Not for the faint-hearted, the pilgrimage from Dilijan to Haghartsin Monastery (or vice-versa) is an incredible and arduous journey through the thick forests and over the mountain ridges of Dilijan National Park.

Starting off from the northern Dilijan neighborhood of Shamakyan, the trail dives deep into the forest and follows a stream through a valley to the top of the ridgeline. It then stretches up from Mt. Haghartsin to the Bovakar Range, before descending into the luscious valley surrounding Haghartsin Monastery, a beautifully restored 13th century monastic complex. Along the way, you will pass through mountain farms and temporary outposts for local herders and their summer flocks.

Nature Pilgrimage follows a series of paths that were once used by villagers visiting the monastery before the communist era. It’s a wonderful trip between past and present, walking in the footsteps of generations past. The wild fruits you’ll pick along the way during season might as well have been picked from the same tree by someone hundreds of years ago!

Note: This is quite a challenging trail due to sections that haven’t been maintained and are obstructed. This is a one-way trail but you dont have to walk the 12km back to Dilijan as you can get picked up at the Haghartsin Monastery complex. But for those who can tough it out, the views are simply incredible. Our recommendation: know your limits and be sure to have a printed map (and know how to read it), or a fully-charged device with the route preloaded, just in case. You can save the GPS tracks of this trail on our mobile app for offline use, FYI!