# Haghartsin Monastery, Dilijan > Haghartsin is an Armenian monastery of the 10th–13th centuries in a forest valley of Dilijan National Park, 14–18 km from central Dilijan. Entry is free, the grounds are open-air, with no official timetable. No buses go there — take a taxi, 20–30 minutes. Allow an hour on site, or 2–3 hours with the drive and fresh gata from the bakery. Web page: https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/haghartsin-monastery - City: [Dilijan](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan), Armenia - YesGo score: 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - Entry: Free - With kids: Fine with kids - Entrance fee: Free; donations welcome - Hours: Unofficial: daily ≈ 10:00–18:00 - Parking: Unofficial: ≈ 200 AMD; free roadside spots a little lower down - Taxi from Dilijan: 20–30 min; unofficial ≈ 4,000–5,000 AMD — agree the return fare first - Public transport: None to the monastery - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour on site, 2–3 hours with the drive and a walk - Payment: Bring cash in dram — cards are patchy outside Yerevan - Winter: Snow can block the forest road — ask your driver - Coordinates: 40.80178, 44.89075 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1281** — the main church, Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God), was completed — the largest building (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Hidden Gems monument database (American University of Armenia)) - **10th–13th c.** — three churches, a gavit and a refectory in one forest valley (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Hidden Gems) - **2011** — major restoration funded by Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, ruler of Sharjah (source: English Wikipedia; Transcaucasian Trail; Armenia Hidden Gems (restoration in the 2000s)) - **1248** — the refectory was built by the architect Minas — rare secular medieval Armenian architecture (source: English Wikipedia; Eurasia Travel; Armenia Hidden Gems (date)) - **1244** — the small Church of Surb Stepanos (St Stephen) was built (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Hidden Gems) - **Smbat and Gagik** — Bagratuni kings named on the gravestones of the royal sepulchre (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Surb Grigor** — the oldest church, 10th–11th century, with an octagonal drum (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Hidden Gems) - **1184** — the Zakarid princes began renovating the monastery and made it their family burial place (source: English Wikipedia; Armenia Hidden Gems (1184 inscription)) - **Khachatur of Taron** — abbot, theologian and musician who revived the monastery; buried here (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **14–18 km** — from Dilijan — sources give different distances (source: Armenia Hidden Gems (14 km); Russian Wikipedia (18 km)) - **Transcaucasian Trail** — the long-distance hiking route passes through the monastery (source: English Wikipedia; Transcaucasian Trail) ## Haghartsin Monastery hours and entrance fee Entry is **free**; you can leave a donation or buy a candle inside the churches. There is no official timetable: unofficially the monastery is open daily from about 10:00 to 18:00, and since it is a working monastery, services and church holidays can change that. Parking right by the gate costs a small fee (unofficially around 200 AMD); you can also leave the car by the road about 200 metres lower down for free. Bring **cash in dram** — for the taxi, parking, candles and the bakery. Cards work well in Yerevan, but in the regions cash is safer. > **No buses go to Haghartsin** There is no minibus or bus to the monastery. Take a taxi from Dilijan and agree on a **return trip with waiting time**: free taxis are rare at the car park and the phone signal in the valley can be weak. In winter the narrow forest road can be snowed in. ## Is Haghartsin Monastery worth visiting? Yes — if you see one monastery around Dilijan, make it this one. It is the largest and best-kept complex in Dilijan National Park: three stone churches, a gavit, a medieval dining hall and royal tombs, all in a quiet forested valley rather than beside a highway. It is less worth it if you are short on time and have already seen several Armenian monasteries — the churches are plain inside, and the setting is the main draw. In that case, pair it with [Goshavank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/goshavank) on the same side of town and make it a half-day trip. ## How to get to Haghartsin Monastery from Dilijan 1. Start at Dilijan's central square by the [Mimino statue](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-mimino-statue) — minibuses from Yerevan stop here and taxis wait nearby. You can also book through the Yandex Go or GG apps, though foreign cards do not always link, so have cash ready. 