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What is the best of Armenia in four days? Monasteries, historic cities, nature…and good wine! This is the easy answer to the question. Now I would like to develop this answer a little deeper. Indeed, Armenia is a state that convinced and attracted me. The monuments and places I am going to point out are to discover a bit of the history of Armenia, one of the first Christian countries in the world.

Best of Armenia: church of St. Hripsime

It only takes a few kilometers out of Yerevan to discover Armenia’s Christian history. The first Armenian church worth mentioning is that of St. Hrispsime. St. Hrispsime’s church was built on the site where Rispsima (Hrispsime) was killed: the nun did not want to marry either the Roman emperor Diocletian or the pagan king Tiridates and for this she was killed. Armenia became a Christian state in 301 and, as a result, an early mausoleum dedicated to St. Hripsime was built as early as the fourth century.

A restored version can currently be seen: the present church dates back to the seventh century, and was partially rebuilt in the 17th century. The church of St. Hrispsime has been part of the UNESCO heritage since 2000. It is definitely worth a visit: I recommend that you spend about 20 minutes there.

Best of Armenia: church of Echmiardzin

Near St. Hrispsime is another church that is very important to Armenians. The church of Echmiardzin, however, is one of the first state churches in history. In fact, in 301 Armenia became a Christian state and King Tiridates wanted to build the church of Echmiardzin to celebrate this event. Despite the vicissitudes of history, the church is still in excellent condition and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In May 2024, however, it was not possible to visit the interior of the church. However, the exterior of the church is worth a visit: in addition, it is possible to appreciate beautiful gardens and a museum, full of historical relics.

Again, I recommend a twenty to thirty minute visit.

Best of Armenia: Khor Virap monastery

Khor Virap is not an ancient church like the two just described, but at the same time it is rich in history. Once again, King Tiridates is the great protagonist of the story. In this place, in fact, Bishop Gregory was imprisoned for thirteen years. Gregory’s guilt was to attempt to convert Tiridates to Christianity. Gregory succeeded in the project thanks to a miracle: after enduring endless tortures, he cured King Tiridates of a skin disease. As thanks, Tiridates converted Armenia into a Christian state.

The church of Khor Virap is also important geographically. In fact, it is located very close to Mount Ararat: the summit of this mountain, so beloved by Armenians although it is currently in Turkish territory, is less than 50 kilometers away.

A visit to Khor Virap is simply spectacular. Here it is possible to visit the 17th-century Church of Our Lady and the 7th-century Chapel of St. George. In the latter, with some courage and without suffering from claustrophobia, it is possible to descend six meters underground and observe the tiny chamber where St. George was probably imprisoned. I recommend spending at least an hour visiting Khor Virap: the views of Mount Ararat are superb!

Best of Armenia: Noravank Monastery

Noravank Monastery is another gem of Armenia. Unlike the three churches mentioned above, it is located farther from Yerevan. From Khor Virap to Noravank, in fact, one has to drive about 90 minutes.

Noravank, however, is one of the things not to be missed in Armenia! First of all, the road to Noravank is quite a sight: you drive through a mountain gorge, and the views are fabulous! Noravank is a monastery dating back to the 13th century. The monastery consists of two churches: the main one is Astvatsatsin, or Holy Mother of God.

Personally, the best way to see Noravank is from its viewpoint. Just walk less than five minutes from the main church to see Noravank Monastery and the Amaghu Valley, marked by red-colored rocks-a true natural-historical wonder!

Near Noravank it is possible to have a wine tasting at Areni’s. I tasted about ten kinds of wine and Armenian cognac: great everything! The visit to Noravank takes about 45 minutes. Here is a VIDEO of Noravank!

Best of Armenia: temple of Garni

Near Yerevan there is another gorge, that of Azat. This natural wonder is important from a natural and historical point of view. Here, in fact, it is possible to appreciate the temple of Garni, initially dating back to the 1st century AD. The temple was severely damaged in the 1679 earthquake: it was rebuilt in the mid-20th century. To this day, when visiting the Garni temple, it is possible to see the Roman baths, built a short distance from the Garni temple.

