Being located on average 1800 m. above sea, Armenia is an interesting and inspirational destination for hiking-lovers. Within these 10-days hiking tour we have gathered the best of what will amaze and intrigue in Armenia. Hiking tour covers the most eye-catching sites, and peaks starting from easy trails up to the highest mountains of the country. High locations, inconsistent terrains, mind-blowing views over the mountains will provide unforgettable memories and experiences, while the hidden historical artefacts and monuments will also train our brain and memory muscles.
| Guaranteed Dates | Availability | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May - 06 Jun | 10 seats left | €1,540 | |
| 18 Jun - 27 Jun | 13 seats left | €1,494 | |
| 09 Jul - 18 Jul | 11 seats left | €1,540 | |
| 22 Aug - 31 Aug | 13 seats left | €1,494 | |
| 10 Sep - 19 Sep | 13 seats left | €1,540 |
Welcome on board, hikers! Welcome to Armenia – a perfect country for hiking! On the first day we will have an amazing chance to start our hiking from one of the oldest monuments of Armenia – the pagan temple Garni – the only surviving trace of long forgotten history of Armenian Paganism. Due to its location on the edge of a gorge, Garni will amaze us with its outstanding view over the mountains, Khosrov State Reserve and the river on which it is located. However, our time is running, and without losing a minute we will go on the tour already on foot. Right under the pagan temple another surprise, called “Symphony of Stones” is waiting for us. If the temple was a man made architectural gem, then “Symphony of Stones” is a natural masterpiece, which gives the impression of a musical instrument – organ. After admiring this natural beauty, we will go on with our hiking, because believe us, Armenia will surprise us even more. Despite the fact that the hike will be filled with stunning views, admiring spots, and a 13th century Armenian mediaeval monastery, Havuts Tar is waiting for us to announce the end of the first hiking day. By being immersed into the everlasting loneliness and surrounded by breathtaking nature the monastery represents ancient mediaeval engravings and cross-stones, which have been recognized as some of the best examples of Armenian across-stones. The return will be the same way.
What about feeling for a day like Moses passing through the Red sea with Jewish nation? That is where our tour will take our adventure-seeking souls. The answer is simple – The Angels’ Canyon. As the story goes on, there was a river flowing through the canyon which changed its direction in times and left a remarkable beautiful masterpiece to admire. If the “Symphony of Stones” was a result of volcanic eruption, then Canyon is a river’s footprint on the Earth. See! Nature plays its game in Armenia. Small in its sizes but this unrepeatable canyon comprised of yellow-red rocks and boulders, besides its natural beauty and mysterious look also has a healing power – a healing mineral water in the area of the Canyon. Isn’t this fantastic? After hiking, transfer to Yeghegadzor town for rest and overnight. Vayots Dzor region is well known for its wine production; make sure to buy some good wines from wineries nearby.
As our adventure-seeking souls are still looking for adventures, we will already try to climb the high mountains. Back in times the Armenian highlands have been associated with God. The higher the church or the temple was, the more frequently God would hear their prayers. That is where we will be leading ourselves to. Starting from the Vernashen village we will forward our steps to the Spitakavor Monastery, located among high mountains; its trail is not as easy-peasy as the trail to Angels’ Canyon. Despite all the difficulties the tour will not disappoint us. Thanks to those mind-blowing rocks and gorges, we will get an amazing opportunity not only to admire the flora of the region but also to meet with bezoar goats which are native to Armenia. Can you imagine? The destination, Spitakavor Monastery, will only add to the topic. Of course at the monastery complex, we will spend some time exploring the main church and its detailed sculptures and reliefs. This is going to be a trip full of cultural and regional exploration.
While completing our tour, we could not leave aside the pearl of Armenia – Lake Sevan and its mountains. That is why we are offering a unique hiking tour on Mount Armaghan which is an extinct volcano near to the lake Sevan. The hiking will differ from the others thanks to its difficulty. However, its beauty and mind-blowing view over Geghama Mountains and the largest lake of Armenia will make us forget about its height and difficulty. But don’t expect us to stop here. Armenia is not just simply about mountains, hikes and monasteries. We cannot forget about our tastiest cuisine ever and the cheese comes to play its important role. We all together will be led to a family cheese farm where we have an opportunity to taste locally made cheeses aged in wine and brandy. In the evening take a scenic drive along lake Sevan to Dilijan where our hotel is located.
If in the first part of our hiking we walked mainly in bare mountains and rocky canyons, this day is totally the opposite. We will explore a forest trail in the Tavush region, and will walk in the dense forest to Lastiver Waterfalls. The path is easy but provides spectacular views to the surrounding mountains. Sometimes the trail lies right at the edge of the bottomless canyon, where we walk to admire the Lastiver waterfalls. Down here we will have a shortstop and opportunity to enjoy herbal tea. We will hike back to the trailhead to Yell Extreme Park which provides a large variety of activities such as rope-park, horse riding and the longest Zip-Line in Armenia. Evening we will drive to Dsegh village for rest and overnight.
As the days are passing, as many times the hikes become more difficult and long. Now it is the turn to discover northern Armenia – the region Lori. The region itself is full of geographical ups and downs, and our trail is going to be moderate. A really small village, named by one of the greatest Armenian writers, will declare the beginning of the trail which will lead us to the most famous village of the Lori region. The tour will be filled with breathtaking valleys, stunning mountains and, of course, our inseparable partner of the tour, the river Debed – the craziest and most famous river of the region. We will have a stop at the 13th century Bardzrakash St. Gregory Monastery. The church is now in ruins, however back in times it was the most important point for the region’s gatherings. The trail will find its end in the village Dsegh, which is famous for its awesome traditions, dances, people and cultural potential hidden among the mountains.
