# Khor Virap Monastery near Yerevan > Khor Virap is a working monastery on a hill by the Turkish border, about 40 km south of Yerevan, with the closest view of Mount Ararat you can get. Entry is free and it opens daily from about 8:00 to 18:00, until 20:00 in summer (unofficial). Allow 1–1.5 hours on site plus 40–50 minutes each way by car. Below a chapel is the 6-metre pit where St Gregory was held for 13 years. Web page: https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/khor-virap - City: [Yerevan](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan), Armenia - YesGo score: 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, the pit included (unofficial) - Hours: Daily ≈ 8:00–18:00, until 20:00 in summer (unofficial) - Where: Ararat Province, by the village of Lusarat, ≈ 40 km south of Yerevan - Drive: 40–50 minutes by car or taxi - Bus: No. 467 from Sasuntsi Davit metro, 3 a day (unofficial) - Taxi: Yandex Go or GG; agree a return trip with waiting time - Dress: Shoulders and knees covered; a headscarf for women in church - Paying on site: Candles, doves, water, souvenirs — dram cash - Coordinates: 39.87833, 44.57611 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **13 years** — St Gregory the Illuminator spent in the pit, by tradition, before converting King Tiridates III (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Tourism Committee) - **6 m** — deep and 4.4 m wide — the pit, reached by a steep iron ladder (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Tourism Committee) - **5,137 m** — the height of Ararat, which stands in Turkey and can't be reached from Armenia (source: English Wikipedia (Mount Ararat)) - **301 AD** — Armenia became the first state to adopt Christianity — after Gregory was freed (source: Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Tourism Committee) - **642** — Catholicos Nerses III the Builder raised the first chapel over the pit (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Tourism Committee) - **1662** — the main church, St Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God), was built (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **17th century** — the walls, monks' cells and the chapel over the pit as they stand today (source: Armenia Tourism Committee; Russian Wikipedia) - **Deep pit** — is what the name Khor Virap means (source: Armenia Tourism Committee; Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 40 km** — south of Yerevan by road, on the edge of the Ararat plain (source: Armenia Tourism Committee (≈ 40 minutes); Backpack Moments) - **Artaxata** — the monastery sits on the site of the ancient capital founded around 180 BC by Artaxias I (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Armenia Tourism Committee) ## Is Khor Virap worth visiting? Yes — on a clear day it is one of the best half-day trips from Yerevan. You get a 17th-century monastery, the pit where Armenian Christianity began, and **Mount Ararat filling the sky** behind the walls. On a hazy or cloudy day the mountain can vanish completely, and then the trip is far less special. The site itself is small: one main church, a chapel over the pit, walls and a hill behind. An hour or so is enough. If you only have one day outside the city and the forecast is grey, [Garni](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/garni-temple) and [Geghard](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/geghard-monastery) don't depend on the view. > **Ararat doesn't show every day** The mountain is why most people come, and clouds or summer haze can hide it entirely. It is clearest **early in the morning**, especially in autumn and winter. Check the forecast the night before and aim to arrive at opening time — tour buses and the midday heat arrive together. ## How to get to Khor Virap from Yerevan 1. From [Republic Square](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/yerevan-republic-square), ride the metro from Hanrapetutyan Hraparak two stops to Sasuntsi Davit — about 5 minutes. No cash on the metro: tap a contactless bank card or buy a QR ticket (check on the spot). 