A mountain weekend from Yerevan: two days near Mount Aragats

Day 1: from the city to the mountain

Leave Yerevan in the morning and drive north on the M3 highway towards Ashtarak. Take a short detour to Saghmosavank, a 13th-century monastery on the edge of the Kasagh gorge, with wide views of Mount Aragats.

Continue north to the Armenian Alphabet Monument near Artashavan, where giant stone letters were set up in 2005 to mark 1,600 years of the Armenian alphabet. It is a good place to stretch your legs and take photos.

Arrive at Aragats Hotel in the afternoon (check-in from 14:00). Spend the rest of the day slowly: a walk through the garden, a swim or the sauna at our sister sport complex, then dinner with traditional khorovats and fresh lavash. On summer evenings, gather round the fire pit or join an open-air film in the garden.

Day 2: churches, meadows and a slow lunch

After breakfast, visit the Kasagh Basilica in Aparan, one of the early Christian churches of Armenia, a short drive from the hotel. Then head out for a walk on the slopes of Aragats, where summer brings wildflowers and grazing flocks.

Enjoy a long lunch in our restaurant before driving back to Yerevan (check-out until 11:00; we are happy to store your luggage). If you have time, add a detour to the Amberd fortress on the way home.

Tips for your weekend

Bring a warm layer even in summer: evenings in the mountains are much cooler than in Yerevan. Summer weekends and holidays are popular, so book early. Travelling without a car? Ask us about a transfer from Yerevan.