4-Day Private Armenia Tour from Yerevan: Garni, Geghard, Sevan & Noravank
Yerevan4 days
- Free cancellation
About this experience
See the best of Armenia in four days without planning a thing. Your driver meets you at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport, and for the next four days your own car and English-speaking guide take you through the pink-stone capital, up to the Temple of Garni and the rock-cut monastery of Geghard, to the shores of Lake Sevan and south through the Ararat Valley to Khor Virap and Noravank. You stay all three nights in the same 4-star hotel in central Yerevan, so there is no packing and unpacking between days.
Highlights
Climb the Cascade for the view across Yerevan to Mount Ararat
Stand in the colonnade of the Temple of Garni, built in the first century
Walk into the rock-cut chapels of Geghard Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Watch lavash, Armenia's thin flatbread, baked in a clay tonir oven
See Mount Ararat rise behind Khor Virap Monastery, weather permitting
Visit Areni-1, the cave of the world's oldest known winery, and the red-rock gorge of Noravank
Your four days
Day 1, Yerevan: arrive, check in, then an afternoon city tour: the Cascade, Republic Square, Mother Armenia in Victory Park and the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial.
Day 2, Garni, Geghard and Lake Sevan: the Temple of Garni and the basalt columns of the Garni Gorge, a lavash demonstration, Geghard Monastery, then Sevanavank above Lake Sevan.
Day 3, the Ararat Valley: Khor Virap in front of Mount Ararat, the Areni-1 cave, the wine village of Areni and Noravank Monastery in its red-rock gorge.
Day 4, Etchmiadzin and departure: Etchmiadzin Cathedral and the ruins of Zvartnots, both on the way to the airport, then your private transfer to your flight.
Private from start to finish
It is only ever you and your own group, with no strangers and no shared coach. Your guide sets the pace around you, stops wherever you want a photo, and can suggest good places for lunch along the way.
Next available dates
What’s included
- Parking fees
- Entry / admission fee
- 3 nights in a 4-star hotel in central Yerevan, with daily breakfast
- Private airport transfers on arrival and departure
- English-speaking guide on days 1 to 4
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all touring, including fuel and parking
- Entry to the Temple of Garni and the Areni-1 cave
- Lavash-baking demonstration with tasting
- Bottled water in the vehicle
Not included
- International flights and visas
- Lunches and dinners
- Wine tasting in Areni (optional, paid locally)
- Early check-in and late check-out
- Travel insurance
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Personal expenses
Itinerary
- 1
Arrival and Yerevan city tour
Arrival: your driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Zvartnots International Airport with a sign bearing your name, and drives you to your 4-star hotel in central Yerevan, about 20 minutes away. The Cascade: in the afternoon, climb the Cascade, a giant limestone stairway lined with modern sculpture (escalators run inside it), for the view across the city to Mount Ararat. Republic Square and Victory Park: see the pink-stone buildings of Republic Square, then drive up to the Mother Armenia statue in Victory Park. Tsitsernakaberd: finish at the Armenian Genocide Memorial and its eternal flame, on a hill above the city. The evening is free. Overnight in Yerevan.
- 2
Garni, Geghard and Lake Sevan
Temple of Garni: drive east into the hills to the Temple of Garni, built in the first century and the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded temple in Armenia, above the gorge of the Azat River. Symphony of Stones: walk down into the Garni Gorge to see its cliffs of hexagonal basalt columns. Lavash: watch a local family bake lavash, Armenia's paper-thin flatbread, in an underground tonir oven, and taste it warm. Geghard Monastery: continue up the valley to Geghard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose chapels are carved out of the mountain itself. Lake Sevan: cross the mountains to Lake Sevan, the largest lake in the Caucasus, at about 1,900 metres, and climb to the ninth-century churches of Sevanavank on their peninsula. Back in Yerevan in the evening. Overnight in Yerevan.
- 3
Khor Virap, Areni and Noravank
Khor Virap: drive south through the Ararat Valley to Khor Virap Monastery, where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was held in a pit for years before he converted Armenia's king to Christianity. On a clear day Mount Ararat fills the sky behind it. Areni-1 cave: visit the cave where archaeologists found the world's oldest known winery, around 6,000 years old, and the oldest known leather shoe. Areni village: stop in Armenia's best-known wine village, where a tasting at a family winery is optional. Noravank Monastery: end the day at 13th-century Noravank, known for its two-storey church and the carvings of the master sculptor Momik, at the head of a narrow gorge of red cliffs. Back in Yerevan in the evening. Overnight in Yerevan.
- 4
Etchmiadzin, Zvartnots and departure
Etchmiadzin Cathedral: after breakfast, visit Etchmiadzin, the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest cathedrals in the world, founded in the early fourth century. Zvartnots Cathedral: walk among the ruins of the seventh-century Zvartnots Cathedral, part of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site as Etchmiadzin. Departure: your driver takes you on to Zvartnots International Airport, a few minutes away, in time for your flight.
Good to know
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Guide
- Guided tour in English
- Start times
- 12:00
Know before you go
- A passport valid for your whole trip, and a visa if your nationality needs one for Armenia
- Comfortable walking shoes: the Garni Gorge and the monastery grounds are steep, rocky or uneven
- A warm layer for Lake Sevan, which is much cooler than Yerevan even in summer
- A scarf, and clothing that covers shoulders and knees, for church visits
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Some Armenian dram in cash
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 14 days before the experience starts.
- 14 days or more before: full refund
- 7–13 days before: 50% refund
- Less than 7 days before: no refund
Meeting point
View on map
Yerevan Airport (EVN) arrivals hall
- Address
- Zvartnots International Airport (EVN), arrivals hall, Yerevan, 0042, AM
- How you meet
- Meet on location
- Coordinates
- 40.14730, 44.39590
Illustrative map. Open it in Maps for the exact spot and live directions.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does this experience last?
It lasts 4 days.
Can I cancel this booking?
Free cancellation up to 14 days before the experience starts. 14 days or more before: full refund · 7–13 days before: 50% refund · Less than 7 days before: no refund
Is this experience guided, and in what language?
Guided tour in English
Is hotel pickup included?
No — you make your own way to the meeting point.
Where does this experience start?
It starts at Yerevan Airport (EVN) arrivals hall, Zvartnots International Airport (EVN), arrivals hall, Yerevan, 0042, AM.
From AED 4,627 per person
