Haghartsin monastery - Hovk village / Holy cliff Trail / Armenia

𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟 or 𝐇𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐧 - 𝐇𝐨𝐯𝐤 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 is one of the most challenging and picturesque trails in the Tavush region of Armenia.

▶ Distance from Yerevan to Hovk:
111 km 1 hr 45 min

The hike begins at Haghartsin Monastery and winds through the Ijevan Mountains, leading to Hovk village.

▶ Recommended For:

Hikers who enjoy long, challenging trails with scenic views, gaining and losing about 1,500m in elevation in a single day, or backpackers who prefer to split the trail into a two-day hike.

The trail is marked with white and red blazes, but due to intersecting trails with the same markings and lack of maintenance, GPS navigation is essential for the hike.

◤Description of the Trail

The trail begins at Haghartsin monastery, located about a 25-minute drive from Dilijan.

𝐻𝑎𝑔ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 13𝑡ℎ-𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑦 𝐴𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠, 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠.

--- The first 200 m of the trail has been redesigned, allowing you to skip the initial asphalt section and start the hike directly from Haghartsin Monastery.

--- At 2.2 km, before crossing the bridge, you'll reach the Hidden Waterfall / Haghartsin junction. You can either take a 1.4 km round-trip detour to the waterfall along the river or head right toward Hovk village. From this point, the footpath transition into a jeep track for the rest of the trail.

--- At 3.1 km, be careful not to miss the left turn where the jeep track transitions into a 300 m footpath. The area has switchbacks and can be a bit confusing, so navigate carefully until you rejoin the jeep tracks.

--- After the first 4 km, the most challenging ascent begins, gaining 520 m over 3.5 km (from 1680 m to 2200 m). Maintain a steady, slow pace through this section.

⚠ 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! This area is also farmland for cows and horses, so you will encounter 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬 on the trail. These dogs are the most dangerous animals on Armenian trails, so be cautious and prepared.

Farms are located at 7.5 km, 10.9 km, 17 km and 17.6 km.
I encountered unfriendly dogs at 15 km, but that doesn’t mean they are always in the same spot. Cows and sheep move through this area, so you may encounter them in other locations as well.
The dogs near the 3.6 km mark, close to the forest, have always been chained. In my experience over the past seven years, I have never encountered unchained dogs at this spot.

𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠, 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑎 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 (𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡). 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑢𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. 𝐼𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦, 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝. 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 (𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠; 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑).
𝐼𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦—𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑢𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚.

--- At 8.7 km, you'll reach the viewpoint junction. I recommend a 1.5 km round-trip detour for a different perspective of the range. However, if the trail distance is already long and you're short on time, you can skip this detour.

--- Near the second waypoint at 10.5 km, you’ll reach the highest point of the trail at 2388 m. From here, the trail begins its descent for the next 16.5 km.

--- At 10.9 km, you'll reach the second viewpoint of the trail. Be sure to take the 600 m round-trip detour to enjoy the impressive view before continuing on the trail.

𝐃𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 (2378 m) is near this waypoint. Locals often refer to this as the Dimats Trail, though we typically don't climb to the summit since the best views are from the ridgeline. However, if you’d like, you can take a 5–10 minute detour to the peak and back (the summit is marked as a waypoint).

The highest peak in the Ijevan mountains, Sartsapat (2353 m), lies below the right side of the trail. While locals sometimes climb it, the most scenic routes are along the lower ridges.

--- At 17.6 km, you’ll encounter a section with navigation challenges due to the absence of a distinct footpath, but it improves after a few hundred meters.

--- At 20.6 km navigation can be tricky due to the lack of a clear path and markings. However, once you reach the jeep trek, the path becomes visible again.

---

--- At 27 km, you’ll arrive at Hovk village.

◤ Which direction is better for the hike: from Hovk to Haghartsin, or from Haghartsin to Hovk?
If you start from Hovk, you'll have about 320 meters more elevation gain compared to starting from Haghartsin, since Hovk sits at a lower elevation. So, from that perspective, it's a bit easier to start from the monastery—but the difference isn’t drastic.
On the other hand, some hikers prefer having a "reward" at the end of the trail. In that case, finishing at Haghartsin Monastery might be the better option.


◤Is this trail 𝐤𝐢𝐝-𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 ?
No, not as a day hike. The hike is quite long and includes significant elevation gain, making it challenging for younger children as a day hike. Unless they are teenagers with excellent physical fitness and endurance, it’s not recommended as a single-day hike with kids.
If you're planning to do it with children, it's better to split the route over two days.
Also, note that there are dogs along the trail, which could be frightening for kids and difficult for them to manage psychologically.

≋ Water Sources

Drinking water is available in Hovk Village (0.5 km) and along the trail at 14 km—though reaching this source requires a 400 m round-trip detour to the left at the Three Hawk / Holy Cliff junction at 13.8 km. This is the most reliable water source, as others at 19.9 km and 22.2 km may not be available year-round.

◤When to Go?

The trail is open from mid-April to mid-November. After November, snow may partially or fully block it until April, depending on the season.

▶ Recommended

𝑀𝑎𝑦, 𝐽𝑢𝑛𝑒, 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑦: The blooming season peaks in mid-May.
The area is lush, and temperatures are pleasant.

𝑀𝑖𝑑 𝑆𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 - 𝑂𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑟: A spectacular display of fall colors peaks in mid-October, accompanied by comfortable hiking temperatures.

▶ Other Seasons

𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 - 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑆𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟: The surroundings remain half green despite the driest conditions of the year. However, the weather can be stuffy, and the trail tends to be crowded and full of 4x4 cars, making this period less ideal for hiking.

𝐴𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑙, 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟: These months are a transitional period, April—before the greenery and November — before the snow. If you’re set on hiking this trail, you can, but expect partial snow coverage at higher elevations and cooler temperatures.

▶ Not Recommended:

𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 - 𝑀𝑖𝑑 𝐴𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑙: The trail is mostly covered in snow. If you're planning a hike in this season, it's better to choose a different route to the mountain peaks—one that is shorter, more suitable for these conditions and follows jeep tracks rather than footpaths blocked by snow.

◤Where to Stay?
I’d suggest skipping the village stay—trust me, this will make you thank me later!

𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟
Just on the Dilijan-Ijevan road, about 2.5 km past Hovk village, there’s a Green Training Center hotel with tourist-friendly service and staff. I’d suggest taking a taxi from Hovk to there—feel free to contact the training center to help organize it (the taxi usually costs about 2000-3000 AMD).
Contact: +37477634548

*𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒:
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