Armenian Heritage
Between troglodyte monasteries and dizzying cable cars, Arménie reveals its treasures from the 4th century to the present day.
Duration
8 days
Ideal seasons
Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct
Style
Guided tour
Comfort
classique
Travelers
Couple, Solo, senior, groupe
The spirit of travel
Armenia, a treasure of humanity with its historical, cultural and natural riches, awaits you on its ancient land, the land of Noah.
This tour offers you to discover the must-see sites in Armenia, from south to north.
Set out to meet a fascinating country through its thousand-year-old monasteries, its sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage, its ancestral traditions and its grandiose landscapes dominated by Mount Ararat.
From Yerevan to the southern regions, Lake Sevan and northern Armenia, discover the gems of Garni, Geghard, Tatev, Noravank, Haghpat and Sanahin, witnesses to an exceptional history and culture.
Between religious heritage, spectacular nature, authentic encounters and discovery of local traditions, this journey reveals to you all the richness and soul of Armenia.
The stages of your journey
Highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Welcome to Arménie!
Very early morning landing at Erevan airport, where we are welcomed by our guide and transferred to our hotel. A short rest of the night to recover from the journey.
Late morning we gently begin our visit to the Armenian capital with the Matenadaran, an institute that houses some of the world's oldest manuscripts.
After lunch, we continue the day with a moment of emotion and reflection at the Armenian Genocide Memorial and its adjoining museum, located at the summit of Tsitsernakaberd. We then visit the Mother Armenia statue, which from its dominant position at the top of a hill seems to watch over the city.
Finally, to conclude our first day on Armenian soil, an original dinner awaits us at Megerian Carpet, the first and most famous Armenian carpet museum. The Megerian family has been collecting, restoring and making carpets for 4 generations, in Arménie and the United States.
Geghard Monastery and Garni Fortress
Geghard, about forty kilometers east of Yerevan, marks the entrance to the Upper Azat Valley. It is a monastery composed of several churches and stone crosses, world-renowned because it is largely carved into rock, and marking the golden age of medieval Armenian architecture. The Geghard monastery was a major cultural and ecclesiastical center and many relics of the Armenian Apostolic Church are preserved there.
Optional (for an additional fee): spiritual music concert in the monastery, exceptional acoustics.
Not far from there, Garni is home, in a remarkable geographical setting, to the only remaining vestige of the Hellenistic period surviving in Arménie: the Temple of Garni, a pagan temple dedicated to the Sun god. Our passage through Garni is also marked by a wonderful experience with the local population: we have lunch at a local home and discover the artisanal process of making Armenian bread, Lavash.
Back in the capital, it's time to regain your strength and enjoy a little pick-me-up at the Armenian brandy distillery.
At the Heart of the Armenian Apostolic Church
This morning we head to Etchmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, about twenty kilometers west of Yerevan. Just before arriving there, we admire the ruins of the Zvarnots Cathedral (7th century), inscribed in the World Heritage in company with the churches of Etchmiadzin.
The Holy See of Etchmiadzin consists of several buildings and sacred sites of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Among the most remarkable of these we can mention the Church of St. Hripsime dating from the 7th century and the oldest and very first Christian building in Arménie, the Etchmiadzin Cathedral dating from the 4th century (please note: the interior of the cathedral is closed for restoration - reopening scheduled for 2021). The "Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians" has his residence in Etchmiadzin.
For those interested, it is possible to attend the Sunday Eucharistic celebration of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Church of St. Hripsime (please note: no seating available).
After lunch, return to Yerevan. The afternoon is free to stroll through the city and do some shopping. Every weekend, the "Vernissage" takes place, a large flea market, craft market and antique fair, where it is very pleasant to walk around.
Optional (additional charge and Sundays only): music show, dances and folk songs by the Tatoul Athounian group.
Heading South
Erevan → Khor Virap
We set off today onto the great plain of Ararat, under the ever-present gaze of the region's imposing peaks. Our first stop is the superb Khor Virap Monastery. Surrounded by vineyards and orchards, its privileged position on a hill dominated by the majesty of Mount Ararat delights photographers and all lovers of beautiful stone and wide open spaces.
Khor Virap → Vayots Dzor
Continuing eastward to the Vayots Dzor region. Along the way we pass through the village of Areni, known to be one of the cradles of wine. Here, everyone lives from this noble beverage, which is said to have been produced for over 6,000 years. We discover local production methods, some very artisanal, others more modern. We have lunch in Vayots Dzor and then explore the region, one of whose main sources of pride is undoubtedly the magnificent Noravank monastery, located in a gorge in the upper Amaghou valley. One of Arménie's greatest masterpieces.
