Dilijan, Lake Parz & Makaravank: Day Trip with Winery Stop

4.93

(140 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We were barely out of Yerevan when our guide, Arman, started telling stories about Dilijan’s old sanatorium days — he said his grandmother used to come for the air. He handed out little pastries (I think they were gata?) and pointed at the green hills rolling past the window. The road twisted up into the Tavush region, and someone behind me cracked their window just to let in that piney smell — sharp, almost sweet. I didn’t expect it to feel so different from the city so quickly.

When we got to Lake Parz, it was quieter than I thought it would be. Some local kids were skipping stones by the shore; one waved at us but kept his eyes on the water. The lake had this glassy look except where a breeze ruffled it or a duck paddled by. Arman told us “parz” means “clear,” which made sense — you could see all the way down to tangled weeds below. We took a slow walk around part of it, shoes crunching on damp leaves, and I tried rowing one of those boats (not well). My hands smelled like wet wood after.

Makaravank Monastery was up higher than I expected — we climbed a bit and my legs definitely noticed. The stone felt cool even in the sun, and there were carvings everywhere: crosses, swirls, things I couldn’t name. Arman showed us how some of them dated back centuries; he ran his hand over one and said his family used to picnic here when he was a kid. It’s wild thinking about how many people have touched those same stones.

The last stop was this old winery in Ijevan. The tasting room smelled like apples and oak barrels. We tried two wines and a brandy — honestly, that last one hit harder than I thought! Li laughed when I tried to say “shnorhakalutyun” (thank you) in Armenian; probably butchered it but nobody seemed to mind. By then everyone was relaxed and trading photos from earlier in the day. On the drive back, someone fell asleep against the window while outside everything faded into that soft gold evening light you only get after being outside all day. I still think about that view sometimes.