Day trip to Armenia

incl. easy hike & lunch with regional specialties

If you are interested in a day trip or travelling to Armenia, you probably already have some information about this country. At the very least, you know that Armenia is the oldest Christian country in the world, or that Armenia has one of the oldest scriptures in the world, or that this small country, smaller than Bavaria, has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than many countries ten times its size.

In any case, you know that a day trip to Armenia is worth the time and money.

The question of why you should take a day trip or even a trip to Armenia with us is the fact that we have been organising and running trips to Armenia since 2014. The information about Armenia we have not only from books or the internet, but we have gathered our knowledge through many trips, encounters, relationships and experiences.

In order to get to know Armenia better, we not only visited all the sights several times and covered the topics in detail, but also explored almost all the hiking routes on foot, including the highest mountain in Armenia, the Aragaz in the Lesser Caucasus. We travelled around the country in taxis, local buses and marshrutkas, mostly staying in simple family-run guesthouses and getting to know and love the country in an authentic way.

Join us on our day tour from Georgia to Armenia and you won't get to know the facades, but the real Armenia.

Highlights of the trip

√ UNESCO cultural heritage Sanahin
√ Easy panoramic hike
√ UNESCO cultural heritage site of Haghpat
√ Lunch with regional specialities
√ Akhtala Monastery
√ Copper industry town of Alawerdi

Itinerary

We will pick you up at your hotel around 8.30 am and drive to the Georgian-Armenian border (1 hour drive). The border formalities at both borders take a total of 20 to 30 minutes and then you enter the oldest Christian country in the world - Armenia.

Immediately after crossing the border, the difference in landscape is striking: The nature on the Armenian side is wilder and rockier. The river Debed, along which we drive most of the time today, transforms the landscape into a wild and romantic gorge.

Our first point of interest is the UNESCO cultural heritage Sanahin Monastery from the 10th century.

Sanahin Monastery is rich in various buildings, tombs and chapels. The inner sanctuary of the cross-shaped church, dedicated to the Holy Mother of God (Surp Astvatsatsin), is the oldest building dating back to 966, while the neighbouring gavit is one of the younger buildings dating back to 1181.

In 1063, a library was built on the grounds of Sanahin, which, together with the gallery, is one of the most interesting buildings in Sanahin and represents the high level of civic architecture of the time. As a rule, such buildings were erected away from the main churches and had niches for storing manuscripts.

At the south-east corner of the library is a small church dedicated to St Gregory the Illuminator. Between the two main churches is the 11th century Academy of St Gregory the Magistrate. In the cemetery to the south-east of the main buildings is a 12th century mausoleum where the princes of Zakariya are buried.

The Sanahin complex was further expanded until the 13th century. Today it is considered the best-preserved medieval monastery in Armenia.

The second part of our day trip in Armenia is an easy hike from Sanahin Monastery towards Haghpat Monastery. This easy hike not only offers marvellous views and landscapes, but also the opportunity to get to know Armenia off the beaten track.

Hike takes about 2 hours in total. Difference in altitude: ↑ 100 ↓ 400 →| 5 km

Our next destination is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Haghpat Monastery. The monastery is beautifully situated above the gorge and is an outstanding example of medieval Armenian architecture.

Haghpat Monastery was founded in the 10th century by Queen Khosrovanuysh. In her time, the Church of the Holy Cross (Surp Nishan) was built in the centre of the complex.  The bell tower and library were added later. 

The name of the monastery means "huge wall", which refers to its strong fortifications.

Other buildings in the complex include two churches from the 11th century and a free-standing gavit from the 13th century.

After visiting Haghpat Monastery, it's time to get to know Armenian cuisine.

Armenian cuisine is a delicious blend of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Eastern European flavors. Known for its emphasis on fresh ingredients and bold spices, Armenian dishes such as khorovats (barbecue), lavash (flatbread) and dolma (stuffed vegetables) are popular worldwide. With its variety of meats, vegetables, grains and dairy products, Armenian cuisine offers a tantalizing culinary journey that reflects its rich cultural heritage.

We will drive to a nice restaurant where we will enjoy different tasty specialties.

After lunch, we drive past the copper industry town of Alaverdi, where almost a quarter of all Russian copper was once mined and where the Soviets built numerous cableways for transporting people and materials. Today, abandoned factories are ruins and cabins still hanging from the cable bear witness to this important past. We make a photo stop here and continue our journey.

The last part of our day trip in Armenia takes us to Akhtala Monastery.

Built at the end of the 10th century by the Kiurikids, a branch of the Bagratids, the Achtala fortified monastery is one of the best-preserved monasteries in modern Armenia.

They built the monastery in a region that had been known for its ore deposits since the Bronze and Iron Ages. In the 1180s, the monastery became the property of the Zakarids, a dynasty of princes who ruled as vassals of the Georgian kings.

During this period, the interior of the main church was decorated with frescoes, and the main church of the complex is still famous after almost 900 years for these ornate frescoes, which cover the interior walls, partitions and galleries of the building and are partially well preserved.

In the 18th century, under Georgian King Erekle II, several hundred Greek families relocated from Ottoman Empire to Akhtala, where they were to work in the nearby copper mines. They also took over the monastery, which they called Meramani. Inscriptions left by the miners on the monastery walls from this period have been preserved. In the 19th century, the monastery came into the possession of the Armenian princely family Melikov

After visiting the Akhtala Monastery, our day trip in Armenia comes to an end and we return to Georgia.

Estimated time of arrival in Tbilisi 7pm.