from 2 reviews
13-14 hours
Daily Tour
Armenian, English, Russian
This Haghpat Zarni Parni Cave Sanahin tour is a private day trip from Yerevan that takes you to historic monasteries, cliffside ruins and scenic heritage sites with a local guid and takes around 13–14 hours. All the sites are located in the north of Armenia, in the Lori region, about a 3-hour drive from Yerevan.
1. Our first destination is a 10th-century medieval monastery called Haghpat. The complex was founded by Queen Khosrovanush, the wife of King Ashot III, as a tribute to their sons. Haghpat was not only a religious site but also a significant educational and cultural hub in medieval Armenia.
2. The second stop is Zarni Parni Cave Castle – an unbelievably beautiful and seemingly unreachable cave fortress built in the 10th-11th centuries. The fortress consists of two parts: one named after Prince Zareh, and the other used as a storage area. Both sites played an important role in defending the country against enemy invasions.
3. Our third stop is Aramyants Castle. The territory originally belonged to a Georgian prince named Baratov, who was known for his gambling, which ultimately led him to lose the estate. Mikayel Aramyants, a well-known oil industrialist, bought the property and built the now-famous castle. As a unique and luxurious residence, it hosted the famous Armenian writer Hovhannes Tumanyan and even Catholicos Khrimyan Hayrik.
4. The last stop is another 10th-century monastery Sanahin. Both Sanahin and Haghpat are recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Sanahin is slightly older than Haghpat, which is how it got its name: Sa-na-hin, meaning “this one is older than the other one,” referring to its twin monastery, Haghpat.
The individual tour to Haghpat, Zarni Parni Cave Castle, Aramyants Castle, and Sanahin is definitely one of the favorites among our visitors, thanks to the sites’ rich architectural styles, deep history, and breathtaking scenery.
All private tours can be changed upon request.
Your private driver and guide meet you at your hotel in Yerevan. This is one of the longer day tours — northern Armenia's Lori Province is approximately 2.5 hours from the capital, but the drive through the Debed Canyon alone is worth the journey.
First stop at the magnificent Haghpat Monastery - a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in the 10th century under King Ashot III of the Bagratid dynasty. Haghpat was one of medieval Armenia's greatest centers of learning, producing manuscripts, miniatures and works of science for centuries. In the late 18th century the legendary Armenian troubadour Sayat-Nova lived and created here. Your guide will bring the stories of these walls to life in a way no guidebook can.
A short drive to one of northern Armenia's most atmospheric hidden sites - the Zarni-Parni cave complex carved into the canyon cliffs above Haghpat village. This medieval fortress was used as a secret refuge for manuscripts and valuables from the nearby monasteries during enemy invasions. Two cave chambers - Zarni-air and Parni-air - overlook the gorge below with extraordinary views of the Debed Canyon. The site has been partially restored and now includes a small museum with ancient agricultural tools and household items. Approximately 150 steps to reach the top.
Lunch at the restaurant beside the cave complex with panoramic canyon views - a genuine highlight of the day. Local Armenian food and wine from the surrounding region.
Drive to the elegant Aramyants Castle in the town of Akhtala - a Swiss-style mansion built in the 1890s by prominent Armenian businessman Mikael Aramyants for his daughter who suffered from tuberculosis, as Akhtala's climate was considered the finest in the Caucasus. Famous guests here included opera singer Feodor Chaliapin, poet Hovhannes Tumanyan and the spiritual leader Khrimyan Hayrik. Most significantly, it was within these walls that the Declaration of Independence of the First Republic of Armenia was signed in 1918.
The final stop - Sanahin Monastery, the second of the two UNESCO sites on this route, just a short drive from Haghpat. Founded in the 10th century by the same Kiurikian dynasty, Sanahin was equally celebrated as a center of science, medicine and astronomy. Its unique architectural solution - connecting the two main churches with a single seminary building - was specifically designed to make the complex earthquake-resistant, a remarkable feat of medieval engineering.
