Day trip to Tsaghkadzor and Lake Sevan tour from Yerevan

This day tour from Yerevan pairs a driver-guide with two of Armenia's best-known highland destinations, the resort town of Tsaghkadzor and Lake Sevan, on a round trip of roughly six hours that includes a cable car ride and two historic monasteries.

A hotel pickup in Yerevan starts the day, and the driver-guide takes you north-west to Tsaghkadzor, known locally as the Valley of Flowers and one of Armenia's most popular winter resort towns, set among forested mountains.

From Tsaghkadzor, a cable car ride climbs toward the surrounding peaks, giving you a panoramic view over the valley and the town below. The cable car adds a different vantage point on a town that's normally seen from the valley floor. The tour then continues to Kecharis Monastery, a complex dating back to the 11th century that includes four churches and the ruins of a mausoleum built for Grigorius Pahlavuni, one of the region's oldest surviving religious sites.

About 30 minutes further on is Lake Sevan, one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world, sitting at roughly 1,897 metres above sea level with water that runs a deep blue against the surrounding mountains. A walk onto the peninsula leads to Sevanavank Monastery, built in the 9th century by Princess Mariam in memory of her husband. The climb involves around 200 steps, and the monastery is home to one of the Amenaprkich, or all-savior, khachkars, among the rarest cross-stones in Armenia depicting Christ. The lake itself feeds the Hrazdan River, which flows on through Yerevan.

Your driver-guide brings you back to Yerevan once the tour concludes, completing the round trip from the mountains to the lake and back. Rayna's own local team runs the day, so there's one point of contact if anything about the schedule needs to change, for example if traffic affects the return drive.

• Visit Tsaghkadzor, one of Armenia's most popular winter resort towns, also called the Valley of Flowers.
• Take a cable car ride up the mountainside for panoramic valley views.
• Explore the 11th-century Kecharis Monastery, with its four churches and old mausoleum ruins.
• Marvel at Lake Sevan, one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world.
• Visit Sevanavank Monastery, built in the 9th century, overlooking the lake from its peninsula.

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Cable car ride ticket

• Personal expenses such as shopping, drinks and dining during the tour
• Entrance fees other than the included cable car ride

1. Download the voucher from your Rayna Tours dashboard before the tour date.
2. Keep a soft copy of the voucher on your phone, or print it.
3. Show the voucher to your driver-guide at pickup for verification.

• Wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing, and carry cash for the day.
• Avoid shorts and short skirts, as modest dress is expected at the monasteries.
• Reaching Sevanavank Monastery involves climbing around 200 steps.
• Carry cash in Armenian drams for lunch, as card payment isn't always available at the restaurant.
• This tour is not wheelchair accessible.
• Be ready in the hotel lobby 15 minutes before the scheduled pickup time.
• Provide accurate hotel address details at the time of booking to avoid delays.
• Carry a valid ID or passport for identification during the tour.
• Arrive on time; failure to report at pickup is treated as a no-show, with no rescheduling or refund.
• Tour timings can shift depending on traffic and road conditions.