“Armenia in Bloom” Botanical Tour

Arrival, Yerevan city tour

Overnight in Yerevan

Yerevan – Mount Aragats – Yerevan

A trip to the highest mountain in Armenia – Mt. Aragats (4095m above sea level), driving up to 3200m to explore alpine flora represented with Primula algida, Gentiana verna ssp. pontica, local endemic Ranunculus aragatzii and other plants. On the lower altitudes spread bushes of Juniperus depressa and oak (Quercus macrantha) open woodlands with mixture of some wild fruit and berry trees and shrubs occur. The picnic – on the mountain.

Overnight in Yerevan

Dilijan – Vanadzor Botanical garden – Sevan

Driving north to Vanadzor A half an hour stop by the way will let you see meadow flora in bloom with Iris pumila, Geum rivale, Arnebia pulchra etc. Then driving to Dilijan via Vanadzor (visit to the Vanadzor Botanical Garden is optional). A couple of stops on the way to Dilijan and in the town itself will give an opportunity to explore very interesting wet meadows and amazing beauty of Anemone fasciculata.

Overnight in Sevan.

“Sevan” National Park – Sisyan

The day starts with about an hour walk in the Sevan Botanical Garden, then – an excursion to the “Sevan” National Park’s museum (optional), which is in Sevan town. Driving towards Selim Pass with a couple of short stops by the way to see historical sites and monuments. Then continuing the way over Selim Pass (a couple of short stops for botanizing) to medieval caravanserai and afterwards to explore steppe bushes with Spiraea hypericifolia, Berberis orientalis, Viburnum lantana, Sorbus graeca, Globularia trichosantha, Coluteocarpus vesicaria etc. Hopefully there will be a chance to catch Iris lineolata in bloom on the way to Sisyan.

Overnight in Sisyan

Tatev – Kapan – Shikahogh – Kapan

The day will begin with a trip to village Tatev, where one can see two remarkable pear trees. About a half an hour stop in the forest will give an opportunity to see Quercus iberica, Carpinus orientalis, C. betulus, Mespilus germanica and other representatives of the local flora. A wonderful scenery with mass blooming of Genista transcaucasica will open while driving to Kapan. Lunch in Kapan. After lunch – a trip to “Shikahogh” state reserve with the final destination – the relict Plane Grove (Platanus orientalis) – a site of special conservation concern, which is a state sanctuary under the management of the reserve’s administration. About an hour of walking down the road leading to the grove will let to see a number of representatives of Armenian flora, such as Colutea cilicica, Pyrus zangezura (endemic), Punica granatum, Celtis caucasica, Ficus carica, Cotynus coggygria and others. The Plane Grove and surrounding areas will require about 3 hours.

Overnight in Kapan

Kapan – Goris – Noravank Monastery – Yerevan

On the way back from Kapan to Goris it will be possible to make a couple of stops to see Christ’s thorn spiny bushes (Paliurus spina-christi) and an oak-hornbeam forest. A visit of Noravank Monastery in Vayots Dzor will be accompanied with a botanical investigation of the area where Acer iberica, Celtis glabrata, Amygdalus fenzliana, Rosa hemisphaerica and other plant species are found. A couple of other short stops will let to see beautiful cushion shrub bushes (Onobrychis cornuta) in bloom and another amazing and rare cushion plant species – Gypsophila aretioides.

Overnight in Yerevan

Garni – Geghard Monastery

Driving towards Garni temple and Geghard Monastery – the UNESCO heritage site. Botanical “research” by the way with Malus orientalis, Prunus divaricata, Acer campestre, Juglans regia and others.

Departure