Garni or Khor Virap: what to choose with one day in Yerevan

Key points

• Garni Temple & Geghard Monastery: 5 hours, 80 km, from 30,000 AMD per car. Three different experiences: a temple, a gorge, a rock-cut monastery.
• Khor Virap: 4 hours, 90 km, from 27,000 AMD per car. One stop, but Ararat is closer here than from anywhere else in Armenia.
• Both in one day: 8 hours, 175 km, from 42,000 AMD per car. Khor Virap in the morning, then Garni and Geghard.

At a glance

The price is per car, not per person: hotel to hotel, with fuel and waiting at stops included. Our drivers speak several languages: ask the dispatcher about yours. The driver isn’t a guide. If you want the history explained, you can add a guide when you book.

Garni and Geghard: what the day looks like

This route heads east from Yerevan into the Azat River gorge. Four stops, each unlike the one before.

Charents Arch. The first stop, half an hour after you set off: a stone arch at the edge of the road, with Ararat visible through it in clear weather. A 10-minute stop, a photo, and on you go.

© BarevTrip

Garni Temple. The only pagan temple in Armenia, standing on the edge of a cliff above the gorge. It opens at 10:00 and closes earlier in winter. A ticket is 1,500 AMD, free for children under 12. If you leave around 9:00, you’ll be at the entrance for opening, ahead of the tour buses.

© BarevTrip

Symphony of Stones gorge. A descent from the temple down to basalt columns that look like an organ. There is a small entrance fee. After heavy snow the descent may be closed; the driver will then show you the gorge from the viewpoint above.

© BarevTrip

Geghard Monastery. A monastery partly carved straight into the rock. Entry is free, but shoulders and knees must be covered: a scarf or wrap will come in handy. The rock-cut church has resonant acoustics, and if you’re lucky you’ll hear someone singing.

© BarevTrip

Lunch. There are places to eat along the way, and the driver will suggest one if you ask. Lunch isn’t included in the price of the car.

The way back. If you leave at 9:00, you’re in Yerevan around 14:00–15:00, with half a day left for the city.

Khor Virap: what the day looks like

This route heads south, towards the Turkish border. One stop, but it’s the reason people come.

Khor Virap Monastery. It stands on a hill in the middle of the Ararat plain, and Ararat is closer here than from anywhere else in Armenia. Entry is free. Under the church is the pit where Gregory the Illuminator was held: a narrow metal ladder of 27 rungs leads down. You can climb down, but it’s awkward with small children or in a long skirt, and it gets stuffy while you wait in line in summer.

Ararat. The main reason to go and the main risk: the mountain isn’t always visible. Our honest advice: if Ararat matters most to you, look at the sky on the morning of the trip rather than booking a week ahead. Cancellation and one reschedule are free as long as at least 24 hours remain before pickup.

The way back. 4 hours including the road: leave at 9:00 and you’re back in the city by 13:00. That’s why Khor Virap is often taken as half a day, leaving the other half for Yerevan or another route.

What suits whom

• First time in Armenia, one day. Garni and Geghard. That’s three different experiences in five hours: a temple, a gorge, a rock-cut monastery.
• Going for Ararat or for the photo. Khor Virap. From no other point in the catalog does the mountain stand so close.
• With small children. Garni and Geghard: children under 12 are free at Garni, and the walking is short. The ladder into the pit at Khor Virap isn’t for little ones, though they can manage the church and the hill. Child seats are free in any car and required for under-7s.
• You want it all at once. The 8-hour combined route: Khor Virap in the morning while the air is clearer, then past the viewpoint over the Azat reservoir to Garni and Geghard.

What to bring

• Cash in AMD for tickets and lunch.
• A scarf or wrap for Geghard and Khor Virap.
• Shoes you can climb down rocks in: heels won’t do in the gorge or the pit.
• Water in summer.
• A jacket in winter: it’s windy at Geghard and on the Khor Virap hill.

How it works with us

The price is fixed before the first form field and doesn’t change at the end. The driver picks you up at your hotel at the time you set, and on the way you can ask to stop for a photo. You pay after the request is confirmed; there’s no prepayment. Cancellation and one reschedule are free up to 24 hours before pickup.