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Private Tour: Discover Pagan History and Christianity in Armenia with 'Yerani Travel'
5.0
15 Ratings
Garni
Embark on a private tour with 'Yerani Travel' to discover the captivating Pagan history and the rich Christian heritage of Armenia. Explore the stunning Lake Sevan and immerse yourself in the beauty of Armenia's North. Book your unforgettable journey now!
Duration:
11 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Garni Temple - Garni Temple (77 A.D.) – our first stop – is the only standing heathen temple in the whole post-Soviet area. The temple gracefully stands on a high plateau overlooking the Azat river gorge. It is also home to the roman bath house with the mysterious mosaic, made out of 30,000 pieces of natural stones, as well as the ruins of the royal palace, dating back to 3rd century A.D.
- The Monastery of Geghard - The monastic complex of Geghard is another historical site included in this daily tour. Approximately translated into English as “Monastery of the Holy Lance”, it refers to the lance with which Longinus pierced Jesus still hanging on the cross, later brought to Armenia and kept in the Geghard monastery for 5 centuries. The complex is a representation of 13 th Century Armenia, which is considered to be the Golden Age of the country’s architecture. However, the most astonishing part is the virtue of the architect, who cut the church right into the solid rock whilst considering all the rules of Armenian architecture.
- Charent’s Arch - Also, on the way to the temple, there will be short stop at the Charents Arch, where you will be given the chance to enjoy one of the best moments of your trip to Armenia – a picturesque view of the Biblical Mount Ararat.
- Lake Sevan - Whilst staying in Armenia, you simply cannot miss the opportunity of visiting one of the country’s most renowned landmarks – the beautiful lake Sevan. Merely an hour’s drive from the capital city of Yerevan, Sevan is situated at the height of 1900m above sea level and surrounded by a vast chain of mountains. The tour begins by climbing a flight of stairs to the Sevan peninsula – a pleasant morning work-out that will compensate itself with an unforgettable panoramic view of the lake from the top. We will also visit the monastery of Sevanavank, built by the princess Mariam to honor the life of her deceased husband in the 9th century. Sevanavank is also home to one of the most beautiful Amenaprkich (all savior) Khachkars of Armenia. This is one of the 13 rarest crosstones depicting Jesus.
- Goshavank Monastery - The tour will then take you to the North of Armenia, where you will be surrounded by beautiful nature. Through the city of Dilijan, we will make a stop at the monastery of Gosh-Goshavank. This historical church is located in the heart of nature and beautiful village which has the same name. Mkhitar Gosh was one of the great intellectual powers of his day, “a humble man of wisdom”, authoring numerous works, including the first code of civil and Canon law that was used in both Greater Armenia and Cilicia. He is buried near the church which he himself built in 1188. Here you will also see Pavghos’s (Poghos) Khachkar, considered to be the most beautiful “embroidered” Khachkar (stone cross) in Armenia.
- Haghartsin Monastery - The last destination during this trip will be the monastery of Haghartsin, dating back to the 10th -14th centuries. The name is translated as “the play of the eagle”. The scenery is somewhat similar to a stunning work of art, with both the monastery and the nature surrounding it providing a breathtaking view. It is one of those spots in Armenia that feels like a breathtaking unreal movie set. The refectory of Haghartsin is considered the biggest amongst Armenian Church architecture; it was an absolute innovation of its time! If you are curious as to why, there will be nothing better than seeing it for yourself!
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges included
- Complimentary on-board WiFi
- Garni Temple admission (1500 AMD value)
- Free bottled water
- Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Travel in comfort with a private air-conditioned vehicle
- Service of a professional driver
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks (upon request)
- Professional guide (upon request)
Additional Information
If Armenia is on your travel bucket list, ensure you add this memorable destination to your travel itinerary. The tour offered by ‘Yerani Travel’ will familiarize you with the intriguing pagan heritage of Armenia, along with the evolution and proliferation of Christianity within the nation. Located an hour’s drive from Yerevan is the stunning Lake Sevan, nestled amid a massive mountain range. The tour continues to the Northern part of Armenia, immersing you in spectacular natural beauty.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Possible languages: English, Russian. In case the tour is organized in other language, changes of the prices are possible.
