from 2 reviews
12-13 hours
Daily Tour
Armenian, English, Russian
This Tatev Karahunj Khndzoresk tour from Yerevan is a private day trip that takes you to four of Armenia’s most fascinating historic and prehistoric sites. All the sites are located in the Syunik Region, and the tour lasts 12-13 hours.
Syunik Region not only holds great historical value for Armenians – having been a frequent battlefield between Armenia and its neighboring countries – but also harbors numerous architectural treasures that played a major role in medieval Armenian culture and education.
1.The first stop is the Carahunj Observatory, which dates back to the Middle Bronze Age. Locals often refer to this site as the Armenian Stonehenge.
2.Next stop is Tatev Monastery, which was a medieval educational center and, at one point, hosted up to 1,000 monks.
3. The serpentine road to the monastery is unbelievably beautiful, but another way to enjoy the scenery is by taking the Tatever ropeway. This is the longest reversible aerial tramway in the world. It stretches 5.7 km and connects the village of Halidzor with Tatev Monastery. The total ride from Halidzor to Tatev takes about 12 minutes and offers unforgettable views of abandoned medieval monasteries, the Devil’s Bridge, and Tatev Monastery itself. The ride feels like being part of a Discovery Channel documentary.
4.The final stop of the tour is Khndzoresk village, with its 163-meter-long swinging bridge suspended 63 meters above the canyon floor. Khndzoresk was once a thriving village with a significant role in Armenia’s liberation efforts between 1728 and 1730. Today, visitors can explore how people once lived in ancient cave dwellings, visit the 17th-century St. Hripsime Church, and enjoy the area’s unique natural beauty.
Choosing this tour from Yerevan means discovering some of Armenia’s most remarkable places from dramatic monasteries to mysterious ancient sites and breathtaking landscapes.
All private tours can be changed upon request.
Your private driver and guide meet you at your hotel in Yerevan. This is the longest day trip in the Happy Holidays catalog - south Armenia's Syunik Province is 260 km from Yerevan. An early start is essential.
First stop near the town of Sisian at Karahunj - one of the most mysterious and undervisited sites in Armenia. Over 200 basalt standing stones arranged in circles on a plateau at 1,770 meters above sea level, believed to have been used as an astronomical observatory up to 7,500 years ago - placing it potentially 4,500 years before Stonehenge. The site's exact purpose and age remain debated by archaeologists, which makes it even more compelling. Almost completely unknown to international tourists.
Continue south through the dramatic Syunik landscape toward the Vorotan Gorge.
Board the Wings of Tatev - the world's longest reversible aerial tramway at 5.7 km - for a 12-minute flight above the Vorotan Gorge. The views over the deep forested canyon, the Devil's Bridge below and the surrounding mountain ranges are extraordinary. One of the great travel experiences in the Caucasus.
Arrive at Tatev - a 9th-century monastery perched on a large basalt plateau at the edge of the gorge. Founded in 895 AD, Tatev was medieval Armenia's most important university and intellectual center for centuries, producing scholars, manuscripts and theological works. The complex includes the Cathedral of Saints Paul and Peter, the Chapel of St. Gregory, the famous Gavazan oscillating column and extraordinary views across the Vorotan Gorge in every direction.
Optional lunch at a local restaurant near Tatev or Goris. Can be added in Extras when booking.
Drive to Old Khndzoresk - one of Armenia's most extraordinary and least-known sites. This vast cave village carved into the cliff face of a deep canyon was once home to 10,000 to 15,000 people, with cave dwellings, churches and schools cut directly into the rock. People lived here until the 1950s when the Soviet government relocated them to the new village above. Cross the famous swinging bridge - 160 meters long, suspended 63 meters above the gorge - and walk among the ancient cave homes. A genuinely haunting and beautiful place.
