Embark on an armchair tour of this ancient land. After first viewing the Biblical Mt. Ararat from its capital city, Yerevan, we’ll explore Areni Cave where archeologists have unearthed a 6000 year old wine press, an array of fermenting vats and storage pots. We’ll follow the trail of prehistoric standing stones, Armenia’s Stonehenge, marching across the mountaintop, visit a pagan temple complex, and a monastery carved into a mountain with holy water seeping through its rocky walls. And we will learn the truth about the holocaust perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks in 1915 in which 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives.

Travel along the Silk Road as we visit the ancient cities of Uzbekistan. We’ll begin and end in Tashkent, the capital city, that has reinvented itself after a century of Soviet occupation. Next stop will be Samarkand, a city of mosques and madrassa, built in the 15th century by Temur Amir, 14th Century conqueror and modern-day hero of the Uzbeks. Then, we’ll jointhe throngs of holiday-goers for the Goldbroidery Festival in the timeless city of Bukhara to enjoy song, dance, and shopping for treasures.