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Very few people on earth could lay claim to being direct descendants of the biblical Noah. According to the Armenian founding myth, after the Great Flood subsided, Noah – from his ark’s perch at the top of Mount Ararat (now part of Turkey) – was said to have exclaimed “Yerevats!,” (“It appeared!”) as he looked in the direction of Yerevan, now the capital of the Republic of Armenia.
Whether that bold claim is true or not, what is true is that Armenia is a very ancient land of 4,000 churches and monasteries, having been the first country to adopt Christianity around the 4th century AD. But just how ancient?
If one goes by the radio-carbon age of the recently dug-up winery in Areni in southern Armenia, the winery is older than the pyramids of Giza by some 1,500 years! Explore the area where the Areni grapes are grown on a guided tour, and taste the 6,000-year-old wine-making tradition.
Armenia is a small landlocked country in the South Caucasus, the region between Europe and Asia where the ancient Silk Road passed through. Trace that ancient trading link on a guided weeklong tour, and see where Chinese traders took shelter on their long journey to Byzantium, now Istanbul.
Active travelers who want to combine history and adventure would find a ‘pilgrimage’ to the most sacred sites more than worth their time and effort. Churches and monasteries were built on sites surrounded by stunning landscapes and scenery, and some were built into hillsides, canyons, cliff faces and even cut into mountainous rocks.
So you can make these excursions as adventurous as you like, even strenuous if you have the gear and guts to climb the slopes of Mount Aragats where the 10th century Amberd Fortress stands.
Given its relative isolation from parts of Europe and Asia well-connected by rail – trains to and from Tbilisi, Georgia leave Armenia infrequently – Armenia is relatively devoid of mass tourism that often plagues more accessible destinations. Only two international airports handle commercial travel, leaving Armenia to intrepid adventurers looking for an escape from the din of the digital age.
If you are willing to overcome the language barrier (English is not widely spoken here) to experience the treasures of a capital city thought to be older than Rome, work with tour operators and organizers who will take you to cultural and historic gems that Armenians were able to preserve in a world where throwaway culture is the norm.
Expeditions into these priceless sites are only possible through guided tours that ensure minimal impact from tourism activities and adherence to special rules to preserve their fragile state.
Take advantage of tour operators’ insider knowledge and industry connections to quickly, safely and comfortably travel from one site to another so you spend more time looking at ancient buildings rather than looking down at your smartwatch.
So if you like your vacation destination aged like fine wine, Armenia may just be the drink your wanderlust needs. Let these tours inspire you where to go.
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Day Tour: Yerevan / City Tour
Silk Road Travel
Location: Yerevan
Itinerary: Yerevan
Group Size: 15
Age Range: 18 to 90
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: Silk Road Travel
Length: 1 Day
What to Expect
Small-group, one-day tour of Yerevan highlights operated in several languages.
- Matenadaran
- Genocide Memorial
- Cascade
What the Experience is Like
Explore the wide tree-lined boulevards of the “Pink City,” so-called for the color of volcanic material used to build many of its buildings. Visit Republic Square, Mashtoc Avenue, the House of Opera and Ballet, and the park “Cascade.”
See ancient Armenian manuscripts in Matenadaran. Get to see how brandy is made on a brandy factory tour. Glimpse into the storied and tumultuous history of the country and contemplate the sobering events remembered at the Genocide Memorial.
The city tour is on an air-conditioned vehicle. No overnight accommodation and no meals included
Silk Road’s Day Tour/City Tour is one of the many Armenian tours of varying lengths offered by the company.
This tour is run by Silk Road Travel, a China-based tour operator that provides tours and adventures along the Silk Road using information from first-hand operations and experience. It has 15 years of experience in the travel trade and takes pride in providing tour packages that may be a usual operation for them but a first-time experience for its guests.
In a nutshell
Short on time? Take this overview Day Tour: Yerevan / City Tour to explore Yerevan’s top sites.
A Deluxe Tour of Armenian Treasures
Flo Tours
Location: Eastern Armenia
Itinerary: Yerevan – Lake Sevan – Geghard – Garni
Group Size: 16
Age Range: 9 to 99
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: Flo Tours
Length: 5 Days
What to Expect
Medium-sized group, fully guided taster tour of the capital and Lake Sevan operated in various languages with the option to book as private.
