Hiking in Dilijan National Park (Transcaucasian Trail): 6-day hiking

For a start, the bus will take us from Yerevan to Tavush province. On the way, we’ll stop near Lake Sevan, the biggest mountain lake of the Caucasus. The next stop will be in town Dilijan to explore the old culture and history. Afterwards, we will drive to Khachardzan, a small village on the road to Ijevan, the regional capital of Tavush province and an important historical stop on the Silk Road route through the Lesser Caucasus Mountains (‘ijevan’ means ‘caravanserai’ or ‘inn’ in Armenian). We’ll spend the night at the family guesthouse, enjoy a home-cooked meal, and prepare for our hiking in Dilijan the following morning.

The hike begins with an easy walk up the Getik valley, following dirt roads through Dilijan National Park. When the road ends, we’ll head into the forest, have lunch, then continue up the mountainside using ancient traditional paths along the steep gorge sides. Emerging from the forest at the abandoned village of Chermakavan, we’ll traverse into the neighbouring valley and admire the wild beauty of Gosh lake. After 2 km of the hike, we’ll make camp by Gosh village.

Today’s hike weaves in and out of the lush broadleaf forests and meadows of Dilijan National Park. After visiting Goshavank monastery, you’ll be amongst the very first to test out the newest trails that have been cut by the Transcaucasian Trail volunteer team. Our route will bring us out in the centre of town Dilijan itself. We’ll spend the night at a traditional local guesthouse.

This time, we’ll head out of Dilijan via the Jukhtakvank twin monasteries, visiting traditional farmsteads along the way up to a spectacular mountain pass. After a break to enjoy the panoramic views, we’ll descend through temperate rainforest to the world-famous Haghartsin Monastery, making camp at the monastery itself.

Our final full day of hiking in Dilijan and around is perhaps the most spectacular of all. We’ll climb out of the forest and above the limestone cliffs that dominate the northern half of Dilijan National Park, taking in a stunning panoramic route along the escarpment (if the weather is fine!) before dropping back down into the valley to our final destination of Hovk. In Hovk we’ll enjoy the hospitality of an infamous local mountaineer and his family for our final night on the trail.

After breakfast, we’ll be on the way to Sevanavank monastery on the peninsula of Lake Sevan, and after it to capital city Yerevan for a final celebratory lunch.