Much Better Adventures

Adventures / Summit Fever

Adventure Hiking in Armenia

Trek the Great Silk Road, explore caves and zip-line above a gorge before summiting Armenia’s highest peak, Mount Aragats (4090m)

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Trip Ref #9998

Adventures / Summit Fever

Adventure Hiking in Armenia

Trek the Great Silk Road, explore caves and zip-line above a gorge before summiting Armenia’s highest peak, Mount Aragats (4090m)

DURATION
6 nights
LOCATION
Armenia
ANNUAL LEAVE
5 days off work
SEASON
Jun—Sep
GROUP SIZE
Up to 13 people
MEETING POINT
Zvartnots International Airport, Armenia
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel · Guesthouse · Wild camping
DIFFICULTY
Moderate

A decent level of fitness and the ability to hike for 4-7 hours each day will see you all the way to the top.

Hike along the Great Silk Road, the ancient trading route which linked the West with the East for millennia

Trek through gorges, forests and meadows and take a dip in the second highest freshwater lake in the world

Spend a night under the stars on the slopes of an extinct volcano and hike under the shadow of Mount Ararat - fabled resting place of Noah's Ark

Included

Guides

Expert, English-speaking guides

Accommodation

4 nights in hotels, 1 night in a local guesthouse and 1 night camping on Mount Aragat

Meals

Munch on delicious food throughout

Transfers

To and from the airport and everything in between

Equipment

All your camping equipment for the Mount Aragats summit hike

Permits

All permits and entry fees

Not Included

Flights to and from the meeting point

Travel insurance

Personal expenses

Some meals as described

Tips for your guides

The Area

Logistics

Starts

Yerevan Airport

Anytime on Day 1

Ends

Yerevan Airport

Anytime on Day 7

Transfers

Your host will pick you up on arrival and drop you off on departure, all flights will be met.

Travel options

There are regular flights to Yerevan from major airports across the UK and Europe.

What about all the carbon?

We mitigate 4x the carbon generated by all our customer flights annually through our partnership with Cool Earth.

Day 1

Hotel · Twin share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 2

Guesthouse · Twin share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 3 – Day 4

Hotel · Twin share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 5

Wild camping · Twin share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 6

Hotel · Twin share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 7

Departure day

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

What is the food like?

On hiking days you will have lunch boxes provided with sandwiches, a salad and dessert (cookies, fruits etc). In restaurants you will have traditional Armenian dishes. These are generally meat-based meals, though vegetarians can be catered for if you let your host know in advance. Food allergies or other special dietary requirements can also be catered to.

Lamb, aubergine, yoghurt and bulgar wheat are all staples of Armenian diets. Armenian meze, served with the traditional bread called Lavash is a must. For desert be sure to try Baclava.

What is the accommodation like?

Yerevan

You’ll stay in a modern 3-star hotel in Armenia's capital. The hotel has a central location close to bars and a popular arts centre.

Yeghegnadzor

After the caving day, you'll stay in a beautiful family run winery and guesthouse set in a lovely location, with mountain-view balconies, an open fire and an outdoor swimming pool.

Herman Village

At the end of your first hiking day you'll stay in a hotel in a peaceful location in Herman Village with a sauna and a pool to help sooth your limbs.

The Great Silk Road

You'll stay at the Apaga Resort in an amazing natural setting with incredible mountain views all around.

Mount Aragats Camp

You’ll wild camp on Mount Aragats at an altitude of 3200m. There are no facilities and you’ll have to pitch-in to set up and take down the camp before and after reaching the summit.

Upgrades

For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room and tent can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).

Day 1

Explore Yerevan

Check into your hotel and depending on your arrival time, soak up the cosy cafes and bars of Armenia’s capital city, Yerevan. Meet the rest of your team and then head out for dinner before bedding down for the night ready for the adventure ahead.

Day 2

Go Underground

Hiking

3-4hrs

Head out of Yerevan for your first taste of the Armenian countryside. Stop off at Khor Virap Monastery for some sweeping mountain views and then have a traditional Armenian BBQ as you stare out at Eastern Turkey's enormous Mount Ararat - fabled resting place of Noah's Ark. Spend the afternoon hanging out with the bats as you explore the winding and narrow tunnels of the Magel and Areni 1 cave system.

Day 3

The road to Spitakavor

Hiking

4-5hrs · 11km

Trek through Armenian villages and past ancient monasteries as you make your way towards Spitakavor, gateway to the Great Silk Road.

