Programme urbex photo trip Armenia
6 - 13 September 2025
Day 1: arrival Armenia
The programme of this urbex photo trip Armenia starts in Yerevan. In the evening we will meet, together with Nvard from Central Tour, in a cosy and creative guesthouse. You will be told all kinds of practical things for day 2.
Day 2: Khor Virap, Noravank, carpet factory and Caravanserai
We start the day early with a drive to Khor Virap monastery. This monastery is a stone's throw from Mount Ararat. The sight is overwhelming. We drive on to one of Armenia's next cultural highlights: the Noravank monastery. Hidden in the mountains, only to be found if you drive through a long gorge. Our first urbex site is one of stature. A time capsule with incredibly beautiful details and machinery. Following the old Silk Road, we pass a beautiful abandoned caravanserai and drive on over the Selim pass. We sleep near Sevan.
Day 3: Carpet factory, cable car, Mikoyan Mig, Sanahin and Haghpat monasteries
Today we visit one of our urbex highlights. A gigantic abandoned carpet factory. Everything is right here. The machines. The spaces. The light. You don't want to miss this one. After a short drive, we visit four sites, all close to each other. Abandoned cable car buildings and two Unesco monasteries of stature. Perhaps the most beautiful in Armenia. We spend the night in beautiful Haghpat.
Day 4: Lenin, cable car 2, big factory, Pioneer camp and a train
From Haghpat, we continued our journey past an abandoned office with a beautiful Lenin mural, another abandoned cable car building, before ending at a giant abandoned factory. Multiple buildings, huge machinery. A gem! After this great site, we visit an extraordinary abandoned Pioneer camp and an abandoned Soviet Union train standing like a horse in a stable. We spend the night near Vanadzor.
Day 5: Pioneer camp and telescope complex
Today we will visit two top locations. We want to take all the time we can for that. The first is a Pioneer camp, high in the mountains. There are beautiful mosaics here and the scenery is stunning. After driving across the mountains, we visit an abandoned telescope complex. This is a world-class urbex site. A beautiful control room, several telescopes and all kinds of offices, dark rooms etc. Here we take our time. We spend the night in Etchmiatsin.
Day 6: World's oldest cathedral, two sanatoria and a bus station
We start the day close by. Near our guesthouse is the world's oldest cathedral (301) and the most important Armenian church. After visiting these, we drive towards two abandoned sanatoriums. Totally different, both with unique spaces. Via a beautiful Soviet bus station, we drive to Yerevan to spend the night.
Day 7: An abandoned plane, telescopes, culture house, Geghard monastery and Garni temple
A special mix today. We visit an abandoned Yak plane, just sitting on the edge of a cliff. After visiting several small telescopes and culture house, we visit two major cultural highlights of Armenia. The Geghard monastery (partially carved into the rock) and the Garni temple (77). A worthy finale to our trip.
Day 8: Time in Yerevan, departure for home
A great day to enjoy Yerevan a little more, maybe buy some fun and goodies. We'll transfer you back to the airport for your journey back home.
