7-Day Jeep Tour in Armenia

Armenia is a country of towering mountains, untouched nature, and fresh, clean air! For lovers of active travel, we offer a 7-day / 6-night Jeep tour around Armenia. The programme is designed so that both first-time visitors and experienced explorers will enjoy it.

Armenia offers a mixed landscape: high mountains, clear rivers and lakes, beautiful waterfalls, and many ancient cultural and historical monuments.

During the Jeep tour, you will explore ancient churches, old fortresses, and scenic mountain passes. Choose this specially designed tour in Armenia to enjoy a unique journey and an unforgettable adventure!

Arrival at the airport

Your 7-day adventure in Armenia begins with a city tour of Yerevan, the country’s unique and lively capital. The city mixes different architectural styles with green streets and numerous fountains. You will visit: France Square, Opera and Ballet Theatre, Northern Avenue, Republic Square.

Next, we head to the Cascad. This huge 500-metre staircase (572 steps) is decorated with fountains and flower beds. Around the steps, there are about 30 sculptures by famous artists. Inside, the Cafesjian Art Centre spreads over five levels, with a collection of modern art.

Check-in at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel.

Early departure from Yerevan to the high-mountain Spitak Khach Church (12th–13th century), famous for its khachkars and tombstones. We then drive towards the Dahnak Mountains and reach the settlement of Yeranos.

Here, you may meet local shepherds on the summer pastures.

The route continues along the Urts Ridge, through the protected zone of Khosrov Reserve, to Tapi Berd Fortress – a remarkable example of medieval military architecture. The fortress sits on a high hill at the edge of the ancient settlement of Urts.

After resting, we drive south towards Urtsadzor, observing rare plants and animals along the way, as well as natural and historical landmarks.

Overnight stay in Urtsadzor.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel.

We drive to Mount Armaghan, an extinct volcano at 2,829 metres. At the summit is a crater lake, nearby ancient burials, and a holy site with pagan and early Christian symbols. The age of these monuments is hard to determine.

Along the way, you will see rare alpine plants and animals.

Next, we travel along the ancient Silk Road to the Selim Caravanserai (14th century).

Then we go down to the Arates Monastery Complex (7th–13th century). This small but impressive complex includes three partly ruined churches: Holy Sion Church (7th century), Church of the Holy Mother of God (11th century), St Karapet Church (13th century). The narthex chapel (13th century) is a beautiful example of medieval architecture. The oldest inscription in the monastery dates back to 907, and the latest one to 1713.

Overnight in the village of Hermon.

Breakfast at the hotel.

We start early from Hermon and drive to the village of Yeghegis.

First, we climb to the top of a hill where Smbataberd Fortress was built on an ancient observation point (5th century). This medieval fortress (10th–13th centuries) was almost impossible to capture. It fell only once, when attackers sent horses and mules that had been fed with salt into the fortress. Thirst drove the animals to dig out the water pipes, and the fortress was taken.

Two kilometres to the west is Tsaghats Kar Monastery (10th century). The monastery has three parts: the churches of St Nshan and St Karapet, decorated with beautiful khachkars (cross-stones); the church of St Astvatsatsin with an entrance hall, columned hall, dining room, and other service buildings; and a large cemetery next to the monastery walls.

Next, we visit Proshaberd Fortress (13th century), once the residence of Prince Prosh. Like Smbataberd, it was thought impossible to capture. According to legend, the Persian king discovered the fortress’s water source using mules. Prince Prosh hid his treasures in the nearby mountains, and some say the carvings on the rocks show the way to them.

Next, we visit Spitakavor Monastery (13th century). In the 15th century, it was a school and a centre for copying old manuscripts. The relief of the Holy Virgin on the front is one of the best examples of medieval Armenian decoration.

Next, we drive through the striking Red Gorge to Noravank Monastery (13th–14th centuries), a unique and impressive medieval site. In early Christian times, it was an important centre for learning, politics, and religion. Many famous medieval Armenians worked and were buried here. The complex has two churches – St Karapet and St Astvatsatsin – a chapel of St Grigor, and many other early Christian and medieval buildings with khachkars. The beautiful carvings of the Virgin Mary, Christ, and the apostles are famous for their perfect proportions and fine detail.

