Armenia · Religious & Spiritual

4-Hour Echmiadzin Churches Tour with Holy Etchmiadzin and Zvartnots

4 Hours Round trip from Vagharshapat Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 See the Armenian-style architecture of St. Hripsime Church
02 Visit St. Gayane Church in the religious centre of Armenia
03 Look at Holy Etchmiadzin, the world's first Christian cathedral
04 Explore Zvartnots Cathedral, built in the middle of the 7th century

Explore the history and delights of picturesque Armenia on a city tour of Echmiadzin, the spiritual centre for all Armenians. Visit St. Hripsime Church, built on the sepulchre of the Christian nun Hripsime, and see the 7th-century St. Gayane Church. Look at the world's first Christian cathedral, Holy Etchmiadzin, and continue to beautiful Zvartnots Cathedral. All of these remarkable churches are included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

This amazing building has stood upright since its construction in 618 A.D., making it one of the oldest standing churches in the world.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Vagharshapat, Zvartnots

Languages English, Russian

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Holy Echmiadzin, St. Hripsime, St. Gayane and Zvartnots

Meet your tour guide at your hotel in Vagharshapat and set out for a tour of Echmiadzin, considered the spiritual centre for all Armenians. The word itself means the place where "the only begotten Son of God descended".
Visit St. Hripsime Church, built on the sepulchre of the Christian nun Hripsime, who fled from the Roman Empire and was killed in Armenia. This amazing building has stood upright since its construction in 618 A.D., making it one of the oldest standing churches in the world.
Take a 5-minute drive to the next stop, the 7th-century Church of St. Gayane. Gayane was the nanny of Hripsime and shared Hripsime's tragic fate.
Observe Holy Echmiadzin, the world's first Christian cathedral, built in 301-304. According to legend, Jesus Christ descended on the same spot where the Descent Altar stands today, and Gregory the Illuminator ordered the church to be built there.
Continue to the final stop of the tour at the beautiful 7th-century Zvartnots Cathedral. All of the mentioned churches are included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back at your hotel.

End of the tour.

Where this trip takes you

Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Saint Hripsime Church, Saint Gayane Church

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Vagharshapat 2 cities · 4 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Comfortable vehicles with air conditioning (1-3 pax - sedan, 4-7 pax - minivan, 8-19 pax - minibus)
All entrance tickets included
Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel
Bottled water provided
Free Wi-Fi onboard
Free cancellation up to 24 hours prior to the tour