- Yerevan
- Sevanavank Monastery
- Geghard Monastery
- Etchmiadzin Cathedral
What the Experience is Like
Explore Yerevan on a full-day tour on Day 2, visiting remnants of both its storied past stretching back for almost 3,000 years and monuments to contemporary events that celebrate the struggles and successes of modern Armenia.
This tour takes you to a series of leafy parks and bustling squares as well as museums and memorials both old and new like Matenadaran where ancient Armenian manuscripts are housed, and the Genocide Memorial, a reminder of the atrocities suffered by Armenians during Ottoman rule.
(Did you know there are thousands of manuscripts and books housed in Matenadaran? See for yourself on this 5-day Deluxe Tour of Armenian Treasures.)
Fill your lungs with fresh air on Day 3 with a drive up Lake Sevan, the largest in Armenia, to visit a monastery built on its shores. Continue on to the ancient pagan temple of Garni before wrapping up the day’s tour at the medieval Geghard Monastery inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Survey the Ruins of Zvartnots Temple and continue on to the Etchmiadzin Cathedral built in 303 AD and considered one of the oldest standing churches in the Christian world. After lunch, tour a 19th-century brandy factory in Yerevan with tasting afterward. Enjoy the rest of the day at your own pace before sitting down to a traditional Armenian farewell dinner accompanied by live folk music.
Expect three nights’ accommodation in a 5-star Yerevan hotel with daily breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners. Operated in various languages upon request.
This classic discovery tour is run by Flo Tours which prides itself on providing premium adventures
through a “more immersive cultural journey” that is slower-paced and authentic.
In a nutshell
A Deluxe Tour of Armenian Treasures is a temple-hopping journey through Eastern Armenia with a generous dose of ancient and contemporary history and a dash of wine.
Armenia – Weekend Getaway
Geographic Travel Club
Location: Eastern Armenia
Itinerary: Yerevan – Garni – Geghard – Lake Sevan
Group Size: 4
Age Range: 1 to 85
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: Geographic Travel Club
Length: 4 days
What to Expect
Small group, partially guided taster tour of the capital and Lake Sevan operated in various languages.
- Garni temple
- Geghard monastery
- Sevanavank
- Yerevan
Drive to Garni to start a full-day trip around the area’s 2,000year old pagan temple in Garni and centuries-old monasteries in Geghard and Sevan, all located in and surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Get a chance to taste and see how the traditional ‘lavash’ bread is made at a local house.
(Are you long on wanderlust but short on time? Try going on a 4-day Armenia – Weekend Getaway.)
Explore Yerevan, the Pink City whose buildings were made from rose-colored volcanic material, and learn about its history stretching back almost 3,000 years. Experience how its storied past shaped its present by visiting the capital’s headline attractions such as the Republic Square, the Blue Mosque and the House of Opera and Ballet, among others. Take in the city views from the Park Cascade before departing the next day.
This short discovery tour is organized by Yerevan-based Geographic Travel Club which prides itself as one of the leading adventure tour operators in Armenia. The company has almost 20 years of experience organizing tours mainly in the Caucasus region and Silk Road countries. This tour package comes with three nights’ accommodation in Yerevan.
In a nutshell
Enjoy an overview tour of Armenian cultural treasures on this 4-day Armenia – Weekend Getaway.
Explore Armenia by Foot
Arara Tour
Location: Northwest Armenia
Itinerary: Mt. Aragats
Group Size: 8
Age Range: 12 to 85
Physical Activity: Strenuous
Operator: Arara Tour
Length: 8 days
What to Expect
Small group, partially guided hiking and trekking tour into a mountain pass on the Silk Road and the peaks of Mt. Aragats.
- Wine Tasting
- Silk Road
- Mount Aragats
Explore highlights of the capital city and the vicinity with visits to the Armenia History Museum, Geghard Cave Monastery and the Garni Temple built to honor the pagan sun god, the only surviving Hellenistic temple in the Caucasus.
Tour the Areni wine market with taste afterward before driving on to Noravank Monastery through a deep narrow canyon. Lace up for a hike up the well-preserved medieval fortress of King Smbat, and Tsakhats Kar Monastery further up at 2080 meters above sea level.
Trace the ancient Silk Road and see the 14th-century caravanserai before driving up to Lake Sevan, a freshwater lake at 2000MASL.
