Grand Classic Armenia — From Ararat to Sevan

A private tour through the Ararat, Kotayk and Gegharkunik regions that brings together history, architecture, nature, mountains, panoramic viewpoints and a lake. The car picks you up directly from your address in Yerevan and brings you back to the address you specify at the end of the day. You travel in a car of your chosen category — Standard, Comfort, Premium or Luxury. The private tour can be booked in two formats: with a professional driver, or with a professional driver plus a separate professional tour guide. On request, professional drone filming can be added to the trip.

This route is made for people visiting Armenia for the first time who want to see several of its main symbols in a single day. In the morning we head to the foot of Ararat and discover the story of Khor Virap. Next comes the unusual Azat Reservoir. Then we travel almost two thousand years back in time to ancient Garni, descend into the gorge to the famous Symphony of Stones and see Geghard, a monastery carved into the rock. The grand finale is the vast high-mountain Lake Sevan and ancient Sevanavank. Ararat, antiquity, volcanic cliffs, a medieval monastery and high-altitude Sevan — which is exactly why this route can rightly be called the Grand Classic of Armenia.

At the agreed time an Amaras Tour car arrives directly at your address in Yerevan — your hotel, apartment or any other place arranged in advance. There is no need to get to a common meeting point. No large tour groups and no waiting for other participants: this day is just for you and your companions. We set off south across the Ararat Valley.

The first stop is Khor Virap Monastery, one of the most recognisable historic sites in Armenia. On a clear day majestic Ararat rises behind the monastery, and this is where one of the most famous views of the mountain opens up. But Khor Virap means far more than a beautiful panorama: its history is directly tied to Armenia's adoption of Christianity. The name Khor Virap translates as “deep dungeon”. According to Armenian Christian tradition, this is where the deep pit stood in which King Trdat III ordered Gregory the Illuminator to be imprisoned for his Christian faith. Gregory spent about 13 years in captivity. Gregory the Illuminator became one of the central figures of Armenian history. After many years of imprisonment he was released and, according to church tradition, healed King Trdat III, after which the king converted to Christianity. These events are linked to Armenia adopting Christianity as its state religion at the beginning of the 4th century; the traditional date is 301.

Within the monastery grounds is an underground chamber that tradition connects with Gregory's imprisonment. It is about 6 metres deep. Those who wish can climb down a narrow ladder, but the descent is entirely optional — guests who find it uncomfortable can simply carry on exploring the monastery. The sanctity of the site goes back to the early Christian era. An early chapel was built here in the 7th century, while the present architectural ensemble took shape later, over different historical periods. Today Khor Virap remains one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Armenia. The panorama of Mount Ararat holds a special place on this journey. Although the mountain now lies beyond Armenia's state border, for centuries Ararat has held a special place in Armenian history, culture, art and national identity. With good visibility you can see both Greater and Lesser Ararat from here. The mountain looks especially beautiful in the morning, so we never rush the first stop and always leave time for photos.

After Khor Virap the journey changes direction as we head into the Kotayk region. Along the way the landscape grows more volcanic, with unusual rocky mountains and valleys appearing ahead. The next stop is the Azat Reservoir, set among beautiful mountain terrain. The combination of blue water, dry volcanic slopes and open space creates one of the most unusual landscapes in this direction. The colours of the water and surrounding mountains change dramatically with the season and the light: in spring the slopes turn green, in summer golden and brown tones dominate, in autumn the mountains take on warmer colours, and in winter the landscape becomes stark and minimalist. That is why Azat looks different on almost every trip. On a private tour we stop at a suitable, safe viewpoint where you can stroll, take photos, shoot video and enjoy nature without hurrying. This is one of the most rewarding spots on the route for professional aerial filming: in suitable weather and where flights are permitted, drone filming can be added.

The next stop takes us from nature into ancient history — the Garni archaeological complex. Its centrepiece is the famous colonnaded temple of the 1st century AD, the only surviving Greco-Roman style temple of antiquity in Armenia. Its construction is attributed to the Armenian King Trdat I. A widely held theory says it was dedicated to the sun god Mihr. Yet Garni was not just a temple but a large fortified royal complex. Garni matters especially because it lets you see Armenia as it was before Christianity. The complex's architecture shows the influence of the Hellenistic and Roman world. The temple stands on a high podium surrounded by 24 Ionic columns. Its proportions, colonnade and decorative details recall the ancient temples of the Mediterranean, yet the building is made of local Armenian basalt.

Garni was a powerful fortress and royal residence. Its location was strategic in itself: on several sides the plateau is bounded by a deep gorge and almost sheer cliffs, while on the open side the grounds were protected by walls and towers. For centuries, therefore, Garni had military as well as religious significance. The remains of an ancient bathhouse survive on the site, famous above all for its mosaic floor. The mosaic features images and scenes typical of ancient culture — one of Garni's most fascinating details, helping you picture everyday life in the royal complex. In the 17th century the temple was destroyed by a powerful earthquake, and for several centuries its stone blocks lay scattered around the original foundation. In the 20th century, after archaeological and architectural research, the temple was rebuilt, using a large share of the original stone elements.

