Tour Overview
| Duration | 11 Days / 10 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Armenia — The First Christian Nation |
| Price From | $1,995 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Cultural / Spiritual Pilgrimage |
| Data Source | Advantour / TourRadar — 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Yerevan
Welcome to Armenia! Transfer from Zvartnots International Airport. Evening walk through the Cascade Complex — Yerevan’s giant stairway of art and fountains. Welcome dinner at a traditional restaurant with Armenian duduk music (UNESCO Intangible Heritage). Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 2: Yerevan City Tour
Full day in Yerevan, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities (founded 782 BC). Morning: Republic Square with its pink tuff stone buildings, the Matenadaran — repository of 17,000 ancient manuscripts, and the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum. Afternoon: the Vernissage open-air market for carpets, khachkars (cross-stones), and Soviet memorabilia. Evening: Armenian brandy tasting at the Ararat Brandy Factory — Winston Churchill’s favorite. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 3: Garni & Geghard — Pagan & Christian
Morning visit to Garni Temple — a perfectly restored 1st-century Hellenistic temple, the only pagan temple to survive Armenia’s conversion to Christianity in 301 AD. Walk through the Garni Gorge to see the Symphony of Stones — basalt columns that form a natural organ. Afternoon at Geghard Monastery, a UNESCO site partially carved out of a mountain. The name means “Spear” — it once housed the spear that pierced Christ. Armenian Lavash bread-baking masterclass in a village home. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 4: Khor Virap & Mount Ararat
Drive to Khor Virap Monastery, Armenia’s most iconic site. This is where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned in a pit for 13 years before converting King Tiridates III and making Armenia the first Christian nation in 301 AD. The view from here is the most famous in the Caucasus — Mount Ararat (5,137m), the biblical resting place of Noah’s Ark, rising in all its majesty. Though Ararat is now in Turkey, it remains Armenia’s spiritual heart. Wine tasting at a winery in the Ararat Valley. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 5: Echmiadzin & Zvartnots — The Vatican of Armenia
Full day in Armenia’s spiritual center. Visit the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin — the oldest state-built church in the world (303 AD) and the Vatican of the Armenian Apostolic Church. See the Cathedral, the Treasury with the Holy Lance (Geghard), and a piece of Noah’s Ark. Visit Saint Hripsime Church (618 AD) and Saint Gayane Church (630 AD) — masterpieces of early Christian architecture. Afternoon at the ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral (643 AD), a circular three-tiered wonder destroyed by an earthquake. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 6: Lake Sevan & Dilijan
Drive to Lake Sevan, the “Jewel of Armenia” — one of the world’s highest freshwater lakes at 1,900 meters. Climb the peninsula to Sevanavank Monastery for panoramic lake views. Freshwater fish lunch — ishkhan (Sevan trout) grilled on the shore. Continue to Dilijan, Armenia’s “Little Switzerland” — a charming town of wooden balconies in the forested Dilijan National Park. Overnight in Dilijan.
Day 7: Haghpat & Sanahin Monasteries
Full day exploring the monasteries of Lori province. Visit Haghpat Monastery (UNESCO, 10th century) — a jewel of medieval Armenian architecture with its unique bell tower and library-khachkar. Continue to Sanahin Monastery (UNESCO, 10th century) with its extraordinary library and the oldest Armenian astronomical observatory. These twin monasteries were major centers of learning with scriptoriums that produced illuminated manuscripts. Overnight in Dilijan.
Day 8: Noravank & Areni Wine Country
Drive south through the stunning red rock canyon to Noravank Monastery (13th century) — a masterpiece of Armenian architecture in an otherworldly setting of vermillion cliffs. The two-story Surb Astvatsatsin Church with its cantilevered staircase is one of the most beautiful churches in the Caucasus. Continue to Areni, Armenia’s premier wine region. Visit the Areni-1 Cave — the world’s oldest known winery (6,100 years old) and the oldest leather shoe ever found (5,500 years). Wine tasting at multiple Areni wineries. Overnight in a village guesthouse.
Day 9: Tatev — The Wings of Armenia
Drive to the Vorotan Gorge. Ride the Wings of Tatev — the world’s longest reversible cable car (5.7 km), soaring over the gorge to Tatev Monastery (9th century). This UNESCO candidate was once a major university with 1,000 students. Afternoon hike to the Devil’s Bridge — a natural travertine arch over the river with mineral pools you can swim in. Overnight near Tatev.
Day 10: Karahunj & Return to Yerevan
Visit Karahunj (Zorats Karer) — Armenia’s Stonehenge. This prehistoric megalithic complex dates to 5,500 BC, with 223 standing stones, some with holes precisely drilled for astronomical observations — potentially the oldest observatory on Earth. Drive back to Yerevan through the Syunik and Vayots Dzor provinces. Farewell dinner with live duduk music. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 11: Depart Yerevan
Morning visit to the Gum fruit market for Armenian dried fruits, honey, and sujukh (walnut candy). Transfer to Zvartnots Airport. Tstesutyun — goodbye!
Inclusions
- 10 nights accommodation (boutique hotels, village guesthouses)
- Daily breakfast, 4 dinners
- English-speaking guide
- Tatev cable car ticket
- Brandy tasting at Ararat Factory
- Wine tastings in Areni
- Lavash bread masterclass
- All monastery and site entrance fees
Why Armenia
- First Christian nation — Echmiadzin Cathedral (303 AD) is the world’s oldest state-built church
- Mount Ararat — Noah’s Ark rests here, and the view from Khor Virap is one of the world’s most spiritual
- Wings of Tatev — the world’s longest reversible cable car to a 9th-century monastery-university
- Areni-1 — the world’s oldest winery (6,100 years) and oldest shoe (5,500 years) found in the same cave
- Armenian brandy — Winston Churchill’s favorite drink, still made at the Ararat Factory in Yerevan
