Six-day horse riding tour

Tour program
Day 1:
In the morning we meet guests in the city of Martuni, then go to the ASP club to get acquainted with the horses. After instructions on how to communicate with horses and place personal belongings, sleeping bags, tents and other essentials, accompanied by an SUV, we go through the forest on the shore of the lake to the old airport. After crossing the Martuni-Vardenis highway, we go deeper into the Vardenis mountain range and head to an area called Prudy, where we will meet with the accompanying SUV. On this day we will walk 11-12 km, start at an altitude of 1930 meters and finish at an altitude of 2600 meters.

Day 2:
We plan to wake up at about 9:00 am, after feeding and watering the horses, we have breakfast at 9:30, pack up camp and head to one of the highest peaks of the Vardenis Range – Astghonk Peak, where the St. Hovhannes Sanctuary is located. We plan to be at the top at about 2:00 pm, where we will have buns for lunch, rest, take photos and enjoy the beauty of the highlands. After resting for about an hour, we will begin the descent into the gorge. On this day, we will walk about 19 km, starting from an altitude of 2600 meters, climbing to 3370 meters and then descending.

Day 3:
Morning wake-up is scheduled for 9:00, breakfast for 9:30. Having packed up the camp, at about 10:00 we begin the ascent along the gorge to the western peak of the Vardenis plateau and move to the eastern gorge of the mountain range to see the famous Sheikhi Lake. Then we cross the mountain and descend along the opposite slope to the lake. Here we will have lunch with the lunch boxes we took with us in advance. We will take into account the difficulty of the road and set off on the return journey as quickly as possible. We will return to the camp at about 17:00, where an SUV with guests’ belongings, tents, sleeping bags and dinner will be waiting for us.

Day 4:
Morning wake-up is scheduled for 8:00-8:30, breakfast at 9:00. Having packed up the camp, at about 10:00 we begin the ascent along the gorge to the western peak of the Vardenis plateau and move on to the Argitchi plateau. This is a journey along a plateau of unique beauty. If we have time, we will visit the Orbeli caravanserai, otherwise we will go straight to the tent. We will take a half-day break on the way. On this day we will walk about 30 km, starting from 2300 meters, climbing to 2700 meters and then descending to 2200 meters.

Day 5:
In the morning, after breakfast and feeding the horses, we will head to Mount Armaghan (2829 meters). We plan to be at the top around 13:30-14:00. Armaghan is a volcanic mountain peak with a beautiful pond and a church, offering a unique view of the Gegharkunik world. We will spend an hour for lunch, rest, photography and a walk, then return to the camp. In the evening, a farewell party with a campfire and barbecue will be organized. On the table there will be Armenian shashlik, salads, wine, bread, cheese, fruits, etc. On this day, we will walk about 35 km, start from an altitude of 2200 meters, climb to 2829 meters and return to 2200 meters.

Day 6:
After breakfast, we pack up the camp and head towards the Vardenis mountain range. We pass by the star map of the Black Mountain, where guests can learn about the history and significance of this monument. Then we cross the Dashtoy Gorge and the Martuni Homer Gorge. We return to Martuni city around 17:00. On this day, we will walk about 25 km, start from an altitude of 2200 meters, climb to 2800 meters and descend to 1930 meters.

The fee for one day per person is 70,000 drams, which includes horse rental, three meals a day, guided horseback riding, off-road vehicle services, delivery to Yerevan at the beginning and end of the hike, 2-3-person tents, sleeping bag is not provided.

To book a tour at least 2 weeks in advance, please contact us to check availability as it may be subject to cancellation depending on the time of year and rainfall.