Private Tour | Echmiadzin (Hripsime, Gayane, Mother Cathedral), Zvartnots
On this tour you will head out of the city to visit the archaeological site of the 7th century ruins of the UNESCO listed Zvartnots, its remaining columns set against a magnificent backdrop of the snowy peaks of Mount Ararat. We continue on to Armenia’s Holy City of Echmiadzin, the former capital, where we plan to visit the UNESCO listed Echmiadzin Cathedral.
• Visit the ruins of the 7th century temple Zvartnots • Admire the beauty of Holy City Echmiadzin • Opportunity to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites • Get acquainted with the history and religion of Armenia • See a piece of the cross on which Christ was crucified
Options
Private Tour | Echmiadzin (Hripsime, Gayane, Mother Cathedral), Zvartnots
Pickup included
What's included in Private Tour | Echmiadzin (Hripsime, Gayane, Mother Cathedral), Zvartnots
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Saint Hripsime Church
Hripsime church, one of the finest works of Armenian architecture of the classical period, a variant of the concentrical domed composition, stands on a slight elevation, at the eastern edge of Echmiadzin City. This kind of composition is characteristic only of the Christian countries of the Transcaucasus. Its expressive silhouette, seen from afar, stands up sharply against the background of an emerald-green valley dominated by the snow-capped Mt. Ararat.
Saint Gayane Church
The Church of Saint Gayane is a 7th-century Armenian church in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), the religious center of Armenia. It is located within walking distance from the Etchmiadzin Cathedral of 301. St. Gayane was built by Catholicos Ezra I in the year 630. Its design has remained unchanged despite partial renovations of the dome and some ceilings in 1652. Gayane was the name of an abbess who was martyred with other nuns by Tiridates III of Armenia in the year 301, and subsequently made a saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 2000, Saint Gayane Church was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites along with historical churches of Vagharshapat.
Echmiadzin Monastery
“We shall come and erect here A well of purest light!” These are the lines to begin both the quatrain of one of the Armenian Catholicos Sahak Dzoroporetsi (677-703) and our tour to this unique complex, consisting of several churches of the residence of the Catholicos and the ruins of the Zvartnots temple. Echmiatsin is a small spiritual capital filled with silence and history. The first stone was laid in 303 and since then the cathedral has undergone significant changes, redevelopments and restorations, yet remained the main sacred place for all the Armenians and an important point of visit for Christians. Relics such as the right hand of Saint John the Baptist, the Holy Lance and the three particles of the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified are kept here. The name translates literally as “The Descent of the Only Begotten”. According to legend, the first patriarch Grigor the Illuminator had a dream of Christ descending from heaven with a fiery hammer in his hand and indicating the place for the cathedral to be built. Everything from the bell-ringing to rose bushes and quiet alleys of gardens with dense trees through which the tops of the churches are visible, is saturated with harmony and tranquility. The Echmiatsin complex comprises three more churches built in memory of the holy martyrs, namely Saint Gayane, Saint Hripsime and Saint Shoghakat.
Inclusions
- Hotel pick up/drop off
- All Fees and Taxes
- Bottled water
- Professional guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Lunch
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchair accessible
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You can choose to be picked up from a list of locations, or alternatively, have the choice to make your own way to the meeting points
Please arrive at the pick up point 10 minutes before departure time.
Meeting / End Points
- Traveler pickup is offered from centrally located hotels in Yerevan
