We booked a day trip to see the highlights of Armenia from Tbilisi. Starting off at 8am on a sunny day on Old Tbilisi, we jumped in a minibus operated by Gamarjoba Tours and off we went. After travelling 75km, in an hour and a half we were at the border with Armenia. The tour we booked cost £62.50 each so was not cheap but it was a long distance and a full day tour so we were happy to pay this much. Armenia is not within European borders, so no extra country to add the growing list of European countries we have been lucky enough to visit.
At the border we had to deal with yet another new currency. We no longer had a need for the Georgian Lari; instead we purchased the Armenian equivalent of pounds and pence, drams and lums from a local complex as arranged by the tour company. The currency is relatively new, being in existence only since 1993.
Our first impression of Armenia was one we never managed to shake off. It felt we were going back in time, conservatively estimated at 30 years, but more realistically we were now in a world around 50 years behind ours. We were in a rural area, and saw little more than a few old churches, houses and a mine. The main timewarp clue came in the form of the locals cars. All Ladas, mostly the Niva model, and all built in the late 1970s. This is as big a clue to Armenia’s Soviet history as anything.
Akhtala Monastery Fortress
Located 75 kilometres south of Tbilisi was the first stop on our tour. Found on a cliff overlooking the town of Akhtala and surrounded by deep canyons is the 10th century Akhara Monastery. Contained within the complex are the remains of the old fortress and the St. Astvatsatsin Church which contains a chapel and some amazing frescoes.
As stated the age of this site dates back to the 10th century; however archaeologists excavated this site in the late 1800’s and have found relics made of clay, iron and bronze which are thought to date back to the 8th century BC. Please see this site for further information.
Haghpat and Sanahin Monastery Complex
Another half an hour drive took us to the next stop on our tour, the Haghpat and Sanahin Monastery Complex. This site is an UNESCO World Heritage site and the first one in Armenia and located in the Lori Marz region of Armenia in the Debed Canyon.
This dual site initially only contained the Haghpat Monastery but was later expanded to include the older Sanahin complex. BOth complexes date between 10th and 13th Century and we were fortunate enough to have spectacular views across the mountains when we visited. As we left however the weather did start to turn.
Traditional Armenian Lunch
Part of our tour included a traditional lunch prepared an Armenian family and wine was also available if requested. We were served a lovely array of salad, meats and there were vegetarian options also. We were unfortunate that we got hit by torrential rain so our alfresco dining experience was a little soggy but it was still very nice and the family were very hospitable.
Sanahin Bridge
After lunch we went and visited the Sanahin Bridge, one of the most famous engineering structures of medieval Armenia. The bridge, which crosses the Debed River, has an 18.6m span and is unque for the fact the left side has a steep incline to the centre and the right side is flat due to ending on a cliff. The end of the bridges are flanked by lions.
Miyokan Brother’s Museum
Our final stop on our tour was to the Museum that we could pay to go in if we wanted to, but the main attraction was the MIG jet outside. According to Lonely Planet the Soviet Era museum is a is a shrine to brothers Anastas and Artyom Mikoyan. Anastas was in charge of administering food in the USSR and survived 60 years in the Politburo, outlasting even Stalin. Artyom was the designer of the USSR’s first jet fighter in WWII, the MiG.
Final Thoughts on our Day Trip to Armenia
If you’ve made it as far as Tbilisi, we would heartily recommended going the extra few miles and seeing a glimpse of Armenia. One of the reasons we love to travel is to look for places that are different to what we are used to back home in the UK. Armenia has a lot of interesting history, is very “behind the times” but has a charm of its own, and we had a very enjoyable time there. The people were friendly, the landscapes spectacular, and the time warp was real. Fancy a trip back to 1980? Head to Armenia!
Linked Posts:
- An April Visit to Tbilisi, Georgia – A quick Guide
- A Day Trip visiting the Caucasus Mountains from Tbilisi
Carol & Nigel x
April 2024
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