You’d never think there was a trail that ascends the impressive cliffs near Hovk village in Dilijan National Park. But there is, and for hikers looking for a real challenge, this loop will take you up tight switchbacks to a meadow in the sky.

Starting off 4-5km away from Hovk village, the Three Hawks Loop features dirt roads, ancient footpaths that date back hundreds of years, at least! As you get closer to the Hovk Cliffs, you’ll find that the trail makes tight switchbacks up the cliffside. There are a few steep sections here that have a gradient of 15% or more, and one segment that’ll have you climbing up natural stone steps, FYI. Once at the top of the cliffs, the trail passes through a beautiful meadow, and connects to the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT) route in Armenia. Take some time to enjoy the incredible views of all of Dilijan National Park and the surrounding area from up top. The meadow is painted in a kaleidoscope of wildflowers in the springtime, and there are many birds that call the cliffs their home, hence this loop’s name.

Be aware that this is quite a long loop that will take you an entire day to traverse the 27km from the start of Hovk village so you should prepare accordingly.