Our free mobile app is the perfect guide for anyone hiking in Armenia, from those who’ve never set foot on a trail before to professional hikers. Download for Android and iOS HERE...
At HIKEArmenia, we believe that everyone should be able to access world-class trails and experience nature to the fullest. It’s why we created our app! Before us, there were few resources about Armenia’s beautiful and often hidden trails that were both free and easily accessible to international hikers.
It’s also why always try to feature different trails for all tastes and needs, including:
- Short, easy trails that you can complete in a few hours, like the “Oh My Gosh” trail, which will take you through Dilijan National Park from Gosh Lake to Goshavank Monastery.
- Medium difficulty trails, like the stunning “Cobblestone Road Trail” in Vayots Dzor, which will have you hiking up a mountainside for 12km following a historic cart road, passing through valleys and by little lakes.
- Hard trails that are challenging either because of terrain or length, like “Holy Cliff,” part of the Transcaucasian Trail route in Armenia, which will take you alongside cliffs from Haghartsin Monastery to the village of Hovk. One of our volunteers once referred to this as the “death hike,” but we think he was being dramatic. We’d very much like to stress though that NOBODY has died on that trail!
Choosing trails based on difficulty level is easy on our app. Just tap the “FILTER” button located at the bottom right corner of the Trails screen, and then choose the difficulty level you’re comfortable with. On our website, you’ll find the filter on the menu bar at the top of the All Trails page. And fear not: whether you are a curious wanderer with little hiking experience, a prudent adventurer not quite ready to go out on your own, or a seasoned explorer, we’ve got you covered! Read on…
Your profile
You’ve checked out to all the museums in Yerevan, and you’ve had all the soorj (Armenian coffee) and grape leaf tolma you could get your hands on. Now, you’re wondering what lies beyond the comfy cafes of Yerevan. You have a smartphone, a powerbank, durable shoes, and a new-found interest in hidden fortresses and lonely mountainside churches (because you’ve just seen nice pictures on our website — we’re here to inspire!).
Features you’ll want to use
- Map view: When you’re on the home screen of our app, just tap “Map view” up top. This will give you a great overview of where each trail is located in Armenia, so that you can plan your hiking trip accordingly.
- How to get there: Once you’ve selected a trail, scroll down to the “HOW TO GET THERE” section and tap on the transport icons to learn how to get to the trail head by train, taxi, bus, minibus (called a marshrutka locally) or private Uber helicopter (just kidding, this isn’t Dubai — manage your expectations!).
- Save offline: This is probably the most important feature! Now that you’ve selected the trail that’s right for you and figured out how to get there, make sure to hit the “Store offline” option at the top of the trail’s profile while you still have WiFi. This will download the trail’s GPS map, allowing you to navigate the route in real time while you’re far away from any cafes with high-speed Internet.
Trails you’ll enjoy
We’ll go ahead and guess you’ll enjoy one of the many trails that are dotted with historical points of interests — monasteries, fortresses, ruins, and more! “Old Bandit Road” is believed to have once been part of the Silk Road, and it’ll take you past some pretty incredible khachkar-s (cross-stones) carve directly onto a cliffside, and even ruins of old bandit camps!
Your profile
Nature’s wonderful and you love experiencing it, but there’s absolutely no way you’re going to go hiking in a foreign country on your own, what with leopards, venomous snakes, and bears roaming the Armenian countryside. Wild animals generally stay away from humans, but you’re still concerned. Fear not! Our app will help you get in touch with the Armenia’s best hiking guides, and comfy accommodation options so you don’t have to rough it overnight.
Features you’ll want to use
- Find a guide: There are two ways to do this. You can either select a trail you’d like to go on from the Trail screen, and scroll down the trail profile to see which guides can take you there. Or, you can directly hit the “GUIDES” icon at the bottom of the home screen, and see the full list of guides that have been vetted by our team. We’ve written a short bio about each guide to make it easier for you to pick the one that speaks to you most. You can also read reviews from others who’ve been on hikes with them, and make your selection accordingly.
- Find a place to stay: We’ve done our best to select small, family-owned guest houses that are not too far from the trail heads. The best way to find them is to select a trail and scroll to the very end of the profil to see nearby accommodations, then flip through the pictures until one catches your eye. FYI, you can’t book a stay at one of these guest houses through our app, but we have provided web addresses and contact info for you to get in touch with them directly. Pro tip: once you’re on an accommodation page, hit the address to see its location on your preferred GPS map application.
Trails you’ll enjoy
Select any of the guides on our app, make a call, and he or she will happily lead you on a trail that works for you. For beginners, we’d recommend one of the shorter trails around Dilijan, such as “Oh My Gosh” (4km) and “Drunken Forest” (3km). They’re lovely hikes on flat terrain, and shady in the summertime.
Your profile
You’ve traveled your home country and the world in search of the most beautiful and challenging trails. Before downloading our app, you’ve used others like Maps.me, komoot, ViewRanger and Wikiloc. Hiking is your thing!
Features you’ll want to use
You’ll find in HIKEArmenia most of the useful features you already love in other hiking apps, but the cherry on top of our app is the personal touch we add to content. We take the time to meet every guide and B&B owner to tell their unique stories. Here are some other features we think you can make excellent use of.
- Trail recording and GPS navigation: Before you start your hike, head to the trail profile on our app (which you previously saved for offline use) and hit the “NAVIGATE ROUTE” button on the map. Your hike will be automatically recorded and saved in your personal profile for you to view later, in case you want to share that awesome detour you took.
- Report an issue: Since you’re an experienced hiker, you’re in a unique position to spot stuff that shouldn’t be on trails. We do our best to maintain each and every trail on our app, but if you do see something awry, like a fallen tree blocking the path, a damaged sign, or a discrepancy between the GPS track and the actual trail, just hit the orange “!” button on the navigation map to send us an email with details about the issue. We’ll get your exact GPS coordinates at the time the email is sent.
Trails you’ll enjoy
We’re certain you’ll love the Transcaucasian Trail loop around Dilijan National Park, which we’ve nicknamed the “5 Day Odyssey.” It’s a 85.6km (53mi) hike from the village of Kachardzan to the village of Hovk. As you journey through forests, woodlands, and gorges, you will understand why Dilijan is known colloquially as the “Little Switzerland of Armenia.”
Also, you sound like someone who would have great photos to share. If you post them on social media, don’t hesitate to add the hashtag #HIKEArmenia so that we can find you and share your adventures with our followers!
The take-away
We’re adding new trails, guides and B&Bs to our app every week, and constantly improving it to make sure there are no bugs and that you can use it easily. If you notice anything wrong, from GPS issues to typos, please screenshot it and send it to us (via e-mail or social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and we’ll get it fixed ASAP.