2. Agree on a return fare with about an hour of waiting — unofficially a few thousand dram. 3. From the roundabout the road follows Tbilisyan Highway towards Ijevan, then turns left at the sign for “Haghartsin”. 4. A narrow paved road climbs the forested valley; the whole drive from the centre takes 20–30 minutes. 5. Park at the monastery (small fee) or by the road just below it for free. 6. On the way back, stop at Goshavank or head to [Old Dilijan](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/old-dilijan) for dinner. ## What to see at Haghartsin - **Surb Astvatsatsin** (1281) — the largest church, with a tall many-sided dome and a relief of the monastery’s founders on its wall. - **Surb Grigor** — the oldest church, with an octagonal drum, and its 12th-century gavit lit by a cross-shaped window. - **Surb Stepanos** (1244) — a small church right at the edge of the forest. - **The refectory** (1248) by the architect Minas — the first building on your left: stone benches, crossing arches and long wooden tables still used for wedding and christening meals. - **The royal sepulchre** by the gavit’s south wall, with gravestones naming the Bagratuni kings Smbat and Gagik. - **Khachkars** — carved cross-stones around the grounds, including a 13th-century one by the south door. - **The bakery by the car park** — order *gata*, Armenian sweet bread, some with fillings; certain kinds are baked to order in about 20 minutes. ## A short history The monastery was probably founded in the 10th century; its oldest church, Surb Grigor, dates from the 10th–11th century. The Seljuks nearly destroyed it in the 11th century, and from 1184 the Zakarid princes Zakare and Ivane rebuilt it as their family burial place. Under the abbot Khachatur of Taron, a theologian and musician, Haghartsin became known for church music. The great church of the Holy Mother of God was finished in 1281. In 2011 the complex was fully restored with money from the ruler of Sharjah, which brought the paved road, the car park, a shop and the bakery. The popular story that the name means “eagles playing” is a folk etymology; Haghartsin is also the name of the stream running past the monastery. > **What to wear** This is a working monastery: cover shoulders and knees, and men take off hats inside the churches. Women are not usually required to cover their heads in Armenian churches, but may be asked to during a service — a light scarf solves both. The valley is cooler than town, so bring a layer even in summer. ## Hiking: the waterfall and the Transcaucasian Trail The easiest walk from the monastery leads to a **hidden waterfall**, about 1.5 km each way on road and narrow forest path — it turns the visit into about two hours. Haghartsin is also on the **Transcaucasian Trail**. The long approaches — from Hovk (about 26 km) or from [Jukhtakvank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/jukhtakvank) (about 20 km) — take a full day and suit experienced hikers. The Vanatun guesthouse and open-air restaurant next to the monastery let you stay the night afterwards. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Return taxi agreed, fare settled - [ ] Cash in dram for taxi, parking, candles and gata - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, scarf packed - [ ] Comfortable shoes for the waterfall path - [ ] An extra layer — the valley is cool - [ ] In winter: asked the driver if the road is clear ## Haghartsin vs Goshavank vs Matosavank | | Haghartsin | Goshavank | Matosavank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Where | Forest valley 14–18 km from Dilijan | Gosh village | Forest ≈ 3 km north-west of Dilijan | | Key dates | 10th–13th c., main church 1281 | Astvatsatsin church 1191–1196 | Completed 1247 | | State | Working, restored | Working complex | Ruins in the forest | | Getting there | Taxi, 20–30 min | Taxi | 25–30 min walk from the factory on the edge of town; ≈ 5 km from the centre | If you see just one, choose Haghartsin — it is the biggest and best kept. Prefer quiet ruins and no car? Walk to Matosavank. ## Dilijan's monasteries and churches compared Every monastery and church in Dilijan rated by YesGo. - [Jukhtakvank Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/jukhtakvank) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Matosavank Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/matosavank) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Haghartsin Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/haghartsin-monastery) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Goshavank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/goshavank) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Sevanavank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/sevanavank) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Dilijan's monasteries in a day Haghartsin and gata in the morning, Goshavank after lunch, an evening stroll in Old Dilijan. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Haghartsin Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/haghartsin-monastery) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 2. [Goshavank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/goshavank) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 3. [Old Dilijan (Sharambeyan Street)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/old-dilijan) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 4. [Mimino statue](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-mimino-statue) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free ## Good to know Haghartsin is also a village on the Dilijan–Ijevan highway and the name of the stream in the valley; the monastery sits higher up in the forest. Restaurants called Haghartsin elsewhere in Armenia have nothing to do with it. ## Tips - Come early: tour buses from Yerevan tend to arrive around midday. - Order your gata as soon as you arrive — it will be ready by the time you have seen the churches. - Autumn is the best season: the forest around the monastery turns yellow and red. - Got a spare hour? The path to the waterfall is an easy walk. - Combine it with Goshavank — both lie on the same side of Dilijan, so one taxi covers half a day. ## Questions ### Is there an entrance fee for Haghartsin Monastery? No, entry is free. Candles and donations are optional; parking by the gate costs a small fee, unofficially about 200 AMD. ### What are Haghartsin Monastery opening hours? There is no official timetable. Unofficially it is open daily from about 10:00 to 18:00; services and church holidays can change this. ### How do I get to Haghartsin Monastery from Dilijan? By taxi or car only: 20–30 minutes from the central square along Tbilisyan Highway towards Ijevan, then left at the sign. No buses or minibuses go there. ### How do I get to Haghartsin from Yerevan? Take a minibus from Yerevan's Northern Bus Station to Dilijan (1.5–2 hours), then a taxi to the monastery — or join a day tour covering Sevan, Dilijan, Haghartsin and Goshavank. ### Is Haghartsin Monastery worth it? Yes, it is the largest and best-kept monastery around Dilijan, set deep in the forest. If you have already seen many Armenian monasteries, it is the setting rather than the interiors that makes the trip. ### How long do you need at Haghartsin? About an hour for the churches and refectory; 2–3 hours with the drive from Dilijan, gata and the waterfall walk. ### Can you hike to Haghartsin Monastery? Yes, on the Transcaucasian Trail — from Hovk (about 26 km) or Jukhtakvank (about 20 km), each a full day. A short, easy path also leads from the monastery to a waterfall. ### What is gata at Haghartsin? Armenian sweet bread baked at the bakery by the monastery car park, including filled versions. Some kinds are baked to order in about 20 minutes. ### Who restored Haghartsin Monastery? The 2011 restoration was funded by Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, ruler of Sharjah, and carried out by the Armenia Fund. ### Can I pay by card near Haghartsin? Don't count on it. Bring cash in dram for the taxi, parking and bakery; cards are reliable mainly in Yerevan. ## How we checked The monastery has no official website with a timetable, so hours, free entry, the parking fee and taxi fares are unofficial guidebook data and marked “verifying”. Building dates are checked against two or three sources. Distances from Dilijan differ — 14 km in the American University of Armenia database, 18 km in Russian Wikipedia, up to 20 km from tour operators — so we show a range. Both Wikipedias and the monument database give 1281 for the main church; the Transcaucasian Trail mentions an inscription dated 1071, which we leave out. Payment advice is based on several travel guides; card acceptance outside Yerevan varies. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Haghartsin Monastery; Russian Wikipedia: Агарцин (монастырь); Wikidata Q2606479 - Armenia Hidden Gems monument database, American University of Armenia: Haghartsin Monastery Complex - Transcaucasian Trail: 5 Secluded Monasteries in Dilijan National Park - Eurasia Travel: Haghartsin Monastery Complex - The Cascade Travel and Travelers & Dreamers — visitor practicalities (unofficial) - Birding Places: Haghartsin Monastery — road, parking and waterfall trail (unofficial) - Armenia Discovery and other travel guides — payments in Armenia - English Wikipedia: Goshavank, Matosavank — for the comparison --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.