(Explore Armenia by Foot and combine hiking adventure with visits to some of the oldest religious structures in Christendom – and a well-deserved glass of wine in the oldest wine-making region of the world.)
Hike the forest trail in Dilijan National Park on the way to Goshavank Monastery. Overnight in Dilijan and experience the atmosphere of rural Armenia. Arrive at Gomer village by car, then hike to Lastiver waterfall and cave through forest trails.
Follow the village trail from Haghpat to the Sanahin Monastery complex and gaze up at the Kayan medieval fortress. From a lookout point, soak up the views of the gorges surrounding the area. Continue on to Odzun Village to see the legend of its ‘Snake’s Navel,’ a spring that is said to contain healing waters (but actually contains silver and gold according to Yerevan Geology Institute).
On arrival at the 12th century Amberd Fortress, lace up and hike from the Stone Lake on the slope of Mount Aragats to the Southern Peak of Aragats Mountain at 3890 MASL. Round out your tour with a visit to the monastery perched on the edge of Kasagh Gorge.
Spend five nights in 3-star hotels and two nights in a guesthouse. Breakfasts are included. Local mountain guides are provided as necessary.
This weeklong adventure into Mt. Aragats and surrounding mountain areas is run by Yerevan-based Arara Tours with 10 years of experience in the travel trade. They take pride in being pioneers and in offering tour packages specifically for Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan and the rest of the Caucasus region.
In a nutshell
Explore Armenia by Foot on this weeklong adventure into the highlands and mountain regions where some of the oldest monasteries, temples and churches in the Christian world are found.
Best of Georgia & Armenia
G Adventures
Location: Georgia, Armenia
Itinerary: Yerevan to Tbilisi
Group Size: 16
Age Range: 12 to 90
Physical Activity: Low to Medium
Operator: G Adventures
Length: 8 Days
What to Expect
Small group, fully guided tour of the ancient cultural gems and architectural wonders of Armenia and Georgia.
- Yerevan
- Mt. Ararat views
- Lake Sevan
- Wine tasting
- Tbilisi guided tour
- Mtskheta
What the Experience is Like
Meet the group at a welcome meeting after arrival. Drive to Etchmiadzin to see its cathedral, said to be the oldest in Christendom. See Yerevan’s landmark attractions and round it out with a visit to the Genocide Memorial. Enjoy free time afterward.
Take in the snowcapped views of the biblical Mount Ararat before visiting the remaining Hellenistic temple in the Caucasus dedicated to the pagan god worshiped by the ancient Armenian royal family. Drive back to Yerevan with an optional brandy factory or carpet tour.
Admire the turquoise waters of the upland Lake Sevan, said to be the largest in the Caucasus. Meet the minority villages for a traditional afternoon tea before continuing on to Haghpat where you spend the night. Look around the monastery here and visit the UNESCO-listed Sanahin monastic complex.
(Want to go on a Trans-Caucasian journey without worrying about doing it all on your own? This 8-day tour of the Best of Georgia & Armenia will take you on an epic holiday you won’t forget.)
Cross into Georgia and transfer to Telavi on the foothills of the Tsiv-Gombori Range. Sample traditional Georgian wines. Drive through the vineyards and church of the Kakheti Province and breathe in the beauty of the Kizikhi area and Sighnaghi. Fill up with lunch at a local village house. Continue on to Tbilisi and explore the city on a guided tour.
Trace the Georgian Military Road to Mtskheta, the ancient Georgian capital and a UNESCO-listed site. Look around the Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral before driving on to the cave town of Uplistsikhe and through the stunning Aragvi River valley. Drive back to Tbilisi and depart at any time for your onward journey.
Expect 7 nights’ accommodation in a standard hotel and expert guidance from a Chief Experience Office present throughout the tour. Enjoy 7 breakfasts and 3 lunches, and the flexibility of choosing vegan/vegetarian, kosher and halal food options.
This Trans-Caucasian trip is run by G Adventures, a highly-rated travel company that specializes in offering small group adventures for nearly three decades. They encourage travelers to “Dream big. Travel small.” allowing solo travelers to join the safety – and fun – of having like-minded company small enough to create stronger connections to each other and to the people and places they visit.
In a nutshell
If you have the time and dime and want to see some of the dazzling gems that the Caucasus has to offer, start with this 8-day tour of the Best of Georgia & Armenia.