We continue the jeeping tour. After that, we visit the Areni Caves, which have produced many discoveries from the 4th–5th centuries BC to the 12th–14th centuries AD. These include the world’s oldest winery and the oldest leather shoe, thought to be about 5,500 years old.

Overnight stay in Hermon.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel.

We visit St Sion Monastery near the village of Herher, built on a rocky hill. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, but it is mentioned in the 17th century. The site includes two churches, a chapel, monks’ cells, and the ruins of service buildings.

Next, we drive to Tolors Reservoir, an artificial lake in Syunik Province, built on the Ayriget and Sisian rivers. Its surface area is 4.5 km², and the water volume is 82 million cubic meters. It mainly supplies the Shambi and Tatev hydropower plants and also irrigates agricultural lands in the Syunik Province. On its shore stands the Church of St Hripsime (19th century), which is partly covered by water for several months each year and can sometimes only be reached by boat. In the 1960s, the Soviet authorities decided to relocate the village and construct a reservoir in its place. The residents were offered various locations for a new settlement, but the people of Tolors chose not to move far from their ancestral land and settled on a nearby hill instead.

Then we visit Vorotnavank Monastery (founded in 1000), overlooking the Vorotan Gorge. Tradition says the first church was built here in the 4th century by St Gregory the Illuminator. Later, it was rebuilt by the hermit Father Stepanos. The site became a place of pilgrimage and was famous for curing snake bites.

We continue to the village of Uyts, which has a history of over 3,000 years. This remarkable monument has been barely studied and, in terms of its size, surpasses similar monuments in Armenia. Many megalithic structures – dolmens(ancient stone tombs), fortress walls, and the Zorats Karer stones – are still preserved. The village also has two churches, one partly ruined.

Finally, we drive to the mountain village of Ltsen, hidden among rocky cliffs, forests, and waterfalls. The name comes from the Armenian word lcé («լցե»), meaning “fill” or “throw”. According to legend, villagers once defended themselves from Mongol attackers by rolling stones down from the mountains.

Arrival in Goris. Overnight stay in Goris.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel.

We start with a visit to Old Khndzoresk, an ancient cave settlement. The caves were inhabited 2,000–3,000 years ago and are not yet fully studied. Many of the caves are linked by tunnels dug by people, which helped residents escape to safer places during attacks. The people of Khndzoresk were skilled warriors, and although there were many invasions, the site was never taken.

Next, we head towards the jewel of medieval Armenian architecture – the Tatev Monastery Complex.

On the way, we stop at Devil’s Bridge (Satani Kamurj), a natural stone bridge about 30 metres long and 50–60 metres wide, located in the Vorotan River Gorge about 2.5 km east of Tatev. The bridge rises around 50 metres above the river and lies deep inside the gorge, at a depth of 700–800 metres. It was formed over centuries by hot mineral springs (reaching approximately 250°C) and travertine deposits. The gorge walls are coloured pink, yellow, and green by the mineral waters.

We also visit the Harsnadzor Watchtower, built high on the cliffs of the gorge. This was the third tower in a chain of signal posts created in the Zangezur mountains to warn of enemy attacks. When invaders were seen, guards in distant Korni dzores rang a bell, the signal was passed to Khot, then to Harsnadzor, and finally to the great bell of Tatev Monastery, whose sound could be heard across the valleys up to 50 km away. The enemies cut the warning chain when they destroy the bell of Khot. Today, a rotunda still stands in Harsnadzor, with the chains that once held the bell.

We then arrive at Tatev Monastery (9th century), built on the site of an old shrine. In the 14th century, it became a university, the largest and most advanced in the South Caucasus. The complex is unique and impressive. The oldest church, St Gregory the Illuminator, dates to the mid-9th century and stands next to the main church of Sts Paul and Peter. A famous monument, the Gavazan Column (904), is an 8-metre-high octagonal pillar with a carved top and a khachkar. Another important church is the Holy Mother of God, built in 1087. Around the churches are service buildings connected by passages that lead to the edge of the gorge. The monastery blends perfectly with the landscape and leaves a strong impression.

Drive back to Yerevan. Overnight stay in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel.

Transfer to the airport.

If you still have questions about the tour organization in Armenia, then it is very easy to contact us! You can order a call on the website, send an email or just SMS. We will get back to you shortly