12 independent reviews for Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan highlights tour
Reviews for Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan highlights tour
Chloe Dutton review 24 Jun 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Petroglyphs in Gobustan NP, seeing Mt Ararat, visiting Khor Virap Monastery, wine tastings, visiting Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, snow-capped & beautiful mountains in Georgia.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Some days were long & uncomfortable in the bus & over very bumpy roads (as new highway being constructed).3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No idea!4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a little too rushed, an extra day in each main city would have been better. Hotel in Yerevan was a bit "below standard" when compared to others we stayed at ... but it was clean & comfortable enough. The 3 guides we had were exceptionally good, esp Sophie in Georgia & Raffi in Armenia who had an enormous knowledge of history & culture.Karen Chua review 8 Jun 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Getting to a new country with different ways of life after every 4 days or so.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ask the guides about the ways of life of the people. There is an overload of information shared about the history of the places but all these can be obtained via the Internet.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
To a certain extent, when you spend at local establishments. No to environment conservation if you do not make effort to bring and refill your own water bottles or specifically request that housecleaning is to be skipped - the hotels tend to make your rooms and change towels everyday unless you put up the "Do not disturb" sign on your door.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Well planned itinerary. Hit or miss with the local guides. We had three different guides for each country, 2 of whom were excellent. The company did constantly obtain feedback and tried to make immediate improvements on areas which were lacking.Caroline Cutmore review 31 Oct 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Experiencing the different cultures in each of the countries as they were quite different.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Keep luggage light as going over the borders can be tricky with a lot of bags.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Found it a very interesting holiday and visiting the 3 different countries gave an insight in to their different cultures. Well organised and guides all excellent. Some of the 4 star hotels were not quite what I was expecting but were all acceptable.Linda Roberts review 1 Oct 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Cultural and historical aspects of the trip.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This tour is only good for fully able bodied people, as the historic sites have many very large steps, difficult to negotiate with bad knees!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes we definately benifited local people and the economy. Unable to comment the other 2 items but unlikely.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very enjoyable and interesting but the communication with the operator was very poor after Lusine left the company. We had three guides in all for each country. The first in Azerbaijan and the third in Armenia were not as good as our guide Ia in Georgia who was brilliant.Read the operator's response here:
Dear Linda, Thank you so much for your thorough review. It is absolutely valuable for us and very important for our future work! We will take into consideration all your remarks and notes regarding the trip and make all the amendments and modifications accordingly. The vehicle accompanies our travelers throughout the whole trip, so that it is as comfortable as possible. We completely understand the situation with large steps for reaching some historical sites, and will try to modify the itinerary accordingly. As these are some of the highlights of the trip (UNESCO Heritage sites), we include them in the itinerary, as they are of great historical value and of huge interest for our travelers. We will surely modify the itinerary based on your feedback to make it more balanced. We apologize for the issues at some point of the email communication as some of the emails appeared in the spam folder.
I am pleased to let you know you have a 100 GBP voucher with us which you can use in the future for any travel destination offered by us. We trust you had a delightful time during your trip to the Caucasus and will travel with us again!
I am pleased to let you know you have a 100 GBP voucher with us which you can use in the future for any travel destination offered by us. We trust you had a delightful time during your trip to the Caucasus and will travel with us again!
Nicholas Rees review 14 Oct 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing so much of the three countries.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared to move around quickly; travel lightly and make sure that you take something to keep you entertained during some long drives.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not to any great extent..4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
OK. There wasn’t much flexibility to sit and enjoy the scenery. I felt rushed back onto the bus when I wanted to stay, sit with a coffee and take in the ambience. Other trip members were impatient with this. My previous cultural trips have been as a solo traveller so this change took a lot of the enjoyment from me.Read the operator's response here:
Dear Nicholas,
Thank you very much for your detailed feedback about the Caucasus trip you have done with us. Your notes are absolutely useful for us to make our trips better and more pleasant for all the travelers. Thanks for mentioning the trip’s most memorable/ exciting part seeing so many places in all the 3 countries.
As the tour title states, it includes the highlights in all the three countries, which are the must-see sites, certainly worth visiting, and the ones to get the real impression of each country. Though all these sites wouldn’t have been managed to fit in the tour days without every minute planning and time-management.
We also feel your overall final impression would have been a bit different in case of taking a private solo trip as you had always done before -
to be more flexible with longer coffee breaks and enjoying the views, longer stroll around the sites.Would be glad to arrange another solo private tour to our other destinations if you plan to travel with us in the future. Arara tour agency is glad to provide you with a GBP 100 tour voucher for any future bookings.
Hope you overall had an enjoyable time in the Caucasus.
