Tours

Real Voyage offers excursions and tours to various destinations within Armenia, in Nagorno Karabakh and on the territory of former Western Armenia (now Turkey). Below you can find the descriptions of the sites of attraction we suggest visiting.

Echmiadzin
St. Echmiadzin is the historical center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It’s the seat of the Catholicos of all Armenians. The Echmiadzin Cathedral was established in 303 A.D. immediately after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia. According to legend Jesus Christ appeared in the vision of Gregory the Illuminator and showed the place where He wanted the first Armenian Christian church to be built. Hence - the name “Echmiadzin”, which means the coming of the only Begotten. There a monastery, a seminary and a museum here as well. The latter houses the treasures of Armenian churches, the most precious of which are the golden letters of the Armenian alphabet.

Khor Virap
Khor Virap is an architectural monument of the XVII c., a monastery-fortress built on a hill. In ancient times the historical city of Artashat, one of the old capitals of Armenia stood here. Khor Virap is a sanctuary for Armenians. According to the chronicles of the Armenian historian Agatangeghos, this is the place of the underground “prison” of St. Gregory the Illuminator. He was thrown here for 13 years by the order of King Trdates III for spreading Christianity. There used to be a theological seminary in the Khor Virap monastery. From the hill majestic scenery opens over the Biblical Mt. Ararat.

Sevan
The pearl of Armenia – Lake Sevan is one of the largest freshwater mountain lakes in the world. It is situated at about 1900 meters above sea level and is surrounded by mountains from all sides. The temperature of the water in the lake, even in the hottest days, does not exceed 20-22 degrees Celsius. Sevan’s fresh and cool air makes it a nice place to rest.

Garni
Garni is a village in Armenia, located 28 km east of Yerevan, in the valley of the river Azat. It is famous for its pagan temple built in the 1st century A.D, in the Hellenic-Roman style. It is the only surviving monument in Armenia belonging to the pagan and Hellenic epoch. Near the temple, one can see the remnants of an ancient fortress and royal court, as well as a 3rd century bathhouse with beautiful Hellenic mosaic on the floor.

Geghard
The Geghard gorge is situated at about 40 km to the south-east of Yerevan. Most of the buildings in the Geghard Monastery Complex date back to the 13th century, while the first cave monastery – Ayrivank was built in the 4th c. An important site is the main cathedral church, St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God), which was built in 1215. The complex also consists of two smaller churches carved in the rock. The whole medieval ensemble harmoniously integrates into the amazing beauty of the Azat river gorge and the Geghama mountain range.

Tsakhkadzor
Tsakhkadzor, which translates into “valley of flowers”, is one of the most beautiful sites in Armenia. In the summer its shady forests, blooming fields, fresh air and spring water attract a great number of tourists and local Armenians. In the winter it is a wonderful place for the fans of mountain skiing. A new 2500 m ropeway (cable car) operates here, meeting the European standards.

Amberd
On the southern slopes of Mt. Aragats looking over the Ararat valley is the fortress-castle called Amberd. In the 10th-13th cc. it used to be the ancestral estate of the Pahlavuni princes. It’s a bright example of Armenian medieval architecture and one of the few surviving feudal castles in Armenia. Amberd is surrounded from three sides by deep gorges. One can still see the remnants of the castle, the fortress walls, the water supply system, the baths, the church, as well as a secret passageway to the gorge.

Byurakan
Being one of the biggest centers of astrophysics in the world, the Byurakan observatory is located on the slopes of Mt. Aragats. The latter is the highest mountain on the territory of Armenia. Its beauty has always been a source of inspiration for many poets and painters. The place is known for its fresh and dry air, and clean skies both in summer and winter.


Yerevan
According to many scholars, the name of the city comes from the Erebuni fortress built in 782 B.C. by King Argishti I of Urartu. A cuneiform inscription found during archaeological excavations of the Urartan fortress located within the boundaries of Yerevan reads: “I, Argishti, son of Menua, built this powerful fortress and called it Erebuni for the glory of Biayna [Urartu] and as a deterrent for hostile countries”. This cuneiform ‘birth certificate’ of the city is currently kept at the Erebuni museum.
Today Yerevan is a modern city with a population of more than 1 million, with beautiful squares, museums, galleries, theatres, parks, cafes and restaurants.

Matenadaran
Matenadaran is the biggest center of the Armenian literary culture. It’s a repository of about 17,000 manuscripts. The oldest fully surviving manuscript is the Vehamor (Virgin Mary) Gospel, written in the 6th century; the biggest one weighs almost 28 kg; while the smallest is a 1434 AD church calendar that has the size of a passport photo and weighs a mere 19 grams.

Memorial and Museum of the Armenian Genocide
The memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide was built in Yerevan in 1965, on the 50th anniversary of the tragic events of 1915, to tell the world about the yet unpunished atrocity against innocent people and to console those who feel compassion. A silver fir alley leads to the memorial. World leaders, including Pope John Paul II, Vladimir Putin, Jacques Chirac and others, have planted trees along the alley in the memory of the Genocide victims.
In 1995 the Museum of the Armenian Genocide opened near the memorial, with thousands of documents and photos telling the history of how the Ottoman Turkish government prepared and organized the Armenian Genocide. Every year on April 24 thousands of local Armenians and foreign guests walk the alley to put flowers in respect of the innocent victims of the horrible genocide, which has been recognized by most nations of the world.

Yerevan Brandy Factory
Armenian Brandy is the pride of the Armenians: it’s there on the table during every wedding and celebration. The Yerevan Brandy Factory was built in 1887. It is an ideal place for the fans of this divine drink. Here you can learn about its production techniques and at the same time taste this legendary drink.

There are many other places worthy of visiting, yet space does not permit us to list them all. For example, there are 942 villages in Armenia: each village is a microcosm of famous Armenian courteous and hospitable treatment of visitors.

Come to Armenia and let yourself be pampered by its warm-hearted people, by its exciting places of interest and by its modern capital city, Yerevan, as the symbol of an ancient civilization of a recently independent nation.