What about taking a break from difficult hikes and just enjoying a leisurely walk at Aparan water reservoir loop! Being totally cut from villages and roads makes this place a heaven for birds and some small animals. During this hike you will possibly visit the ruins of Saint Poghos Petros church, which is surrounded by water in the springtime when the reservoir is full after the snowfall. The surrounding pain tree forest, towering peaks of Mount Aragats in the horizon and the blue water mirror gives a special tranquillity to this area. We will enjoy our boxed lunch here to enjoy nature and silence. Evening we will drive to Yerevan to our hotel and get prepared for the next day’s hike to Aragats Mount.
So this is the time for all of us to challenge ourselves by trying the highest peak of the country – Mount Aragats. Though our trail will start from 3250 m above the sea level, the trail will be filled with snowy and fresh weather depending on the season. Starting from the area near the Lake Kari (Stone Lake) which is greatly accentuated by the surrounding alpine meadows, mountainous fresh air, varied flowers and by the view of the snowy peaks of Aragats, we will start our concurring journey towards the southern peak of Aragats. As the area is cold and isolated it is unlikely to meet any people above there. In any case after hiking for 3 and more hours, we will find ourselves rewarded with unforgettable landscapes of a huge crater and the other 3 peaks. On clear days Aragats Southern summit provides an excellent view on Biblical Mount Ararat.
As the famous saying goes: “The desert at the end, please!” The capital Yerevan, by being the pink marvel of Armenia, is impatient for us to walk through its streets and find out its cultural masterpieces. By being the oldest city in the world, Yerevan is fully admired with the help of Mother Armenia statue, located on a high hill. The monument will impress us with its symbolism to Armenia, its people and a stunning view over the city. Yerevan is not Yerevan without Cascade Complex and Northern Avenue, which will discover the most modern and stylish Yerevan filled with modern cafes, restaurants, shops and design, in general. This short walk from Cascade to Northern Avenue will take us to the Republic Square- the heartbeat of the capital. The day is not fully done, since we have not yet discovered the largest wine factory in Armenia, Ararat brandy with its consequent museum. Later in the evening, surely a farewell dinner will be ready for us.
Transfer to the airport, departure.
Armenia was happy to have you here and keep in mind Armenia will continue to amaze you despite how many times you have been here.
The way to know a small country like Armenia
This was my first trip after the pandemic, so I booked a tour to be in nature, out from buildings, museums etc, and I was not mistaken. I travelled to Armenia in October 2022 and took a Hiking trip to Armenia. I booked a guaranteed date trip as I didn’t want to travel alone but rather be in a small group. I was happy to share a room with Cheryll from the UK. There were 5 of us from NZ, The Netherlands and The UK. A full itinerary, but a relaxing pace and beautiful hotels (don’t really think you need to upgrade unless you are terribly choosy!) A satisfying mix of history, culture, landscape and wildlife and we appreciated the hikes. If you feel comfortable in 18-23 degrees C, do book tour in fall as the sceneries look just amazing. Lastiver waterfall trail was the absolute highlight, as the hike goes through forest and trees are of hundred colours from green to yellow, orange, fair red, purple. Guide Arthur was friendly and funny with a lot of jokes. Kaghni Hotel in Dsegh village provides outstanding wild views. Thanks Cascade Travel, especially Nune for this amazing trip, always know you have a friend in NZ :).
I did this tour in September 2022 and would highly recommend it. The agency organized it in a way that you will not be feeling overwhelmed with difficult trails, though the last days hike to Aragats Southern peak is not that easy. Anyway I liked it much. Its Northern peak is the highest point of country and though we hiked to the Southern still views were just breathtaking. Overall tour is well balanced and a good thing that all lunch boxes are cared for and no hustle with that. Diners we offered at the hotels quite cheap and tasty.
The week was absolutely amazing and perfect from start to finish. We had a great group mixed from US, Australia and Canada. Every day hike was absolutely different from each other, from red rock canyon to a forest lake and waterfall, terrain was absolutely amazing and thanks to its difference we didn’t get tired as every day we were amazed by fantastic landscape. The accommodation was chosen thoroughly, we stayed in a family run guesthouse in Yegeghnadzor, the owner was also a winemaker, who joined us for the dinner. We tasted a couple of wines and enjoyed an evening chat with Armen. Our guide Arthur was very knowledgeable not only in hiking trails but also told us a lot about the country. We were especially interested in how the country lives nowadays, taxes, labour market etc. I would definitely recommend Cascade travel as we had the most hustle free travel in the last 10 years.
A true Armenian experience!
This trip was an outstanding experience as well as a great value. For me it was the perfect combination of engaging conversations, historic and cultural background and endless mountains cascading in the horizon. We did and saw a lot, but had time to explore on our own as well as just relax. The variety of the itinerary was also a plus – visiting age-old monasteries, small towns and remote rural areas. I was surprised to see a small cheese farm, producing delicate cheeses aged in wine and brandy. Hikes were moderate and each day was absolutely different from the previous. We walked along the water reservoir and saw the monastery which is half a year old and covered with water. Aragats southern peak was also an impressive hike. Clean, comfortable, and cosy hotels definitely added value to our trip. Staff everywhere was very friendly, true Armenian style. I read a lot about Armenian hospitality before travelling but never thought people would be this open. Overall Armenia is a heaven for hikers and we were happy enough to choose a right travel agency, to really enjoy and not worry about anything. Cascade travel is highly recommended.
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