Mount Aragats: Climb the highest peak of Armenia
Armenia offers stunning trekking routes and open-air scenery, and most importantly, they are still devoid of the typical crowdedness of the Alps or even Svaneti.
We offer trekking lightly through Armenia's most beautiful mountainous regions, sightseeing in Yerevan, and for the most persistent - an attempt to climb one of the peaks of Aragats (4090 meters above sea level), Armenia's highest mountain.
The mountains are not everything. We will have the opportunity to come into contact with the extraordinary Armenian culture and history, we will visit the most beautiful Armenian sacred monuments - the monasteries of Haghpat (UNESCO), Sanahin (UNESCO), Goshavank, and Geghard (UNESCO) located in the beautiful valley of the Azat river. In addition to the sights and active trekking, as usual we offer interaction with local culture, cuisine and customs. Most nights will be spent in the homes of hospitable Armenian hosts, who will proudly tell you about the centuries-old traditions of Europe's oldest Christian country.
Join us for a trek in Armenia!
Dates of tours
| Number | Difficulty | Date | Duration | Price | Remarks | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN-187(1)-24 | 2-3 | 22.06.2024 to 03.07.2024 | 12 |
1690 EUR |
CONFIRMED! without Aragats |
Book now! |
| EN-187(2)-24 | 2-3 | 22.06.2024 to 27.07.2024 | 16 |
1890 EUR |
CONFIRMED! with Aragats |
Book now! |
| EN-186(1)-24 | 2-3 | 15.08.2024 to 26.08.2024 | 12 |
1690 EUR |
without Aragats |
Book now! |
| EN-186(2)-24 | 2-3 | 15.08.2024 to 30.08.2024 | 16 |
1890 EUR |
with Aragats |
Book now! |
ITINERARY:
DAY 1
Meeting at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw. Overnight flight to Armenia.
DAY 2
Early morning arrival in Yerevan - transfer by bus to the north of Armenia. Breakfast, a moment's rest, and we begin our Armenian adventure from Haghpat Monastery - one of Armenia's four UNESCO World Heritage sites. Warm-up trek to Sanahin Monastery. We will walk about 7 km, with the town of Alaverdi and the Debet River canyon below us. Overnight in Dilijan, one of the most famous spa towns in the former USSR.
DAY 3
Trekking in Dilijan National Park. We will walk about 10 km, visiting two remarkable Armenian Christian monuments. First, we will visit Hagarcin Monastery, or "eagle's nest," perched on a rock amid coniferous forests, and then take a beautiful route in the Parz Lake area to reach Goshavank Monastery, where we will see, among other things, the needle khachkhar, perhaps the most beautiful of all Armenian tombstones. In the evening we will reach the tiny village of Martuni, and our local hosts.
DAY 4
We are starting to do some serious walking! A full day walk to the Armenian sea - the mountainous Lake Sevan. This is a beautiful trekking route! We may have the opportunity to taste the delicious Sevan crayfish. Overnight in the town of Vardenis.
DAY 5
In the first half of the day we go on a 10 km trek to Armaghan (2829 m), an extinct volcano at the southern end of the Gegham Mountains. Armaghan is known for its open spaces and the lake filling the volcanic crater. We will head to the village of Artabuynk via the Vardanyants pass with the Selim caravanserai (2410m). We will walk up (about 7 km) to the Tsakhats Kar monastery located on top of the mountain, descend to the ruins of the Smbataberd fortress and to the tiny cemetery of Mountainous Jews in the village of Yeghegis. At sunset we will visit the two-story Noravank Monastery. Overnight in the town of Yeghegnadzor in the province of Vayots Dzor.
DAY 6
We remain in the province of Vayots Dzor. Trekking to the picturesque extinct volcano Vayots Sar (2582m), rising high above the mountain plateau. We have 16 km to walk through the open spaces and pastures covering the slopes of the volcano. Return to Yeghegnadzor.
DAY 7
Drive to Jermuk, a resort famous for the best Armenian mineral water and from there trek in the Arpa River valley. Amidst amazing views, we will go towards the characteristic monastery of Gndevank (about 10 km). We will then drive through the Vorotan pass to Syunik province. If there is enough time, we will visit Zorats Karer, or "Armenian Stonehenge". Overnight in the vicinity of Tatev monastery.
DAY 8
Visiting Tatev Monastery and riding the world's longest revolving cable car. Trekking from Tatev into the depths of the Vorotan River canyon, among vertical walls several hundred meters high. Overnight stay near Tatev.
DAY 9
Drive to the village of Garni. Trekking through the valley of the Azat River, which will take us to the ancient Garni temple, reconstructed in the 20th century. We will also visit the rock-cut monastery of Geghard (UNESCO). Overnight in Garni.
