Sights Shirak
9th-century monasteries, cave towns, natural landmarks, wineries. Each place — its own page with history, how to get there and where to stay nearby.
Surb Grigor Church in Harichavank
The Surb Grigor church at Harichavank, one of Shirak's great monastic sites, where carved tuff and mountain silence meet. A highlight of any trip through Armenia's north.
Church in Vardakar
A stone church in the Shirak village of Vardakar, protected as a cultural monument of Armenia. A peaceful, off-the-map stop in the highlands.
Holy Saviour Church (Surb Amenaprkich), Gyumri
A grand 19th-century Armenian church on Gyumri's central square, rebuilt after the 1988 earthquake and a defining landmark of the city.
Charles Aznavour Statue
A statue in Shirak to Charles Aznavour, the French-Armenian voice the whole world came to love.
Harichavank Monastery
One of the great monastic complexes of Shirak, set above the village of Harich, where carved stone churches and gavits crown the edge of a deep gorge.
Khndzoresk — the cave town
Old Khndzoresk — a two-hundred-year-old cave town in a gypsum gorge. A suspension bridge over the chasm, a descent to the cave dwellings, the Surb Tadevos church.
Pemzashen Church
An early-medieval church complex in the Shirak village of Pemzashen, carrying the deep roots of Armenian Christian architecture. A rewarding find for travelers in the high north.
Surb Stepanos Church, Azatan
A church dedicated to Saint Stephen the Protomartyr in the village of Azatan, listed among Armenia's cultural heritage monuments.
Tiravor Church
A listed heritage church on the Shirak plateau, standing quietly among the highland fields.
Church in Arpeni
A stone village church in Arpeni, near Armenia's north-western border, listed among the country's protected cultural monuments. Remote, quiet and authentic.
Dzitoghtsyan Museum of National Architecture
In a grand old Gyumri mansion, a museum devoted to the city's architecture and everyday life.
Andranik Ozanyan Monument
A monument in Shirak honouring Andranik Ozanyan, the legendary commander whose name still stirs Armenian hearts.
Saint Karapet Church
A stone church in the Shirak highlands, dedicated to Saint Karapet and woven into everyday village life.
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church, Haykadzor
A small stone church in the village of Haykadzor, Shirak, kept as a cultural heritage monument of Armenia. Quiet, weathered and rooted in its land.
Lmbatavank
A small 7th-century Armenian church near Artik in Shirak, a recognised cultural heritage monument that has weathered more than a thousand years on the plateau.
Tatev + the cableway
A one-day tour from Yerevan to Tatev Monastery, riding the world’s longest cableway. Lunch in Khot and a guided tour of the monastery.
Surb Astvatsatsin Church, Bardzrashen
A Holy Mother of God church in Bardzrashen, one of the protected cultural heritage monuments of Shirak.
Jajur Church
A village church in Jajur, high on the Shirak plateau, where the air is thin and the views run for miles. A peaceful detour for travelers in Armenia's north.
Holy Mother of God Church of Pemzashen
The village church of Pemzashen in Shirak — a quiet stone sanctuary at the heart of highland life.
Yererouk Basilica
One of the most ancient Christian sites in Armenia, the great ruined basilica of Yererouk rises alone on the Shirak plain.
Saint Hakob Church, Hatsik
In the Shirak village of Hatsik stands Saint Hakob, a stone church that has quietly kept watch over its community.
Saint Gregory Cathedral, Artik
A historic Armenian cathedral in the town of Artik, Shirak, carved from the region's signature stone and listed as a cultural heritage monument.
Winter Tsaghkadzor and Sevan under ice
A winter trip: a 1-day ski pass in Tsaghkadzor, a spa evening, an overnight at a mountain hotel. Day two — Sevan with its ice ridges and a hot dolma lunch.
Surb Arakelots Monastery near Pemzashen
The Holy Apostles monastery near Pemzashen in Shirak, a quiet complex of weathered stone set against the open highland plateau.
Beniamin Church
A stone church in the Shirak village of Beniamin, protected as a cultural monument of Armenia. A quiet, unhurried stop in farming country.
Saints Poghos and Petros Church, Bardzrashen
A village church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul in Bardzrashen, listed among Armenia's cultural heritage monuments.
Basilica Church in Kumayri
A stone basilica in Gyumri's historic Kumayri quarter, where black-and-tuff streets keep the spirit of old Alexandropol alive. A natural stop on any walk through the old town.
Surb Sion Church
A modest stone church near Pemzashen in Shirak, holding its quiet ground among the highland fields.
Saint Astvatsatsin Church (Parakar)
A village church in the Shirak region, where dark stone and a quiet courtyard hold the rhythm of local life.
Holy Mother of God Cathedral (Yot Verk)
Gyumri's great cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, a stone heart at the centre of the city.
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church in Arevik
A modest village church in Arevik, Shirak, protected as a cultural heritage monument of Armenia. Pure highland calm in stone.
Makaravank Monastery near Pemzashen
A monastic site near Pemzashen in Shirak, where weathered stone walls keep the memory of monks, prayer and the high plateau around them.
Church in Yeghnajur
A weathered stone church in the Shirak village of Yeghnajur, protected as part of Armenia's cultural heritage. Off the tourist trail and all the more genuine for it.
Aragats — the four summits
A two-day ascent of Armenia’s highest mountain. Lake Kari at 3,200 m, an overnight at the station, a morning push to the southern (4,094 m) or western peak. For the well-prepared only.
On a tour you also often need other services
We have other partner categories too — requests work the same. We forward them to several partners with availability at once.
Where to stay in mountains and cities
Family guesthouses, boutique hotels, glamping, cave suites. Across Armenia.
From airport or between regions
Fixed price, no meter. Econom, comfort, minivan or premium.
A car for a self-drive trip
SUV for Syunik mountains, sedan for highways, minivan for groups. Full tank, insurance.