Practical Information

When To Hike

Vayots Dzor has a moderate, dry climate in comparison with other parts of the Caucasus, with cold winters and very hot summers.

The months of December to March usually see the landscape dusted with snow. Winter hiking is often possible, but of course dependent on the amount of accumulated snowfall at any given time, which can vary from year to year.

Spring tends to arrive in March/April, and until July the hillsides are an explosion of wildflowers, making these some of the best months to hike the route.

High summer from July to September can be very hot during the middle of the day, and the fields will be drying out and the villagers making hay.

The autumn colours and cooler temperatures can make October to November another good time to visit.

Getting To & From The Trailheads

Most of the journey can be made on public transport, followed by a taxi or hitchhiking. Taxis generally charge AMD100/km. If the taxi does not have a meter, it is advisable to negotiate a price before departure.

If you are starting from Selim Caravanserai:

• The closest towns reachable by mashrutka (minibus) from Yerevan are Yeghegnadzor and Martuni. 
• Minibuses from Yerevan to Martuni depart from the Northern Bus Station, costing AMD1,200.
• Minibuses from Yerevan to Yeghegnadzor depart from the street outside the entrance to Gortsaranayin metro station, costing AMD1,000.
• From Yeghegnadzor to the Selim Caravanserai it is 34km by taxi, and from Martuni 25km.

If you are starting from Jermuk:

• Minibuses from Yerevan to Jermuk depart from Central (Kilikia) Bus Station, costing AMD2,000.

Where To Stay

As in most places in Armenia and the Caucasus, wild camping is largely tolerated, though you may be visited by inquisitive locals if you set up your tent in a conspicuous location.

Indoor accommodation is available at several points along the trail. See the interactive map for precise locations and contact details for each.

Located on the riverside about halfway through the route is the excellent Crossway Camping, which is very popular with thru-hikers as a rest day location.

For assistance with local guesthouse bookings, transportation and guides, consider visiting the HIKEArmenia resource center (5 Vardanants St, Yerevan) or the Arpa Protected Landscape Visitor Center (8 Yerevanyan Highway (M-2), Yeghegnadzor).

Supplies

Gas canisters for camping stoves are unavailable to buy in the region. You will need to bring gas canisters with you from Yerevan (see HIKEArmenia above), or else use a multi-fuel or alcohol-burning stove.

The villages on the route either have no store or carry a poor selection of goods. If camping, we suggest you bring all necessary supplies from Yerevan, or else to stock up in Martuni, Yeghegnadzor or Vayk, all of which have supermarkets.

Jermuk does not have a supermarket, though it does have several small convenience stores.

If staying in guesthouses and homestays, we highly recommend you arrange dinners (cooking facilities are usually unavailable in any case). The staff will prepare a variety of delicious home-cooked food with organic, locally grown ingredients.

Other Practicalities

Every village has a local nurse on duty if minor medical treatment is needed, who can usually be found at the municipality office (ie: village hall). Martuni, Yeghegnadzor, Vayk, Zaritap and Jermuk all have medical centres.

The nearest fully equipped hospitals are the military hospital in Sisian, 70km distant from Vayk, or else the hospitals in Yerevan.

There are no pharmacies in any of the villages on the route; only in the towns of Yeghegnadzor, Vayk and Jermuk.

Cellphone service is reasonable throughout the area passed by this trail, though notably absent in parts of the gorge between Noravank and Gnishik. We tend to find that VivaCell-MTS currently has the best coverage in rural Armenia. Wi-Fi at the B&Bs and homestays cannot currently be relied on, so subscribing to a data plan in advance is recommended if internet connectivity is needed. Even so, signal quality can be variable.