From Tbilisi to: Haghpat, Sanahin, and Sevanavank Tour

Explore the Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries, two of Armenia's most important cultural and religious sites. Visit the Sevanavank Monastery on the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan.
Begin your tour with a visit to the Haghpat Monastery, an active monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the village of the same name in Armenia's Lori Province. The complex stands on a small plateau surrounded by gorges and was founded in 976 under Ashot III the Merciful Bagratuni. Queen Khosrovanush played a significant role in the monastery's founding. From the 10th to the 13th centuries, Haghpat was one of the centers of Armenian spiritual culture, a large monastic estate with extensive lands. From the second half of the 12th century, Haghpat became the spiritual and religious center of the Kingdom of Lori. The burial vault of the royal family of the Bagratids of Lori, the Kyurikids, was moved here from neighboring Sanahin.

Next, visit the Sanahin Monastery Complex, a monument of Armenian architecture, a medieval monastery, and one of the main medieval cultural centers of Northern Armenia. The exact date of the monastery's founding is unknown. According to legend, its origins date back to the 4th century. The oldest surviving structure, the Church of Astvatsatsin (Church of the Mother of God), was built in 951. The remaining monastery buildings date from the 10th to 13th centuries.

Continue to Dilijan, a city in northeastern Armenia, in the Tavush Region. It is a mountain resort and spa resort. Dilijan is almost entirely surrounded by the Dilijan Nature Reserve, one of the richest in the South Caucasus.

Next, visit Sevan, the largest lake in the Caucasus, located in the Armenian Highlands of Armenia. Locals call it a sea. Scholars debate the origin of the name. Most researchers believe the name was given to the body of water by the inhabitants of the ancient country of Urartu, which was located in what is now modern-day Armenia. A stone found on the shore provided the key to the mystery: an inscription on it, dating to the 9th century, included the word "sunia," which means "lake" in the Urartian language. Sevanavank is a monastery on the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan. Until the 9th century, the monastery consisted of two churches: the small Church of St. Karapet and the spacious three-aisled Church of St. Harutyun, built on the site of a pagan temple in 305 by Gregory the Illuminator. During the reign of Ashot Bagratuni and the subsequent 200-year rule of the Bagratuni family, economic and cultural growth was marked, and the construction of churches and monasteries, including Sevanavank, began.

Finally, visit the Modern Art Museum in Yerevan, which currently displays works by a new generation of Armenian artists. Then, visit the Yerevan Brandy Company, Armenia's leading alcoholic beverage producer. Its products are marketed under the ARARAT brand and are available in more than 52 countries.

Om de beschikbaarheid te garanderen, dient u zo snel mogelijk te reserveren. Vroegboekkorting is het overwegen waard, vooral als u de reis plant tijdens het hoogseizoen, zoals op feestdagen of in het weekend.

Deze excursie kunt u kosteloos annuleren tot: annuleringstijd voor aanvang van de reis. Bij annulering na: annulering na: annuleringstijd of niet aanwezig zijn op de excursie wordt de volledige prijs van de activiteit alsnog in rekening gebracht. Te laat komen bij het ophalen of vertrekken wordt beschouwd als niet komen opdagen.