Hiking tours in Armenia

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Duration : 7 or more days
Starting Price : 990USD/Person

Tour Description

Hiking trips on remote trails of Armenia, watching wildlife, nature and historic places is an adventure vacation you'll remember the rest of your life. You’ll explore the fascinating beauty of the Armenian landscapes, its colorful mountains and deep gorges, wild flowers and alpine lakes, forested mountains and medieval monasteries hidden there. Explore the exotic beauty of Armenia…

Itinerary in brief:
Day 1: Arrival - Yerevan city tour
Day 2: Yerevan - Garni - Geghard -Yerevan
Day 3: Yerevan - Tsakhkadzor - Sevan - Dilijan
Day 4: Dilijan - Parz lich - Haghartsin - Jukhtakvank - Dilijan
Day 5: Dilijan - Sanahin - Haghpat - Koyaber - Yerevan
Day 6: Yerevan - Khor Virap - Noravank - Yerevan
Day 7: Departure

Itinerary in details
Day 1                                                                                 
Arrival in Zvartnotz International Airport. Our tourist guide will welcome you at the airport. Transfer to the hotel in Yerevan. Hotel check-in.
YEREVAN CITY TOUR - Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is a modern, colorful city, situated in the Northeastern part of the Ararat Valley. Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world. The fortress Erebuni was founded by King Argishty of Urartu in 782 BC. The Urartu Kingdom was a powerful & highly developed civilization.
Yerevan skyline with biblical Mount Ararat on the background is very impressive.
Drive through the central streets of Yerevan, Republic Square, Opera House, Cascade Monument and stairs, "Mother Armenia" Monument with a fantastic view of Yerevan, Victory Bridge, Hrazdan Stadium, Sports and Concerts Center, Presidential Palace, National Assembly Building, Academy of Sciences.
Visit Matenadaran-Repository of ancient manuscripts.             
Matenadaran after St. Mesrop Mashtots is a scientific research institute of old manuscripts at the Government of the Republic of Armenia. It is the largest center of study and safekeeping of Armenian manuscripts in the world. After this you’ll be taken to “Pak Shuka” (Closed Market) – a covered bazaar where you can taste the dried fruits, some stuffed with different kins of nuts, flavorsome vegetables, spices, typical Armenian desserts. Hiking in the Park of Tsitsernakaberd, a beautiful artificial forest. Then you’ll reach the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and Museum. Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 2
The car takes you to the pagan temple of Garni. The Pagan Temple of Garni is the only pagan temple currently standing in Armenia. Gracing the hillside the pagan temple was dedicated to the God of Sun, Mithra. It was built in 77A.D.
Then you proceed till the entrance of the Khosrov Forest Reserve, where the hiking tour starts from. You walk in the forest listening to the chirping of birds and admiring the beauty of the fascinating Azat River gorge while walking towards the Havoots Tar monastic complex (XI-XIII cc.).
It's an impressive walled monastery, half ruined, on a promontory across the Garni river gorge. From there, it is planned to visit the Monastery of Geghard (by car), which is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Geghard is an incredible ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out of a mountain. Though the monastery has been around since before the 4th century, the main cathedral was built in 1215. It is said that the holy lance that pierced the body of Christ was kept here. The architectural forms and the decoration of Geghard's rock premises show that Armenian builders could not only create superb works of architecture out of stone, but also hew them in solid rock. Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 3
Visit the town of “Valley of flowers” (Tsaghkadzor in Armenian), known for being a ski resort, with forests and an ancient monastery named Kecharis (11-13th cc.). In the summer, people go there to get away from the city life of Yerevan, and the heat, for the fresh air in the mountains. In the winter, the town is completely overtaken by skiers and people who just want to relax and enjoy the snow and scenery. The modern rope-way will take you to the top of Teghenis Mountain, where the greens of land and the blue of the sky get in fusion. Then you can hike on the slopes of Teghenis Mountain admiring the view of the Lake Sevan from afar.
Continue to the Lake Sevan. The Lake Sevan is a huge mountainous lake which takes up 5% of Armenia's surface area. It’s one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world situated at 1900m above sea level. On a clear and sunny day, the water is often deep turquoise color. It has white-sand beaches. The Sevan basin has a unique combination of mountainous air, the big fresh water lake and woods. Visit Sevanavank Monastery (9th century) which is located on Sevan peninsula. Continue to Dilijan spa town.  Overnight in Dilijan.

