HIKING NORTH AND SOUTH
10 nights / 11 days


DAY 1: Arrival
Transfer to the hotel.

DAY 2: City tour – Matenadaran – Genocide museum – Brandy Factory
Enjoy a walking city tour of Yerevan with a visit to the Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, one of the world's richest depositories of medieval manuscripts and books. Visit the Genocide Memorial and Museum before proceeding to the Yerevan Brandy Factory for a guided excursion and a degustation. Lastly, visit Vernissage – a large open-air market for souvenirs, carpets, and jewelry.

DAY 3: Yerevan – Garni & Geghard
In the morning, drive to Garni, the only surviving monument of the Hellenistic period in Armenia. The heathen temple is dedicated to the God of the sun Mithra and was built in the 2nd half of the 1st c A.D. during the reign of king Trdat I. Enjoy breathtaking views down into the canyon and to the strategically located Geghard Monastery below.

Hike: 1-hour walk in the gorge of the Azat River with no difficult passages. The walk starts from the village of Garni, taking you down to the Azat river gorge and the famous “Symphony of Stones” basalt columns, located at an altitude of about 50 meters above the ground. Difficulty: Easy to Medium. 

Duration: 1 hour 
Walking distance: 3.4 km
Altitude: 1230-1400 m

DAY 4: Khor Virap – Areni-1 cave – Noravank – Yeghegnadzor
Enjoy glorious views of Mount Ararat on your way to the medieval monastery of Khor Virap. Uncover the secrets of the 6.000 years old Areni-1 cave before proceeding to the unique Noravank monastery surrounded by red cliffs in the gorge of river Arpa.

Hike: The next stop is Amaghu, from where you can walk to the monastery of Noravank. The walk takes about 1.5 hours, passing through moderate terrain surrounded by high cliffs and deep gorges. You will be passing parallel to Gnishik River during the last 30 minutes of the trail.

Duration: 2 hours
Walking distance: 3.5 km 
Altitude: 1390-1558 m 

DAY 5: Smbataberd – Goris
Smbataberd fortress is located upon a high cliff between the villages of Artabuynk and Yeghegis.  It was built in a very advantageous position on the southern end of a ridge, guarded by steep cliffs and deep canyons. This area is home to a rare species of goat-bezoar goats.

Hike: The trail starts from Artabuynk and leads to Smbataberd, passing a river canyon, and continues up to the northern part of the hill. If time permits, visit the monastery of Tsakhats Kar nearby. 

Duration: 3-4 hours
Walking distance: 12 km 
Altitudes: 1664-2061 m

DAY 6: Khndzoresk – Tatev – Sevan
Visit the cave village of Khndzoresk. Later drive through the wild and romantic forests to the majestic monastery complex of Tatev. The monastic ensemble stands on the edge of a deep gorge of the Vorotan River. Embark on a journey to discover Goris.

Hike: Perched on a steep slope of a canyon, Khndzoresk is a complex of manmade and natural cave dwellings that were inhabited up to the 1950s. Spend an hour discovering the secrets of this mysterious place. 

DAY 7: Sevan– Dilijan 
Early in the morning, drive to Lake Sevan, the so-called “Blue Pearl” of Armenia. Continue to Dilijan where you’ll find yourself in an extremely different climate zone and landscapes covered with thick forests. 

Hike: Parz Lake – Goshavank (Lake Gosh)
Drive to Parz (Crystal) Lake to start the hike in Dilijan National Park along stunning forest trails, cross the wildly beautiful Areguni pass and reach Goshavank Monastery where the great scholar of the 13th century Mkhitar Gosh is buried. Look out for morning birds that are particularly active at this time of the year and explore the enchanting nature of the park while taking a gentle walk on well-defined forest trails. For those with more energy to burn we offer a short but fantastic extension to Lake Gosh. 

Duration: 3 hours
Walking distance: 14 km (with Lake Gosh) or 8 km (without Lake Gosh) 
Altitudes: 1232-1423 m

DAY 8: Dilijan – Lastiver – Alaverdi 
Depart from Dilijan and spend the day discovering the majestic Lastiver. Lastiver is a 100 meters deep gorge covered with dense forest located in the northeastern part of Armenia on the outskirts of Yenokavan. 

Hike: The trail starts from Yenokavan, passes by Khachaghbyur River, and ends up by the Cascade waterfalls meters away from the Lastiver resort. This wonderful forested route into the most untouched and rugged area of north-eastern Armenia heads into a deep gorge before descending to cascading waterfalls and the most scenic meadows in Armenia. 

Duration: 3 hours
Walking distance: 6.5 km back & forth
Altitudes: 1000-1300 m

DAY 9: Sanahin – Haghpat
Journey to the monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These two magnificent monastic complexes are among the most outstanding examples of Armenian ecclesiastic architecture and are important not only for the original architecture but also because of the tremendous influence they exerted on the overall development of Armenian art.

Hike: We’ll take the route linking these two important monastic masterpieces of Armenian architecture. During the walk, we’ll pass through rural villages typical of the Lori region and the woodland that brings us to the edge of the Debed gorge. The views across the gorge are incredible with beautiful forested hills and meadows. 

Duration: 4 hours
Walking distance: 14 km
Altitudes: 1232-1426 m

DAY 10: Amberd Fortress
A medieval fortress named Amberd is located on the slopes of Mount Aragats, 2100 m above sea level. The name of the complex translates to “fortress in the clouds”.

Hike: The 7.1 km trail extends between the village of Antarut and Amberd and can be hiked starting from either location. Take some time to explore the 10th-century fortress complex, which also features the Vahramashen Church (also known as the Church of Amberd). 

Duration: 4 hours
Walking distance: 7.1 km
Altitudes: 2174-1689 m 


DAY 11:  Departure
Transfer to the airport.