Continuation towards the Syunik region, the southernmost part of the country, where we will discover Karahunj, a small village located a few kilometers south of the city of Goris. This place is home to one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the world, with some scientists dating its construction to 7500 BC. A stroll through this timeless site.
Dinner and night in Goris.
Canyon, Pass and Lake
Early morning visit of the old town of Goris. Goris is located in a sunken site at medium altitude dotted with rocky columns which earned it the name of Little Cappadocia.
35 kilometers of a winding road lead from Goris to Tatev, which houses the most important historical monument in Arménie, the Tatev monastery. A journey that is both historical and geographical since to reach the monastery we take the world's longest cable car, the Wings of Tatev, over 5 kilometers above the Vorotan canyon, in a breathtaking setting. The Tatev complex was a great cultural and university center.
Tatev → Selim Caravanserai
On the road north and to Lake Sevan we cross the Vayots Dzor region again and take a mountain road that passes through the Selim Pass. In addition to the superb views offered by this site, we are also able to observe a testimony to the medieval period of great commercial travels and caravans, in the form of the caravanserai best preserved in the country.
Selim Caravanserai → Noradouz
East of Yerevan and just a few nautical miles from the shores of Lake Sevan, the village of Norodouz is one of the oldest in the Gegharkunik region. It has a very beautiful and ancient church, but its main attraction is undoubtedly its exceptional cemetery of medieval tombs featuring several hundred khachkars (stone steles with sculpted crosses).
Lake Sevan is for its part a vast expanse of water two and a half times the size of Lake Léman. At 1900 meters above sea level, it is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world. In this exceptional geographical setting, we visit in particular the churches of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Mother of God.
The monasteries of the Alaverdi region
Route for Alaverdi, a small mining town in the north located about fifteen kilometers as the crow flies from Georgia.
A few kilometers east of Alaverdi, we admire the Haghpat Monastery, built between the 10th and 13th centuries and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After lunch at Haghpat, visit of the second monastery in the region listed as a World Heritage Site: the Sanahin Monastery, which successively passed throughout its history from the hands of the Kiurikian to those of the Zakarides and then the Arghoutian. Like the Haghpat Monastery, it is an exceptional representative of Armenian religious architecture of the 10th-13th centuries.
Last day in Yerevan
In the morning the visit of the Museum of History of Arménie allows us to put into perspective the various discoveries we made during our trip.
After lunch we visit the largest church in Arménie, the Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, built from 1997 to 2001 to commemorate the 1700 years of the adoption of Christianity as the state religion.
Finally, we have a little time left to visit the dried fruit market, stroll around and do a bit of shopping.
Have a good trip!
Price per person
This trip can be tailored to your preferences
This itinerary provides an excellent foundation for discovery, but it can be fully customized. Our local advisors build each trip tailored to your budget, dates and preferences.
Not included
- Flight tickets and insurance
- Lunches and dinners
- Alcoholic beverages and personal expenses
- The spiritual music concert at Gueghard – €85 total
- The Tatul Altunyan concert – €15 per person to be paid on site in cash
- Tips for guides, drivers and porters
- Everything that is not mentioned in the inclusions
Included
- Airport-hotel-airport transfers with driver in Arménie
- Private and air-conditioned comfortable transportation throughout the circuit (minivan for 2 to 4 participants and sprinter for 5 to 10 participants)
- The services of an English-speaking guide throughout the tour for the visits mentioned in the program
- Accommodation in double/twin rooms in 4-star hotels with breakfast in Yerevan, Goris, Dilijan and Sevan as per the itinerary
- Entrance tickets to the sites, monuments, and museums mentioned in the programme
- The Tatev Aerial Tramway
Practical Information
Registration is considered firm and final after payment of a deposit of 30% of the total price and acceptance of the specific terms of sale.
The balance must be paid no later than 45 days before the departure date.
See our specific terms of sale for full details.
In the event of cancellation by the traveller, the following fees apply:
- Plus de 60 jours avant le départ : 40 % du prix total (acompte retenu)
- Entre 60 et 30 jours avant le départ : 50 % du prix total
- Moins de 30 jours avant le départ : 100 % du prix total
We strongly recommend taking out cancellation insurance. See our specific terms of sale for full details.
Les informations ci-dessous concernent les voyageurs ressortissants de l'Espace économique européen (EEE), de la Suisse et du Canada se rendant en Arménie dans le cadre d'un séjour touristique. Les règles d'entrée pouvant évoluer, nous vous recommandons de vérifier les informations auprès des autorités officielles avant votre départ.
Passeport
Pour entrer en Arménie, votre passeport doit être valide pendant toute la durée du séjour et comporter au moins une page vierge pour les tampons d'immigration.
