Private Etchmiadzin, Sardarapat, St Gayane & St Hripsime Tour from Yerevan

This private Etchmiadzin, Sardarapat, St Gayane & St Hripsime tour from Yerevan takes you to Armenia’s most iconic sacred sites, including the UNESCO-listed Etchmiadzin Cathedral and two ancient basilicas. It lasts around 5–6 hours, and all the destinations are located in the Armavir region, in the southwest of Armenia.

What You’ll See on the Etchmiadzin Tour?

1.The first stop is Saint Hripsime Church, built in the 7th century AD. It stands above the site where Saint Hripsime—one of the 40 nuns who came to Armenia to spread Christianity—was martyred.

2. Next, we visit the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the main cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It was built in 303 AD, and according to tradition, Gregory the Illuminator had a vision in which Jesus Christ descended from heaven with a golden hammer and pointed to the exact spot where the first Armenian Christian church should be built. The name Etchmiadzin comes from this vision—“Etch miatsin” meaning “The Only-Begotten Descended.”

Why Visit St Gayane & St Hripsime?

3. The next stop is Saint Gayane Church, which was built in the 7th century and later restored in the 17th century. Like Hripsime Church, it was built over the burial site of another one of the 40 nuns—Saint Gayane.

4. Next stop is the Sardarapat Memorial Complex, dedicated to the Battle of Sardarapat, which took place between May 21 and 29, 1918, between Armenian forces and the Ottoman Turks. The victory at Sardarapat was a crucial turning point in Armenian history—it was truly a matter of life and death for the nation. Thanks to this victory, Armenia was able to declare its independence and form the First Republic on May 28, 1918.

Near the memorial is the Ethnographic Museum of Armenia, which presents both the material and spiritual culture of the Armenian people across various historical periods and regions.

UNESCO Sites Near Yerevan

5. And the last stop is Zvartnots, the site where Gregory the Illuminator and King Tiridates III are believed to have met. According to tradition, it was after this meeting that Gregory healed the king, leading to the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia in the year 301—making Armenia the first country in the world to do so.

Zvartnots Cathedral was built in the 7th century, but unfortunately, it was destroyed by an earthquake in the 10th century. Today, we visit the ruins of what was once a massive and magnificent temple. The name Zvartnots translates to “the house of joyful angels.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral tour will fill your heart with the spirit of Armenia and leave you with memories to treasure forever.

All private tours can be changed upon request.

Saint Hripsime Church

 

Saint Gayane Church

 

Zvartnots Cathedral

 

Sardarapat Memorial Complex