Armenia & Georgia Real Food Adventure

Intrepid Travel Premier
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4.6 . Excellent
94%
Travel Style: Array Full on
Physical Level: All or most of day hiking or biking, hills included. Moderate
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
10 days
From: $ 2,205 $ 221 / day
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Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Prepare your own tolma (vine-wrapped rice, herbs and lentils) and join a masterclass with a local family to learn how to make khinkali (Georgian dumplings).
  • Join local families for traditional homecooked meals, sampling Armenian trout with a family in Garni and make a Georgian barbecue with a family in the Kakheti region.
  • Take a hike in the striking Caucasus mountains to perhaps one of the best positioned churches in Europe – Gergeti Trinity Church.
  • Taste the region’s most iconic dishes, including chaqafuli (beef or lamb in plum sauce), mtsvadi (meat skewers), churchkhela (nutty Georgian candy) and khachapuri (cheese breads).
  • Enjoy a glass or two of the locally produced wine and learn about the unique Qvevri tradition of using clay pots to create delicious, unfiltered and organic drops.

Short Description

Taste the punchy flavours of Armenia and Georgia on this 10-day food adventure. Begin the journey in Yerevan, contrasting traditional Armenian barbecue, grilled trout and tolma with the many spicy aromas of the local markets. Continue the adventure in Georgia, where the charming facades of Tbilisi and the snow-dusted peaks of the Caucasus are the backdrop for culinary adventures, both hands-on and leisurely. Enjoy the region’s most iconic and celebrated dishes, all washed down with a delicious array of Georgia’s famous local wines.

Style Small group tour
Off the beaten track trips will stretch your comfort zone. They don't always feature tourist highlights, but dive deeper into local life and culture.
Itinerary Focus Off the Beaten Path
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Yerevan
End City Tbilisi

Destinations

Armenia

Attractions & Cities Visited

Tbilisi Yerevan

Activities & Interests

Cooking

Age Requirement

15-99

N/A
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Itinerary

Day 1 Yerevan

Welcome to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. After meeting with your guide at 6pm in the hotel lobby, head out with your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner in a local restaurant. Here the main dish is khorovats – skewered and spiced meats, such as pork, grilled on a barbecue. It's the most representative dish of Armenian cuisine enjoyed in restaurants, family gatherings and feasts.

Day 2 Yerevan

After breakfast, set off on a city tour around Yerevan with a local guide. This includes a visit to the local market, the best place to browse the fresh fruits, dried fruits and many aromatic spices that Armenia is known for. Then, visit a local home where you'll learn how to make the traditional Armenian dish known as tolma, delicious parcels of rice, herbs, lentils and tomato wrapped in vine or cabbage leaves, which you’ll then enjoy for lunch.The home also serves as an ethnographic museum, so be sure to have a look around before you leave. The rest of the day is free for your own discoveries. You may like to visit the Zvartnots Temple. Built in the 7th century, destroyed in the 10th century, and excavated in the early 20th, this World Heritage-listed marvel is impressive even in its ruined and partially reconstructed form. Another option is a visit to the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, one of the oldest standing churches in Christendom.

Day 3 Yerevan

After breakfast, visit Geghard Monastery, a magnificent monument of medieval Armenian architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Next up is the Symphony of Stones, a remarkable natural collection of hexagonal and pentagonal basalt columns that resemble the pipes of an organ. From here, head to the Temple of Garni, a monument of the Hellenistic period and an impressive piece of ancient Armenian architecture. Next up, enjoy lunch in a local house, sampling some delectable Armenian grilled trout, accompanied by salads, rice, fruit and tea or coffee. Your hosts will demonstrate how to make lavash, a soft, thin unleavened flatbread so essential to Armenia that it's on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. If you're keen, try making some for yourself. Drive to back to Yerevan and enjoy a free evening – perhaps visit the Armenian Brandy Factory for a taste of various aged brandies, the classic Ararat variety is considered the pride of many generations and a symbol of Armenia.

Day 4 Tbilisi

Start early today, saying goodbye to Armenia and hopping aboard a public bus to Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi. Enjoy the scenery or catch up on sleep on the way. On arrival, take some time to settle into your hotel, then head out to a local wine bar to sample wine made by the bar’s female owner. For your first taste of Georgian cuisine, you may like to go out and try one of the country’s oldest and most delicious dishes for dinner. Shqmeruli is a hearty combination of succulent chicken with a garlic and milk sauce.

