Full-day Tour to Khor Virap, Noravank and Areni

This full-day tour combines multiple small excursions into one package. See the country's most famous sight, Mount Ararat, and witness the stunning Noravank Monastery, the most inaccessible monastery in medieval Armenia. Learn about Armenian history, see holy sites, and sample Areni wine, produced from the world's oldest grapevines.

Highlights: 

• Enjoy the most spectacular views of Mount Ararat in Armenia

• Stop at the monastery closest to Ararat, Khor Virap

• Visit the most inaccessible monasteries of medieval Armenia — Noravank

• See the old town of Artashat

Includes: 

• driver (guide)

• hotel pick-up and drop-off

• private transportation by a/c vehicle.

Not included: 

• meals

• water

Please note: departures are daily; the price for a solo traveler is €135.

This excursion begins at Khor Virap, the monastery nearest to Mount Ararat. It is situated atop one of Artashat's historic city's hills. On this hill stood the royal jail, where the first Catholicos (Patriarch) of Armenia, Gregory the Illuminator, was imprisoned for a lengthy period. "Chorus" translates to "deep" in Armenian, and "Virap" translates to "pit."

Next on the itinerary is a delightful stop at the winemaking community of Areni. Here, you can tour the Areni Winery and sample various fruit wines and vodkas. In the village of Areni, where a "Bird Cave" was found, a winery from 6,000 years before Christ and the world's oldest leather shoes, which are about 5,500 years old, were found as well.

Then you will be on the grounds of Noravank, an Armenian monastery from the Middle Ages that was one of the hardest to get into. "Nor" translates to "new" in Armenian. "Vank" – monastery. The church of St. Stephen was constructed in the 13th century close to the collapsed church of St. John the Baptist. Hence, the monastery was referred to as new. The Church of the Holy Virgin was built in 1339. It is a beautiful example of Armenian Gothic. The church's location among the red rocks gives it a unique ambiance.