6 day budget tour for Armenia – UNESCO Objects

DAY 1 – AIRPORT | CITY TOUR IN YEREVAN | MATENADARAN

Arrival and meeting in Zvartnots airport

6 days budget tour starts with a walking trip through the city of Yerevan. You will enjoy the most loved sights of capital of Armenia. We will walk through The square of France, the Opera and Ballet House, Northern Avenue and the Republic Square.

Then we visit the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts – Matenadaran named after St. Mesrop Mashtots. It is the world’s largest repository of Armenian manuscripts. The Matenadaran is located at the foot of a small hill on the northern edge of Mashtots Avenue, the widest road in central Yerevan.

We shall then proceed to the Cascade (open-air museum of Yerevan). There are a number of cafes and restaurants on both sides of the Cascade. There are many open air events take place at the Cascade during summer, spring and early autumn.

Transfer to the hotel / Check in

DAY 2 – YEREVAN | KHOR VIRAP | NORAVANK | TATEV MONASTERY | YEREVAN

Breakfast in the hotel

Just after breakfast our guide will pickup and transfer to Khor Virap monastery. Khor Virap Monastery is located near the border of Armenia with Turkey, on a hill, in the village of Pokr Vedi itself. Khor Virap was an educational center and a place of pilgrimage. The 13th century historian Vardan Areveltsi founded a school here with 40 students. In the 18th century, the temple was empty and only in 1765 Catholicos Simeon Yerevantsi managed to reconstruct it. More than ten manuscripts have come down to us from this center of education. Today, this ensemble has been thoroughly reconstructed.

Then we proceed to Noravank monastery complex, The Noravank Monastery is located among bizarre sheer red rocks on the ledge of a winding gorge. It was founded in the 12th century on the site of ancient buildings. During the reign of the princes Orbelyans, the monastery became a major religious center, and in the 14th century it became the residence of the bishops of Syunik.

Then we continue our journey to the Tatev monastery (IX-XIII centuries). Tatevivank is located in the center of the Syunik marz in South Armenia, 30 km from the city of Goris near the village of Tatev of the same name, on the right, high bank of the Vorotan (Thunder) River. Before climbing this breathtaking height, you need to descend into the five-hundred-meter canyon of Vorotan, stop at the “Devil’s Bridge”, at the warm baths of mineral springs, where the two banks of the river converge and, then, opening a new uniquely beautiful landscape with each turn of the road, exit him.

Return to Yerevan

DAY 3 – YEREVAN | SEVAN | DILIJAN | HAGHARTSIN | GOSHAVANK | YEREVAN

Breakfast in the hotel

Day starts with trip to Sevan Lake. It is the largest lake in the Caucasus.Then we visit Sevanavank. The monastery is located 6 km east of the city of Sevan, on the Sevan peninsula. Prior to the shallowing of the lake, the peninsula was a small island, separated from the mainland by a three-kilometer strait.

We continue our tour to Tavush marz and visit Dilijan spa-town. Nature changes amazingly when approaching the resort of Dilijan. If around Lake Sevan, mostly mountainous terrain and mountains are almost not covered with dense vegetation, then after passing the tunnel, on the other hand, a completely different panorama opens up sharply. The beautiful wooded mountains, all shaggy with trees, are simply mesmerizing.

The next stop will be Haghartsin Monastery. Haghartsin Monastery is located 18 km from the city of Dilijan, in a wooded valley of the Ijevan Range. It was built in the X-XIII centuries, mostly under the auspices of the Bagratuni dynasty. Church of St. Grigor, built in the XI century, is the oldest building in the complex. The main monastery church of the Holy Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin) was built in 1281. In the XII-XIII centuries, a gavit was added to the church. On the territory of the monastery there is also a refectory built in 1248. There was also the royal tomb of the Bagratuni family, from which tombstones with the names of kings Smbat and Gagik have been preserved. Near the refectory near the Astvatsatsin Cathedral, the remains of a vestibule have been preserved. There are several khachkars on the territory of the complex.

Next stop is Goshavank – monastery complex. Goshavank Monastery is located on the banks of the Getik River. In 1188, Goshavank was erected on the site of the ancient Getik monastery destroyed by an earthquake. The founder of the monastery is an outstanding public figure, theologian and priest Mkhitar Gosh, after whom the monastery was named. Gosh is the author of the code of laws “Sudebnik” (1215). The monastic ensemble includes the Church of St. Astvatsatsin (1196), the Church of St. Grigor (1231), the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator (1241), a book depository with a bell tower (1291), a school building, a chapel and gallery (XIII century). Goshavank Monastery is also famous for its khachkars decorated with the most complex carved patterns.

