Goris: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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South-west of Goris the Vorotan river has cut a gorge hundreds of metres deep, and on a spur above it stands Tatev, in the Middle Ages the greatest monastery and school of Syunik. Since 2010 a cable car flies over the gorge to it; the old road winds down to the river and up again. This day takes the cable car one way and the road down to the bridge and the hermitage. A full day; the hermitage needs a walk of about an hour from the road.

A short history of Goris

Goris is built in a narrow valley in southern Armenia, and its plan of straight streets was drawn up in the 1870s, in the Russian period. Above the town and in the surrounding cliffs, caves were cut into the soft rock and used as homes until the 20th century, and in the nearby village of Khndzoresk people lived in caves until the 1950s. About 30 kilometres from the town stands the 9th-century Tatev Monastery, and since 2010 it has been reached by a cable car about 5.7 kilometres long, one of the longest in the world.

The ten best sights in Goris

1
Tatev Monastery
On a cliff above the Vorotan gorge, by cable car or a winding road; covered shoulders
2
Great Hermitage of Tatev
A walled 17th-century hermitage in the gorge below Tatev; quiet, rarely crowded
3
Old Khndzoresk
The cave village and its swinging bridge, 15 minutes east; steep stairs down
4
Axel Bakunts House-Museum
The writer’s family house in the centre, with its garden; small and personal
5
Goris Archaeological Museum
Finds from the region in the town centre; give it half an hour
6
Bgheno-Noravank
A small forest monastery south of town with rare carved panels inside
7
Zorats Karer
Standing stones on a windy plateau near Sisian, 35 minutes west; bring a jacket
8
Vorotnavank
A fortified monastery above the Vorotan, on the road towards Sisian
9
Devil's Bridge
A natural stone bridge over the Vorotan below Tatev, with warm mineral pools under it
10
Old Goris
Rock pinnacles full of old cave homes on the hill east of town; a short scramble

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Goris →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Goris:

Free walking tours in Goris

Tatev and the Vorotan gorge

Wings of Tatev, Halidzor station · The cable car opened in 2010 and runs 5.7 km from Halidzor to Tatev, entering the Guinness Book as the world's longest non-stop double-track cable car. At the middle it hangs about 320 metres above the gorge.
Tatev Monastery · The main church of Sts Paul and Peter was built between 895 and 906. In the yard stands the Gavazan, an eight-sided stone pillar from 904 that sways when pushed and has survived every earthquake since.
Grigor Tatevatsi tomb · Grigor Tatevatsi, the 14th-century theologian who headed Tatev's university, is buried here. Under him the school taught philosophy, grammar, music and manuscript painting, and he is a saint of the Armenian church.
Tatev Oil Mill · The monks pressed oil in this stone mill, for the kitchen and for the monastery's lamps. The heavy press beam and stone basins are still in place.
Devil's Bridge · The river has tunnelled under a slab of travertine, leaving a natural bridge that the road crosses. Warm mineral springs drip from the rock into pools below it, and people bathe in them.
Great Hermitage of Tatev · Built in the 17th century in the gorge below Tatev, the hermitage was a walled monastic village with its own church, cells and workshops, where monks lived further from the world than at Tatev itself.

Goris and the cave villages

For centuries people in this corner of Syunik lived in caves cut into soft volcanic rock — first in the pinnacles above old Goris, then in the canyon of Khndzoresk. The modern town was laid out below in the 1870s, on a grid of straight streets of stone houses with balconies. This walk and short drive goes from the town's writers to the cave homes, ending at the swinging bridge. Half a day; the stairs at Khndzoresk are steep both ways.

Axel Bakunts House-Museum · Axel Bakunts was born in Goris in 1899 and wrote stories of the villagers of Zangezur. He was arrested in Stalin's purges and shot in 1937; the family house and garden became his museum.
Sero Khanzadyan Museum · Sero Khanzadyan, born in Goris in 1915, wrote historical novels about Syunik's struggle in the 18th century, including the rising led by Mkhitar Sparapet — whose grave is at the end of this route.
Old Goris · The cones and towers of rock on the hill were hollowed into homes, stores and stables, some on several levels joined by ladders. The town moved down into the valley when the new grid of streets was built.
Khndzoresk · Old Khndzoresk was one of the largest villages of eastern Armenia, its families living in caves on both sides of the gorge. In the 1950s the people moved up to the new village on the plateau, and the caves were left empty.
Khndzoresk Swinging Bridge · The suspension bridge, about 160 metres long, was hung across the gorge in 2012 so that visitors could cross between the old cave quarters. It sways with every step.
Mkhitar Sparapet grave · Mkhitar Sparapet led Syunik's rising against the Ottomans after the death of David Bek. In 1730 he was killed by people of Khndzoresk who feared Ottoman revenge, and he is buried here in the gorge.

