the lesser Caucasus mountains puts everyday Georgia right outside your window - vineyards, idyllic towns, imposing castle towers.
Borjomi is a famous deep valley resort town that once provided the entire Russian Empire with mineral water. Its beautiful villas, boutique hotels and its curative health spas draw visitors from near and far.
From the small city of Akhaltsikhe, over which the Rabati Castle looms, you go on a unforgettable excursion and guided tour of Vardzia, a twelfth-century cave monastery. Reminiscent of a honeycomb, there are more than 3,000 cave dwellings for up to 50,000 people built into the rock face. The brilliance of the frescoes of legendary Queen Tamar in the cave cathedral has not lost its intensity.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Tsars Gold Private Train
DAY 8 - GORI
IN VINO VERITAS - A TASTE OF GEORGIA’S WINE REGIONS
Today your train takes you from Akhaltsikhe through the country’s fertile lowlands. You soon arrive In Gori, birthplace of Joseph Stalin, the once General Secretary of the Soviet Union, whose personal railroad car is displayed in a museum. In nearby Uplistsikhe, once a Silk Road trading post, you discover a sixth-century town built into a cave complex.
Later a historic wine house opens its cellar just for you. Kartli, Imereti, Kakheti - Georgia’s wine regions are more than 7,000 years old, placing then among the world’s oldest. In the afternoon, your train reaches Tbilisi.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Hotel Biltmore ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 9 - TBILISI
FROM GEORGIA’S CAPITAL TO STEPANTSMINDA
Sturdy churches, colorful wooden houses on the banks of the Kura River, classical villas - this is Tbilisi, capital of Georgia and straight out of a fairy tale. From here, you take a ride along the historic Georgian Military Road, which reaches an altitude of approximately 7,800 feet/2,300 meters.
The view of the Ananuri Castle complex from such heights just takes your breath away. In the horizon, snow-capped mountain peaks come into view, each one higher than the last. However, the view of the 16,000-foot/5,000-meter Mount Kazbek from your hotel terrace in Stepantsminda tops them all!
On a green ridge just in front of this immense peak sits the comparatively small Gergeti Trinity Church, which you can visit via Jeep excursion.
MEALS: Breakfast & Lunch
OVERNIGHT: Porta Caucasia Kazbegi ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 10 - TBILISI
THE JVARI MONASTERY & MOUNT MTATSMINDA
On the way back to Tbilisi, you stop at the Jvari monastery high above the Aragvi River and marvel at the former capital of Georgia, Mzcheta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Tbilisi you board your train and head to the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, where green hills gradually transform into ochre, earthy steppes.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Tsars Gold Private Train
DAY 11 - SHAKI & GOYGOL
FROM THE KHAN’S PALACE TO THE AZERBAIJAN BORDER
In the morning, you reach the city of Ganja, from which you travel to the nearby city of Goygol, known for its nineteenth century German settlements. Here you see carefully restored villas, the Lutheran church of St. John and the home of the last German settler, Viktor Klein, who passed away in 2007.
On the train route towards Shaki, the Azerbaijani landscape begins to turn green. The city of Shaki lies at foot of the forest-covered Caucasus Mountains and doubles as a unique open-air museum. You see the city’s many caravanserai, trading posts that served as stops along historic trade routes, like the Silk Road.
Later, you visit the Khan’s Palace, where brilliant decorative carvings, stained glass and frescoes take you back to a fantastic medieval world. Look for bargains at an artisanal handicrafts center and at a local bazaar. In the evening, you head towards the Caspian Sea.
MEALS: Breakfast & Lunch
OVERNIGHT: On the Tsars Gold Private Train
DAY 12 - BAKU
THE OLD CITY & MODERN SKYLINE
In Baku, it’s a bittersweet goodbye to your special train and its crew. You set out to explore the historical center of Baku, where you see gorgeous mosques, the Maiden Tower, and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marvel at the city’s ornate Art Nouveau buildings and its futuristic architecture.
In the afternoon, you join an excursion on the Absheron Peninsula where you see a Zoroastrian fire temple and Yanar Dag, a flame that burns continuously due to a seepage of natural gas.
That evening at a delicious farewell dinner, you reminisce with fellow travelers about your journey.
MEALS: Breakfast & Lunch
OVERNIGHT: Hotel Sapphire Inn Baku ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 13 - BAKU
ROCK ART & GOBUSTAN & ZOROASTRIAN FIRE
In the morning, you head toward Gobustan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can admire the thousand-year-old rock carvings situated near the country’s famous mud volcanos.
In the afternoon, you can enjoy free time in Baku, or join an excursion to the Absheron Peninsula, where you see a Zoroastrian fire temple and Yanar Dag, a flame that burns continuously due to a seepage of natural gas. In the evening, you enjoy a farewell dinner amid Baku’s glittering skyline.
MEALS: Breakfast & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Hotel Sapphire Inn Baku ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 14 - end of tour
GOODBYE SOUTH CAUCASUS!
On your final day, you head to the airport for your flight home, reflecting on the fulfilling, unforgettable adventure you just completed.
MEALS: Breakfast
TSARS GOLD PRIVATE TRAIN
INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS
Tour INCLUDES
✔︎ 4 nights on board your special train in booked category. ✔︎ 9 nights in first-class hotels with double bed, and bath or shower. ✔︎ All meals as per itinerary. ✔︎ All transport and excursions in modern tour buses with air-conditioning as per itinerary. ✔︎ Airport transfers on the first and last day of the itinerary. ✔︎ Entrance fees for all sights as per itinerary. ✔︎ English-speaking tour manager and guides during train journey from Baku to Batumi. ✔︎ Doctor on board. ✔︎ Porter services at all railway stations.
Tour EXCLUDES
• International flights - we can book these for you if you wish. • Visas - we provide the paperwork and can recommend visa agents to help with applications. • Tips and own expenses. • All beverages in bar car. • Travel Insurance (every passenger is obliged to have a medical insurance for the whole duration of the Tour). • Vaccinations: Consult your doctor for specific health advice.
CABIN CLASSES
Full details on the cabin classes available on Tsars Gold.
We hold ATOL license 10287 so booking with us gives you 100% financial protection. We are also members of the Association of British Travel Agents. ABTA has strict membership requirements and we are required to adhere to the associations high standards. Our ABTA number is Y1699.
