A trip to Dilijan without driving
The route from Yerevan via Lake Sevan, what to see in and around Dilijan, how long to allow and what a trip with a driver costs.
Sober Driver editorial · Updated · 3 min
Contents
People call Dilijan the Switzerland of Armenia: forest on the slopes, cool air, old monasteries within a short drive of town. It is about a hundred kilometres from Yerevan, an hour and a half by road. A day trip is a great idea if you are not the one driving: you can look out of the window, stop where you like and not think about the way back.
1. The route: Yerevan — Sevan — Dilijan
The road runs north through Abovyan and Hrazdan to Lake Sevan, then over the pass and down into the Aghstev valley to Dilijan. Sevan is a natural halfway stop: the peninsula with Sevanavank monastery and a view of the largest lake in the Caucasus.
Add a stop at Sevan right in the order — or just tell the driver on the way.
2. What to see in and around Dilijan
Haghartsin and Goshavank. Two 10th–13th century monasteries in the forests around Dilijan, each about half an hour’s drive from the centre. Haghartsin stands in a wooded gorge, Goshavank in the village of Gosh.
Lake Parz. A small forest lake in the national park that you can drive to, then walk the trails.
Sharambeyan Street. A restored old street of craft workshops and cafés — a good place for lunch.
The best trip out of town is one you come back from rested, not worn out by the road.
3. How long to allow
About an hour and a half each way, more with a stop at Sevan. To see the monasteries and the lake and have lunch without rushing, allow a whole day: leave in the morning, come back in the evening.
If you want a few hours in Dilijan without the driver, book the way back for a set time: the driver comes for you at the agreed hour.
4. Your car or the driver’s
If you’d like to go in your own car, the driver takes the wheel and you ride as a passenger in it. If you don’t need your car, the driver comes in theirs.
The first option is especially handy if you plan to celebrate something in Dilijan with friends: a sober driver takes you and the car back to Yerevan.
5. What it costs
Dilijan is about 100 km from central Yerevan. The price is the pickup, the kilometres and any waiting; the order form shows an estimate for the one-way trip as soon as you enter the addresses.
| Stop | What to see |
|---|---|
| Sevan | Sevanavank, the view of the lake |
| Dilijan | Sharambeyan Street, cafés |
| Around | Haghartsin, Goshavank, Lake Parz |
Spend a whole day in Dilijan — and leave the road to us.