Armenia Pilgrimage Tours

A Christian Pilgrimage to Armenia from the UK

A Christian pilgrimage to Armenia is a journey to the very roots of the faith as a national identity. Armenia was the first nation to declare Christianity its state religion in 301 AD, nearly a decade before the Council of Nicaea and long before Rome. Through the ministry of Gregory the Illuminator, King Tiridates III was baptised, and the Armenian Apostolic Church was born — a church that has survived centuries of persecution, invasion, and diaspora while keeping the faith alive.

Our Armenia pilgrimage tours from the UK take you to the most sacred sites of Armenian Christianity. Visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest cathedrals in the world, believed to have been founded by Gregory the Illuminator himself. Travel to Khor Virap, the monastery where Gregory was imprisoned for thirteen years before converting the king, with stunning views of Mount Ararat rising across the border. Explore Geghard Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site partly carved out of the living rock, and Tatev Monastery, perched on the edge of a spectacular gorge.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral — The Mother Church of Armenia

Etchmiadzin Cathedral, located in the city of Vagharshapat, is the spiritual centre of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest cathedrals in the world. Tradition holds that Gregory the Illuminator saw Christ descend from heaven in a vision, pointing to the spot where the cathedral should be built — the name Etchmiadzin means "the Only-Begotten descended." A pilgrimage here is the heart of any Armenian Christian journey, and our tours always include a guided visit to this sacred mother church.

Khor Virap, Geghard & Tatev — Monasteries of the Faith

Khor Virap, the monastery where Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned, offers one of the most iconic views in Armenia — Mount Ararat rising in the distance, the mountain where tradition says Noah's ark came to rest. Geghard Monastery, carved into the mountainside, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its rock-cut churches and sacred springs. Tatev Monastery, reached via the world's longest reversible cable car, the Wings of Tatev, crowns a dramatic gorge in the south of the country. Each monastery tells the story of a faith carved, quite literally, into the stone of the land.

Lake Sevan, Noravank & the Living Armenian Church

Lake Sevan, one of the largest freshwater alpine lakes in the world, is home to Sevanavank Monastery on its peninsula, where Armenian monks prayed centuries ago. Noravank, the red-brick monastery set in a narrow gorge of red cliffs, is among the most beautiful in the country. Throughout your pilgrimage, you will encounter the living Armenian Apostolic Church — a community of faith that has preserved its Christian witness through genocide, Soviet rule, and renewal, and that welcomes pilgrims with extraordinary warmth.

All our flight-inclusive Armenia pilgrimages are fully ATOL protected, giving you peace of mind from the moment you book. Whether you are travelling individually, as a couple, or organising a group pilgrimage with your church or parish, we are here to help you every step of the way.