Location highlights from this tour
Armenia doesn't quite fit into a week, so this version of the tour restores the extra day — the same route to Echmiadzin, Garni and Geghard, then south to Khor Virap, Areni, Noravank and the Wings of Tatev with a night in Goris, and north via Khndzoresk, Selim Pass and Lake Sevan to a night in Dilijan — but with a full free Day 7 in Yerevan before departure, rather than flying out the morning after the last excursion.
Eight days, seven nights in three hotels — five in Yerevan, one in Goris, one in Dilijan — with two genuinely long driving days in the south and on the return north. Because it's private, the pace and the stops bend around you, and the free day gives real breathing room at the end.
You'll be met at Zvartnots International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Yerevan. Check-in is from 14:00; if you arrive earlier, the city tour may begin first and you'll settle into your room afterwards. The tour covers central Yerevan: Republic Square and the Cascade — both with views toward Mount Ararat on a clear day — the Opera House and Freedom Square, the Matenadaran's collection of ancient manuscripts, and Victory Park, home to the Mother Armenia monument on the hillside above the Cascade. The day ends with a welcome dinner of Armenian food and local wine.
West of the capital to Armenia's religious and historical heartland. Etchmiadzin is the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and nearby stand the 7th-century ruins of Zvartnots — together a single UNESCO World Heritage site. From there you continue to the Sardarapat Memorial, built to mark the 1918 battle that halted an advancing army before it could overrun Armenia and is remembered as securing the country's survival, with an ethnography museum on the same grounds. Return to Yerevan for the night.
A day of Armenia's classical and monastic heritage. Garni is the site of a 1st-century Greco-Roman temple, the only one of its kind in the former Soviet Union, perched above the Azat Gorge; nearby is the Symphony of Stones, a dramatic formation of tall basalt columns in the gorge below. A short drive on, Geghard is a UNESCO World Heritage monastery partly carved directly into the cliff face. Return to Yerevan for the night.
The longest day of the tour, heading deep into southern Armenia. Khor Virap is the morning's stop — a monastery on a low hill with one of the closest views of Mount Ararat from anywhere in Armenia, weather permitting. In Areni, the centre of Armenia's wine region, you stop for a tasting at a local winery, before continuing to Noravank, a 13th-century monastery built into the red cliffs of a narrow canyon. From the village of Halidzor you ride the Wings of Tatev, a reversible aerial cable car across the Vorotan Gorge, to Tatev Monastery on its plateau above the gorge. The day ends in Goris, a short drive away, for the night. This is intentionally a long day — around seven hours of driving over the full route.
Just outside Goris, Khndzoresk is a cave village inhabited into the 20th century, crossed today by a long suspension footbridge over the ravine. The road then climbs over Selim Pass to the 14th-century Selim Caravanserai, one of the best-preserved stone caravanserais surviving on Armenia's old trade routes. In the afternoon you reach Lake Sevan and Sevanavank, its two 9th-century churches on a peninsula above the water, before continuing to Dilijan, a forested resort town in the north, for the night.
A morning in the forests around Dilijan before the drive back to the capital. Haghartsin Monastery sits in a wooded valley a short way outside town, its 13th-century churches among trees rather than open hillside; Goshavank, another monastic complex of the same era, lies a little further on. Before leaving, there's time to walk Dilijan's old town, known for its wooden balconies and small craft workshops. Return to Yerevan for the night.
The day is yours to spend as you like, with no scheduled activities and no guide. Many guests use it to explore at their own pace: the Vernissage open-air market for local crafts and antiques, the GUM covered food market, Swan Lake and the park around it, the History Museum of Armenia on Republic Square, the Cafesjian Center for the Arts beside the Cascade, a walk along Northern Avenue, or a visit to the Yerevan Brandy Company (the Ararat factory) for a tour and tasting. These are ideas rather than included activities — entrance fees, tastings and any transport on this day are arranged and paid for independently. Overnight stay in Yerevan.
Check out from your hotel by 12:00 and transfer to Zvartnots International Airport for your departure, taking with you Armenia's monasteries, mountain views and warm hospitality.
A polished international hotel close to central Yerevan, combining spacious contemporary rooms with reliable Hilton comfort. DoubleTree by Hilton Yerevan City Centre is about a 10-minute walk from Republic Square and offers an on-site restaurant, a rooftop terrace, a spa and a fitness center, making it a comfortable premium base for three nights in the Armenian capital.
A comfortable 4-star hotel in the heart of Yerevan, just steps from Republic Square. Yerevan Place combines modern rooms with an exceptionally central location, along with a restaurant and bar, a gym and useful guest services — a convenient mid-range choice for exploring the Armenian capital on foot.
A comfortable and good-value 4-star hotel in central Yerevan, within easy reach of Republic Square and the city's main sights. Ani Central Inn offers bright rooms, daily breakfast, an indoor swimming pool and a sauna, making it a practical Classic option with more facilities than its straightforward positioning might suggest.
A boutique hotel on Mashtots Street in Goris, with stone façades and wooden furnishings. Hotel Mirhav has 31 guest rooms, a restaurant, a meeting room and gardens looking out over the surrounding Zangezur mountains, and is about a 30-minute drive from Tatev Monastery.
A 3-star hotel in the centre of Goris, with 17 single, double, triple and family rooms in a modern style. Christy Hotel has a restaurant, a garden and terrace, and free Wi-Fi, and is within easy walking distance of the town's museums, shops and cafés.
A 3-star hotel in the hills above Goris, about a 5-minute drive from the town centre, with 34 guest rooms, a garden, a shared lounge and a terrace. Yeghevnut Hotel serves a complimentary buffet breakfast daily and can help arrange local tours.
A 4-star hotel in Dilijan with 72 rooms, built in 2011 close to the town's historic centre. Best Western Plus Paradise Hotel Dilijan has an indoor swimming pool, a spa and wellness centre, a gym, a sauna and an on-site restaurant serving Armenian and European dishes.
A 5-star aparthotel resort about 1.8 km from central Dilijan, with self-contained units including a kitchen, balcony and garden views. Dili Town Resort and Spa has an infinity pool, a spa and wellness centre with sauna and hammam, a fitness centre, and a restaurant serving European cuisine.
A 3-star boutique guesthouse in Dilijan, split across two buildings about 3 km from the town centre. Casanova Inn has 10 rooms, an indoor pool, a spa and wellness centre, and a restaurant and bar serving a complimentary buffet breakfast each morning.
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7 days / Starting from €860A private 7-day route from Yerevan to Echmiadzin, Garni and Geghard, then south to Khor Virap, Areni, Noravank and Tatev with a night in Goris, and north via Lake Sevan to a night in Dilijan — hotel, transport and guide handled for you.
10 days / Starting from €1,295A private 10-day route across Georgia and Armenia — Kazbegi, Kakheti wine country, a guided border crossing, then Yerevan, Lake Sevan and the view of Mount Ararat.
5 days / Starting from €550A private 5-day route from Yerevan to Echmiadzin, Khor Virap, Noravank and Areni wine country, then Garni, Geghard and Lake Sevan — hotel, transport and guide handled for you.