Highlights of Armenia — 5 Days from Yerevan
Overview
Armenia’s great monasteries sit on cliff edges, in gorges and above lakes, and nearly all of them are within two hours of Yerevan. This five-day tour uses the capital as its base: the cave monastery of Geghard and the Greek temple at Garni, Khor Virap with Ararat filling the sky behind it, Noravank in its red canyon, Lake Sevan at 1,900 m and the forest monasteries of Dilijan. One hotel change, a brandy tasting, and lavash baked in a tonir in front of you.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- First-time visitors who want the monasteries, Ararat and Sevan in one easy week
- Travellers combining Armenia with Georgia (we connect at Sadakhlo)
- Anyone with a taste for brandy and apricots
- You want wild mountains — Armenia’s are gentler than Georgia’s
- You want Tatev without a long day (add it as an extra day instead)
Our honest opinion
- Everything is close: no long drives
- Yerevan is the most relaxed capital in the region
- Ararat is often hidden by haze after 10 am in summer — we start early
- Armenian roads outside the main routes are poor
Ask for the Georgia link: we can drive you from Dilijan to Tbilisi via Haghpat and Sanahin instead of returning to Yerevan.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Airport pickup; the Cascade, Republic Square and the Vernissage market; welcome dinner.
The pagan temple at Garni, the Symphony of Stones basalt columns, Geghard monastery cut into the rock; lavash baking and lunch in a village house.
Khor Virap on the Ararat plain, the Areni wine cave (the world’s oldest winery), Noravank monastery; wine tasting in Areni.
Sevanavank on the peninsula above the lake, the forest road to Dilijan, Haghartsin and Goshavank monasteries.
Back to Yerevan via the Tsaghkadzor cable car (optional); the brandy factory; airport transfer.
What’s included
What’s not included
Where you’ll stay
Or equivalent, depending on season. Hotels are inside or beside the historic centres wherever the town has one.
Traveller reviews
What guests wrote
“Five days was the right length for a first visit to Armenia and this itinerary squeezes in every major monastery without ever feeling rushed. Khor Virap with Ararat behind it at 8 am — our guide Anna insisted on the early start and she was right; by 11 the mountain had vanished in haze. Geghard, Noravank in its red canyon, the lavash baking, the brandy tasting. Yerevan is a relaxed, cafe-filled city to come back to each night.”
“Very good tour and guide. I would have liked to see Tatev, which is not included (it is a long day south, they offer it as an add-on). Otherwise no complaints — Sevan, Geghard and the Areni wine cave were highlights.”
“We did this straight after the Georgia tour and Guided Travels organised the transfer from Tbilisi via Haghpat, which was a lovely bonus day. Armenia is gentler than Georgia and the monasteries are extraordinary. Hotel in Dilijan was in the forest and very quiet.”
Good to know
Most nationalities enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30–90 days. If your passport needs an e-visa, it takes 2–3 working days online — we check your case and guide you at booking.
The local currency is the Uzbek som (UZS). Visa and Mastercard work in city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; keep some cash for bazaars, taxis and tips. ATMs dispense som and sometimes USD.
April–June and September–November are warm and clear — ideal for walking the old cities. July–August afternoons exceed 35°C; winter departures run at reduced prices.
Uzbekistan uses European plug types C and F, 220V. Travellers from the UK, US and Asia need a standard Euro adapter — one per device is enough, hotels have plenty of sockets.
Everyday dress is relaxed across all four cities. Inside mosques and madrasas, shoulders and knees should be covered; headscarves for women are only needed in a few active mosques — your guide will tell you when.
Your included eSIM is activated on arrival, so you’re online from the airport. Hotel Wi-Fi is reliable in all four cities; your coordinator stays reachable on WhatsApp or Telegram throughout.
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. 50% refund up to 15 days before; after that the booking is non-refundable, but you can move to another date once for free.
Medical insurance for the tour days is included. We still recommend personal travel insurance covering cancellation and baggage — we can suggest trusted providers.
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