Highlights of Armenia — 8 Days Self-Launched
8 days · Armenia
The Caucasus Tours charges £2,230
No-markup version: ~£710 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of The Caucasus Tours' 8-day private Armenia circuit: Yerevan's café-and-cascade city life, Khor Virap with Mount Ararat views, Areni wine country and Noravank, the Tatev cable car and Karahunj, Lake Sevan and Dilijan's forest monasteries, Echmiadzin and Zvartnots, then Garni's pagan temple, Geghard Monastery and a lavash-baking session in a village home. Instead of a private car and guide, you'll use Armenia's cheap marshrutka minibuses, shared taxis and the odd day-hire driver with a local guide, staying in Yerevan hostels/guesthouses and a Goris family guesthouse. Costs are rough backpacker estimates — Armenia is genuinely one of the cheapest countries in the region.
Day-by-day
Arrive Yerevan — Cascade at golden hour
Yerevan
Land at Zvartnots International Airport and take bus #201 (about 300 AMD, ~£0.60) or a Yandex/GG taxi (~2,500-3,500 AMD, £5-7) into the centre. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in the Kentron district, 5-10 minutes' walk from Republic Square. Spend the late afternoon wandering Republic Square, Abovyan Street and Freedom Square, then climb the Cascade for sunset views over the city with Mount Ararat on the horizon. Pop into the Cafesjian Center for the Arts sculpture garden (free outdoor levels). Dinner at a budget tavérn near Saryan Street — khorovats, lavash and a glass of Areni wine for £6-8.
🚌Airport bus #201 (~£0.60) or taxi (~£6); everything else on foot
🛏Hostel dorm or family guesthouse, Kentron, Yerevan (£10-14)
- →Republic Square and Abovyan Street stroll
- →Cascade complex and Cafesjian sculpture garden (free)
- →Sunset viewpoint over Yerevan
Yerevan deep-dive — manuscripts, markets and Mother Armenia
Yerevan
Self-launched city day. Start at the Matenadaran manuscript repository (entry ~1,500 AMD, £2.50) — go early, it's quiet and fascinating. Walk down to the GUM market to graze on dried fruit, sujukh and lavash for lunch (£3-4). In the afternoon take the metro (£0.30) or a 15-minute walk to Victory Park and the Mother Armenia monument for city views, then loop back via the Opera and Ballet Theatre. Book your Tatev cable car ticket online for Day 4 this evening, and pick up a Yerevan city map at the tourist info point. Optional: free walking tour of the centre (tip-based, ~£5 tip).
🚌Metro and walking (~£1)
🛏Hostel dorm or family guesthouse, Kentron, Yerevan (£10-14)
- →Matenadaran manuscript museum (~£2.50)
- →GUM food market
- →Victory Park and Mother Armenia monument
- →Opera and Ballet Theatre exterior / Freedom Square
- →Optional tip-based walking tour
Khor Virap, Areni wine and Noravank — onward to Goris
Yerevan → Khor Virap → Areni → Noravank → Goris
The one day where a shared day-hire car genuinely pays for itself: the monasteries are spread out with no useful public transport. Book a shared/split private driver for the Yerevan–Khor Virap–Areni–Noravank run (roughly £60-80 for the car split between 2-4 people, so £20-35 each), or join a small-group day tour via GetYourGuide/Klook (£25-35). Start at Khor Virap for the classic Mount Ararat backdrop, then Areni-1 cave and a tasting at a village winery (£5-8). Lunch at a local restaurant in Areni (£5). Finish at Noravank's red-cliff monastery, then have the driver drop you at the Goris-bound marshrutka stop or continue by shared taxi to Goris (~£8-12 each). Check into a family guesthouse in Goris (£12-15) and eat dinner with the hosts.
🚌Shared day-hire car (~£25 each split 3 ways) + shared taxi to Goris (~£10)
🛏Family guesthouse, Goris (£12-15 with breakfast)
- →Khor Virap Monastery and Ararat viewpoint
- →Areni-1 cave complex
- →Wine tasting at an Areni village winery
- →Noravank Monastery
Tatev cable car, Karahunj and back to Yerevan
Goris → Tatev → Karahunj → Yerevan
Morning stroll around Goris' cave dwellings and old town, then take a local taxi or the seasonal shuttle to the Wings of Tatev cable car station (~£6-8 taxi). The cable car is the world's longest reversible aerial tramway — book online in advance (~£6-7 return, less if you pre-book a timed slot). Ride down to Tatev Monastery and give yourself 1.5-2 hours to explore the fortified complex above the Vorotan gorge. On the way back, ask your driver to stop at Karahunj (Zorats Karer, the 'Armenian Stonehenge') — free, 30 minutes is plenty. Return to Yerevan by afternoon marshrutka/shared taxi from Goris or Sisian (~£10-12, 4-5 hours). Evening: cheap dinner near the hostel.
