Dilijan National Park
Forested park known as "Armenian Switzerland"
- Area Tavush
- Type Nature
- Time needed 3h
Dilijan is a forested town and national park in Tavush, 96 km north of Yerevan, known as Armenian Switzerland for its beech woods and mineral springs. It is the base for the country's best walking.
Open in the planner →Getting there
About 1h45 from Yerevan through the Sevan pass and the tunnel. Marshrutkas run from the northern bus station. The town is small and the sights are spread through the park, so a car or a local driver helps.
What you see
The park rather than the town. Haghartsin monastery sits deep in the forest 10 km east. Goshavank, with its famously fine khachkar, is 20 minutes the other way. Lake Parz has a path round it and a longer trail on to Goshavank. Jukhtakvank and Matosavank are short forest walks from the town itself. Sharambeyan Street in Dilijan is a restored block of nineteenth-century crafts workshops.
What to pair it with
Lake Sevan on the way in or out, and Makaravank or the Debed canyon monasteries if you are heading further north.
When to go
Late spring through autumn, with October the best of it for colour. The forest is green and wet in May and June. Winter closes the higher trails and some guesthouses.
What is hard about it
The trails are poorly waymarked by European standards and a few of the published routes are hard to follow without a GPS track. Doing Dilijan as a day trip from Yerevan means 3h20 in the car for a few hours in the woods — it is worth a night. Out of season much of the town is shut.
Common questions
What is Dilijan known for?
Forests, mineral water, and the monasteries of Haghartsin and Goshavank. It is often called Armenian Switzerland.
How far is Dilijan from Yerevan?
96 km, about 1h45 by road.
Is Dilijan worth staying overnight?
Yes. The walking is the point and it does not fit into a day trip.
Nearby
- Haghartsin MonasteryMonastery complex set deep in beech forest
- Goshavank12th-century monastery with an exquisite khachkar
- MakaravankRichly carved monastery high in the forest
- Lake ParzForest lake with walking trails near Dilijan
- Nor VaragavankForest monastery above Varagavan
- JukhtakvankPair of churches in the woods near Dilijan
More of the same kind
- Symphony of StonesBasalt columns lining the Garni gorge like organ pipes
- TsaghkadzorMountain resort with a cable car up Mount Teghenis
- Mount AragatsArmenia's highest peak, with Lake Kari below the summits
- Khosrov Forest ReserveAncient royal hunting reserve of rugged canyons