TREKKING TOUR IN ARMENIAN MOUNTAINS

Transfer from the airport to the hotel. Breakfast in the hotel. City tour in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. During the tour you will get acquainted with the main streets and the main buildings of the city, will visit the depository of manuscripts, Matenadaran, where 18 000 masterpieces are kept. Those masterpieces are included into the List of UNESCO Heritage. We will look at the city and at the mount Ararat from Cascade, will visit Genocide memorial complex, Tsitsernakaberd. 

Walking 1-2 hours.

Today we will climb the highest mountain in Armenia, Aragats.  Its northern summit, at 4,090 m (13,420 ft) above sea level. It has four summits, which are named according to their relative geographic position: Northern—4,090 m (13,420 ft), Western—3,995 m (13,107 ft), Eastern—3,908 m (12,822 ft), Southern—3,888 m (12,756 ft). Today we will climb the South summit. We will take our way to the summit from lake Kari.

After the breakfast we will take our way to village Tsaghkashen. We will start our hiking tour from here to lake Akna. The Akna is a crater lake located in the Gegham mountains. The surface elevation  of the lake is 3030m (9,948 ft).  

Early in the morning, after the breakfast, we will start our hiking tour to the highest point n Gegham mountains, mount Azhdahak. It is a volcano with a lake in the crater, that is formed from melting snow. Azhdahak has an elevation of 3,597 m above sea. From the top of the mountain opens pictorial landscape of mountains Ararat, Hatis, Ara, Aragats, Lake Sevan, the whole Gegham mountains and Kotayk valley.

Today our hiking tour will be from mount Azhdahak to lake Vanki. On the way we will see ancient vishapakars (dragon stones), which are characteristic menhirs found in large quantities in Armenia. They are commonly carved into cigar-like shapes with fish heads or serpents. Vishaps were believed to be spiritual creatures or souls of water. 

After the breakfast we will have a hiking tour to Geghard monastery (13th century). The monastery is carved out of the adjacent mountain and initially called Ayrivank (the Monastery of the Cave ) is included in the World Heritage Site. Due to the fact that the famous spear, with which the Roman soldier wounded Jesus, was kept here for 500 years, the monastery was called Geghardavank (the Monastery of the Spear). Then we will visit Garni, the only pagan temple left in our territory. During our tour we will see how Armenian national bread, lavash, is being baked. Back to Yerevan. 

Walking 4 hours.

Transfer to the airport.