Day 5 Tbilisi

Today you will explore Tbilisi with a local guide. Starting from the Metekhi Church, which has magnificent views over old Tbilisi, stroll through winding streets to the city’s main sites. Enjoy the terraced streets, colourful houses, patterned balconies and modern architecture. End the tour at the ancient Narikala Fortress, with panoramic views of the city and surrounds. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant specializing in khachapuri (cheese breads). Taste several varieties – all different shapes, styles and fillings. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore the sites and tastes of Tbilisi at your own pace.

Day 6 Telavi

Today you will travel into the Kakheti region, surrounded by both snowy Caucasus mountains and fertile valleys and famous for its wines and welcoming hospitality. Your first stop is the 16th century Gremi Architectural Complex, which you’ll explore with a local guide, followed by lunch with a local family. Familiarise yourself with the local life and make 'mtsvadi', a famous Georgian barbecue dish, and learn the ritual behind its preparation. Afterwards, watch a demonstration on the making of 'churchkhela', a type of Georgian sweet, and give it a go yourself! After lunch, drive to a traditional Georgian wine cellar, where you’ll learn the secret behind the unique method used to create this delicious beverage. Arrive at your night's accommodation in the early evening.

Day 7 Gudauri

This morning, join your leader for a walk around the market to discover fresh local produce. Then, drive to Georgia's ancient capital and religious centre, Mtskheta. Here you’ll meet with a local guide and tour World Heritage-listed marvels: Jvari Church, which dates back to the 6th century, and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, dating back to the 11th century (where the Robe of Christ is buried). Afterwards, drive up the famous Georgian Military Highway, which leads to the Georgian-Russian border. On the way there, visit the 17th-century Ananuri architectural complex, as well as the two churches and the fortress that overlooks the Zhinvali water reservoir. The views here are spectacular and the carvings on the churches are some of the best samples of Georgian art out there. Today's drive through the Caucasus Mountains is a memorable one (it can get slow, steep and windy up here). In the evening, sit down to dinner at a local guesthouse in Gudauri (2200m above sea level) where you’ll spend the night.

Day 8 Gudauri / Stepantsminda

Start the day with a drive to Stepantsminda. From here, it's a leisurely 2 hour walk up through beautiful valleys and woodland to Gergeti Trinity Church. Weather permitting, you might catch a glimpse of one of the highest glaciers in the Caucasus, Mt Kazbegi (5047 m). After the walk, visit a local family located in Gudauri, where the host will teach a masterclass on how to make khinkali (Georgian dumplings). Drive back to Gudauri in the late afternoon, where you will enjoy a free evening.

Day 9 Tbilisi

Leave Gudauri this morning and head to Tbilisi for an afternoon at leisure. You may like to take a dip in the city’s famous sulfur baths, take a walk along the river, check out the Tbilisi Concert Hall and Public Service Hall, or grab a great coffee and check out the artist pop ups at Fabrika. In the evening, head out for a farewell dinner at a traditional Georgian restaurant featuring chaqafuli (beef or lamb in a fresh plum sauce).

Day 10 Tbilisi

Today your adventure comes to an end after breakfast. There are no activities included on this day and you are free to leave at any time. If you would like to spend some more time in Tbilisi, please contact your booking agent to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 2,205
Price Per Day: $ 221 per day
Checking price
Start DateFinish DateBase PriceAvailability 
Oct-01-2023Oct-10-2023$ 2,205Sold Out Reserve
May-19-2024May-28-2024$ 2,4759 spots left Reserve
Jun-16-2024Jun-25-2024$ 2,47512 spots left Reserve
Aug-18-2024Aug-27-2024$ 2,47512 spots left Reserve
Sep-01-2024Sep-10-2024$ 2,57512 spots left Reserve
Sep-22-2024Oct-01-2024$ 2,57512 spots left Reserve
Sep-29-2024Oct-08-2024$ 2,57512 spots left Reserve
Oct-06-2024Oct-15-2024$ 2,47512 spots left Reserve

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

4,331 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

94%
4.6 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 3,259
Great 675
Average 140
Disappointing 77
Terrible 180
Value
4.6
Guide
4.6
Activities
4.6
Lodging
4.6
Transportation
4.6
Meals
4.6

Armenia & Georgia Real Food Adventure

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Company Reviews

Sardines in a can

3.0
Details
Value3.0
Guide3.0
Activities3.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation3.0
Meals3.0
Love adventures but the size of the cabins on our trip to the Cyclades Islands are extremely cramped . We have three mature adults in one cabin with no space to move and no space to hang or store anything ( including wet towels ).
If any of us had been physically inflexible or overweight we could not have coped with the sleeping arrangements . It is impossible to sit on the top bunk and even turning over in bed requires considerable planning .
An adventure does not mean cutting back on basic essentials …
In our view there were too many people in too small a space .
Two complete strangers were also asked to sleep together in an extremely small double bed , which meant that one of them decided to sleep on deck or in the living space .
The only redeeming factor was our Skipper who is professional, friendly , informative and skilled .
I would recommend this trip if the numbers were reduced .
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I feel totally cheated

