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Armenia's Historic Landmarks: Khor Virap, Areni Cave and Noravank Private Tour
5.0
23 Ratings
Lusarat
Embark on a private tour of Armenia’s historic landmarks, including Khor Virap, Areni Cave, and Noravank. Discover ancient monasteries, caves, and the birthplace of winemaking.
Embark on a private tour of Armenia’s historic landmarks, including Khor Virap, Areni Cave, and Noravank. Discover ancient monasteries, caves, and the birthplace of winemaking.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Khor Virap - Khor Virap is an Armenian monastery established in 642, with its name translating from Armenian to “deep hole.” It is a revered site of the Armenian Apostolic Church and a popular pilgrimage destination. A fascinating aspect of this monastery is its location on the former royal prison site, where Gregory the Illuminator, the patron…
- Khor Virap - Khor Virap is an Armenian monastery established in 642, with its name translating from Armenian to “deep hole.” It is a revered site of the Armenian Apostolic Church and a popular pilgrimage destination. A fascinating aspect of this monastery is its location on the former royal prison site, where Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint and first official leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, was imprisoned by the Armenian king for 13 years. The monastery offers a unique view of the biblical Mount Ararat.
- Areni Wine Factory - Areni is renowned as the birthplace of winemaking. Viticulture in Armenia dates back to ancient times, with an abundance of wild vineyards and numerous local grape varieties. The oldest winery in Armenia is located here, offering the opportunity to taste exquisite wines made from the finest grape varieties.
- T’rchuneri (Bird) Cave - Also known as Areni Cave, Bird Cave is situated near the Gnishik tributary of the Arpa River, at a height of 30 meters. Carved into the rock, it features a series of interconnected spaces with narrow passages. The cave is accessible to visitors even during holidays in Armenia. Since 2007, archaeological research has been conducted here, uncovering materials from 4200-3500 BC, including pottery, plant remains, apricot and grape seeds, woven reed items, cloth fragments, and women’s jewelry.
- Noravank Monastery - Noravank Monastery is nestled among stunning steep red rocks on the edge of a winding gorge. Founded in the 12th century on the site of ancient structures, the Noravank complex is renowned for its magnificent medieval architecture and its picturesque setting, leaving a lasting impression. It stands as one of the grand monuments of Armenian medieval architecture.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup
- Hotel drop-off
- English or Russian speaking Guide service (optional)
- Wine tasting
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Bottled water
- All taxes and handling charges
- Hotel pickup
- Hotel drop-off
- English or Russian speaking Guide service (optional)
- Wine tasting
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Bottled water
- All taxes and handling charges
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- The entrance fee of Birds’ Cave
- Lunch
- The entrance fee of Birds’ Cave
Additional Information
Spend a day discovering some of Armenia’s most breathtaking landmarks. This private tour from Yerevan is designed just for you and includes visits to the Khor Virap Monastery (constructed in 642, its name translates from Armenian as “deep hole”), Noravank (established in the 12th century on the site of ancient structures), Areni Cave, Bird’s Cave, and…
Spend a day discovering some of Armenia’s most breathtaking landmarks. This private tour from Yerevan is designed just for you and includes visits to the Khor Virap Monastery (constructed in 642, its name translates from Armenian as “deep hole”), Noravank (established in the 12th century on the site of ancient structures), Areni Cave, Bird’s Cave, and Areni, known as the birthplace of winemaking.
Khor Virap is an Armenian monastery, built in 642, with its name meaning “deep hole” in Armenian. It is one of the sacred sites of the Armenian Apostolic Church and a popular pilgrimage destination.
Areni is renowned as the birthplace of winemaking. Viticulture in Armenia began many years before our era, with numerous wild vineyards and a wide variety of local grape types thriving in the region.
Noravank Monastery is nestled among stunning steep red rocks on the edge of a winding gorge. It was founded in the 12th century on the site of ancient buildings.
Location
Khor Virap
Highway 11 - Near the village of Pokr Vedi, Artashat
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(23 Ratings)
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1 star
Noelmalintha
Mar 1, 2026
Excellent tour - Was peefectly organized and on time. Our guide / driver Gargik Martirosyan was excellent and supportive through out the journey.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hjcaveney
Nov 17, 2025
Lovely Guide and Driver--Flexible, Kind, and Knowledgeable - My sister and I enjoyed a lovely private tour to Areni region with Kristine as our guide and Davit as our driver. The car was comfortable and both accommodated our request to stop for a snack on the way into the region (so that our stomachs wouldn't be empty for the tasting!). We visited Khor Virap first, followed by the Noravank Monastery (We visited five monasteries in our time in Armenia and this one was by far the most ornate. It is also in a very beautiful location surrounded by mountainous terrain. Kristine's knowledge of the monasteries was top notch.
After the monasteries we visited the Bird Cave, also known as Areni 1 Cave--now known as the oldest known winery having been discovered only in 2007. Excavations are yet in progress. Then we moved on to the wine tasting.