Day 4
Discover the majestic beauty of Tavush region. Words alone can't describe the natural beauty of Dilijan. Many poets used to say, "If there are woods, mountains, streams and mineral waters in paradise, it must be like Dilijan." As a climatic balneal health centre of medium-mountain zone, Dilijan is characterized by mild, moderate warm summer, sunny warm winter and dry warm weather during the whole year. Due to its forested mountains and mild climate, Dilijan is named "Armenia's little Switzerland."
Visit Parz Lake. The Parz Lich (Clear Lake) is situated 9km South-East from the town of Dilijan on the altitude of 1350m. It is fed by mountainous springs. Also visit Haghartsin Monastery.
Continue to the most beautiful part of the town, Old Dilijan. Then you’ll be taken to the outskirt of Dilijan from where you'll start your hiking to Jukhtakvank and Matosavank Monasteries which are very close to each other. It will take at least 2 hours to get there.
The Monastery of Jukhtakvank (Twins' Monastery, 13th century) was constructed on a picturesque glade surrounded with woody slopes from all parts. Right opposite Jukhtakvank, on the other slope of the gorge, there is one more architectural complex - Matosavank. However to find Matosavank, despite simple orientation, it is rather difficult, as the high grass at the full height of the person. The church was constructed in 1205 from rough hewed stones. Enjoy the beautiful nature... Overnight in Dilijan.

Day 5
Taking the road Dilijan – Vanadzor (which is extremely beautiful with small Russian villages) drive to the north-west of Armenia, Lori region, the most beautiful forested area of Armenia with its miraculous mountainous woodlands and bottomless gorges.
Visit the masterpieces of medieval Armenian architecture, Sanahin and Haghpat Monasteries. Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries are huge complexes in the North of Armenia founded in 10-13th centuries. The both monasteries are outstanding masterpieces of Armenian architecture in which artistic merits transcended the limits of the national culture. They are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Continue to Kobayr Monastery. You need to climb up and hike a hillside. A flight of steps leads up and back, finally climbing up steeply up the side of the gorge. The reward for the strenuous 10-minute scramble is one of the most beautiful places in Armenia, Kobayr Monastery. Perched on a shelf of the gorge, in an ancient and sacred place where springs seep out of the rock, trees and vines twine among the intricately carved blocks of the monastery. Kobayr is a 12th century. The monastery was later into a Chalcedonian monastery. The majority of the inscriptions in the monastery are written in Georgian. Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 6
Drive to Khor Virap Monastery. It was in Khor Virap Monastery where St. Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years before curing King Trdat III of a disease. This caused the conversion of the king and Armenia into the first officially Christian nation in the world in the year 301. To this day you can visit the underground chamber he was imprisoned. Its location, near the closest point to Mount Ararat within Armenian borders, offers a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia.
Hiking to Noravank Monastery, an architectural gemstone nestled among brick-red cliffs, just above a deep gorge. You’ll walk among huge canyons admiring the natural beauty of the red landscape with trees and a turbulent stream running along your path.
It’s only here where you can see a bas-relief with the representation of Father God with almond-shaped eyes which look far ahead. No where else in medieval Armenian art God is represented as a man. He was usually depicted in the form of a descending right hand. But Noravank Monastery is an exception! It’s a majestic sight to visit which will remain in your memories forever. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 7
Transfer to airport. Departure.

*Itinerary is subject to change at any time upon your request.

Rates in USD per person based in DBL room occupancy:

Number of persons:
2  Person -  $1517 per person

3  Person -  $1275 per person

4  Person -  $1110 per person

5 Person -   $990 per person

The rates include:
Accommodation ( 3* hotel in Yerevan, Dilijan)
Full transportation
Multi-lingual professional tourist guide
Breakfast at the hotel
Entrance fees

The rates do not include:
Lunches, dinners
Flights
Travel insurance
Visa to Armenia

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