Location
Garni Temple
Geghard Monastery Road H3,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(15 Ratings)
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Extraordinary597614
May 21, 2024
A fun day out and an eye opening glimpse into Armenia - Both Vatan, the driver and Sam, the guide made this trip really special. Sam has a great sense of humour and a bubbly personality. Definitely recommend a day out with these two guys!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
George_p
May 21, 2024
An eye opening glimpse into Armenia - Both Vatan, the driver and Sam, the guide made this trip really special. Definitely recommend a day out with these two guys!
Review provided by Viator
G292fzmichellef
May 18, 2024
Armenia's finest! - We have had the best day! Packed full of digestible information, humour and beautiful sites. What a way to end our trip to Armenia, thank you to Sam and his amazing driver!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pallavi_m
Apr 23, 2023
Amazing experience with Anastasia - Anastasia was an incredible tour guide, so knowledgeable and really explained us the history of all the monuments. She was so lovely and took amazing care of us
Review provided by Viator
Ria
Mar 2, 2023
Excellent experience with Yerani Travel :- guide HASMIK, GAYANE and driver MARAT, ARTHUR - Being a solo female traveler and visited more than 40 countries , I can guarantee everyone to book travels from yerani travels, as they have well planned packages, excellently organized from arranging a package for you beforehand, being in constant touch with you, well maintained vehicle, skillful and experienced drivers, and lastly the guides- they are very friendly, have extensive knowledge about the history of Armenia and more than that they have the willingness and enthusiasm to enlighten you with all the information that they can give during your trip.
During my Day 1 and Day 2 travel my driver was MARAT who is extremely friendly and ensures safe driving. My guide was HASMIK. She has more than 7+ years of experience in this field. She is caring, friendly, helpful, explains you everything in so much detail, well versed with Russian and English and more over I felt I am in safe hands. She even sang for us soooo beautifully.
Day 3 my driver was ARTHUR who again is a very friendly. And my guide was GAYANE. She is extremely friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. You can ask her any questions and she has answers for all your doubts.
The restaurants that Yerani travel has chosen for your lunch packages is at extremely breathtaking locations and serves good food.
If you are planning to visit Armenia make sure to contact Yerani travel and ask for HASMIK or GAYANE as your guide. I can guarantee you will enjoy their guidance as they love their job.
Thanks and Regards,
Ria Mathews
03/03/2023
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ariel
Dec 12, 2022
Very good experience - The tour was excelent. Our guide, Hasmin, was very nice and understanding, and her explenations were informative and yet simple and understandable. We had enough time to walk around, look and take pictures and even to sit and drink tea, but still we got in time to all the sites.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
936katsiarynak
Aug 9, 2022
Perfectly arranged and paced way to explore some of Armenia’s gems - My experience with the company and driver Robert was great! Arranging the tour was easy, driver was on time and very accommodating- as a solo traveler it’s great when you feel safe in the car with someone you don’t know. Private tour gives you flexibility to enjoy sites at your own pace and make little detours. Lunch recommendation was fantastic! I ended up booking another tour next day and ladies at the office were very welcoming. I can definitely recommend this company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christian
Sep 10, 2019
Amazing trip! - Company is very efficient and responsive with their online reservations!
We went on a tour with Armine, and she was awesome! Knowledgeable and makes the trip lots of fun.
Will definitely go again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ismira
Aug 6, 2019
One day tour was excellent!!! - Our 12 people group from Lithuania had excellent time in a very convenient mini bus with calm driver, and absolutely great friendly young professional guide Avanes (speaking English and Russian) who not only knew tons of information about his beloved country Armenia, but was singing to us inside of the Geghard Monastery which made many cry out of joy and excitement. I highly recommend this guide and travel company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brandonimojones
Aug 6, 2019
Awesome Day Trip - We took a day trip to see Garni and Geghard. We had a great time, it was good fun for the whole group. Some really crazy old churches carved into the mountain and surrounding caves to see at Geghard. Our guide Hovanes was super friendly and even did the tour in English since we had one person with us who didn’t speak Armenian. He even sang for us in the upstairs church at Geghard.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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