Things to Do in Gegharkunik: Lake Sevan and Beyond

Sevanavank draws almost every visitor to Gegharkunik, and it's a fair first stop — but the region's real depth is in what comes after: a quieter monastery on the southern shore, an open-air field of medieval cross-stones, an archaeological site older than any church here, and volcanic peaks with their own crater lakes. Here's what to actually do, and how to fit it together.

What are the best things to do in Gegharkunik?

Sevanavank is the essential stop, best paired with Hayravank, Noratus and a stop in Gavar for a full first day. Beyond that: Lchashen for archaeology, Mount Artanish or Mount Armaghan for hiking without a full mountain-day commitment, and — for experienced hikers only — Mount Azhdahak. The region also works as a genuine link in a longer route, whether north to Dilijan or south over the Vardenyats Pass toward Vayots Dzor.

Sevanavank Monastery

Climb the staircase from the lakeshore to the peninsula — an island until Soviet-era drainage lowered the water and joined it to the shore — and the two surviving 9th-century churches, Surp Arakelots and Surp Astvatsatsin, founded under Ashot I, the first Bagratid king of Armenia. The building itself is modest; the setting is the point. Go for the light at either end of the day if you can, when the crowds thin and the lake takes on real colour.

Allow 30–45 minutes, more if you want to walk the wider peninsula, which also holds the Vaskenian Theological Academy and views back toward the town of Sevan.

Hayravank Monastery

Twenty to thirty minutes down the southern shore, Hayravank gets a fraction of Sevanavank's visitors and rewards the detour: a 9th–12th-century complex — Saint Stephen Church, a chapel, a gavit, carved khachkars — on a rocky promontory directly above the water. If you only have time for one lakeside monastery and want it without the crowds, this is it.

Noratus

Budget a proper hour here, not a drive-by. Several hundred khachkars — Armenia's largest surviving concentration — spread across an open field, no two carved alike: crosses worked with grapevines, rosettes, interlace and geometric patterns spanning centuries of Armenian stone-carving. Walk it slowly; the detail rewards close attention in a way a quick photo stop doesn't capture. It pairs naturally with Hayravank on the same southern-shore route.

Lchashen

For genuine archaeology rather than medieval monuments: Cyclopean fortress walls, ancient residential remains, an extensive necropolis, and Urartian inscriptions, spread across several hills near the lake's northern shore — evidence of sophisticated settlement here long before any of the region's churches were built. It's a quieter, more specialist stop, best for travelers who want the region's history to go deeper than Sevanavank and Noratus alone.

Gavar

Skip the resort strip and spend an hour in Gavar itself for a more local picture of the region — markets, restaurants, the 19th-century Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral and Saint Hovhannes Karapet Church. The Geological Museum of Gegharkunik, founded in 1952, holds more than 8,400 objects — a Urartian Rusa I inscription, an Artashes I boundary stone, archaeology and ethnography together — and is worth 30–45 minutes, especially before heading out to the older sites around the lake. There's also a small art gallery affiliated with the National Gallery of Armenia, a useful indoor stop in bad weather.

Mount Artanish

The accessible mountain option. A moderate half-day hike near the strait separating Greater and Lesser Sevan, rewarded with one of the few viewpoints where both halves of the lake are visible together. Good boots and a few hours are enough — no technical climbing, no overnight gear. The Artanish Peninsula below is quieter and less developed than the main shore — open hillside, remote beaches, a reasonable spot to camp if you want a night away from the towns.

Mount Armaghan

A step up in commitment but still broadly accessible: an extinct volcano around 2,829 m near the village of Madina, with a small crater lake and a chapel near the summit, and views across Sevan and the Vardenis range. Popular for hiking, 4x4 excursions and paragliding — check conditions and, for the flying, operator availability, since both depend heavily on weather.

Mount Azhdahak

For experienced hikers only. At 3,597 m, Azhdahak is the highest peak in the Gegham range — a genuine full-day mountain objective with its own crater lake near the summit, not a walk to add onto a lakeside day. Go properly equipped, watch the weather, and consider a guide if you're not confident with the route. The wider Gegham highlands around it hold vishapakars ("dragon stones") and prehistoric petroglyphs, for anyone interested in the archaeology alongside the climb.

Vanevan and Kalavan

Two quieter stops south of the lake. Vanevan Monastery, near Artsvanist, has its principal church built in 903 by Prince Shapuh Bagratuni and his sister Mariam — genuinely peaceful, with almost no crowds. Kalavan holds archaeological finds reaching back to the Stone and Bronze Ages — obsidian and flint tools, ancient burials, ceramics — and works well for travelers drawn to rural, community-based tourism rather than headline sights.

Birdwatching at Norashen

Within Sevan National Park, the Norashen Reserve protects wetland habitat including Gull Island, a major breeding colony for the Armenian gull, alongside cormorants, grebes and migratory waterbirds. A genuinely rewarding stop for anyone with a birding interest, and one most Sevanavank-only visitors never see.

Beaches and the lake itself

Public and private beaches ring different stretches of the shore, busiest in July and August. Beyond swimming, water activities have expanded considerably — paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing and even scuba diving are all available through operators around the lake, and short boat trips make an easy pairing with a Sevanavank visit for a different view of the peninsula.

Selim (Orbelian's) Caravanserai

Reached from Gegharkunik via the historic Vardenyats Pass road, this is technically across the boundary in Vayots Dzor — but the drive there from the Gegharkunik side is part of the experience. Built in 1332 by Prince Chesar Orbelian, it's the best-preserved caravanserai in Armenia, sitting at around 2,410 m on a route once used by Silk Road traders between Dvin and Partav. Worth building into a route that continues south rather than a there-and-back trip.

Food

Ishkhan (Sevan trout) is the dish to try, served at lakeside restaurants around the shore — since Sevan is an environmentally sensitive, protected lake, look for places observing current fishing regulations rather than assuming all sourcing is equal. In Gavar, look out for the town's own specialties — Gavar kufta and Gavar pakhlava — plus the simple local sweet sugar lokhum.

Horse riding and paragliding

Horse riding operates around Martuni, Drakhtik, the Argichi river valley and the lower slopes of Mount Armaghan — a good, low-commitment way to see the countryside. Paragliding is available from Armaghan and other open highland launch points, weather-dependent and best arranged with a local operator in advance.

How to fit it together

• Half a day: Sevanavank and a lakeside lunch.
• A full day (recommended first visit): Sevanavank → Hayravank → Noratus → Gavar.
• Two days: add Mount Artanish, a beach or boat activity, and Vanevan.
• Three or more: Mount Armaghan, Azhdahak for experienced hikers, Lchashen, Kalavan and horse riding.
• Onward routes: north to Dilijan without backtracking to Yerevan, or south over the Vardenyats Pass — past Selim Caravanserai — into Vayots Dzor.

When to go

May–June for green landscapes and migration; higher routes may still hold snow. July–August for beaches and water sports, though evenings stay cool. September–October for hiking and photography with a quieter lake. November–April is cold and often snowy, with Sevanavank at its most atmospheric but most high routes closed.