Day 4

The Great Silk Road

Hiking

4-5hrs · 12km

Hike along the Great Silk Road, the ancient network of trade routes that once connected East and West. Soak up the amazing views of the Caucasus mountains and the medieval fortress of Smbataberd, probably built for King Smbat II Tiezerakal, known as the Master of the Universe. Have a picnic lunch with gorgeous views of the Lower Caucasus Range and then carry on to the ancient trading post of Selim Caravanserai.End the day with a well deserved dip in Lake Sevan, the second highest fresh water lake in the world – a whopping 1900m above sea level.

Day 5

Ride the Zip-line

Hiking

2-3hrs · 7km

Begin the day flying over a 300m deep canyon on a vertigo-inducing zip line. For anyone who isn’t keen on heights, you can swap this for horse riding for a small extra cost, just speak to your guide. Back on the ground, hike into an unspoilt and rugged part of Armenia - considered one of the nation's best kept secrets, passing through a dense forest and a deep gorge into a large and picturesque meadow region of the Caucasus foothills. After dinner, help set up camp for the night and sleep beneath the peak of Mount Aragats.

Day 6

Summit Mount Aragats (4090m)

Hiking

6-7hrs · 17km

Walk to Kari Lake and then climb to the top of Mount Aragats. All going to plan, you’ll have lunch on the summit looking down on all of Armenia and deep into neighbouring Turkey. Descend down the mountain to the campsite, pack up and head back to Yerevan, the last stop on your Armenian adventure.

Day 7

Free day in Yerevan

Use your spare time exploring Yerevan, before heading to the airport and back to reality.

Please Note

All our adventures take place in wild places. Things can go wrong in wild places. Your perfectly planned itinerary may change a bit (or a lot) if the weather turns, someone gets hurt, or a volcano erupts. Usually though, changes make it all the better.

15% Off Outdoor Gear

In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 15% discount on us to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock, Runner's Need, and Cycle Surgery.

What do I need to bring?

Bags

  • Soft overnight duffel bag or rucksack
  • Daypack (35+ litres)
  • Waterproof liner for kitbag or rucksack / drybags

Clothes

  • Waterproof jacket
  • Waterproof trousers
  • Breathable wicking layers
  • Fleece jacket or similar
  • Buff or neckscarf
  • Lightweight gloves
  • Lightweight trousers/shorts / skirts
  • T-shirts
  • Underwear & socks
  • Swimwear
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunhat
  • Something to sleep in
  • Hiking boots (worn-in)
  • Sandals

Other

  • Padlock for left luggage
  • Universal travel plug adapter
  • Power bank or solar charger
  • Spare camera batteries
  • Passports (and visas if needed)
  • Travel Insurance documents
  • Ear plugs
  • Insect repellant
  • Suncream
  • Personal first-aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
  • Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
  • Quick-dry towel
  • Alcohol hand-gel
  • Headtorch or torch
  • Reusable water bottle x1 ltr (2 of these if you have room)
  • Quickdry towel
  • Biodegradable wet-wipes
  • Energy bars and snacks
  • Water purification tablets/treatment system

A regular level of fitness will be enough to see you through. The longest hike will be 17 km to the highest point of Armenia: the Northern Peak of Mount Aragats at 4090m. This hike takes 6-7 hours whilst the hikes on earlier days are all 3-4 hours at a gentle/moderate pace.

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

We'd suggest you bring a couple of reusable water bottle to fill up before each hike. The tap water is safe to drink in Armenia and it's famous for its spring waters, so if you have a Water-to-go bottle or a Lifestraw please bring that with you to safely enjoy natural water sources on your hikes. You can find many drinking fountains in Armenia in the streets which are also safe to drink from.

In May, June and September the weather is mild, warm and sunny. In some regions on this trip it might be a bit cooler and windy in the evenings. July can get pretty hot with the average temperature between 30-35 degrees celsius. There may still be snow on the peaks including Mount Aragats, but this won't affect your hikes or mountain summit.

Sure can! Just ask your host and they will be able to store for you.

We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

We’ve teamed up with the guys at World Nomads to offer insurance designed for adventurous travellers across 140 countries that includes overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities. To get yours sorted, click here.

We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book the trip, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

For current advice about travelling in Armenia, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.

All of our group adventures are especially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded.

"I cannot recommend this highly enough! The people on the trip were amazing. Easily the best trip I've ever been on!" Charlotte, 2019, Trustpilot.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

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Transferrable Deposits

Cancel up to 31 days before departure and we'll transfer your deposit into credit for a future booking.

Free Date Changes

Free date changes up to 31 days before departure.

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