Private Tour: Khor Virap Noravank Areni and Birds Cave
Description
During one tour you can see 2 significant monasteries: Khor Virap and Noravank. Visit to the Birds Cave. The cave was discovered by a researcher at the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, archeologist Boris Gasparyan, it had many bird nests, due to which the alternative name was assigned to the cave - Bird. And we will conclude the day at the Areni wine factory, where you will have the opportunity to taste Armenian wines
Tour Options
Itinerary
The name of Khor Virap monastery is translated as “deep dungeon”. The first Catholicos of All Armenians Saint Gregory the Illuminator, was imprisoned here for 13 years by the order of the Armenian pagan king Tiridates III for the preaching Christianity. When the king was stricken with a disease his sister saw a dream: an angel told her that Tiridates would be saved only after the liberation of Gregory the Illuminator. Thus the king released Gregory the Illuminator, and the latter healed the king. After the cure the king proclaimed Christianity as the state religion. Khor Virap has an important historical significance for Armenia. Today tourists have the opportunity to descend into the underground dungeon which is located inside St. Gregory the Illuminator chapel. The best view of the holy mountain Ararat opens from the territory of the monastery.
Noravank monastery is located in Vayots Dzor province, 3 km northeast of Amaghu village. The name of the monastery is translated as “new monastery”. Noravank was built in the 13-14th centuries. The monastery complex is located on a steep mountain ledge, near the cliff. The territory is “framed” by unusual cliffs of bright red color, which create a very picturesque background for the buildings. Noravank was an important cultural and spiritual center in the Middle Ages; it also served as the residence of the bishops of Syunik province. Noravank monastery is one of the most visited attractions in Armenia. The complex is a magnificent architectural and artistic creation. The monastery was completely restored.
The cave was discovered by a researcher at the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, archeologist Boris Gasparyan, it had many bird nests, due to which the alternative name was assigned to the cave - Bird.
People who appreciate good wines and are interested in the history of ancient architecture, will definitely fall in love with the tiny Armenian Areni village. The “Areni Wine” festival has been arranged here every autumn since 2009; over 100 types of finest Armenian wines are presented at the festival and visitors can taste and purchase young and old wines manufactured at the Areni winery.
Trip from Yerevan to the Points of Interest and back, and a stop for meal and free time will fill the rest of the time
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please wait at your hotel lobby or accommodation entrance 5–10 minutes before pickup. The driver/guide will meet you there with your name or “One Way Tour” sign. If direct access is not possible, the nearest convenient pickup point will be arranged.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(45)
Another unforgettable excursion thanks to a one way tour. Seeing Mount Ararat up close must have been impressive. Visits to Khorvirap and Noravank churches each telling a rich and ancient story. Thanks to Lusine’s explanations, I was able to better understand the cultural and religious importance of these places. After this part of the day, leaving for Jermuq was another wonderful moment. The natural beauty of Jermuq Unbelievable. Many thanks also to Ando our driver, for his exemplary driving throughout the excursion.
Dear Guest, We appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed feedback. Your nice words of appreciation make us work even better. Thank you especially for pointing out the efforts of the staff. Your feedback will be forwarded to the staff and I'm sure they will enjoy reading it. The satisfaction of travelers is our main goal!
Went on the tour with Hasmik Karapetyan as our guide and Norik as the driver. Took my university friends from Germany and can't recommend the tour enough. Hasmik is very friendly and has really good English, knowledge, and passion about everything. Witty jokes make the whole trip more memorable!
We are glad to read your opinion about our good guides!
we went to a little trip to Areni and everything was great!! The tour guides were very polite and helpful, especially Tigranuhi who told us everything about the churches and the mythology about them! Egor was also giving us huge information about the sights we visited! I recommend everyone to go explore our motherland with OneWay team! Thanks a lot!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great trip to Areni with OneWay. We're especially happy to hear that our tour guides, Tigranuhi and Egor, were polite, helpful, and informative. We appreciate you recommending OneWay for exploring Armenia! We strive to provide all our guests with a memorable and enriching experience. We hope to see you again soon!
I took part to a tour with the One Way agency on november 2023. We visited Khor Virap, Noravank, Jermuk and a wine producer in Areni. All the schedules were realized on time and the guide, Nina, could be very helpful and give interesting insights on the attractions, both in Englissh and in Russian. The experience, then, has been generally positive. I just think that the tour could preview a visit to some wineyards instead of proposing only a factory were the wine is produced: this, especially on summer-autumun, would make it just perfect!
Thank you for your feedback on your recent tour with One Way agency. We are glad to hear that you had a positive experience overall, and we appreciate your suggestion for visiting vineyards instead of only a wine factory. We value your input and are always looking for ways to improve our tours.
Guide Lusine and driver Artur are great. We enjoyed our trip, they are friendly, we had fun, great trip.
Thank you for your kind review.
Nice excursion, well done guide Anahit! The route was comfortable, in general everything went according to plan and on time
Great experience of Armenia! Very interesting trip. Beautiful landscspes, historical places and comfortable transport
Dear Guest, after reading your opinion about our services, let me thank you for such kind words. We also want to thank you for sharing the day with us. We are glad to see you again in our next tours.
Very nice place to visit and very recommended for kids and family with very nice group and nice company
Thanks for taking the time to share your review with the community, we will keep in mind your feedback as we are looking forward to imporve our services. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you on a next tour.
We had a bilingual (English-Russian) trip with an excellent tour guide, Gayane. The trip was well scheduled, leaving enough time at each stop, including also a lunch break. Gayane was giving a lot of interesting information about all the places we visited, making the tour informative and enjoyable. Entrance fee has to be paid only at the cave but it's worth the short visit there. The only thing that shadowed a little bit the tour that on the way back our bus has broken down before reaching the final stop, thus we had to take the metro, and the air conditioner was scarcely working on the way. Instead, Armenian music was accompanying us during the travel on the bus, it was quite loud for me.
We love to know that this tour was educational and interesting. We always try to do our best to give you positive memories. We are waiting on your return, because there are still many places to discover together. Thank you very much for giving us your trust, it is something invaluable for us.
it was in english, bus with air-conditioning (sometimes not working). Driver good (but keep in mind armenian traffic is terrible). pay attention for change at coffee shop and seller I get soured milk . If they see you are a foreigner they are saying a higher price. Guide (Gayane) was very nice with a lot of information and correct time limits. Lunch was at a good big place. there are water(fountain) at stops, sometimes just for this reason (but worth asking for it). 1500 for birds cave worth út, but dont expect a long journey. lot of steps ín general. A good trip for introducing you Armenia out of Yerevan.
Our teams work daily to better welcome and serve all our valued guests. And knowing that your stay was wonderful gives us the feeling of accomplishment. Thank you so much for sharing your precious opinion with us! Check back often!