2. Outside the station, by the David of Sasun statue, is the intercity bus station. Look for bus 467 to Khor Virap: unofficially it leaves at 9:00, 14:00 and 18:00, takes about an hour, and you pay the driver in dram cash. 3. Sources disagree on where it drops you: right by the monastery, or about a 20-minute walk away. From the Pokr Vedi or Lusarat turn-off it is 1.5–2.5 km on foot in full sun. 4. Return buses leave, by the same sources, at 7:23, 10:23 and 15:23 — after the morning run you wait until mid-afternoon. That is why most people take a taxi. 5. Taxi from the centre: Yandex Go or GG, 40–50 minutes. Drivers may not wait, so agree a return trip with an hour's waiting, or pre-book a car back for a set time. ## Khor Virap entrance fee and opening hours Entry is free, and so is climbing down into the pit. There is no official website or posted timetable, so the hours are **unofficial**: guides report the gates open around 8:00 and close at 18:00 from November to March and 20:00 from April to October. Others give 9:00–18:00 — come in daylight and don't count on an evening visit. You'll only spend money on candles, water, souvenirs and, if you want, a pair of doves to release. Bring Armenian dram in cash — card terminals are rare here. Visa and Mastercard work well in Yerevan, so withdraw at an ATM in the city before you set off. Sellers by the gate offer doves to release for luck. It is a private trade, not part of the liturgy — whether you join in is up to you. > **What to wear** Khor Virap is a working monastery. Cover your shoulders and knees; women usually cover their hair inside the church, men take their hats off. The ladder into the pit is near vertical, so a long skirt or flip-flops are a bad idea — trousers and closed shoes work best. ## Going down into St Gregory's pit The pit is entered from the small chapel over it, next to the main church (usually called St Gevorg chapel). Two stairways drop down beside the altar; Gregory's pit is the one on the **right**. It's a steep iron ladder, almost vertical, with just under thirty rungs, ending in a stone chamber 6 m deep and 4.4 m across. It's cramped and stuffy at the bottom, with room for a handful of people. Leave your bag with a friend so both hands are free. Skip it with small children, or if you dislike heights or tight spaces — the monastery and the view are worth the trip without it. Only one person fits on the ladder at a time, so expect short queues when groups arrive. ## What to see at Khor Virap - **St Gregory's pit** — if you're happy with a steep ladder. - The main church of **St Astvatsatsin** (1662) with a sundial on its south wall. - The fortified walls and monks' cells — from the south side Ararat rises straight above the monastery. - **The hill behind the monastery**: from the north exit a path climbs to an Armenian flag. This is the classic shot of the monastery against Ararat. - The Ararat plain below, with vineyards and fields — greenest in spring. - The recently restored bell tower in dark stone. ## A short history Khor Virap means **deep pit**. According to Armenian tradition, King Tiridates III threw Gregory into this dungeon for his faith and kept him there for 13 years (the early chronicler Agathangelos also gives 14 and 15). Gregory later cured the king, baptised him, and in 301 AD Armenia became the first state to adopt Christianity. Catholicos Nerses III the Builder put up the first chapel over the pit in 642. The walls, cells and the main church you see now are 17th-century; the church dates to 1662. The hill lies inside ancient **Artaxata**, the Armenian capital founded around 180 BC. Mount Ararat, 5,137 m, has been inside Turkey since the treaties of Moscow and Kars in 1921, and the border at the foot of the hill is closed. The mountain still appears on Armenia's coat of arms. ## Khor Virap tours: guided or on your own? Getting to Khor Virap alone is easy, but the bus is infrequent. A tour makes sense if you want more in one day: the usual combination is Khor Virap with Noravank monastery in its red-rock gorge and the Areni wineries further south — a full day on the road. A guide tells the story of Gregory and Tiridates the way Armenians tell it, knows where to stand for the Ararat shot and handles transport. If Khor Virap is all you want, a half-day taxi is enough: the monastery in the morning, back in Yerevan for lunch. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Checked the forecast — clear sky, ideally a morning - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, a scarf in the bag - [ ] Closed shoes for the ladder into the pit - [ ] Dram cash for candles, water and souvenirs - [ ] Return taxi agreed, or I know the bus times - [ ] Water, hat and sunscreen — there's almost no shade on the hill ## Khor Virap vs Garni, Geghard and Etchmiadzin | | Khor Virap | Garni & Geghard | Etchmiadzin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Monastery over St Gregory's pit | Classical temple and cave monastery | Mother Cathedral of the Armenian Church | | Direction from Yerevan | South, to the Turkish border | East, into the hills | West, towards the airport | | Ararat view | Best in Armenia | No | No | | Entry | Free | Garni paid, Geghard free | Cathedral free | | Time needed | 1–1.5 h + travel | Half a day for both | 1.5–2 h + travel | These are three trips in three directions. With one day, do Khor Virap in the morning and Garni and Geghard in the afternoon — Ararat and the mountains in one go. [Etchmiadzin](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/etchmiadzin-cathedral) fits neatly on the way to or from the airport. ## Churches and monasteries around Yerevan compared Every church and monastery 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 ## An Ararat-view day Ararat up close at the monastery in the morning, the memorial on the hill above Yerevan in the afternoon, and the Cascade at sunset, with the mountain floating over the city. 1. [Khor Virap](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/khor-virap) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free 2. [Armenian Genocide Memorial (Tsitsernakaberd)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/tsitsernakaberd) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; English guide 7,000 AMD per group 3. [Yerevan Cascade](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/yerevan-cascade) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free 4. [Northern Avenue](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/yerevan-northern-avenue) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free ## Good to know Khor Virap is not on Mount Ararat: the mountain is in Turkey, the land border is closed, and you can't hike to it from Armenia. The town of Ararat and Ararat Province are named after the mountain; the monastery is in the province, not the town. Spellings vary — Khor Virap and Khor Virab are the same place. ## Tips - Arrive at opening time: Ararat is clearest in the morning and the crowds are thinner. - The best photo is from the flag on the hill behind the monastery, not from the courtyard. - There's no shade on the hill in summer — bring water and a hat. - Not keen on ladders? Skip the pit; the monastery and the view are enough. - Leave early and you can fit Garni and Geghard into the same day. - Back in town, watch Ararat at sunset from the top of the [Cascade](https://yesgo.io/armenia/yerevan/yerevan-cascade). ## Questions ### How do I get to Khor Virap from Yerevan? The easiest way is a Yandex Go or GG taxi, 40–50 minutes. Bus 467 leaves from Sasuntsi Davit metro — unofficially at 9:00, 14:00 and 18:00 — but returns are infrequent. ### Is there an entrance fee at Khor Virap? No. Entry and the climb down into the pit are free; you only need cash for candles, water or souvenirs. ### What are Khor Virap's opening hours? Unofficially, daily from about 8:00 to 18:00 November–March and until 20:00 April–October. There is no official timetable. ### How far is Khor Virap from Yerevan? About 40 km south by road — 40–50 minutes by car. ### When is the best time to see Mount Ararat from Khor Virap? Early morning on a clear day, especially in autumn and winter. In summer haze or cloud the mountain may not appear at all. ### Can you go down into the pit at Khor Virap? Yes. A steep iron ladder to the right of the altar in the chapel leads into the 6-metre pit. It isn't suitable for small children or anyone uneasy with heights. ### How long do you need at Khor Virap? An hour to an hour and a half on site, plus 40–50 minutes each way from Yerevan — half a day in total. ### Is there a dress code at Khor Virap? Yes, as at any working monastery: covered shoulders and knees, and women usually cover their hair inside the church. ### Can I combine Khor Virap with Noravank? Yes — it's the classic day trip south: Khor Virap first, then Noravank and the Areni wineries. Easiest with a tour or a car. ## How we checked History, dates and the pit's size are checked against English and Russian Wikipedia and the Armenia Tourism Committee. Agathangelos gives 13, 14 or 15 years for Gregory's imprisonment; we use the traditional 13. The monastery has no official website or timetable, so the hours and free entry are unofficial, from two guides (a third gives 9:00–18:00). Two blogs agree on the bus 467 times but not on the fare — from 250 to 500 dram — so we leave the fare out. ## Sources - English and Russian Wikipedia: Khor Virap; Wikidata Q1144626 - English Wikipedia: Mount Ararat - Armenia Tourism Committee (armenia.travel): Khor Virap Monastery - Megan Starr: Full Guide to Visiting Khor Virap — hours, entry, bus 467, dress - The Common Wanderer: A short guide to Khor Virap — hours, the pit ladder, dress, the hill behind - Backpack Moments: How to Get from Yerevan to Khor Virap, updated 15.03.2026 — bus 467 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.