Le document doit être en bon état (pas de pages détériorées, déchirées ou modifiées).
Séjour touristique sans visa
Les ressortissants de l'Espace économique européen, de la Suisse et du Canada bénéficient d'une exemption de visa pour les séjours touristiques en Arménie.
Cette exemption permet un séjour pouvant aller jusqu'à 180 jours par an sur le territoire arménien, sans démarche préalable nécessaire.
Les autorités peuvent également demander :
un billet de sortie du territoire (vol retour ou continuation),
une preuve de ressources financières suffisantes pour la durée du séjour,
une adresse d'hébergement en Arménie.
Enregistrement auprès des autorités locales
Tout voyageur séjournant en Arménie est en principe tenu de s'enregistrer auprès des autorités locales dans les 20 jours suivant son arrivée. En pratique, cette formalité est généralement prise en charge directement par l'hôtel ou l'établissement d'hébergement, qui procède à l'enregistrement au nom du voyageur.
En cas de logement chez un particulier ou dans un hébergement non professionnel, il convient de s'assurer que cette démarche est bien effectuée, sous peine d'une amende lors de la sortie du territoire.
Voyage avec des enfants
Les mineurs doivent être titulaires de leur propre passeport valide couvrant la durée du séjour.
Dans certains pays européens, lorsqu'un mineur voyage sans l'un de ses parents, une autorisation de sortie du territoire peut être exigée selon la réglementation du pays de résidence.
Autres nationalités
Les conditions d'entrée peuvent varier selon la nationalité. Les voyageurs concernés doivent se renseigner auprès de l'ambassade ou du consulat d'Arménie de leur pays de résidence.
Pour participer à nos voyages, il est fortement conseillé d'être assuré en assistance-rapatriement et frais médicaux à l’étranger.
Votre agence locale vous encourage à prendre connaissance du contrat spécifique élaboré avec notre partenaire CHAPKA ASSURANCES et AXA ASSISTANCE.
Pour souscrire à une assurance, connaître les garanties et les tarifs, suivez le lien ci-dessous.
CAP EXPLORER : La solution d’assurance complète conçue pour vivre sereinement votre voyage !
Choisissez la formule qui vous correspond le mieux:
Explorer'Multirisque
Explorer'Annulation
Explorer'Assistance
Explorer' Complémentaire Carte Bancaire
Spécifiques à nos voyages, nous suggérons fortement d’y souscrire.
Si vous choisissez de souscrire à l’une de ces formules, la convention détaillant l’ensemble des garanties et les modalités de déclaration du sinistre sont disponibles sur le site Internet de l'assureur.
Votre agence locale en aura connaissance, mais seul le participant est responsable du respect des procédures de déclaration de tout sinistre. Le participant doit donc conserver cette convention avec lui pendant toute la durée de son voyage.
Chapka — Cap Explorer
Our insurance partnerTravel with peace of mind with our partner Chapka. Cancellation, repatriation, medical expenses, baggage… All the coverage for a worry-free trip.
Travel with peace of mind — I'll handle the insuranceFrequently asked questions
For a tourist stay in Armenia, no visa is required. A valid passport for at least 3 months after your return date is sufficient. Always check the latest conditions with the consular authorities of your destination before departure.
Go to the My Trips section to find all your projects.
You can send a message to your host directly from the Tea Lounge.
For a quality tailor-made trip, expect between 110 and 180 euros per day and per person, including accommodation, meals, internal transport and activities. International flights (400-700 euros round-trip from Paris) are additional. Armenia remains one of the most affordable destinations in the Caucasus.
Your documents are accessible in the Documents tab of your trip.
Absolutely. We tailor each itinerary to suit travelers' profiles. For families, we prioritize relaxed pacing, family-friendly accommodations, engaging educational activities, and comfortable private transfers. Our local English-speaking guides know how to capture children's attention with age-appropriate anecdotes.
It's simple. You exchange with our local team to define your wishes, budget and dates. You receive a detailed itinerary proposal within 48 hours. You adjust every detail together until you reach the perfect version. You confirm and travel with peace of mind. Your local agency remains available 7 days a week throughout your trip.
In case of emergency, contact your local agency immediately.
Payment is generally made in two installments.
Our agency is part of the Nomadays network, registered in France. You benefit from APST (Professional Tourism Solidarity Association) guarantee which covers 100% of your funds. Secure payment, repatriation insurance included, and English-speaking assistance 24/7 on site throughout your stay.
Let's talk about your adventure — Yerevan and Ararat Plain
Travel Creator Between Memory and Mountains, based in Arménie
Armenia is a land of memory, but also of life and human warmth. What I love is seeing travelers discover this energy far beyond the ideas they had before coming.
— Lilith
