Tsaghkadzor
Mountain resort with a cable car up Mount Teghenis
- Area Kotayk
- Type Nature
- Time needed 2h
Tsaghkadzor is Armenia's main mountain resort, an hour north of Yerevan, with a cable car running up the slopes of Mount Teghenis. It works as a ski town in winter and as a walking and viewpoint destination the rest of the year.
Open in the planner →Getting there
About 61 km from Yerevan, roughly an hour and five minutes by road, with the final stretch climbing steadily into the hills.
What you see
The cable car runs in stages up the mountain, and from the upper stations the view takes in the forested valley, the Pambak range and, in clear weather, a long way south. In summer the slopes are meadow and beech forest with walking routes along them, and in winter they carry the pistes. Kecharis Monastery sits in the town itself at the foot of the lifts.
What to pair it with
Pairs with Kecharis Monastery in town and with Lake Sevan or Sevanavank if you continue east.
When to go
December to March for skiing, June to October for walking and views. The cable car does not always run outside the main seasons, so confirm before driving up. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
What is hard about it
The resort is a mix of good hotels and unfinished concrete, and in the shoulder seasons much of it is closed and the lifts may be idle. Cloud sits on the mountain often enough that the view is not guaranteed.
Common questions
Does the cable car run in summer?
It usually operates in the main summer season, but not on every day or in every shoulder month. Check before making the drive. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Is it a day trip from Yerevan?
Yes. The drive is a little over an hour each way, which leaves plenty of time for the lifts and the monastery within a normal day.
Can I ski here as a beginner?
There are easier runs as well as harder ones, and equipment hire and instruction are available in town. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Nearby
- Garni TempleFirst-century Hellenistic temple above the Azat gorge
- Geghard MonasteryPartly carved into the rock face, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Symphony of StonesBasalt columns lining the Garni gorge like organ pipes
- Havuts TarRuined monastery reached by a hike across the Azat gorge
- Kecharis Monastery11th-century complex in the ski town of Tsaghkadzor
- PtghnavankRoofless 7th-century basilica above the Kasakh
More of the same kind
- Mount AragatsArmenia's highest peak, with Lake Kari below the summits
- Khosrov Forest ReserveAncient royal hunting reserve of rugged canyons
- JermukSpa town known for its mineral water, gorge and waterfall
- Lake SevanVast high-altitude lake, beaches and fish restaurants