Return to Yerevan.

DAY 4 – YEREVAN | SANAHIN | HAGHPAT | AKHTALA | ODZUN | YEREVAN

Breakfast in the hotel

The day begins with a trip to Lori marz. We visit the village of Sanahin. The Sanahin Monastery is located in the village of the same name, on a small mountain plateau, near the canyon of the Debed River, at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. On the other side of the river is the city of Alaverdi, the road from which to the monastery begins at the ancient Sanahin bridge. The exact date of foundation of the monastery has not been established. However, it is known that in the X-XI centuries. The number of monks here reached several hundred people.

Next stop is Mikoyan Brothers (Anastas and Artyom) Museum is also situated in the village of Sanahin. Anastas Mikoyan was a prominent politician of the Soviet era, for many years he was on the top of the Soviet regime. Artyom Mikoyan was a famous Soviet aircraft designer, head of the “Design Bureau Mikoyan.” Artyom Mikoyan together with Mikhail Gurevich created a series of fighter aircraft MiG (Mikoyan and Gurevich). The first MiGs (MiG-1 and MiG-3) took part in the Great Patriotic War, the first jet aircraft MiG-9 was created after the war..

Then we rout to Haghpat monastery, which is located on the south-eastern part of the village Haghpat. The vestibule is a square structure with four columns supporting the vault. This is the largest building of its kind in Armenia. The squat proportions of volumes give the impression of solidity and heaviness. The interior is very ascetic. In the refectory of Haghpat, the huge space of the inner hall is striking, divided along the entire length by columns into two parts. The central sections of the floors are completed by two octagonal domed vaults with light holes. As well as in the vestibule, the interior here is very modest.

Next stop is Akhtala – 10th-century Armenian Apostolic Church monastery located in the town of Akhtala. The monastery complex of Akhtala, located in the middle of a picturesque area, was founded in the 10th century. The architecture of the monastery is very peculiar and quite noticeably different from other buildings of this type. This is explained by the fact that when designing Akhtala, master architects used an unusual mixture of Armenian and Georgian architectural styles. Akhtala was not only a religious, but also a military-defensive object. This is reminiscent of the preserved defensive fortress and many secret underground tunnels.

On the way back to Yerevan we will stop near Odzun Church. The Odzun Church with its characteristic compositional features is directly in contact with the period of the formation of Armenian early medieval architecture, becoming important for historians to identify the origins of the planned and volumetric-spatial composition such as a domed basilica, genetic connection, and the process of development of basilica buildings.

Return to Yerevan

DAY 5 – TSITSERNAKABERD MEMORIAL COMPLEX | TEMPLE OF GARNI | GARNI GORGE | GEGHARD MONASTERY

Breakfast in the hotel

We will visit the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the Genocide Museum.

Then we will drive to Pagan Temple of Garni. Garni Temple built in the 1st century by the Armenian King Tiridates I and dedicated to the God of the Sun Areg (Mihr). Behind the temple, the platform narrows and abruptly breaks off to the river. From here, from a 100-meter height, a wonderful view of the gorge of the Azat River opens, to which the pink rocky spurs of the Geghama Range come close to the left.

Next stop is Geghard monastery complex (IV century), which is involved to the list of World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO. Its full name is Geghardavank, literally it is translated as “Monastery of the spear”. The exact time of the foundation of Geghard has not been established. Most likely, at the beginning of the 4th century, a monastery was founded on this site, which received the name Ayrivank (cave monastery) because of its location in natural and artificial caves.

Back to Yerevan

DAY 6 – CENTRAL MARKET | VERNISSAGE | VAGHARSHAPAT | AIRPORT

Breakfast in the hotel

Check out

A visit to the central market in Yerevan. You will find mountains of local cheeses, breads, dried fruits of all kinds and unusual spices.

Next stop is the Vernissage – the market of folk art and handmade products. You can find in Vernissage the best examples of Armenian folk art, unique jewelry, exclusive handmade masterpieces craftsmanship.

Next stop is the Vagharshapat – the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, where the residence of the Catholicos is located. We will visit Echmiadzin Cathedral (301-483 AD), which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Visiting Vagharshapat and its complex of churches, museums and ruins is absolutely a must at any trip to Armenia.

Then we visit the ruins of Zvartnots temple, which was built on 7th century by Nerses Builder Catholicos. In 2000, the ruins of the temple and the archaeological area around it are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Transfer to airport