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Dilijan to Haghartsin Monastery

Dilijan to Haghartsin Monastery

6h
12.0 km
2,156
​1,440
Hard

Things to see

Haghartsin Monastery
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!

How to get there

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Константин Ларин
Невероятная красота. Маршрут для меня как новичка был действительно очень сложный, но думаю человек со средней физической подготовкой должен с ним справиться. Периодически маршрут не совпадает с тропами на карте, но тропинки все пересекаются между собой и потеряться будет довольно сложно. От Агарцина можно будет добраться обратно до Дилижана на попутке, которую быстро можно найти, здесь все рады помочь)
Van Hove
I walked from Haghartsin to Dilijan after a night in de quit and relax Vanatun hotel. The first part is easy, after that, following the river it became a bit harder. There are no signs so you need the app. This part is quit wild. Later the trail became more clear again, following the ridge up. Then follows a long descent. Once in the valley there are a few farms and some people again. You have to do some river crossings. Wet feet are unavoidable. At the end of the trail I decided to continue to the center, this added a few (7?) km. I had camping gear with me but did not use it. Was a nice day hike, but would be easy to camp along the trail.
Robin Herter
The trail was very nice, we did it in the end of May, so everywhere was full of flowers. In the beginning we met 2 dogs, but they didn't do anything, the other 2 dogs of the local mountain people were chained. Some minor parts of the trail are not very clear or overgrown (3x), so we sticked to the main roads which will lead back to the same route after some time and which we also recommend to other hikers. On the way we saw very beautiful, old trees and butterflies. On the highest point of the trail we tried to climb the mountain on the left as well, but halfway up we turned back, because it seemed to dangerous. You can stay in Vanatun Monastery Stay for the night.
Anna V
We hiked this trail from Haghartsin to Dilijan in mid October, and it took us ~5,5 hours to get to the final spot. The views are amazing, picturesque autumn forest and mountains everywhere, we enjoyed it a lot. The trail is easy to follow, but it is quite challenging for beginners (please note that the elevation gain is around 750 m). On the last part of the trail we met some noisy shepherd dogs, but luckily a man helped us to separate from them. I'd definitely recommend this trail if you're searching for an autumn hike around Dilijan.
Margarita Sidorkina
Отличный маршрут, начало берет вдоль живописной речушки вдоль деревень, с постепенным набором высоты, через снежный пик с захватывающим дух видом, и вниз по лесным красивым тропам к прекрасному древнему монастырю, где обязательно советуем взять местную гату порадовать себя за пройденный путь)

CHOOSE YOUR GUIDES

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