Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights
Type of Tour: Cultural / Budget / Historical / Nature / UNESCO Sites / Short Break
Ideal For: First-time visitors, solo travelers, small groups
Best Season: Year-round

This 4-day budget tour combines cultural highlights, historical treasures, and natural wonders. Perfect for first-time visitors, solo travelers, and small groups, it covers Yerevan’s landmarks, the UNESCO-listed Geghard Monastery, Garni Temple, Symphony of Stones, and the spiritual center of Echmiadzin, with optional experiences of Armenian culinary traditions.

Tour Highlights

✔ Walk through Yerevan’s historic streets and the Cascade complex
✔ Explore Garni Temple, perched above the Azat River Gorge
✔ Visit Geghard Monastery, UNESCO World Heritage Site
✔ Marvel at the natural wonder of the Symphony of Stones
✔ Discover Echmiadzin Cathedral and Zvartnots Cathedral, Armenia’s spiritual heart
✔ Optional experience: Lavash bread-making in Garni village
✔ Budget-friendly tour ideal for first-time travelers

Day 1 – Arrival & Yerevan Walking City Tour

Duration: 3–4 hours | Distance: 30 km | Meals: None

Arrival in the Land of NOAH at Zvartnots International Airport, welcomed by a Santa Maria Tours representative and escorted to your hotel. Begin your guided walking tour in Yerevan, founded in the 8th century BC. Explore Baghramyan and Mashtots Avenues, and Abovyan Street, with its century-old houses and historical buildings.

Continue to History Museum of Armenia, then stroll through the Cascade, with its massive staircases and fountain terraces leading to the Opera and Ballet Theater. The Cafesjian Center for the Arts within the Cascade displays a rich collection of Armenian and international contemporary art.

Overnight: Hotel in Yerevan

Day 2 – Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery & Symphony of Stones

Duration: 5–6 hours | Distance: 75 km | Meals: Breakfast

Visit the cliffside Garni Temple, Armenia’s last standing pagan temple, offering panoramic views of the Geghama Mountains and the Azat River Gorge. Optional hands-on experience in traditional Armenian bread-making, lavash, in Garni village.

Next, explore the medieval Geghard Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, carved partially into cliffs and founded by Saint Gregory the Illuminator. End the day at the Symphony of Stones, a natural basalt formation along the Azat River, marveling at its unique geometric shapes and learning about its geological history.

Overnight: Hotel in Yerevan

Day 3 – Free Day in Yerevan

Duration: Flexible | Distance: – | Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a free day to explore Yerevan at your own pace. Optional activities include visiting museums, shopping at Vernissage Market, or discovering local cafés and wine bars.

Overnight: Hotel in Yerevan

Day 4 – Echmiadzin & Zvartnots Cathedral – Departure

Duration: 4–5 hours | Distance: 33 km | Meals: Breakfast

Travel to Echmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and visit its iconic Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, built in the 4th century. On the return to Yerevan, stop at Zvartnots Cathedral, a 7th-century architectural masterpiece partially destroyed by an earthquake and later reconstructed, now a UNESCO-listed heritage site.

Transfer to Zvartnots International Airport for your departure.

Overnight: None