After Garni we descend into the Azat River gorge. Here lies one of the region's great natural wonders — the Symphony of Stones, also known as the Basalt Organ. Before us rises an enormous wall of thousands of vertical stone columns. The basalt columns have a strikingly regular geometric shape, many of them pentagonal or hexagonal. They hang from the cliffs almost vertically and really do resemble the pipes of a giant organ — hence the name. The Symphony of Stones was formed by ancient volcanic activity: as hot lava slowly cooled and contracted, cracks appeared inside the basalt mass, splitting the rock into regular polygonal columns. This natural process took place over an immense span of time. We leave time for a walk along the basalt walls, where the true height of the columns becomes clear. On one side runs the Azat River, on the other tower the basalt walls. The atmosphere is completely different from the Temple of Garni, even though the two sites are very close to each other.

From the Symphony of Stones we continue deeper into the mountains. The road runs through a gorge, the cliffs grow ever higher, and among them appears Geghard Monastery, one of the outstanding monuments of medieval Armenian architecture. Together with the Upper Azat Valley, Geghard Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex is remarkable for the unity of its architecture and the surrounding nature: some of the monastery buildings were built in the usual way, while others were literally carved inside the mountain rock. The monastery's original name was Ayrivank, meaning “cave monastery”. Tradition links its founding to Gregory the Illuminator and the early Christian era of the 4th century. The main architectural ensemble we see today took shape much later, mostly in the 13th century. The central church, Katoghike, was built in 1215. Later a gavit, rock-cut churches, tombs and other chambers appeared around it.

The most impressive part of Geghard lies inside the mountain. Medieval masons did not build walls from separate stones; they gradually carved rooms straight out of the solid rock, creating rock-cut churches, tombs, chapels, monks' cells and khachkars. The monastery flourished especially in the 13th century under the princely Proshyan family, to whom most of the rock-cut chambers are linked. Inside is the famous tomb of the Proshyan princes, its walls decorated with unusual medieval symbols and stone reliefs. Some of the rock-cut chambers have remarkable natural acoustics: even a quiet sound bounces off the stone walls and is amplified many times over, so sometimes a single voice is enough to fill the whole room with a long echo. In one of the rock-cut sections there is a natural spring. It was revered in ancient times, later became part of the monastery's Christian tradition, and its water still flows today. The word “geghard” means “spear”. The name refers to a Christian relic — the spear that, according to legend, was used at the crucifixion of Christ. Armenian church tradition credits the Apostle Thaddeus with bringing this relic to Armenia. For a certain period the spear was kept at the monastery, which is why Ayrivank gradually became known as Geghardavank, the Monastery of the Spear. The relic was later moved to Etchmiadzin.

After Geghard the next part of the grand journey begins. We leave the rocky gorges of Kotayk behind and head toward the Gegharkunik region. Before long a vast expanse of blue appears ahead — Lake Sevan. Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and one of the country's main natural symbols. It lies at about 1,900 metres above sea level, which places it among the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the region. Armenians often call Sevan the “Armenian sea”, and looking at its huge surface you understand why: from some points the far shore almost disappears into the haze. The colour of the water keeps changing — bright blue or turquoise in sunny weather, deep blue or grey when it is cloudy. Sevan is surrounded by mountain ranges, and it is this meeting of water and mountains that creates its signature landscape. Even in summer it is often cooler and windier here than in Yerevan, so a light sweater or windbreaker almost always comes in handy.

On a peninsula above the lake stands the famous Sevanavank Monastery. We climb up to it by a stairway; the panorama widens with every step, and at the top one of Armenia's most iconic views opens up — ancient stone churches, a vast lake and mountains. The main surviving churches date from the 9th century: in 874 the churches of Surb Arakelots (Holy Apostles) and Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) were built here. Their construction is linked to Princess Mariam, daughter of Ashot Bagratuni, the future King Ashot I. Today the monastery stands on a peninsula, but historically it was a true island, surrounded by water on all sides. In the 20th century the level of Sevan dropped significantly, and the former island joined the shore and became a peninsula. Sevanavank was an important spiritual centre: the island's remoteness made it especially well suited to monastic life. Today, for the traveller, the real value of this spot is the way history meets a grand natural landscape.

Since Sevan is the last major stop on the route, at the right time of year and with the right schedule you may catch beautiful evening light here. The lake is especially atmospheric closer to sunset, as the sun sinks lower and the colour of the water gradually shifts. On a private tour the length of earlier stops can be adjusted if guests would like to spend more time at Sevan. Meals are not included in the base price of the tour. On request, a lunch stop can be arranged in Garni, on the road between sites or on the shore of Sevan. If guests want to try Sevan fish, a lakeside restaurant can make a lovely end to the journey. The place and length of lunch are agreed individually. On request, a traditional Armenian lavash-baking masterclass in the Garni area can also be added: guests will see how the dough is prepared and the lavash is baked in a traditional tonir. The masterclass is an optional extra, and adding it may lengthen the overall trip.

After Sevanavank we begin the journey back. At the end of the trip the Amaras Tour car drops you off directly at the address you specify in Yerevan. The tour takes approximately 10–11 hours. A long lunch, the masterclass, extra stops or professional filming may make the programme run longer.