Meeting Point of Civilizations: 9-Day Caucasus Tour

We meet at Istanbul Airport at 11:00 to complete check-in, then depart for Tbilisi on the Turkish Airlines flight at 13:15. After landing at 16:35 we clear visa-free entry, collect our luggage and meet our local guide. After checking into the hotel we take an evening walk to feel the spirit of Tbilisi, taking in Sharden Street and the famous Clock Tower. Our first dinner is at the hotel. Included services: Airport transfer, dinner, 4-star accommodation.

After breakfast we head to Mtskheta, Georgia's ancient capital and spiritual centre. We visit Jvari Monastery, perched on a hill where two rivers meet, and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, believed to house a fragment of Christ's robe. After a lunch of Georgian khinkali dumplings we return to Tbilisi. A cable car takes us up to Narikala Fortress for a panoramic view of the city, followed by a walk through the sulphur bath district. In the evening a traditional Georgian folklore show with wine awaits us. Included services: Breakfast, lunch, folklore dinner, all entrance fees.

We head north along the Georgian Military Road towards the snowy peaks. Our first stops are the turquoise Jinvali Reservoir and the medieval Ananuri Fortress. In Kazbegi we switch to 4x4 jeeps for the region's steep roads. At Gergeti Trinity Church, at 2,170 metres, we take in the view of Mount Kazbek, which rises to 5,047 metres. Dinner and accommodation are in Tbilisi. Included services: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, 4x4 jeep transfers.

After an early breakfast we head for the Armenian border. We complete formalities at the Sadakhlo border crossing and meet our Armenian guide. We visit Sanahin and Haghpat, UNESCO-listed monasteries and masterpieces of medieval architecture. After a short stop in forested Dilijan, known as Armenia's Switzerland, we reach Yerevan. Included services: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, border support, monastery entrance fees.

Today we explore some of the region's most iconic sites. We visit Echmiadzin, the centre of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the ruins of Zvartnots. At Khor Virap Monastery, on the Turkish border, we take in the most striking view of Mount Ararat. After lunch at a winery, including a wine tasting, we finish the day with visits to the Hellenistic-era Garni Temple and the rock-carved Geghard Monastery. Included services: Breakfast, winery lunch with wine tasting, dinner, 5 museum entries.

After a city tour of Yerevan taking in the Cascade Complex and works of modern art, we head north to Lake Sevan. We visit the 9th-century Sevanavank Monastery on the peninsula and have lunch by the lake with fresh trout on the menu. After border formalities we return to Tbilisi for the night. Included services: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sevanavank entrance.

We leave Georgia and cross into Azerbaijan through the Red Bridge border crossing. On arrival in Sheki, one of the Silk Road's important stops, we visit Sheki Khan's Palace, built without nails and famous for its stained-glass windows. We take in the atmosphere of the historic caravanserai and visit local silk workshops. Accommodation: Sheki Saray Hotel or Sheki Palace Hotel (4-star).

On the way to Baku we stop at the historic Friday Mosque in Shamakhi. At Gobustan National Park, near Baku, we see 40,000-year-old rock carvings and the region's mud volcanoes. In the evening we reach Baku, the pearl of the Caspian, and walk the promenade as the Flame Towers light up. Included services: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Gobustan and mud volcano entrance fees.

On our last day we visit the futuristic Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Zaha Hadid, and the Atashgah Fire Temple, known for its eternal flame. After exploring the Old City, Icheri Sheher, with the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, we have our farewell dinner. We fly back to Istanbul at 16:50, completing our tour. Flight details: Baku (GYD) to Istanbul (IST), departing 16:50.