From Yerevan to the snowy peaks of Tsakhkadzor

What to expect

Gutanasar Volcano
We depart from Yerevan and in just 20 minutes we arrive at the first point of our little journey - the extinct Gutanasar volcano. From a height of 2200 meters, a deep rift in the mountain is visible, as if a trace from a giant plow. That's where we'll head! We will see a cross-section of hardened lava, and as we approach the mountain, we will collect a handful of obsidian as a souvenir: black volcanic glass covers the local slopes.

Champions resort
We then head to the resort town of Tsakhkadzor. Thanks to its unique climate, the place has become a training ground for many generations of Olympic athletes. By cable car (if desired) we will climb to a height of 3000 meters to admire the majestic Mount Ararat and Lake Sevan.
We will also visit the 11-13th century monastery complex. It was built by the influential princely dynasty of Pakhlavuni, whose descendants later became famous military leaders, scholars, poets, and political figures - inside the complex we will visit the family tomb of the dynasty.

Lake Sevan
Finally, we will go to the blue pearl of Armenia - the freshwater Lake Sevan. Located at an altitude of 1902 meters surrounded by chiseled mountain ranges, the views here are magnificent. I will tell you about the mysterious origin of the reservoir and the unsuccessful attempts of human intervention in the water balance. Then we will have a small workout: after climbing 200 steps up, we will reach another monastery complex Sevanavank. We will visit two remarkable domed churches of the 9th century, uncover the ambiguous history of the transformation of the third one, and enjoy the view of the lake from a height of 1950 meters.
And on the way back, we will take advantage of the off-road vehicle and drive on the abandoned old road on the slope of the Pambak ridge, admiring the lake from an unusual perspective.