Armenia on Wheels

Arrival at the Yerevan airport. Meeting with guide and driver. Transfer to the hotel.
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia, and one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Yerevan is older than Rome for 29 years. Situated on the left-bank (along the river Araks) part of the Ararat valley Yerevan offers breathtaking views of holy mountain Ararat. The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC. In 2018 Yerevan celebrated its 2800th anniversary.

After city tour you will visit Matenadaran – the rarest manuscript museum. Here about 18,000 manuscripts are kept, which are included in UNESCO World Heritage list.

It is then followed by the visit to the Genocide Memorial and Museum (Tsitsernakaberd). The Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute (AGMI), located on the hills of the Tsitsernakaberd Park, makes up part of the Armenian Genocide Victims’ Memorial Complex. This sacred site embraces and reflects the memories and values for Armenians worldwide. The Memorial and the Museum function as a source of understanding and acknowledgement of this monumental tragedy in the history of Armenia.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Yerevan. Breakfast in the hotel.

The group will be transferred from Yerevan to Aparan pond. On the way there will be a visit to Saghmosavank Monastery (13th century). Saghmosavank is situated atop the precipitous gorge carved by the Kasakh river. Its silhouettes dominate the adjacent villages and rise sharply against the background of the mountains crowned by Mount Aragats.

From Aparan pond the tour participants will start biking to Bjni. Passing by the wooded slopes of the mountain chain of Tsaghkunyats we’ll reach Bjni in the evening, and continuing the tour to the castle and the church the participants will be hosted in the summer camp.

Dinner and overnight at the camp.

Breakfast in a camp.

Early in the morning the group will continue biking to Lake Sevan, the “blue-eyed beauty” of Armenia. Being one of the biggest highland freshwater lakes in the world it is 1900 m above sea level. The tour will continue along the coast of Lake Sevan to the peninsula. After rising to the peninsula, you will see the monastery of Sevanavank (IX cent.). An amazing view to the lake and surrounding beauties opens from the hill. The monastery of Sevan (Sevanavank), which stands on what was once an island of the same name, can be dated to the 9th-10th centuries. For several hundred years, as an important spiritual centre, housing many monks, it has been visited by thousands of pilgrims from all parts of Armenia.

After visiting the peninsula of the Lake Sevan and the Sevan Monastery it’s possible to continue the tour to Dilijan through Semyonovka mountain pass either to move on by car. The group will visit Cristal Lake and Goshavanq.

Dinner and overnight in Dilijan.

Dilijan. Breakfast in the hotel.

The group continue biking to the village Aghavnavanq. Aghavnavank Monastery is a 12th–13th century monastic complex at Dilijan National Park on the outskirts of Aghavnavank village of the Tavush Province of Armenia.

Then we bike to Chambarak village and by passing the mountain gap reach to Lake Sevan. Biking road ends in Sharja. If the participants want we will bike to Tsapatagh hotel (20km) or we can go there by bus.

Overnight in Tsapatagh hotel.

Tsapatagh. Breakfast in the hotel.
The road continues to Sevan lake, passes Vardenis town and we reach Martuni town (65km). As the road after Martuni starts going down to Vardenyanc mountain gap, we will continue our way by bike and reach Shatin village. From Shatin the group will be transferred to Hermoni hotel. The other option is that the participants will be transferred from Martuni to the hotel by bus and will visit a medieval caravanserai.
Overnight in Hermon.

Hermon. Breakfast in the hotel.

The road goes along mountains of Vayoc Dzor and Vardenis. On the way you can see Vayoc Sar volcano and Herher water reservoir.
On our way to Yerevan we will visit Noravank Monastery and Areni cave.

Noravank (meaning “New Monastery” in Armenian) is a 13th century Armenian monastery, spiritual centre of Orbelyan princes dynasty. The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God, Burtelashen) church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building.

Drive to Vayots Dzor province, village Areni. Here the most ancient winery in the world Areni-1 is located. This winery had been discovered as a result of excavations done in 2007-2008.

Transfer to Yerevan. Overnight in the hotel.

Yerevan. Breakfast in the hotel.
Drive to Kotayk region. Today you are going to visit Geghard Monastery, which is cut into the rock (13th c); and Garni – the only type of pagan temple across the Caucasus and the former Soviet Union (2nd half of 1st c AD). Geghard is one of the most famous medieval monasteries in Armenia. The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat river valley. According to the legend, the monastery housed the spear which had wounded Christ on the Cross and from which comes its present name, Geghardavank (the Monastery of the Spear). Allegedly it was brought there by the Apostle Thaddeus, first recorded in a document of 1250. The church with its surrounding structures is included in the UNESCO World Cultural heritage List.

Visit to open-air museum of Garni pagan temple. It is the only surviving monument of the Hellenistic period in Armenia. The temple is dedicated to the God of the sun Mithra and was built in the 2nd half of the 1st c AD during the reign of king Tiridates I. The temple was completely destroyed during the earthquake of 1679. It was restored in the 1970s, using the surviving fragments and carving the missing ones renewed. The territory of the fortress that was used as a summer residence of Armenian royalty included the palace, the royal bath – house, the garrison barracks and other structures that did not survive. Garni pagan temple has unique design and is the only type of temple across the Caucasus and the former Soviet Union.

Garni temple is situated on a high hill (height above sea level is 1413 m) and behind the hill you can find an unforgettable view of the canyon of the Azat river. These wonderful basalt rocks seem to be artificial – so much beautiful they are. For their beauty rocks are called «Symphony of the stones».

Drive back to Yerevan.

Visit to Yerevan flea market Vernissage. Here you will find a wide variety of antiques and unique Armenian souvenirs, as well as extraordinary products made of precious metals.

Overnight in the hotel in Yerevan.

• Optional – Bike from Geghard village to Geghard plateau and continue to Vank lake (25 km, 4-5 hour).

Yerevan. Breakfast in the hotel (depending on the time of departure). Transfer to the Yerevan Airport. Departure.