from 3 reviews
7-8 hours
Daily Tour
Armenian, English, Russian
Armenia has three mountain resort towns that locals escape to in summer: Tsaghkadzor for the ski slopes and pine forests, Lake Sevan for the water and altitude, and Dilijan for the deep forest and UNESCO monasteries. This tour visits all three in one long day – 7 to 8 hours – moving from one landscape to the next. It is the best single-day introduction to Armenia’s mountain geography.
1. Our first stop is the resort city of Tsaghkadzor, which is the closest mountain resort to Yerevan, about an hour’s drive into the Kotayk hills. In winter it functions as Armenia’s main ski destination. In summer the slopes are hiking trails and the town fills with families escaping Yerevan’s heat. The Kecharis Monastery complex here dates to the 11th century and was built by the Pahlavuni princes – its carved stone exterior is among the finest examples of medieval Armenian decorative architecture.
2. Next, we head to Lake Sevan – it appears suddenly as the road crests a ridge – a vast blue surface at 1,900 meters, surrounded by bare mountain ridges with almost no trees. The scale surprises people every time. The lake covers 5,000 square kilometers and is one of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the world. The stop here is brief – enough to stand at the water’s edge, breathe the altitude, and understand why Armenians consider it a national treasure. Our stop also includes Sevan Peninsula, where you’ll find Sevanavank Monastery perched at the top.
3. After a 30-minute drive, we’ll arrive in Dilijan. Dilijan is the last stop and the most forested. The town sits inside Dilijan National Park, which covers 34,000 hectares of oak and beech forest – a landscape that feels Central European rather than Caucasian. The old town district has been carefully restored and is one of the few places in Armenia where 19th-century merchant architecture survives intact. The drive from Sevan to Dilijan through the mountain pass is one of the most scenic in the country.
Goshavank, located on a nearby hill, is named after the Armenian scholar and writer Mkhitar Gosh, whose legal code Datastanagirq became the basis for parts of Armenia’s modern constitution.
The second is Haghartsin Monastery, tucked deep within the forested mountains of the Tavush region, not far from Dilijan. Surrounded by hills and small lakes, the road leading to the monastery feels like something out of a movie: beautiful and unforgettable.
The private excursion to Tsaghkadzor, Kecharis Monastery, Sevan, Sevanavank, Dilijan, Haghartsin, and Goshavank Monasteries is the perfect combined tour to explore some of Armenia’s most important sights in one day.
All private tours can be changed upon request.
Your private driver and guide meet you at your hotel in Yerevan. A full day covering three of Armenia's most beloved regions — no group buses, no waiting, your itinerary adjusted to your pace throughout the day.
First stop at Armenia's most famous mountain resort town on the slopes of Mount Teghenis. In summer it offers cool fresh air, walking trails and the cable car. In winter it is the country's top ski destination. Ride the ropeway up to 2,819 meters for panoramic views stretching across the Armenian highlands. Visit the beautiful 11th-century Kecharis Monastery complex set among pine trees at the edge of town.
A scenic 30-minute drive to one of the world's largest high-altitude freshwater lakes, sitting at 1,900 meters above sea level. Stop at the shore for photos and fresh air, then climb the staircase to Sevanavank Monastery founded in 874 AD by Princess Mariam of the Bagratid dynasty. The panoramic view of the lake from the peninsula is one of the most photographed scenes in Armenia.
Optional lakeside lunch featuring fresh ishkhan trout — the signature dish of Lake Sevan. Can be added in Extras when booking.
Drive to Dilijan — Armenia's charming forest town known as the Armenian Switzerland. Walk through the restored 19th-century Sharambeyan Street with its traditional wooden houses, artisan workshops and craft shops. A perfect slow-travel stop between two dramatic landscapes.
A short drive from Dilijan into the forest to the magnificent Haghartsin Monastery complex, founded in the 10th century and recently restored. Set deep among ancient oak trees, this monastery feels entirely removed from the modern world — a genuinely peaceful and beautiful end to the day.
Dilijan