Caucasus

The Caucasus, where Europe meets Asia

Tucked between the Black Sea and the Caspian, where Europe finally gives way to Asia, the Caucasus is one of the least visited and most rewarding corners of the world for a curious traveller. Armenia and Georgia, the two countries at its heart, share a mountain range, a deep Christian history, and centuries of being fought over by Persian, Ottoman, Russian and Soviet powers, yet each has kept a culture entirely its own. Together they make for one of our richest itineraries: ancient monasteries, dramatic mountain scenery, and some of the oldest wine traditions on Earth, all within a single small group tour.

Georgia: wine, myth and mountains

Georgia is a land of towering peaks to rival the Alps, isolated mountain valleys in Svaneti that have kept their own unwritten language and medieval defensive towers, and a capital, Tbilisi, whose vibrant medieval old town, Ottoman bathhouses and modern architecture sit easily side by side. It was here, in ancient Colchis, that the Greeks believed Jason and the Argonauts came in search of the Golden Fleece, and it is here, according to archaeological evidence near Tbilisi, that wine itself was first made. At Mtskheta, one of the country’s oldest cities, the sixth-century Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral still stand much as they always have.

Armenia: monasteries and a nation of firsts

In 301AD, Armenia became the world’s first nation to adopt Christianity, and its ancient churches carry that history rather than merely commemorate it: Echmiadzin, sometimes called the Armenian Vatican, Geghard, partly carved into the cliffs, and Khor Virap, in the shadow of Mount Ararat itself, where Gregory the Illuminator was once imprisoned. Beyond the monasteries, Armenians call Lake Sevan, the highest freshwater lake in the Caucasus, their pearl, while at Garni a first-century pagan temple gives way to a gorge of basalt columns known as the Symphony of Stones, and the monastery of Tatev is reached by one of the longest cable cars in the world.

Two countries, one shared history

Despite their differences, Armenia and Georgia are bound together by more than geography. Both claim among the world’s oldest Christian traditions, both produce heady wine that predates almost every other wine-growing culture on Earth, and both have spent centuries as a crossroads between empires, absorbing Persian, Byzantine, Ottoman and Russian influence while remaining stubbornly, distinctly themselves, down to their own unique alphabets and cuisines. Travelling between the two on a single small group tour, from Yerevan’s brandy houses to Tbilisi’s underground wine cellars, from Armenian khachkars to Georgian polyphonic song, is one of the most rewarding ways we know to understand this extraordinary region.

The best small group tours of the Caucasus

Travelling alone, you can only scratch the surface. Travelling with us, on one of our expert-led small group tours, gives you the chance to properly get under the skin of a region still largely undiscovered by other operators, from Armenia’s ancient faith to Georgia’s mountain villages, guided by the thoughtful knowledge and anecdotes only local experts can offer. Small enough to feel personal, expert enough to go far beyond the obvious: that is how we like our guests to experience an unforgettable Caucasus.

• For the latest official travel advice and up-to-date information before travelling to the Caucasus, please visit the UK Government’s FCDO Travel Advice pages for Armenia and Georgia.