Best wishes
Ian Burton review 13 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The sites, vistas and in particular; Gobustan National Park and Baku in Azerbaijan, Tbilisi and Gergeti Trinity Church and Yerevan city and the Matenadaran Museum in Armenia2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared to be shepherded around with little free time to browse or ‘be’. This excursion is 'full on’!! Be aware you ‘lose’ at least two days travelling there. Choose your flights wisely. Upgrade to 4 star hotels. Ours were not good.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not really!4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a very safe (overpacked) interesting whistle stop taster of the Caucuses. Great to experience what you may wish to revisit, or explore further, in your own time. Everyone was very friendly and well meaning. Let down by the poor standard of hotels used, except in Tbilisi which was better, although the breakfasts were still very poor.Read the operator's response here:
Dear Ian,
Thank you for taking the time in sharing your valuable insights with us. Our travelers’ opinions hold huge significance for our company, as they serve as a cornerstone for our growth. Regarding the 13-day tour program, it includes the most important destinations and highlights across three countries. Recognizing the varying time frames and interests of our travelers, we also offer extended programs of 17, 26, and 31 days.
We've fully acknowledged feedback concerning the hotel in Azerbaijan and have stopped our collaboration with them. We deeply regret any inconvenience caused. Notably, the hotel in Yerevan is a highly regarded 3-star hotel. If it didn't meet your expectations, the best option would have been considering an upgrade within the hotel category. To avoid any substantial inconveniences, we always encourage travelers to contact our tour managers should any issues arise during the tour. Our team is readily available around the clock to address and resolve any concerns.
We are happy you were satisfied with the guide service and your appreciation for the sightseeing experiences. These aspects remain some of the most important components of our tours and hold considerable significance for us.
Looking ahead, we hope for the opportunity to organize future trips for you and are happy to offer you 100 GBP per person voucher for any tour and date (for all the companions traveling with you). Your satisfaction remains our utmost priority.
John Walsh review 2 Oct 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The scenery, historic sites, friendly people and great food throughout were exceptional.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
It’s a roll of the dice whether or not you get on with the other members of your tour group. Luckily we did, but 16 long days along bumpy roads in a cramped minibus are a severe test. While we were promised “small group” tour, we were in effect a 12 people group (the capacity of our bus) , with at least one other bus full of travellers on the same route, arriving at the same sites, border crossings and hotels, within minutes of us. Unfortunately, our designated destinations, while significant and beautiful, were almost always tourist traps, packed with other visitors and surrounded by innumerable vendor stalls selling touristic crap. Google Maps told us of innumerable potentially interesting locations not far off our route, but we were given no option to deviate from our touristic trail. In short, unless you are the most timid of travellers, don’t do it. You will “see” the most “important “ touristic sites of these three amazing countries by taking this tour, but will miss out on an enormous amount, and gain little knowledge of the real countries or their peoples. Taken as a “taster” of the region I suppose it was adequate, and enjoyable, sufficient to make us want to come back and do it properly. But in retrospect, this tour was undeserving of the label Responsible Travel. There was little or no interaction with the indigenous communities, no benefit to them unless they were a tourist trinket vendor or hotelier, and while our guides did their formulated best by rote, we learned little. In fact, as the Azerbaijani takeover on Ngorno Karabakh raged just some 45km from us at one point, it was never mentioned. The roads are fine, crime is zero. Get a local guide if you need. Do your research, rent a car and explore this amazing region for yourself.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not at all. Absolutely zero.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A frustratingly fascinating trip. It could have been so much betterRead the operator's response here:
Dear John,
Thank you for your thorough feedback about your Caucasus trip. Your notes are very helpful for us to make our services better and improve all the aspects of the tour to make the travelers experience more enjoyable and pleasant. Basically our groups are small including at least 2 and maximum 13 people per group, about which we always inform our travelers upon receiving the tour request.
In case of receiving more bookings, we divide the group, keeping the maximum number of people in each group maximum 13. Each group has different guides, buses, and some of the hotels. Sometimes the travelers can meet during the tours in the sightseeing points, as tens of other travelers as well visit the same sites daily. Since September is a high season traveling month, one can meet other tourists in the sites as they visit the same highlights in all the 3
countries. Based on your review, a privately arranged trip only for the 2 of you or a self-arranged trip might have been more suitable in terms of providing you more time in the sites, more flexibility to slightly change the routes and have stops at other closer sites. In case of a group tour the itinerary of the trip is fixed and in case of a slight change or extra sites visit all the other group members should discuss and agree to.
Basically almost all the lunch stops (except for the city tour days and the very busy days to manage to see all the sites) are offered at local restaurants in regions (towns/ villages) which highly benefit the small local businesses in the regions. This is one of the key principles that we always follow and prioritise. The regional overnights are also arranged at local hotels or guesthouses, which again help the local businesses to grow and develop. Besides that, all the shopping markets near the sites are local markets, owners of which and sellers are local people from those or closer villages/ towns selling mainly their own homemade/ handmade products.
We are glad you liked the countries, the historic sites, the people and the food. We have taken into consideration all your notes, and are discussing adding additional local activities for the travelers to have more interaction with the local people.
Arara tour agency is glad to provide you with a GBP 100 tour voucher per person in case you might book another trip with us in future.
