Armenia
Medieval monasteries and forest hikes
One of Christianity’s earliest civilisations, Armenia’s historic churches and monasteries date back as far as the 4th century. Spread across the country, these extraordinary religious sites are the country’s premier attraction, but it’s also full of dramatic landscapes perfect for exploring on foot.
That’s not to say that Armenia is an easy place to travel. Roads are poor and English non-existent, but that just makes the travel experience more rewarding. Combine a trip to Armenia with a multi-country tour of neighbouring Azerbaijan and Georgia, and you’ll experience a dizzying mix of cultures, history and landscapes.
Hidden gems in Armenia
Armenia
Transcaucasian Trail in Armenia
The full 3,000 km of the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT) is still theoretical for stretches in Georgia and Azerbaijan, but in Armenia the trail can now be hiked as a single thru-hike. The complete Armenia segment is around 820km, which can be done anywhere from 25 to 45 days depending on your pace. The route cuts across the country from north to south, starting at Lake Arpi and finishing at Meghri. On the way you'll pass all Armenia's finest hiking country, including Dilijan National Park and the Gegham Mountains. If you'd rather not do this as a single thru-hike, it's also offered by walking holiday companies as a series of day hikes with transfers in between.
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Selim to Ughedzor
This scenic 125 kilometre trek forms part of the longer, partially waymarked, Trans Caucasian Trail (TCT) section from Selim Caravanserai to Jermuk. The route winds past lakes, valleys and streams to the gorgeous Noravank Monastery, which glows reddish gold at sunset. You’ll also pass by the Areni-1 cave, the world’s oldest recorded winery dating back over 6,000 years. The trek continues through remote villages and up the Syunik Mountains before ending in Ughedzor. There are several guesthouses and homestays in the area, including an eco-hotel made out of shipping containers near Yeghegis and some of Armenia’s finest guesthouses and wineries in Yeghegnadzor.
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Artabuynk to Yeghegis
This is a popular hike from the village of Artabuynk to an 800-year-old Jewish cemetery beside the town of Yeghegis. The trek will take you past the 5th-century Smbataberd Fortress, which offers gorgeous views over the valley, down into a meadow and then up again where you’ll find the 10th-century Tsakhatskar Monastery. From there, you’ll walk down to Yeghegis, a village which hasn’t changed much in centuries and features three historic churches dating from the 13th, 14th and 18th centuries. A few minutes east of Yeghegis is a rickety bridge that leads to an 800-year-old Jewish cemetery said to have the remains of Jews from Persia who walked the Silk Road. The whole trek is 10km and takes about five hours to complete. Boots and long pants are especially important on this hike as vipers are frequently encountered.
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Kasagh Gorge hike
These two monasteries are connected by an easy 7.5km trail along the edge of Kasagh Gorge, which takes about five hours to complete a return trip. A longer hike (10km) starts from Saghmosavank and goes down into the gorge along the banks of the Kasagh River. The river eventually flows into the Metsamor River where you can take a dip before finishing the hike in the village of Karbi. The area has stunning views of Mount Ararat, Mount Aragats and Mount Ara and is populated with apricot trees, wild rabbits and foxes. The region is also known for its wine and there are a few wineries to try in the area. The town of Ashtarak is a good place to base yourself with its beautiful 19th-century black tuff buildings, pleasant tree-lined streets and several good restaurants.
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Mount Aragats from Lake Kari
All hikes up Mount Aragats start from Lake Kari, which can be reached by road from Byurakan. Aragats has four peaks, all of which you can climb. The tallest and most challenging being the northern peak, which is 4,090m high and requires ropes and wading through snowfields. The 8.5km trip takes about two days and is for experienced trekkers/mountaineers only. An easier, though no less fulfilling option, is to climb the southernmost peak, which spans 4.7km to reach the 3,893m-high summit. Hikers also sometimes climb the western peak (3,995m) and the eastern peak (3,908m). On your way up or down to the lake, don’t miss Amberd Fortress, a well-kept 7th-century stone fortress that commands beautiful views over the plains. For something totally different, 20km northeast of the town of Byurakan is a field of monuments to the Armenian alphabet, which was built in 2005 to mark the 1600th anniversary of Mesrop Mashtots inventing the language. Many hikers stay in Yerevan and come up to Mount Aragats on day trips, but I'd recommend you stayat Lake Kari, or the nearby towns of Byurakan and Ashtarak.
