# Geghard Monastery, Yerevan > Geghard is a 13th-century monastery partly carved out of the cliff at the top of the Azat gorge, about 40 km east of Yerevan. Entry is free and it is open every day in daylight — roughly 9:00–18:00 (unofficial). Allow an hour on site and an hour’s drive each way; most pair it with Garni Temple. Web page: https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/geghard-monastery - City: [Yerevan](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan), Armenia - YesGo score: 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - Entry: Free - With kids: Fine with kids - Entrance fee: Free — it is a working monastery - Opening hours: Daily in daylight, roughly 9:00–18:00 — unofficial - From central Yerevan: ≈ 40 km, about an hour by car - From Garni Temple: ≈ 10 km up the gorge, 15–20 minutes by car - Public transport: Bus 266 (to Garni) or 284 (to Goght) from Gai bus station in Nor Nork; neither reaches the gate - Bus fare: 250 AMD, cash to the driver - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; women traditionally cover their hair - Paying on site: Candles, gata and souvenirs — cash in dram - Time needed: About an hour - Coordinates: 40.14047, 44.81859 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1215** — the main church, Katoghike, was built under the Zakarian brothers Zakare and Ivane (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **2000** — UNESCO World Heritage listing as “Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley” (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard; UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 960) - **The spear** — “geghard” means spear: the lance said to have pierced Christ was kept here; it is now in Etchmiadzin (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Manoogian Museum) - **4th century** — by tradition, Gregory the Illuminator founded it at a sacred spring inside a cave (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **Ayrivank** — the original name — “the Monastery of the Cave” (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **1250** — the name Geghardavank, “Monastery of the Spear”, first appears in a document (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **1240s** — the first rock-cut church, Avazan, was hewn around a natural spring (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **1283** — Prince Prosh Khaghbakian had the zhamatun and the Astvatsatsin church cut into the rock (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **1288** — the upper zhamatun was carved as the tomb of Papak Proshian and his wife Ruzukan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **20+** — halls, chapels and cells carved into the rock at different levels (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **923** — Nasr, a governor for the Arab caliph, looted and burned the monastery (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) - **1687** — a gilded silver case was made for the spear (source: English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard) ## How to get to Geghard Monastery from Yerevan 1. Easiest: a ride-hailing car. Book through the GG or Yandex Go app from Republic Square straight to Geghard — about an hour. Ask the driver to wait or book the return in the app, as mobile signal at the monastery can be weak. 2. By bus: take a taxi or city bus to **Gai bus station** on Gai Avenue in the Nor Nork district. 3. Board **bus 284 to Goght** (or 266 to Garni). The fare is about 250 AMD, paid in cash to the driver when you get off. 4. From Goght it is ≈ 4 km uphill to the gate — about an hour on foot along the road. From Garni it is 10 km, so take a local taxi. 5. Coming back: buses from Goght and Garni are infrequent; the last one leaves around 19:30 (unofficial). Check with the driver on the way out. > **No bus goes all the way to the monastery** Public buses end at Garni and at Goght village, leaving you 4–10 km short of the gate. For most travellers a GG or Yandex Go ride, or a Garni and Geghard tour, is far simpler. Evening buses back to Yerevan are rare. ## Geghard Monastery entrance fee and opening hours **Entry is free.** Geghard is a working monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church, so there is no ticket desk. Money only comes into it for candles, the gata (sweet bread) sold by local bakers at the gate, souvenirs and parking. There is no official timetable. Guides give 9:00–18:00 daily, some 8:00–20:00, and the grounds are often accessible longer — treat it as a daylight visit, every day of the week. Services can close parts of the church for a while. Paying in Armenia: Visa and Mastercard work widely in Yerevan, and GG and Yandex Go take cards in the app. Out here, carry some dram in cash — prices are in dram only, and foreign currency is not accepted. ## What is Geghard Monastery? Geghard is a medieval monastery where several churches were not built but **hollowed out of the mountain**. Tradition says Gregory the Illuminator founded it in the 4th century at a sacred spring in a cave, which is why its first name was Ayrivank, the Monastery of the Cave. “Geghard” is Armenian for spear: the lance said to have pierced Christ was kept here for centuries. Today it is displayed in the treasury at [Etchmiadzin](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/etchmiadzin-cathedral), not at Geghard. Early buildings were destroyed by Arab raids, and in 923 the monastery was burned. What you see is 13th-century: the Zakarian princes built the main church in 1215, then the Proshian princes spent decades cutting chapels and family tombs into the rock. Since 2000 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site together with the Upper Azat Valley. ## What to see at Geghard - **Katoghike**, the domed main church of 1215 — look above the south door for a lion attacking an ox. - **The gavit**, the hall in front of it, with four columns and a stalactite vault lit through a hole in the centre. - **Avazan**, the first cave church from the 1240s, with a spring running inside — you can fill a bottle. - **The Proshian zhamatun** of 1283, a dark hall carved whole out of the rock. The acoustics are the best here: hum a single note and it hangs in the air. - **The upper zhamatun** of 1288, the tomb of Papak and Ruzukan, reached by an outside stairway. - **Khachkars** — cross-stones carved straight into the cliffs around the courtyard and into the cell walls. - The Azat gorge outside the gate — a few minutes’ walk towards the river shows how the monastery is wedged into the mountain. > **Geghard dress code** This is an active monastery. Cover shoulders and knees — leave shorts and strappy tops in the car. Armenian custom is for women to cover their hair, so bring your own scarf. Keep your voice down inside and don’t film a service in progress. The rock halls stay cool even in July, so a light layer helps. ## Is Geghard Monastery worth visiting? Yes — the rock-cut halls are unlike anything else around Yerevan, and the setting at the end of a green gorge makes the drive part of the experience. It works best combined with [Garni Temple](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/garni-temple), 10 km back down the road, as a half-day trip. A Garni and Geghard tour is the easy option without a car: typically 5–6 hours, often with the Symphony of Stones or a lavash-baking stop, and a guide who explains who carved the halls and why. With a taxi you don’t really need a guide — the site is compact. Skip it only if you have already seen many Armenian monasteries; then [Khor Virap](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/khor-virap) with its view of Mount Ararat is the better pick. ## Geghard vs Garni, Etchmiadzin and Khor Virap | | Geghard | Garni | Etchmiadzin | Khor Virap | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Monastery partly cut into rock | Pagan temple from antiquity | Mother church of Armenia | Monastery facing Ararat | | Direction from Yerevan | East, ≈ 40 km | East, on the way | West, ≈ 20 km | South, ≈ 40 km | | Entry | Free | Paid | Cathedral free | Free | | Public transport | Only to Goght | Bus to the village | Direct bus | Awkward | | Highlight | Rock halls and acoustics | Colonnade above the gorge | Relics, incl. the Geghard spear | Mount Ararat view | Geghard and Garni are one trip east. Etchmiadzin and Khor Virap lie in other directions — keep them for another day or the other half of it. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Transport sorted: taxi app, own car or tour - [ ] Some dram in cash for candles, gata and the bus - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, scarf packed - [ ] A warm layer for the rock halls - [ ] Water — there is little to buy at the monastery - [ ] Leaving in the morning to be back before dark ## Churches and monasteries in and around Yerevan Every church and monastery around Yerevan rated by YesGo. - [Geghard Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/geghard-monastery) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Etchmiadzin Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/etchmiadzin-cathedral) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; treasury 2,000 AMD - [Khor Virap](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/khor-virap) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free ## Geghard and Garni in half a day Start with Geghard, the farther of the two, stop at Garni Temple on the way back, then catch sunset from the Cascade in the centre. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Geghard Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/geghard-monastery) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 2. [Garni Temple](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/garni-temple) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 1,500 AMD 3. [Yerevan Cascade](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/yerevan-cascade) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free ## Good to know The spear that gave Geghard its name is in the Etchmiadzin museum, not here. Goght is the village where the bus ends, about 4 km below the monastery. The Symphony of Stones basalt columns are in the gorge below Garni, not at Geghard. ## Tips - Arrive at opening time: before noon there are fewer tour buses and the rock halls are quiet. - Stand in the middle of the Proshian zhamatun and hum one note — that is the sound people come for. - By taxi, do Geghard first and Garni on the way back — less backtracking. - Bring an empty bottle and fill it from the spring in the Avazan chapel. - Local bakers sell gata at the gate — keep some dram coins handy. - Head back before dark: the mountain road has no street lights and evening buses barely run. ## Questions ### Is there an entrance fee for Geghard Monastery? No, entry is free — it is a working monastery. You may want cash in dram for candles, gata and souvenirs. ### What are Geghard Monastery opening hours? There is no official timetable. It is open every day in daylight, roughly 9:00–18:00 (unofficial). ### How do I get to Geghard Monastery from Yerevan? Easiest by GG or Yandex Go taxi, or on a tour. By public transport, take bus 284 from Gai bus station to Goght, then walk about 4 km uphill or take a taxi. ### How far is Geghard from Yerevan? About 40 km east of the centre, roughly an hour’s drive, and 10 km beyond Garni Temple. ### Can you visit Garni and Geghard in one day? Easily — in half a day. They are 10 km apart on the same road; allow about half a day from Yerevan for both. ### How long do you need at Geghard? About an hour for the church, the rock-cut halls and a short walk towards the river. ### Is there a dress code at Geghard? Cover shoulders and knees. Women traditionally cover their hair, so bring a scarf. The rock halls are cool inside. ### Is Geghard Monastery worth visiting? Yes, for the rock-cut halls and their acoustics — nothing near Yerevan compares. If you have seen many monasteries already, Khor Virap with its Ararat view may suit you better. ### Is the Holy Lance at Geghard? No. The spear that gave the monastery its name is kept in the treasury at Etchmiadzin. ## How we checked Dates were checked against English and Russian Wikipedia, and the spear against Etchmiadzin’s own museum page. The monastery has no official site with hours or prices: guides give 9:00–18:00, 8:00–20:00 or open access to the grounds, so hours are approximate and marked “checking”. Bus numbers and fares come from t-armenia.com and travel blogs whose timetables disagree, so we do not give departure times. The dress code is general Armenian Church custom, not posted rules. ## Sources - English and Russian Wikipedia: Geghard; Wikidata Q499285 - UNESCO World Heritage List: Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley, no. 960, 2000 (via Wikipedia) - Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Manoogian Museum — on the Geghard spear - t-armenia.com — buses from Gai bus station to Garni, fares - Backpack Moments: A Short Guide to Geghard Monastery, 2025 — buses 266 and 284, the walk from Goght - Backpack Moments: Money in Armenia; travelto.ru — cards, cash and taxi apps - Sputnik8, 4stogo — travel times, transport and visiting hours --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.