With just nine days until I leave, I’ve settled on my final itinerary.
An itinerary is a constantly moving target. Things can happen, change is often necessary, and flexibility is absolutely essential.
Since I posted my original itinerary, things have happened, change has been necessary, and flexibility has come in handy. Some of the changes were based on decisions I made, and others were the result of things that were outside my control. And I added a number of activities to fill in some of the empty spaces.
Skipping Batumi
I already shared about one of the changes I decided to make. I originally planned to spend two nights in Batumi, a beach resort city on the Black Sea in western Georgia. Skipping Batumi gives me two extra days to spend elsewhere, and less time spent in the car.
Part of me is second-guessing this decision, but I am sure I’m going to appreciate the extra time I will have in Tbilisi and Kutaisi.
Closed Land Border between Azerbaijan and Georgia
The original plan was to drive across the border from Azerbaijan to Georgia. But Azerbaijan closed all of its land borders with its neighbors early in the Coronavirus pandemic, and they have still not reopened them. So a few weeks ago I heard from my JayWay travel advisor, and he said we would need to make a modification.
Instead of driving from Sheki, in northwestern Azerbaijan, to Sighnaghi, in northeastern Georgia, I will go back to Baku and fly to Tbilisi. Sadly, this involves a lot of backtracking: it’s about a five-hour drive from Sheki to the Baku airport.
This gives me an extra day in Tbilisi and eliminates one of the single-night stops, so I don’t mind. Plus, I’ve added a day trip that includes a stop in Sighnaghi, so I will at least have a little time there.
So Here It Is: My Final Itinerary
I’m including maps, because (1) I love maps; (2) you might not be familiar with these many of these locations, so this might help you picture things; and (3) even if you don’t care about the relative locations of things, I love maps.
If you want details about the places on my itinerary, you can check my previous posts on details of each portion of my itinerary:
Of course some of the details have changed, but you can at least get some descriptions and photos of the places I’ll be visiting.
Travel Days
September 14: Fly Guadalajara to Mexico City
Volaris flight 221
Depart GDL 17:49
Arrive MEX 19:23
izZzleep Hotel Aeropuerto Terminal 1
September 15: Fly Mexico City to Cancun to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines flight 181
Depart MEX 10:05
Arrive CUN 12:20
Depart CUN 13:50
Sleep on plane
Turkey
September 16: Arrive in Istanbul
Arrive IST 9:45
Transfer to Doruk Palas Hotel (5 nights)
Local Food and History Walk at Night (starting at Karaköy Ferry Terminal, ending at Istiklal Caddesi)
September 17: Historical Highlights of Istanbul
9:30 Tour of Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), and Grand Bazaar
September 18: Spice Bazaar and Bosporus Cruise
9:30 Visit to the Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) followed by a cruise on the Bosporus
September 19: Culinary Backstreets Food Tour
9:30 Two Markets, Two Continents
September 20: Free Day, Evening Shows at Hodjapasha
19:00 Whirling Dervishes
20:30 Rhythm of the Dance
September 21: Fly Istanbul to Izmir; Transfer to Kuşadası
Free morning and early afternoon
15:30 Transfer to airport
Turkish Airlines flight 2336
Depart IST 19:00
Arrive ADB 20:05
Transfer to İlayda Avantgarde Hotel (3 nights)
September 22: Hierapolis-Pamukkale
8:00 Tour of spas, pools, and terraces at Pamukkale (Turkish for “cotton castle”) and necropolis at Hierapolis
September 23: Ephesus
9:00 Tour to Ephesus with visits to the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, the House of the Virgin Mary, and Isabey Mosque
September 24: Fly Izmir to Antalya
5:00 Transfer to Airport
Sun Express flight 9090
Depart ADB 7:45
Arrive AYT 8:50
Transfer to Elegance East Hotel (2 nights)
Rest of the day free
September 25: Perge, Aspendos, and Side
8:00 Tour to Perge, the capital city of Pamphylia, Aspendos, site of a Roman theatre considered to be the best-preserved theatre of antiquity, and Side, on a peninsula in the Mediterranean with some of the most extensive ruins of the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras (plus a modern resort town)