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Kachardzan to Hovk trek
If you have longer to spend in the area, you could spend five to seven days on this this multi-day waymarked trail from the village of Kachardzan to Hovk, via Dilijan. You’ll hike through forests, gorges and woodlands and see the beautiful 12th-century Goshavank and 10th-century Haghartsin monasteries along the way. There are campsites and guesthouses along the way, but be sure to contact them beforehand to see if they’re open, or book with a specialist hiking company.
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Matosavank & Jukhtavank loop
If you're pushed for time while in Dilijan National Park, this short hike should take just over an hour and gives you a good glimpse of the area's scenery along with the ruins of two medieval monasteries, 13th-century Matosavank and 11th-century Jukhtavank. You can either start this hike by driving to the trailhead on Abovyan St. or you can walk for about an hour from the Dilijan tourist information centre. The info centre has mountain bikes that you can rent for this loop.
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Parz Lake day hike
This is my favourite hike in Dilijan National Park. Come in spring to hike through valleys teeming with millions of wildflowers that can be plucked to make tea. Starting from Dilijan’s helpful tourist information centre where you can rent hiking gear such as poles and sleeping bags, walk out of town to the south and up the mountain until you’re looking down on Dilijan. Follow the signs that indicate the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT), a 3,000km network of paths throughout the region, until you reach Parz Lake where you’ll find accommodation, a khoravats barbecue restaurant, a mini-rope park, paddle boats for rent and an hour-long 2km trail around the lake. You can spend the night here or have the info centre in Dilijan organise a cab to take you back to town. If you’re keen to hike some more, you can continue along the TCT another four hours (7.1km) to the 12th-century Goshavank Monastery and to Gosh Lake, which will take an extra hour (4.2km)
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Gegham Mountain trail
Probably my top recommendation for an Armenia walking holiday is the 50km Gegham Mountain trail which takes three to four days of remote trekking featuring glorious alpine meadows, crater lakes, ancient petroglyphs and volcanic peaks, including Mt Azhdahak. The only other people you’ll see out here are a few like-minded travellers and shepherds. This is a camping trek with complex logistics, so is rarely offered by international trekking or walking companies, but can be organised by local hiking specialists.
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Tatev day hikes
The most popular destination is Satan’s Bridge at the bottom of the gorge where legend has it that a bridge magically appeared to save villagers fleeing a rebel army. It’ll take about an hour to get here from Tatev and it’s easy to find right next to the main road. Another option is to leave from the Tatev Monastery and hike six to seven hours (13.5km) through the gorge to the forgotten village of Old Harjis, which is filled with ruins and grass-covered homes. Along the way, you’ll cross oak and hornbeam forests, the new town of Harjis and a lake that you can swim in. Keep an eye out for wild lizards, bears, wolves, foxes, porcupines and snakes. Other popular hikes from Tatev include the village of Tanzatap, which takes an hour, the 17th century Mets Anapad church (two and a half hour) and to the village of Ltsen (five to six hours). Multi-day treks are less common around Tatev, but you can easily do multiple day trips while basing yourself from Halidzor where there are a few excellent B&Bs and a station for the world’s longest nonstop reversible ropeway, the Wings of Tatev Aerial Tramway. Alternatively, the hilltop village of Tatev has several humble B&Bs and a helpful info centre and cafe with ample hiking information.
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Transcaucasian Trail in Armenia
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Selim to Ughedzor
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Artabuynk to Yeghegis
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Kasagh Gorge hike
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Mount Aragats from Lake Kari
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Kachardzan to Hovk trek
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Matosavank & Jukhtavank loop
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Parz Lake day hike
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Gegham Mountain trail
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Tatev day hikes
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