Our AirBnB host in Yerevan had recommended we visit Old Bridge Winery as it is in the area. We asked and were happy that Jan Armenia Tours accommodated our request. We paid for the tasting itself at the Winery (as it was not part of the itinerary)--very affordable and EVERY wine we tasted was delicious!! I brought home one bottle. Kristine and Davit left us alone at the winery to enjoy for about an hour or so, but then were ready to depart when we were. We stopped at the original scheduled Areni Wine factory for a tour and tasting--which was fine, but Old Bridge was amazing!
We arrived back into Yerevan around 17.30 and had the evening for ourselves.
Davit and Kristine were both friendly and kind. They answered all of our questions and we enjoyed Davit "dj-ing" for the ride back to Yerevan, sharing some lovely Armenian music with us. It was a delightful day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A1221nh_
Oct 29, 2025
Great day trip - Our private driver Davit made our trip unforgettable. Clean car, willing to give us information about Armenian history and very good English
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Reneezz2025
Aug 20, 2025
Awesome day, highly appreciated - It was an amazing tour with our awesome, lovely and professional guide, Jasmine and the professional nice driver Davit.
We really enjoyed every bit of it all day long with no exception.
It is highly recommended.
Thank you so much.
Humanity is still there, thanks God.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traveler634416
Jul 20, 2025
- I chose the excursion in individual and in French to the monasteries of Khor Virap and Norevank with a stop at the wine cellar of Areni and I really do not regret it.
It was a success: the places visited are really interesting.
The driver and guide, very available and attentive, gave me complete satisfaction.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tourist32545875010
Jun 9, 2025
Must see one day tour in Armenia - Monasteries was amazing!! Great service from driver and nice lunch! Tour was super, my family and I was surprised with views and pleased!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
95abyf
Mar 27, 2025
An excellent trip to Archaeological wonders - An amazing time visiting the monastery and the Areni Caves. The scheduling was perfect and we were able to spend ample time in each location. Got to see rural Armenia up close. Was able to visit some of the most historically significant locations in Armenia.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O12yvgemmas
Feb 18, 2025
Unforgettable tour with an excellent driver - Karen went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, provided fascinating insights about the area, and even gave us great local recommendations. The vehicle was clean and comfortable, making the journey even more enjoyable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Olivierrn3176uv
Jan 14, 2025
Amazing scenery, very good wine, perfect guide. - Our first surprise was: it's a private tour, not a bus tour.
We will enjoy our private driver for the whole day 😍.
And when I say "enjoy" ... I mean it. Karen was a prefect driver of a brand new BYD electric car: comfortable & silent. Cherry on the cake: there is free Wi-Fi in the car (in case you can't disconnect).
But more than that, Karen is perfect tour guide. He knows his Armenia up - down, left - right. We got all the historical, political, geographical information you can dream of. The tour talks about 2 monastery and a winery ... we got way more.
Khor Virap is nice monastery atop a hill. Like many places ... destroyed, rebuild, etc..
If you are not scared, you can climb a ladder down to a prison cell.
Don't forget to climb on top of the hill for a breathtaking view of the surroundings.
Areni cave, hosts artifacts dating 6000 years back and proving it was the oldest winery on earh.
We went to Hin Areni winery. No point to visit the factory in winter, but the tasting is a must. You pay a small fee, and ... travel from white to red, from young to old wines. If you have space on your luggage you can get a few bottles at a top price.
Since it was lunch time, Karen took us to a very nice restaurant: Lchak.
You eat in small cabin and the food is ... delicious.
We had a grilled sterlet, some local cheese & herbs and ... the local wine.
Karen shared our lunch (not mandatory) and we enjoyed a lot more stories.
And last but not least: heaven also known as Noravank.
After a magnificent road in the mountain, Noravank appears on the right ... high in the sky.
It's a beautiful monastery, in an extremely peaceful place. And suddenly you ask yourself: how did they bring the stones there in the 11th century...
If you are lucky you might see some wild life in the mountains.
This was a fantastic day 10AM to 7PM, I higly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Giovanniandjenn
Dec 24, 2024
A fantastic day out of town in Yerevan. - Khor Virap, a site of extraordinary historical and political significance. The guide told us the traditional story of St. Gregory the Armenian, revealing the Armenian destiny and culture. Then we explored the wine tradition of Areni, tasted many types of wine and brandy. We saw bottles of 30-year-old red wine. Finally we visited the Noravank monastery.
The real luck was to have Mr. Vegan as a guide who in perfect English explained everything to us, answering questions in an extraordinarily informative way.
ENGLISH:
Khor Virap, a site of extraordinary historical and political significance. The guide told us the traditional story of St. Gregory the Armenian, revealing the Armenian culture. Then we explored the wine tradition of Areni, tasted many types of wine and brandy. We saw bottles of red wine aged 30 years. Finally we visited the monastery of Noravank.
The real luck was to have as a guide Mr. Vegan who in perfect English explained everything by answering questions in an extraordinarily informative way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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