2.0
Details
Value2.0
Guide2.0
Activities2.0
Lodging2.0
Transportation2.0
Meals2.0
I feel totally cheated. Just finished the Spain and Portugal 14 day trip. The itinerary does not match the actual experience and is I feel deliberately miss leading. When I says a “local bus” and an approx 3 hour journey the reality is a 6 hour trip door to door in the middle of the day. You miss valuable time at the actual destination in favour of being jammed in a bus with dozens of people traveling on a freeway with nothing worth seeing at all. The bush are not even express so you stop in the industrial outskirts of a number of towns and even the airport. By the time you finally reach the destination you are tired and frustrated. I want my money back. It’s a cheap experience that you pay a lot of money for.
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Have not even started and not impressed

2.0
Details
Value2.0
Guide2.0
Activities2.0
Lodging2.0
Transportation2.0
Meals2.0
Booked a premium tour to Israel and paid in full. Once I paid Intrepid changed the tour, not because of operational or safety reasons but on the basis of previous customers feedback. We asked them to keep the tour as it was advertised originally and they suggested we ask our group to see if we can persuade them to go to the original destination once we had arrived in Israel which is simply ridiculous and then I complained so they offered my money back. Not exactly the best resolution now that I already paid for my flights and booked time off separately. Hopefully the tour will be better than my experience so far.
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No help when things go wrong (seriously ill on trip)

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
Unfortunately, Intrepid is a company I would recommend being wary of. They are fine as long as everything is going ok, but if anything goes wrong? Don't expect any help or decent customer service. I made the mistake of booking two trips, and both times I ran into problems:

Trip 1- I was taken very ill while in Vietnam and had to drop out of the tour. I had no help from the guide- no help with getting to a doctor (I don't speak Vietnamese and was too ill to get out of bed anyway), he didn't even assist with arranging a hotel room.

Trip 2- I've had to cancel an upcoming (2024) trip, but haven't received the refund despite phoning the customer service line several times. The people I talk to are nice, but don't seem to be able to actually get anything done. They just suggest waiting a bit longer- not sure how long they think is acceptable to hang on to someone's money really.
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Check for other companies offtering the same trip

3.0
Details
Value3.0
Guide3.0
Activities3.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation3.0
Meals3.0
I would think carefully before doing business with Intrepid Travel again. In May I went on 2 one-week guided cycle tours in France with Intrepid. They were both great cycles and I enjoyed the cycling very much. However, I had several complaints about the company and some of the guides (not all of them).
Once I had paid for my trips, it was very difficult to get in touch with Intrepid to ask a question.
During the trips, several times I was told something one day only to have the info change without any good reason. The guides need proper training about dealing with the heat. Some of use suffered from dehydration and heat stroke and the guides were quite flippant about it. I was told that the guides would not leave anyone behind, but it happened several times.
There was one guide (a trainee) who really took some of the pleasure out of my cycle tour. She spoke to me with a tone used for a child. This tone and her attitude to me almost bordered on harassment.
I went on a third cycling tour with a different company after my 2 with Intrepid and it was much better than my experience with Intrepid.
As the demand for ebikes rises, tour companies such as Intrepid need to increase their fleet of ebikes. They also don’t need to charge the huge amount to rent these ebikes. We only want to rent them, not buy them. As the cost of ebikes comes down, if should reflect in the rental price.
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Ecuador guide Eitel made the tour…

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Our Ecuador guide Eitel made the tour exceptional! He has encyclopedic knowledge of Ecuador and Latin America. Because he has traveled the world, Eitel placed this information within contexts that we could appreciate. That says a lot because we were a diverse group of travelers. The experience deepened my appreciation for the country's marvelous people, history, cultures, and resources.
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport Private Bus,Public Bus

Group Size

Small Group - 24 max

Maximum Number of People in Group: 12

Accommodations

Hotel (9 nights)

Guides

All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Age Notes :

Min. Age: 15

Max Age: 99

Additional Information

Finish point

  • KMM Hotel
  • 10 Mefsalmune David King street Metekhi Turn
  • Tbilisi
  • 0103
  • GEORGIA
  • Phone: +995 322747185

Trip ID#:

intrepid-KFZG

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