As a stopover between Tblisi and Dilijan and Yerevan, we visited Haghpat monastery and Sanahin Bridge. Both are medieval monuments (10-12th century) belonging to the Kingdom of Lori, a 10th century offshoot of the Kingdom of Armenia. The key element is the unique masonry, that also sets it apart from Georgian churches of the same period.

Our plan had been to first visit Akhtala (not on the list), then Haghpat, then Sanahin and continue towards Dilijan for the night. However, when we came back to our car after our visit of Haghpat, we noticed our driver, as he was checking the tires. Both tires on the left side of the car were broken; we must have hit something along the way. We exchanged one with the spare tire, descended from Haghpat and made it back to Alawerdi  safely were the driver left us to get two new tires. Upside: We had ample time to explore the Sanahin bridge (which takes 5min).

After spending an hour waiting for our driver and new tires and with the weather turning bad quickly (heavy rains!), we decided to skip on Sanahin and head directly to Dilijan for the night.

Haghpat and Sanahin are probably the best WHS you can visit in Armenia. They combine the usual Armenian church look and feel with great masonry and the natural beauty of the valley. They are no longer, though, hidden gems. Unlike Paul, we saw loads of tour buses at Haghpat.

Getting There

Broadly speaking, you have two options. The easiest option is to join an organised tour from either Tbilisi or Yerevan. Due to the border crossing, the Tbilisi option is likely to be more expensive. Time wise it should be about the same as Tbilisi is closer, the sites being just behind the border.

If you want to get there on your own, you can take a marshrutka (minibus) that runs between Tblisi and Yerevan and get off at Alawerdi. This is the first/last stop in Armenia, just ping the driver when you get on the bus (1) and when you reach Alawerdi (2). In Tblisi, the departure point is near Avlabari station (aptly labelled "Bus to Yerewan" on google maps) and you can (and should) reserve via whatsapp. The contact details are in the photos of the place on google maps. In Alawerdi, you can walk to the Sanahin Bridge and visit the Sanahin Monastery by marshrutka. There is also a hiking trail funded by Germany. Note that Sanahin Monastery is on a hill, while Alawerdi is in the river valley and the climb is steep.

To get to Haghpat you can take a taxi. The fare should be 5,000 drams to see both Hagphat and Akhtala Monastery (100 drams/km). We added a transfer from Alawerdi to Dilijan and paid 15,000 drams for the whole trip. 

While You Are There

Debed Canyon was our highlight in Armenia. Apart from the two inscribed churches, there are several other churches to visit: Akhtala Monastery, Odzun Church and Kobayr Church. The Akhtala Monastery is not to be missed for its magnificent frescoes. In addition, you can explore Lori castle, the old capital. I would actually like to see the site expanded to include more sites in the Canyon: Churches of the Debed Canyon or Sites of the Lori Kingdom.

For fans of lost places, the Debed Canyon is also worth a visit on its own. The Soviets heavily industrialised the valley and there are ruins of large factories and abandoned lifts all over the place. Sanahin is also home to the Mikhoyan Museum, dedicated to the builders of the MiG fighter jets.

If you can make it, stay overnight. But be aware that the local hotels are very basic. That's why we decided to stay overnight in Dilijan instead.