A visit to the Garni temple takes about 30 minutes. An entrance fee of about 5 euros must be paid.

Best of Armenia: Symphony of Stones

A very short distance from Garni is a natural wonder of Armenia. By paying an entrance fee of about one euro it is possible to admire the “Symphony of the Stones”. By walking briefly you can appreciate beautiful basalt rocks, which seem to be playing because of the river of the Azat Gorge that passes just a few meters away.

The “Symphony of the Stones” are definitely worth a visit! The walk is really short: it only takes about 30 minutes to fully appreciate them! Here is a video showing the beauty of the place!

What to see in Armenia: Geghard monastery

Geghard Monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and is definitely worth a visit. St. Gregory, the bishop mentioned earlier, wanted to build a monastery in this mountainous area of Armenia. Nothing remains of the first construction, as it was destroyed by the Arabs in the 9th century. Currently we can admire the 13th-century construction. The monastery is still beloved by Armenians as it represents the willingness to build a religious monument in difficult natural conditions, in this case by excavating the rocks for the purpose of building a place of prayer.

Geghard deserves a thorough visit: I recommend devoting about 45 minutes. It is still regarded as a place of pilgrimage: in fact, Geghard is named after spear, which would be the one used to crucify Jesus Christ.

What to see in Armenia: monastery of Sevan

Sevan Monastery is another must-see in Armenia. It was originally built (in the eighth century) on a small island in Lake Sevan. In the 1930s, during the Soviet period, Lake Sevan was lowered by about 20 meters, due to artificial works desired by Stalin. At present, therefore, the Sevan Monastery is connected to the mainland.

The location of Sevan Monastery is spectacular: from here it is, in fact, possible to admire the beauty of Sevan Lake. At present it is possible to admire two churches, renovated in the mid-20th century: the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Church of the Holy Mother of God.

The view of Sevan Monastery is worth about 45 minutes: you have to face about 150 steps to reach the two churches.

Best of Armenia: Yerevan

Yerevan is the perfect place to visit all the places just described. In fact, the Armenian capital boasts many bars and restaurants where you can refresh yourself after a long day of touring. Yerevan, however, is not just about food, wine and cognac. I recommend devoting a couple of days to visiting Yerevan-this way you can see the beautiful Cascade, Republic Square, and learn about Armenian history. In this post you can read in more detail what to do in Yerevan.

USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE BEST OF ARMENIA

As suggested at the beginning of the post, in my opinion Armenia deserves at least four days of sightseeing to appreciate at least part of the country. A week’s tour of Armenia certainly does not bore: in addition to what has been described I would add the monasteries of Akhtala and Haghbat (near the Georgian border) and that of Tatev. This is a tour that encapsulates some of Armenia’s beauty!

It is possible to admire the described places by participating in day trips that depart from Yerevan. Envoy Hostel & Tours organizes the tours: this is the link.

I really enjoyed the two tours with Envoy Tours. The guides are knowledgeable and the idea of having lunch in the homes of local families (lunch included in the price) is spectacular.

Yerevan is also a great base for appreciating Armenian food and spirits. As described in the post devoted to Yerevan, the meat stews and innards dishes bewitched me-they are delicious!

When to visit Armenia? I highly recommend visiting Armenia in the spring or fall seasons. In summer, temperatures easily exceed 35 degrees while in winter it is easy to go below freezing.

Armenian history is very tribulated and would deserve pages and pages. For those interested in an appropriate and first-hand summary, I recommend reading the posts of my friend Gianluca Proietto on Facebook. Here I will simply say that relations with Azerbaijan are nil, especially after the Nagorno War of 2020: almost all Armenians had to flee that land.

Prices in Armenia are not expensive. A dormitory in a hostel costs about 10 euros, a day tour about 35 euros, a dinner around 10 to 15 euros (in fairly touristy places anyway, including a couple of beers).