Best wishes
Chris Sledge review 30 May 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
When the people running a new Lebanese restaurant in Tbilisi insisted on photographing my wife for their own publicity purposes ( Well, despite her advancing years she is still very good looking, as they would have observed )2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you are booking with this tour operator: - check the itinerary carefully. We altered ours in the interests of reducing unnecessary car mileage - get them to send the final details and the invoice well in advance of your trip. They were very late in invoicing us; they rang us during our trip to say that the payment hadn't arrived - and it still hasn't, because the intermediary bank is holding things up. The tour operator's fault, I'm afraid.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Well, we certainly put money into the local economy - but all that car travel can't have helped the environment4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Pretty good. Georgia is a fascinating, if rather scruffy, country. And very good value.Read the operator's response here:
Dear Chris,
Thank you for your feedback. It is absolutely valuable for us and extremely important for our future work! We are sorry the intermediary bank made the payment procedure longer and held the payment. We contacted our bank several times during the delay (before the start of your tour), and they also confirmed the issue was with the intermediary bank which I'm afraid was beyond our control.
You kindly agreed upon credit card payment, which was much simpler and convenient option for all the sides.
I am pleased to let you know you have a 100 GBP voucher with us which you can use for any travel destination offered by us (both the Caucasus and Central Asia). Hope you enjoyed your trip and will travel with us again!
Mark Bergherr review 2 Oct 2021
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Aside from the amazing sights and tours, it was the passion and expertise of the local guides and travel agent.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don’t hesitate! Rich history and culture, magnificent vistas, wonderful cuisine and warm people.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. It’s why I choose Responsible Travel.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A great adventure! One that I’ll never forget.Abs Ahmed review 12 Oct 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I had the most amazing time, a few years ago I went to Azerbaijan, and I fell in love with the culture, I wasn't sure if Armenia or Georgia would interest me as much, however, I was wrong; Armenia is so rich in culture and has an ancient history, which is deeply embedded in their Christian values. The locals are so warm in their hospitality, the city of Yerevan is so beautiful and due to it being small, there's an intimacy to your experience, be sure to try the local cuisine, stunningly fresh and tastes amazing. Georgia, in particular Tbliisi reminded me of Baku, Azerbaijan, on a smaller scale, it was developed just like any other major western capital city and the county already has an established tourist industry, something which Armenia is just starting out on. The Georgian leg was a great introduction to the country, and was definitely the more relaxed part of the trip.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I think if you want to experience a little more in the evenings, or once your day itenary ends it's best to research any events/shows/programmes that may be happening in the area where you are staying; if you wish to do so, the guides will be more than happy to help you book things or find some information out for you. If you're travelling with prepaid or debit/credit cards, then they are widely accepted in the majority of places both in Armenia and Georgia but also have some cash to hand too.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, especially in Armenia, we spent a lot of the time walking, as a group we preferred that the driver of the van only drove where absolutely necessary. If you are in a group that don't mind the extra steps then it works for everyone. We did the same in Georgia. Also, when purchasing souvenirs please buy from local people or local stores, and try to stay away from supermarkets or branded stores. Tipping is at your discretion.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I could write pages about my experience, and I'd happily do so. I found Armenia so refreshing and authentic, if you get a chance to visit, go before it starts becoming busier! That way you will be able to see the real lifestyle and enjoy some of the most mouthwateringly fresh amazing cusine there is. Georgia was lovely, some parts reminded me of France and others of London/UK. A nice addition to the trip.David Yates review 26 Jun 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting the religious sites. The safe atmosphere in Yerevan, Georgia and Azerbaijan.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't buy anything in Armenia that you intend to take into Azerbaijan as it will be confiscated at the customs, even for just having the word Armenia printed on it. We had a CD taken for this reason and another member of the party a bottle of water for just that reason! I have sent a letter of complaint about this to the Azerbaijan Embassy in London and contacted my MP.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
In terms of employment for guides, local people etc. yes.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent programme. Guides were excellent especially Arthur in Yerevan and Sophie in Georgia. I personally felt that some of the days, especially in Azerbaijan, were long (8am to 6pm) giving little time to relax in the evening. This isn't helped by the high temps. We also felt that though the guide in Azerbaijan was good, he gave too much detailed information which it was impossible to take in (his intro' on the mini bus from the border was 50 mins non stop!). In all other aspects he was a good guide.Nigel Stanyard review 22 Oct 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Baku was very impressive - the historic old town renovated with care and the incredible modern architecture and illumination at night of the modern city. The mountain scenery in Georgia and the excellent (and cheap!) food. The history and culture of Armenia with the welcoming atmosphere in Yerevan.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do some reading up before you go and have some ideas of the relevant history and geography - but still ask plenty of questions to the guides! They responded well to the interest shown. Take some dollars or euros. In some places, it is easier to exchange them than find ATMs and the exchange rates are generally reasonable.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Probably very difficult to be certain but hotels and minibuses did seem to be locally owned as did the restaurants where we stopped as a group. It was easy to avoid the big chain establishments - and far more interesting!4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good and we learned a lot. Our group of 12 gelled very well and was a nice size.Holiday Reviews
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