Pilgrimage tour


Tour Duration	7 Days / 6 Nights
Tour type	Pilgrimage

“The Cradle of Christianity”- that is how Armenia can also be known for among foreign countries. And not just by accident: Armenian was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 and, therefore, the first christian church was built here in this Holy Land. That was the start of the development of traditions, culture, and education based on Christian morality. After a millennium, you can still find well-preserved religious monuments and relics in Armenia.

itinerary for Pilgrimage tour

Day 1: Arrival in Yerevan

Meet and transfer to hotel for check in.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 2: Yerevan City tour – Etchmiadzin – Zvartnots – Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel.

City tour – Yerevan sightseeing, including City center, Republic square, Yerevan State University, City panorama, “Mother Armenia” Monument, Parliament House, President’s Residence, Opera House, Sports & Concert Complex, Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex (Genocide memorial complex).

Visit “Cascade” complex, which is considered the modern art center of Yerevan, with art pieces displayed throughout the whole area: the boulevard and up the stairs, from the top of which you can enjoy the panoramic view of the city and Mountain Ararat. Cascade is home to Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

Leave for Etchmiadzin town, the Holy See of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Visit St. Hripsime Church built in the 7th century and is considered a masterpiece of early medieval Armenian architecture. Continue to Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral. Historically, it is the focal point of the town of Etchmiadzin, and it’s the oldest church in the world. It was originally built by Saint Gregory the Illuminator as a vaulted basilica in 301-303A.D., when Armenia was the only country in the world the state religion of which was Christianity.

On the way back to Yerevan visit the Ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral. Zvartnots, built as Armenia’s main cathedral in 641-661A.D. was to suppress the Echmiadzin Cathedral by its grandeur. The remnants of Zvartnots, even in ruins, are a majestic sight. The Ruins of Zvartnots are listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 3: Yerevan – Geghard – Matenadaran – Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the Monastery of Geghard, which is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Geghard is an incredible ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out of a mountain. Though the monastery has been around since before the 4th century, the main cathedral was built in 1215.It is said that the holy lance that pierced the body of Christ was kept here. Drive back to Yerevan. Visit Matenadaran (officially Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts), a museum, repository of manuscripts, and a research institute in Yerevan. It is the world’s largest repository of Armenian manuscripts. It is named after Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, whose statue stands in front of the building.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 4 : Khor Virap – Noravank – Tatev Monastery – Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Khor Virap Monastery. To this day you can visit the underground chamber where St. Gregory the Illuminator, the first Armenia’s Patriarch, was imprisoned for 13 years before curing King Trdat III of a disease. This caused the conversion of the king and Armenia into the first officially Christian nation in the world in the year 301. Its location, near the closest point to Mount Ararat within Armenian borders, offers a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia. Proceed to Noravank Monastery (13-14th centuries), an architectural gemstone nestled among brick-red cliffs, just above a deep gorge. Visit the miraculous monastery of Tatev, which is a formidable monastic complex founded in the 9th century. It’s the biggest monastery in Armenia. It’s located on a rocky peninsula more than 100 meters above the Vorotan River, where you can reach by the longest cable-car in the world called “Wings of Tatev” (5,7km) built by the Swiss in 2010. According to tradition the relics of the Apostles, Sts. Peter and Paul, were placed under the dome’s supporting pillars. Drive back to Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 5: Yerevan – Amberd – Saghmosavank – Oshakan – Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Amberd is a 7th-century fortress located 2,300 meters (7,500 ft) above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Aragats at the confluence of the Arkashen and Amberd rivers in the province of Aragatsotn, Armenia. The name translates to “fortress in the clouds” in Armenian. Then visit Saghmosavank Monastery located in village Saghmosavan at the top the precipitous gorge carved by the Kasagh river and built at the beginning of the XIII by Prince Vache Vachutian. Saint Mesrop Mashtots is an Armenian Apostolic church in Oshakan that contains the grave of Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet. As such, it is one of Armenia’s better known churches and a major pilgrimage site. Pilgrims visit the church on the Feast of the Holy Translators.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 6: Yerevan – Sevanavank – Haghartsin – Goshavank – Haghpat – Sanahin – Yerevan

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Sevan lake and visit Sevanavank monastery located at the top of the peninsula and built in the 9th century by Princess Mariam. Drive to Dilijan resort city. Dilijan is a resort town in the north of Armenia. Words alone can’t describe the natural beauty of Dilijan. Many poets used to say, “If there are woods, mountains, streams and mineral waters in paradise, it must be like Dilijan.” As a climatic balneal health center of medium- mountain zone, Dilijan is characterized by mild, moderate warm summer, sunny warm winter and dry warm weather during the whole year. Due to its forested mountains and mild climate, Dilijan is named “Armenia’s little Switzerland”. You’ll see the most beautiful part of the town, Old Dilijan. In the upper reaches of the Agstev river, there are Haghartsin and Goshavank , the monastery ensembles of the Dilijan district. They are situated in dense oak woods, in the gorges of small but turbulent mountain rivers. The local terrain and scenery determined the compositional peculiarities of these ensembles. Neither Haghartsin, nor Goshavank have gates, and their structures are surrounded with verdure and peasants’ homes, some being a rather long distance away from the main temples of the ensembles. Visit Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank is a medieval monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia. The monastery was founded by Queen Khosrovanuysh, wife of the Bagratid king Ashot III, probably in 976 . Visit Sanahin Monastery. Drive back to Yerevan.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 7: Transfer to the airport

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out.

Transfer to the airport.

The cost of the tour will depend on the number of people as well as the season, and both group tours and individual tours are available.

In the program of the first and last days of the tour, changes may take places, based on the time of arrival and departure.

Upon request, we can make any changes to the proposed program and we shall do our best to meet all your preferences, requirements and demands.

Get in touch

Contact our professional team to book your next trip to Armenia!

If you are planning a trip to the Armenia and are looking for travel-related information please contact our English spoken incoming tour manager to get assistance.

Phone

+374 60 52 52 67
+374 60 52 52 68
+374 55 00 14 89 (Viber, WhatsApp)

Things to know

The cost of the tour will depend on the number of people as well as the season, and both group tours and individual tours are available.
In the program of the first and last days of the tour, changes may take places, based on the time of arrival and departure.
Upon request, we can make any changes to the proposed program and we shall do our best to meet all your preferences, requirements and demands