The Treasures of Armenia
The Caucasus Tours
Location: Northern Armenia, Southern Armenia
Itinerary: Yerevan, Areni, Tatev, Lake Sevan
Group Size: 6
Age Range: 2 to 75
Physical Activity: Medium
Operator: The Caucasus Tours
Length: 10 days
What to Expect
Small-group, a fully guided premium tour of Armenian treasures, with a dash of wine tasting and a generous dose of history lessons and culture trips.
- Millennium-old monasteries
- Jermuk spa town
- Dilijan alpine town
- Silkroad Orbelian Caravanserai
- Mount Aragats
- Wine tasting
What the Experience is Like
Get the lay of the land on a city tour around the capital. Highlights include a visit to the Genocide Memorial and to the Matenadaran, a research institute and a museum that houses ancient Armenian manuscripts.
Drive to Echmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the site of what is thought to be the oldest church in Christendom. Contemplate the ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral on the drive back to Yerevan. Enjoy free time at Vernissage arts and crafts Market.
Marvel at millennium-old churches, medieval architecture and stunning natural landscapes on a jam-packed day trip to Southern Armenia. Gaze at the biblical Mount Ararat where Noah’s ark rested after the Great Flood from a lookout at Khor Virap Monastery rich with history dating back to 301 AD.
Fill up with local fare for lunch before moving on to the oldest winery in the world in Areni dating back more than 6,000 years. Enjoy wine tasting in one of the local wineries. Continue on to the spa town of Jermuk where you spend the night. Visit the spa town’s headline attractions – the mineral hot springs and the stunning waterfalls.
(Did you know that Armenia has thousands of religious structures and half a million preserved documents from antiquity? Find out more on this 10-day tour of The Treasures of Armenia.)
Ride a cable lift on your way up to the Tatev medieval monastic complex, the largest in the country. See the Armenian version of Stonehenge at Karahunj before driving back to and spending the night in Jermuk.
Follow the ancient Silk Road as its winds through the Vardenyats Mountain Pass. See the Orbelian Caravanserai where 14th-century travelers and traders took shelter on their long journey. On the way to Lake Sevan National Park, look out for the Noratus cross stones emerging out of a field. Admire the turquoise waters of the alpine lake from atop the 9th-century Sevanavank Monastery if you opt to climb the 240 steps.
After spending the night in the resort town of Dilijan, explore the old town and breathe in its Swiss-like climate and surroundings. Drive through the forest to visit a monastery before continuing on to Goshavank with a history dating back to the 13th century. Explore the ski resort town of Tsakhakadzor on the drive back to Yerevan.
Marvel at the Hellenistic temple dedicated to the pagan sun god worshipped by the ancient Armenian royal family. Explore the UNESCO-listed rock-cut medieval monastery of Geghard believed to house to spear that lanced the side of Christ at his crucifixion.
Learn how the traditional bread “lavash” is baked in an underground oven, itself listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage on Humanity. Round out the day with a tour around Armenia’s answer to Ireland’s Giant Causeway – honeycomb-patterned columns of basalt rock stretching for a kilometer along a river.
Get your head up in the clouds on the way to Mount Aragats (4090MASL) for a look around the Amberd Castle so named because it is indeed a ‘castle in the cloud.’ Along the way, stop by to capture memento photos of the snowcapped peaks and high mountain camps built by the sheep-herding Yezidi. Depart the next day.
Enjoy 9 nights of double/twin room accommodation in 4-star and 5-star hotels that come with daily breakfasts. Eight lunches and three dinners are included.
This extended journey into Armenia’s ancient treasures is run by The Caucasus Tours, a Yerevan-based travel company. With 15 years of experience in the travel industry, The Caucasus Tours specializes in offering end-to-end Armenia and Trans-Caucasian itineraries for a range of travelers and travel types, but with a focus on premium private and semi-private tours.
In a nutshell
This premium tour to see The Treasures of Armenia takes you to the country’s impressive collection of ancient religious monuments and temples with cultural trips along the way.
If none of these tours work for you in Armenia, please do not worry. There is a wide variety of tour options in the country, and we are confident that there will be something that fits your needs and interests.
Take a look at all the group tours in Armenia now, which you can sort by private or group, maximum sizing, budget, dates and much (much more). The team at TourRadar is also always more than happy to answer any questions, provide further information or assist in any way in finding the perfect tour for you.
