One-Day Jeep Tour Through 4 Different Cultural Periods

During our one day jeep tour in Geghama Mountains you will have the opportunity to face four different cultural periods of Armenia.Early in the morning we will get started from Yerevan in SUVs and drive to the Pagan Temple of Garni. The Temple of Garni is located in the village of Garni in Kotayk Province, Armenia. The temple used to be pagan and was dedicated to the Armenian god of the sun Mihr. Built in the middle of the 1st century AD, Garni remarkably survived the destruction of pagan temples.

After admiring the temple we will ride down the Azat gorge and see the Symphony of Stones. The monument consists of huge paradoxically symmetric hexagon and pentagon basalt columns (nearly 50 meters high). These stones hanging against the gravity resemble an organ, which explains why it is also referred to as “Basalt Organ Pipes”. The river of Azat flows through the gorge, peppering the mesmerizing beauty of stones with burble.

Then we will drive to Geghard Monastery. The monastery of Geghard contains a number of churches and tombs, most of them cut into the rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat Valley.

In the second half of the day we will continue our jeep tour to Geghama Mountains. The mountain range has a volcanic origin, it consists of many extinct volcanoes.  The length of the range is 70 km, the width is 48 km. The highest peak is Azhdahak (3597m). In the crater of Azhdahak there is a lake, which is fed by melt water during the whole year. As it is not possible to reach the summit on SUVs it is not included in our program so we have a special offer for those who want to climb volcano Azhdahak.

These mountains keep a lot of secrets and mysteries within them. Scholars from all over the world have come to see the petroglyphs with their own eyes. Petroglyphs are images created by removing part of a rock’s surface by incising, pecking, carving, and abrading. Some theories hold that they may have been a way of transmitting information, while other theories ascribe them a religious or ceremonial purpose. Over 12,000 petroglyphs have been discovered in the vicinity of Geghama mountain range. Almost all aspects of human life are reflected in those petroglyphs.

Vishaps (dragons) or vishapakars (dragon stones) are stelae carved with animal imagery found in the high-altitude summer pastures of modern Armenia and the Armenian Highland. They probably owe their name to local folk tales where dragons are monstrous giants living in the mountains or, perhaps, the name may be due to a misunderstanding of the imagery carved on them. In the Geghama Mountains exists the largest recorded concentration of vishaps in the Armenian Highland.

In the evening we will return to Yerevan.

Tour price:

Number of Participants	Price per group
2 – 3	155 000֏
4 – 6	225 000֏

 

The price includes:

• the service of the English-speaking guide
• transportation on off-road car
• entrance tickets for Garni temple

The price does not include:

• Alcoholic beverages

For booking as well as for all questions, please contact us.

The book “The Mountainous Island” is a great present for both your hiking friend who is interested in the mountains of Armenia, and for yourself. All of the mountains described in the book were climbed by ArmGeo throughout the course of his 10-year career.

For orders write us on Facebook or call 043 00 5165

For more information, click on the photo.

“The Mountainous Island” is the best representation of Armenia and might become an essential part of your book collection․ It will forever remember you of your days and treks in Armenia.

Jeep Tours in Armenia