Smbataberd - Tsakhats Kar - Zorats / Classic Trail / Armenia

The 𝐒𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐝 - 𝐓𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐊𝐚𝐫 is one of the top hiking trails in Vayots Dzor province of Armenia.
The route has long been a popular hiking destination, even before hiking culture developed in the region.

▶ Distance from Yerevan:
138 km 2 hr 15 min

The route leads to historical sites, including the Smbataberd Fortress ( Սմբատաբերդ ) and Tsakhats Kar Monastery ( Ցախաց քար ) both surrounded by the picturesque valleys of the Vayots Dzor region.

▶ Recommended For:
Hikers looking for a moderate trek through the bare hills along jeep tracks, with beautiful scenery and cultural sights along the way. Ideal for those planning to hike in April, May, October, November, or during the winter months.

◤Description of the Trail

The trail is not blazed. While there are some directional signposts, many intersections lack markings. I’ve created some waypoints to help with navigation in the area.

--- Most of the trail is a gravel road, making it accessible by a 4x4 vehicle up to the Tsakhats Kar monastery and Smbataberd Fortress .

--- The only section where you hike on a path is the descent from Smbataberd, which leads to Yeghegis.

--- You begin the trail at Artabuynk Village ( Արտաբույնք ) and finish in the village of Yeghegis ( Եղեգիս ).

--- The route follows a narrow jeep track until you reach a bridge. After crossing, you join the main jeep track leading to the historical sites.

--- At 2 km, you'll reach the junction for Smbataberd and Tsakhats Kar. The right path leads to Tsakhats Kar, while the left goes to Smbataberd.
It's best to head to Tsakhats Kar first, as the ascent is more challenging, and it's located farther from the village, making it practical to cover the tougher, more remote section at the beginning of the hike.

--- At 3.3 km, near the drinking water pipe, you’ll reach the Tsakhats Kar junction, where two routes lead to the monastery:
▻ The left path is a 450 m short but steeper footpath.
▻ The right path follows a jeep track that is less steep but extends 850 m, making it almost twice as long as the left one.
I recommend taking the shorter footpath for the ascent and using the longer jeep track on the way down.

--- At 3.8 km, you’ll reach Tsakhats Kar Monastery, where a water pipe and a shaded picnic area offer a nice spot to rest while enjoying the view.
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𝑻𝒔𝒂𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒔 𝑲𝒂𝒓 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘋𝘻𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 10𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘠𝘦𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘬𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘴 (𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴-𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘴.

--- After going down from Tsakhats Kar, at 6.1 km, take the left turn towards the Smbataberd direction.

--- At 7.4 km, you'll reach a point where the road on the right leads to Yeghegis village. This is the the route

--- After 7.4 km, the next 700 meters are a steep ascent to the fortress. At 8.1 km, you will reach the Smbataberd fortress.

𝑺𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒅 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘋𝘻𝘰𝘳, 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 5𝘵𝘩–6𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 9𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 11𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.
𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢.

— After descending from Smbataberd, turn right at the 8.5 km mark and follow the footpath toward Yeghegis. The trail passes through Yeghegis Gorge for 2 km before connecting with village paths at 10.5 km.

— As you near the end of the hike, you'll walk 1.4 km through the village, reaching Zorats Monastery (Զորաց եկեղեցի) at 11.9 km.

𝒁𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 9𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘝𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘋𝘻𝘰𝘳, 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢. 𝘡𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘴 (𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩, 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺.

≋ Water Sources
There are drinking water sources along the trail at the following points:

3.4 km, at the Tsakhats Kar junction
3.8 km, within the Tsakhats Kar territory

◤ When to Go?

The Smbataberd - Tsakhats Kar route requires strict attention to timing, as the trail is not suitable for hiking during the warmer months due to temperatures reaching +35°C and increased snake activity.

✔ Best Season:
Late April to Early June
From late April to June, the area is lush with greenery and wildflowers, with May being the peak of the blooming season.

Mid-October to December
From mid-fall to early winter, the landscape turns golden, and the temperatures are comfortable for hiking in these mountains.

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒏𝒐𝒘

Snow is typically present from late December to late February.
March is a transition month, with half-melted snow.

The route offers stunning views during the snowy months. While it becomes more challenging, it remains one of the best hiking destinations in Armenia during winter. If you're not fond of snow hikes, you can shorten the route to just the Smbataberd trail, about 4 km, and enjoy a rewarding view from the heights of the fortress.

*𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒:
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