from 5 reviews
5-6 hours
Daily Tour
Armenian, English, Russian
This private tour combines two of Armenia’s most iconic landmarks—Garni Temple and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Geghard Monastery—with one of the country’s oldest traditions: baking Unesco recognized lavash in a traditional tonir oven. While many visitors simply admire Armenia’s historic landmarks, this experience allows you to become part of its living culture through a hands-on lavash baking masterclass hosted by a local family. Lasting approximately 5–6 hours, the tour takes you through the beautiful Kotayk Province, just 40–50 minutes from Yerevan, offering the perfect blend of history, tradition, and authentic local hospitality.
1. The first stop is the Arch of Charents, also known as the Arch of Ararat — we make a brief stop at the Arch of Charents for the classic view of Mount Ararat before continuing to Garni.
2. The second stop is Garni Pagan Temple — Garni Temple sits at the edge of a canyon with a 200-meter drop below it. The view alone is worth the stop. Your guide will tell you the story of how it survived – while every other pagan monument in Armenia was destroyed after the adoption of Christianity in 301 AD, Garni was converted into a royal summer palace and saved. Today, Garni remains one of Armenia’s most visited landmarks, offering impressive architecture, fascinating history and panoramic views over the Azat Gorge.
3. The next stop is Geghard Monastery — Geghard is the stop that surprises people most. From the outside it looks like a fortress built into a cliff. Inside, part of the church is carved directly from the rock — the walls, the ceiling, the altar niches. The acoustics are extraordinary. If you are lucky, you will hear local singers performing inside, and the sound will stay with you long after the tour. After Geghard we drive to the lavash baking location, which is the part of this tour that makes it different from every other Garni-Geghard day trip.
4. The last stop is for a lavash baking experience, where you’ll learn the centuries-old Armenian technique of making lavash. You’ll take part in the rolling and stretching of the dough, bake your own lavash in a traditional tonir oven, and of course — taste it the Armenian way, wrapped with fresh herbs and cheese.
This tour is designed for travellers who want to experience Armenia beyond its monuments. Alongside visits to Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery, you’ll take part in a traditional lavash baking masterclass with a local family—an experience that adds Armenia’s living culinary heritage to a classic sightseeing route.
All private tours can be changed upon request.
Looking for a sightseeing-focused itinerary? Explore our Garni Geghard and Symphony of Stones tour.
You’ll learn how to prepare traditional Armenian lavash from start to finish. Together with a local host, you’ll roll and stretch the dough, bake it in a traditional clay tonir oven, and enjoy it fresh with local cheese, herbs, and matsun. The experience is fully hands-on, giving you the opportunity to take part in one of Armenia’s oldest culinary traditions.
Yes. The lavash baking experience is family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. Young travellers usually enjoy rolling the dough, watching the bread bake inside the tonir oven, and tasting freshly baked lavash. The activity takes place in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
This tour follows the classic route to the Arch of Charents, Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery, but also includes a traditional Armenian lavash baking masterclass with a local family. It offers the opportunity to combine Armenia’s most famous historical landmarks with one of its oldest culinary traditions, creating a more immersive cultural experience.
No. The entrance fee to Garni Temple (1,500 AMD per person) is not included in the tour price and can be added during the booking process.
Lavash is a traditional Armenian flatbread baked on the inner walls of a clay tonir oven. It has been part of Armenian culture and daily life for centuries. In 2014, UNESCO inscribed the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional Armenian lavash on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognising its cultural importance and role in Armenian family traditions.
No. The masterclass is designed for everyone, regardless of age or experience. A local host will guide you through each step, making it an enjoyable activity for couples, families, and first-time visitors alike.
Your private driver and guide meet you at your hotel in Yerevan. Garni and Geghard are just 40 km from the city - one of the closest great day trips from any capital in the region.
First stop at the most iconic pagan monument in Armenia - and the only surviving Hellenistic colonnaded temple in the entire former Soviet Union. Built in the 1st century AD in honor of the sun god Mihr, Garni Temple was destroyed by earthquake in 1679 and painstakingly reconstructed between 1969 and 1975. Your guide will explain the remarkable engineering and the myths behind its construction. Below the temple in the Azat River gorge lies the Symphony of Stones - a dramatic natural formation of thousands of hexagonal basalt columns that look like a giant pipe organ rising from the riverbed. One of the most photographed natural phenomena in Armenia.
A short walk down into the gorge to see the basalt columns up close. The geological formation was created by slowly cooling lava flows thousands of years ago. The sound of the river echoing off the columns gives the place its name.
Drive 7 km up the canyon to Geghard - one of Armenia's most extraordinary monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Part of the monastery is carved directly into the living rock of the cliff face - chambers, chapels and khachkars cut from the stone itself. Founded in the 4th century and rebuilt in the 13th century, Geghard once held the spear that pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion, brought here by the Apostle Thaddeus. The legendary monastery gave it the name Geghardavank - Monastery of the Spear.
The cultural highlight of the day - a hands-on masterclass in making Armenian lavash, the UNESCO-recognized traditional flatbread. You will roll the dough, stretch it over a cushion and slap it against the inner walls of a clay tonir oven, watching it puff and blister in seconds. Fresh lavash with local cheese, herbs and matsun yogurt. An experience that connects you directly to 3,000 years of Armenian culinary tradition.
