Armenia Highlights

This morning, your private guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel and drive for an hour to picturesque Lake Sevan. The azure waters are framed by the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains, so wearing bright white or red is highly recommended for beautiful photos!

On a small peninsula overlooking the lake, you’ll find Sevanavank Monastery, built in the 9th century AD and also known as the “Black Monastery.” Inside, a unique stone tablet features a relief of Jesus Christ with rarely seen Mongol traits, such as a broad face and high cheekbones. This was a local strategy in the 13th century AD to protect the monastery from Mongol cavalry, thereby allowing it to remain intact to this day. Afterward, we’ll continue our journey to Dilijan.

★ Immersive Experience to Create Your Own Gata

Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant, and take a special Gata-making class! Gata is Armenia’s iconic flaky sweet bread, embodying the shared taste memories of generations. A professional baker will guide you through each step, from kneading the dough to preparing the filling, helping you craft your own Gata. Many Armenian dishes, like the salty local cheese Chechil, stem from traditions that helped nomadic peoples preserve food and are remnants of history through invasions and sieges. Conversely, Gata symbolizes the sweet side of Armenian culture. Once reserved only for weddings and festivals, it now stands as a national dessert. As the aroma of baking fills the air, you can chat with the baker about local food stories.

In the afternoon, your guide will accompany you on a tour of Dilijan, a forested town reminiscent of the Alps. We’ll visit the thousand-year-old Haghartsin Monastery complex, which features three churches, including St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Church, home to Armenia’s first music university. Following this, we’ll head to Goshavank Monastery, named after its founder, a notable Armenian thinker and educator.

After a brief stop at the peaceful Lake Parz, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in about two hours.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Ani Grand Hotel Yerevan (4 stars) or similar

Today brings the highlight of your tour: Khor Virap Monastery, one of Armenia’s most renowned landmarks. In the morning, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and escort you to the monastery in about an hour. Khor Virap, meaning “deep dungeon,” is named after a 6-meter-deep (20 ft.) prison. It’s dark, damp, and cramped – an experience that can send chills. Remarkably, 1,700 years ago, someone endured these conditions for 14 years – St. Gregory the Illuminator (240-332 AD), the first bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Though he was forced to abandon Christianity, he survived through sheer will and led Armenia to become the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion. Besides exploring the ancient architecture, you’ll also enjoy a close view of the snow-capped Mount Ararat, where, according to the Bible, Noah’s Ark landed after the Flood, making it a symbol of culture and faith for Armenians. Unfortunately, the mountain is now in Turkey, and Armenians can only see it from afar.
► Entering the dungeon involves climbing down an almost vertical ladder, requiring significant physical strength for both ascent and descent. If your stamina is limited, we don’t recommend attempting it.

Next, let’s head southeast for about 1.5 hours to visit Noravank Monastery, perched atop a striking brick-red cliff. On the return trip to Yerevan, we’ll visit Hin Areni Winery. According to legend, Noah first planted the grapevine at the base of Mount Ararat, and today Armenia is famous for its wines and brandies. Almost every local man carries a small bottle of wine to enjoy anytime, anywhere— it’s a source of national pride. During your visit, you’ll have the chance to taste a variety of wines. We recommend skipping the homemade Oghi, which is quite potent and often exceeds 50% alcohol.

Ultimately, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in Yerevan.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Ani Grand Hotel Yerevan (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, your guide and driver will accompany you on a 40-minute drive from your hotel to the Hellenistic Garni Temple, dedicated to the sun god and the only remaining pagan temple in Armenia. 24 tall Ionic columns support it, believed to represent the 24 hours of the day. From afar, you’ll notice that the exterior stones vary in color because the temple collapsed during the great earthquake of 1679 AD and remained in ruins for three centuries before being restored in the 20th century. The restorers intentionally used lighter-colored new stones to distinguish them from the original stones.

Then, let’s proceed to Geghard Monastery, built in the 13th century AD. Once home to the Holy Spear used in Jesus’ crucifixion, it’s one of Armenia’s most sacred pilgrimage sites. Inside, you’ll find numerous medieval cross stones called khachkars, carved with intricate lace-like patterns. Such carving techniques, exclusive to Armenia, are recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage.

Afterward, we’ll head to the nearby Garni Gorge to see the natural wonder known as “Symphony of Stones,” where the cliff face is covered with honeycomb-like black basalt columns formed about 40 million years ago as lava cooled rapidly. Locals often call it the “Devil’s Hive.” 

After all the visits, your driver will escort you to Yerevan Airport for your departure. We hope you have had a great time with us!

► If you want to spend more days in Armenia or extend your trip to neighboring Georgia, contact our travel consultants for a personalized itinerary tailored to your needs!

Meals: Breakfast