West to Sisian and the stones

West of Goris the road climbs onto the high plateau of Sisian, cold and open, with the Vorotan running through it. On this plateau stands one of the most argued-about sites of Armenia, a field of standing stones that some call an ancient observatory. Around it are a fortified monastery, a hot spring by an old bridge and a wide waterfall. A full day by car; the plateau is windy even in summer.

Vorotnavank · Queen Shahandukht of Syunik and her son Sevada founded the monastery around the year 1000, on a rise above the Vorotan. Its walls and tombstones still stand around the two churches.
Vorotan Hot Spring · Warm water comes out of the riverbank beside the stone bridge built in 1855, and locals bathe in it all year. The bridge was built by a local landowner, Melik Tangi, and still carries his name.
Sisian History Museum · In its garden stand tombstones carved in the shape of rams, a common grave marker in Syunik a few centuries ago. Inside are finds from the Bronze Age graves of the plateau.
Zorats Karer · More than two hundred basalt stones stand here, many with a round hole near the top. Some see an ancient observatory and call it Carahunge; archaeologists mostly see a Bronze Age burial site.
Shaki Waterfall · The water falls about 18 metres over a wide basalt lip. Part of the stream is taken for hydroelectric power, so the fall is fullest in spring, with the snowmelt.
Goris Viewpoint · From the bend above town the 19th-century grid of Goris is clear: straight streets crossing at right angles, unlike any other old town in the region, with the cave pinnacles rising behind.

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Getting to Goris and getting around

Goris bus stop for Yerevan · Marshrutkas to Yerevan, four to five hours; buy the seat the day before
Wings of Tatev, Halidzor station · The cable car to Tatev; leave the car here, and expect a queue at midday in summer
Goris bus stop for Tatev · The village minibus to Tatev leaves from here; few a day, ask locally for times

Cheap eats in Goris

Goris is known for its fruit: mulberry, cornel and pear grow in the gardens behind the stone houses, and much of it ends up as oghi, the strong homemade fruit vodka offered to guests. Lunch is simple and cheap, from bakeries and shawarma stands to taverns serving khorovats and tolma. A full meal rarely passes 5,000 dram a person.

De Luxe Lounge & Cafe · Coffee and local dishes on the square; coffee about 500-700 dram
Prince Cafe · Pastries and coffee in the centre; about 400-800 dram
Tour-Baza · Regional food near the centre; a hot lunch about 2,000-3,500 dram
Shaurma · Quick and cheap; shawarma about 1,000-1,500 dram
Tatev Information Centre café · By the monastery gate; coffee and gata about 500-1,000 dram

Holy places in Goris

Tatev Monastery · By cable car or road; push the Gavazan pillar gently
Great Hermitage of Tatev · In the gorge, about an hour on foot
Bgheno-Noravank · Carved stone panels inside a small forest church
Vorotnavank · Fortified monastery on the Sisian road
Old Khot church · In the abandoned stone village on the Tatev road

Museums in Goris

Axel Bakunts House-Museum · The writer’s home and garden in the centre
Sisian History Museum · Ram-shaped tombstones in the garden
Goris Archaeological Museum · Regional finds in the town centre
Sero Khanzadyan Museum · The novelist of Syunik’s history
Tatev Oil Mill · Stone press by the monastery

Nature and day trips near Goris

Devil's Bridge · Warm pools under a natural bridge; bring a towel
Harsnadzor Viewpoint · Over the deep Vorotan gorge
Khndzoresk Swinging Bridge · Children love it; hold small hands
Shaki Waterfall · Best in spring
Old Goris · Rock towers with caves above town

Where to eat in Goris

Takarik Tavern · Regional dishes in the centre; book in summer
Zangezur · Khorovats and Armenian classics near the square
Wine Garden · Armenian wine and dinner in a garden
Red Roof · Burgers, pasta and salads when you want a change
Tavern Hndzan · On the Tatev road near Khot; for the drive back

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Frequently asked questions about Goris

What is there to see in Goris?

The top sights in Goris are Tatev Monastery, Great Hermitage of Tatev and Old Khndzoresk. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Goris?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Goris without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Goris?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Goris, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Tatev and the Vorotan gorge.

How do you get to Goris and get around?

The main ways are Goris bus stop for Yerevan, Wings of Tatev, Halidzor station and Goris bus stop for Tatev. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Goris, and for how much?

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