🚌Local taxi to cable car (~£7 split), Wings of Tatev cable car (~£7), marshrutka/shared taxi Yerevan (~£11)
🛏Hostel dorm or family guesthouse, Kentron, Yerevan (£10-14)
- →Goris old town and cave dwellings
- →Wings of Tatev cable car
- →Tatev Monastery
- →Karahunj / Zorats Karer standing stones
Lake Sevan, Dilijan old town and Haghartsin
Yerevan → Lake Sevan → Dilijan → Haghartsin → Yerevan
Take a marshrutka from Yerevan's Northern Bus Station to Sevan (~£2, 1 hour). Climb the 240-odd steps to Sevanavank Monastery for lake views (free), then continue by marshrutka or shared taxi to Dilijan (~£2-3). Wander the Old Dilijan Complex on Sharambeyan Street, grab lunch in a local café (£4-5), and take a taxi or hitch a ride up to Haghartsin Monastery in the forest (taxi ~£8-10 return, shareable). If energy allows, add the Tsaghkadzor ropeway on the way back to Yerevan (return ride ~£5). Last marshrutka back to Yerevan around early evening (~£2-3).
🚌Marshrutkas and shared taxis Yerevan–Sevan–Dilijan–Yerevan (~£10)
🛏Hostel dorm or family guesthouse, Kentron, Yerevan (£10-14)
- →Sevanavank Monastery (240 steps)
- →Lake Sevan shoreline
- →Old Dilijan Complex, Sharambeyan Street
- →Haghartsin Monastery
- →Optional Tsaghkadzor ropeway
Echmiadzin, Zvartnots ruins and the Genocide Memorial
Yerevan → Echmiadzin → Zvartnots → Yerevan
Easy DIY day on the western edge of the city. Marshrutka or bus from Yerevan to Echmiadzin/Vagharshapat (~£1, 30-40 minutes). Visit the Mother Cathedral (free/entry donation; check whether restoration work restricts access) and St. Hripsime Church, then walk or take a short taxi to the Zvartnots Cathedral ruins (~£1.50 entry). Lunch at a local eatery (£4). Back in Yerevan, visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum at Tsitsernakaberd (free) — allow 1.5 hours and check opening days. Finish at the Vernissage open-air market near Republic Square for souvenirs and crafts (haggle politely). Book your Garni/Geghard day-hire or tour for tomorrow.
🚌Marshrutka to Echmiadzin and back (~£2), local taxis (~£2)
🛏Hostel dorm or family guesthouse, Kentron, Yerevan (£10-14)
- →Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral
- →St. Hripsime Church
- →Zvartnots Cathedral ruins
- →Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum (free)
- →Vernissage market
Garni temple, Geghard and lavash in a village home
Yerevan → Garni → Geghard → Yerevan
Take marshrutka #266 or a shared taxi from Yerevan to Garni village (~£1-2, 40 minutes). Explore the Garni Fortress and the 1st-century Temple of the Sun (~£2 entry), then hike down into Garni Gorge to see the basalt 'Symphony of Stones' columns (free, 45 minutes each way). Walk or taxi the 6 km up to Geghard Monastery, partly carved into the cliff (~£3 taxi, entry free). Book a village-home lavash baking and lunch experience in Garni in advance through a guesthouse or GetYourGuide (~£12-15, includes a proper home-cooked spread). Return to Yerevan by marshrutka/shared taxi (~£2). Last-night dinner and a glass of something in a Kentron wine bar (£8).
🚌Marshrutka #266 / shared taxi to Garni (~£2-3), short taxi to Geghard (~£1.50)
🛏Hostel dorm or family guesthouse, Kentron, Yerevan (£10-14)
- →Garni Fortress and Temple of the Sun
- →Garni Gorge and Symphony of Stones hike
- →Geghard Monastery
- →Village-home lavash baking class and lunch
Depart Yerevan
Yerevan
Slow morning: pick up last-minute souvenirs, have a final coffee in a Yerevan specialty café (£2-3), and take the #201 airport bus (~£0.60) or a taxi (~£6) to Zvartnots for your flight. If you have a late departure, a cheap option is the History Museum of Armenia on Republic Square (~£2.50).
🚌Airport bus #201 (~£0.60) or taxi (~£6)
🛏—
- →Coffee and souvenir shopping
- →Optional History Museum of Armenia
Self-launched vs. The Caucasus Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | The Caucasus Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£710 | £2,230 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,520 per person (68%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more The Caucasus Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£710
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of Armenia — 8 Days Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £710 per person for 8 days in Armenia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with The Caucasus Tours?+
Yes — The Caucasus Tours charges around £2,230 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £710 — a saving of roughly £1,520 (68%) per person.
How long is the Armenia trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Armenia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, budget trip through Armenia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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