September 26: Fly Antalya to Kayseri; North Cappadocia
5:50 Transfer to airport
Pegasus flight 3502
Depart AYT 8:20
Arrive ASR 9:35
Tour to Devrent Valley, Avanos, and Goreme
Transfer to Hasse Cave Konak (2 nights)
September 27: Hot Air Balloon Ride; South Cappadocia
Early early early pickup for hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia
9:30 Tour to Rose Valley, Cavusin, Ortahısar Castle, Kaymakli Underground City, Pigeon Valley, and a local winery
September 28: Fly Kayseri to Istanbul
6:00 Transfer to Airport
Turkish Airlines flight 2011
Depart ASR 8:35
Arrive IST 10:05
Azerbaijan
September 28: Fly Istanbul to Baku
Turkish Airlines flight 334
Depart IST 17:15
Arrive GYD 20:55
Transfer to Two Seasons Boutique Hotel (4 nights)
September 29: Baku Highlights
9:00 Walking and driving tour of Old Town, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Maiden Tower, Fountain Square, and Highland Park
7:00 Baku By Night
September 30: Baku’s Surroundings
9:00 Tour to Gobustan, Bibi-Heybat Mosque, and Ateshgah Fire Temple
October 1: Khinaliq
9:00 Tour to Khizi, Quba, and Khinaliq
October 2: Transfer to Sheki
8:00 Hotel pickup
One-hour stop at Diri Baba Mausoleum
One-hour stop at Juma Mosque of Shamakhi
15:00 Arrival at Sheki Palace Hotel
16:00 Sheki walking tour: Karavansaray, Sheki Khan Palace, and Sheki Fortress
October 3: Sheki to Baku Airport; Fly to Tbilisi
Free morning
13:30 Transfer to Baku Airport
Azerbaijan Airlines flight 9225
Depart GYD 21:45
Arrive TBS 22:55
Transfer to Vinotel (6 nights)
Georgia
October 4: Tbilisi
9:00 Walking and driving tour including Anchiskhati Basilica, Bridge of Peace, Narikala Fortress, Trinity Church, and Chronicle of Georgia Monument
October 5: David Gareji Monastery
9:00 Tour to Davit Gareji Lavra, Ubadno, and Sighnaghi
October 6: Kazbegi Day Trip
8:00 Tour to Jvari Monastery, Mtskheta, Ananuri Fortress, Gudauri, the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument, and Stepantsminda
October 7: Free Day; Evening Food Tour
17:00 Private food tour in the Sololaki district
October 8: Kakheti
9:00 Tour through the Tsiv-Gombori mountains to Kakheti, Georgia’s primary winemaking region, with stops in Telavi and at Ikalto Monastery
October 9: Transfer to Kutaisi
9:00 Hotel pickup
Stops in Gori (birthplace of Joseph Stalin), Chiatura (famous for its network of Soviet era cable cars, Mgvimevi Monastery, and Katskhi Pillar
15:00 Arrival at Hotel Solomon
October 10: Kutaisi
9:00 City tour including Bagrati Cathedral, the city market, the White Bridge, and the Old Town
13:00 Visit (on my own) to Gelati Monastery, Motsameta Monastery, and/or the Botanical Garden
October 11: Natural Wonders near Kutaisi
9:00 Tour to Okatse Canyon, Kinchkha Waterfall, Martvili Canyon, and Prometheus Cave
October 12: Transfer to Akhaltsikhe
9:00 Hotel pickup
Two-hour stop at Borjomi & Kharagauli National Park
15:00 Arrival at Hotel Julia
October 13: Meskheti Region
9:00 Tour to Rabati Fortress, Vardzia, and Khertvisi Fortress
Armenia
October 14: Transfer to Yerevan
9:00 Hotel pickup
One-hour stop in Gyumri
Half-hour stop at the medieval fortress of Dashtadem
17:00 Arrival at Hotel 14th Floor (4 nights)
October 15: Yerevan
9:00 Walking tour including Cascade Complex, Opera and Ballet Theatre, Republic Square, and Vernissage open-air market
19:00 “Gayane” by Aram Khatchaturian at Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre
October 16: East of Yerevan
9:00 Tour to Geghard Monastery, Garni Temple, and Master Levon’s Divine Underground Cave Museum, with a Lavash bread baking class in Garni
October 17: South of Yerevan, along the Turkish and Azeri borders
9:00 Tour to Khor Virap and Noravank Monasteries, with wine tasting in Areni
Turkey Again
October 18: Fly Yerevan to Istanbul; Visit to Büyükada
3:30 Transfer to airport
Pegasus flight 551
Depart EVN 6:30
Arrive SAW 7:55
Transfer to ferry terminal
Ferry to Büyükada
Return ferry
Transfer to airport
Travel Day
October 19: Fly Istanbul to Mexico City to Guadalajara
Turkish Airlines flight 184
Depart IST 2:00
Arrive MEX 8:20
Volaris flight 220
Depart MEX 15:37
Arrive GDL 17:09
Leah
Have a wonderful trip!
Lane
Thank you Leah!