We had 7 Days in Armenia with monasteries and hiking in the Gegham Mountains in September 2025, and in this post we share our road trip and hiking adventure: sunrise at Khor Virap with Mount Ararat glowing behind it, the red cliffs of Noravank, quiet nights on the shores of Lake Sevan, the classical lines of Garni Temple, the rock-hewn Geghard Monastery, and three unforgettable days hiking across the volcanic Gegham Mountains.
Day 1 — Khor Virap and Noravank Monasteries
We arrived at 4.30 am while it was still dark. We picked up our rantal car from Sixt, and had plenty of time to drive to Khor Virap Monastery to enjoy the sunrise over Mount Ararat and the Monastery. It was nice and warm and we enjoyed the changing colors of the landscape before we went to see the Monastery.
Khor Virap is famous for Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who was imprisoned in a 6-meter-deep pit for 13 years. Legend says he survived until he healed the king, leading Armenia to become the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD. We descended into the pit via a steep ladder—it’s hard to imagine surviving in such conditions.
After exploring the monastery, we drove to the wine town of Areni and checked in early at Areni Wine Art. The staff kindly found a room for us, and we caught up on some much-needed sleep.
By midday, we were ready for a 6 km hike to Noravank Monastery, beautifully situated among red cliffs and dry scrubland. The trail was quiet, with birds and lizards darting through the brush. The area is a nature reserve, home to leopards and bears—though we didn’t meet any of the larger animals. The temperature was above 30°C, and it was warm in the sun. Luckily we had a dry breeze.
Later we visited Areni-1 Cave (“Bird Cave”), where archaeologists found the world’s oldest leather shoe (~5,000 years) and early winemaking installations (~6,000 years). Armenia’s wine story runs deep here.
We ended with a delicious Armenian dinner in the garden, tasting wines made at Areni Wine Art.
Day 2 — Shaki Waterfall and Khndzoresk Cave City
After breakfast, we set off towards Goris, driving through dramatic gorges and climbing to Vorotan Pass, where dry grasslands stretched endlessly. The landscape changed quickly, and the views were stunning. Beyond the pass, the dry grasslands gave way to the blue sheet of Spandaryan Reservoir, shining in the sun.
A short drive later, we arrived at Shaki Waterfall, an 18-meter cascade set in a lush valley. It was Sunday, and the area was full of Armenian families enjoying picnics. Despite the crowds, the waterfall was breathtaking.
Next, we visited Zorats Karer, often called Armenia’s Stonehenge. The site features large stones arranged in circles and rows, some over 3 meters tall. Dating back at least 4,000 years, people speculate about the purpose, possibly astronomical or ceremonial.
As we approached Goris, clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped from over 30°C to a pleasant 24°C. The change was refreshing after a hot day.
In the afternoon, we explored Khndzoresk Cave City, inhabited until the 1950s. The caves are carved into the hillsides, and stills has a functioning church. It was fun to walk the small paths and imagine life here decades ago.
We checked in at Khoreayi Dzor in Goris, a charming guesthouse with views of Old Goris and a garden full of flowers. A peaceful end to a full day.
Day 3 — Tatev Monastery and Orbelian Caravanserai
From Goris, we drove further south on a winding road through a gorgeous canyon that took as to Tatev Monastery. Tatev means “give me wings” in Armenian, and as the monastery has a beautiful location at the top of a mountain, many myths suggest explanations for the name. The church is in use, and we met priests going about their business.
After visiting Tatev, we retraced our route back toward Areni. The road was quiet, except for Iranian trucks making their way through the mountains. The drive was long but scenic, with golden hills and distant peaks.
Near Yeghegnadzor, we turned north toward Lake Sevan. On the way, we stopped at Orbelian Caravanserai at Vardenyats pass, one of the best-preserved Silk Road caravanserais. The caravanserais were part of the trade network, and were inns within a days march of each other, where caravans could rest for a day. Orbelian’s is built in stone, and it’s easy to imagine the bustle of traders and camels resting here centuries ago.
The road continued to Sevan lake, located 2000 m above sea level. We headed towards the east shore which is less developed than the west. We checked in at Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel at 16:30 and went straight to the pool to enjoy the afternoon sun.
After many hours in the car it was nice to walk to the lakeshore. The wind had calmed down, and we were treated with a perfect sunset. Across the lake we could see the mountains where we would be hiking soon. In the hotel restaurant we had a very delicious dinner.
Day 4 — Lake Sevan to Garni: Columns & Rock-Hewn Faith
We had a two hour drive to Yerevan, where we needed to buy a pair of hiking shoes for Peter. I accidentally packed Tobias’, which are 2 sizes too small. The benefit was that it also allowed us to buy a camping gas for our Jetboil instead of using gasoline for our multifuel stove. We got excellent service at camp.am.
From Yerevan it was a one our drive to Garni to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Garni Temple. The temple is beautifully located on the edge of Garni gorge with magnificent views of Symphony of Stones. The temple is from the 1st century AC and the remains of a church is seen next to it.
Symphony of Stones is hexagonal basalt columns on both sides of Garni Gorge. It was impressive to see such a massive amount of basalt columns and it reminded us of Devils Tower in the US and Organ Pipes in Iceland.
Geghard Monastery was beautifully situated in the gorge. It is partly carved out of the rocks and it is richly decorated. The name translates to Monastery of the Spear as it once housed the Spear of Longinus, which was used to wound Jesus during the crucifixion.
We checked in at Garni Hinyard and had an afternoon swim in the pool. The hotel is on the busy road leading into Garni. The road was being re-built, and it was a dusty and noisy dirt road during our stay.
Days 5–7 — Trekking the Gegham Mountains
Our 3-day hile in the Gegham mountains was a highlight of the trip, and we have written a separate post about the hike.
Day 7 – Yerevan
We reached Geghard village at 10:30, and drove to Yerevan. The room we had booked at Daniel boutique hotel was not ready for early check-in, but we were kindly upgraded to a larger room that was ready immediately. We emptied our backpacks to allow everything to dry, flooding the room with gear.
After a highly anticipated shower we set out to explore Yerevan. We found Northern Avenue, which might be the only pedestrian street in a city where the car is king. We had Armenian snacks and walked towards the Cascades, a Soviet era staircase towards a friendship monument.
From the top of the Cascades there are views to Ararat and the city below.
We were passing time, and bought a few bottles of Armenian wine before dinner. It was warm and we sat outside enjoying another delicious meal of Armenian appetizers.
At 2:00 the alarm clock signaled that it was time to go to the airport for our 4:45 flight. It was a smooth process to return the Renault Sandero to Sixt and pass immigration. The flights with Austrian were on time, and we were now heading home after great days in Armenia.