DAY 10
Expedition to Azhdahak (3597 meters above sea level). We will approach the beginning of the trail to the summit by 4x4 vehicles. We will reach the heart of the Gegham Mountains of volcanic origin, occupying a vast area between Lake Sevan and Yerevan. We will cover a total of 18 kilometers on foot. Evening in the capital of Armenia - Yerevan.
DAY 11
Tour of Yerevan. We will see the Cascade museum of modern art. We will visit the house-museum of director Sergei Parajanov. We will walk through the Old City with the Blue Mosque and the stylish artists' and antiques market Vernissage. We will visit Tsitsernakaberd, a memorial site with a shocking Armenian Genocide Museum. For those who wish, dinner in the center and an evening walk.
(For those with a deeper interest in Armenian history, we offer a tour of the repository of ancient Armenian manuscripts Matenadaran and the Museum of Armenian History with the National Gallery. A trip to the Ararat or Noy cognac distilleries is also possible).
DAY 12
Participants of the shorter variant will go to the airport. They will fly to Warsaw.
Participants of the longer variant will set off early in the morning towards the Aragats massif. Acclimatization trekking. Overnight at a guesthouse on Lake Kari Lich.
DAY 13
Attempt to climb one of the peaks of Aragats (south or west). Overnight stay at a guesthouse.
DAY 14
Depending on the weather and the group's form - a third day of trekking in the Aragats massif or trekking in the area of Amberd Fortress and the Byurakan Astronomical Observatory. Evening return to Yerevan.
DAY 15
Depending on the flight schedule: early morning return to Poland or additional sightseeing. For those willing, at the end of the Armenian adventure, trekking in the vicinity of Yerevan or visiting Etchmiadzin - the historic religious center of Armenia and Zvartnots, the unique ruins of an early Christian cathedral (UNESCO).
(DAY 16
Early in the morning, transfer to the airport and flight back home.)
PRICE INCLUDES:
• return flight ticket with all fees
• checked baggage and carry-on baggage according to the weight limit of the airline
• care of an English-speaking guide
• transport by air-conditioned minibus
• accommodation
• board: breakfast daily, lunch packages and dinners outside of cities
• information packages and maps
• obligatory insurance guarantee for the travel agency
• insurance of accident insurance and KL and luggage insurance up to 200 Euro
• a mandatory fee for the State Tourist Guarantee Fund (TFG) for each person
• mandatory payment to the state Tourist Fund for Assistance (TFP) for each person.
• insurance against contracting the virus (COVID-19) while abroad
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
• dinners in Yerevan and Geghard (about 20-50 EUR)
• entry fees for paid monuments (around EUR 15)
• Covid-19 test (if applicable)
FLIGHT:
The place of departure is WARSAW. In case you wish to travel from another destination or book flights on your own, please contact us for price quotation for this trip.
ACCOMODATION:
During the trip we will be accommodated in the houses of Armenian hosts, which have been adapted to receive foreign tourists. Bathroom and toilet shared by several rooms. The rooms are double rooms (however, a group of friends or individual travelers of the same sex can also be accommodated in triple or quadruple rooms). For those willing, there is the possibility of a single room at an extra charge of 250EUR per stay. In Yerevan we will sleep in a hotel. During the trek we will sleep in a guesthouse (those interested can sleep in their own tents).
FOOD:
The price of the tour includes breakfast each day, and when staying in guest houses, dinner is also provided. During treks, participants receive lunch packages or the guide organizes a shared lunch in the field. Armenian cuisine is famous for its dishes - both meat (shashlik) and vegetarian (marinated eggplants, salads). In large cities (Yerevan), dinner is not included in the price. Each participant can independently decide how he wants to spend his time and what kind of food he prefers. The guide will, of course, for those willing, organize dinner or recommend places.
TRANSPORT:
We will have a comfortable minibus with air conditioning available during the whole trip.
GROUP:
We travel in small groups. The minimum number of people on the trip is 6, maximum 15/16.
WEATHER:
An ideal time for an active tour of Armenia is from June to the beginning of October. Temperatures decrease as altitude increases. In the high Caucasus mountains at night, the temperature can drop to 10 degrees C. In Armenia, the climate is dry, continental, in summer practically no rainfall. At the turn of September and October, the temperature in the Aragats massif at night may drop to 0 degrees.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• The itinerary may change depending on the date of departure, weather and other factors.
• Learn more about general conditions of participation and find out how to sign up for a trip.
• Attention! In case of the introduction of restrictions that prevent the implementation of the tour, we will refund 100% of the money paid up to 7 days from the date of cancellation of the tour.
• The organizer of the trip is Active Travel Agency Barents.pl
