Parz Lake - Goshavank monastery / Dilijan National Park / Updated Route 2025

The 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐳 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞–𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐤 Trail is one of the top routes in 𝐷𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑗𝑎𝑛 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑘, located in the Tavush region of Armenia.
It is also part of long-distance treks that stretch from north to south, including the 𝐴𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 and 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙.

▶Distance from Yerevan to Parz lake:
112 km 2 hr 05 min

◤Description of the Trail

𝐼 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝐼𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑦. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒, 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑑𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑓 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑.

This trail starts at Parz Lake, a serene forest lake in Dilijan National Park, and winds through beautiful, shaded woodlands toward the village of Gosh, home to the Goshavank Monastery (12th–13th century). The path gently ascends and descends through lush forest, with occasional clearings offering views of the surrounding hills.

The trail is a segment of the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT) and is mostly well-marked, though having GPS is still recommended. Goshavank is a highlight of the route, with its historical significance and intricate khachkars (cross-stones).

Extensions: From Gosh, you can continue hiking to Gosh Lake, a small forest lake another 4 km away: ↴

https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/zzzzz-114189120

◤𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨?

The hiking season in the Tavush region runs from April to mid-November, typically ending with the first snowfall.

▶ Doable:
This trail is doable year-round if you enjoy snow hikes. While Tavush winters are relatively mild, snow usually covers the trails from mid-November to April. Depending on the year, some trails may remain snow-free even in winter.

▶ Recommended
𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐴𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑙 - 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟
Starting in mid-April, the landscape comes alive, with blooming peaking around mid-May.
Although summer months can be hot, the wooded trails provide plenty of shade, making it a pleasant summer hike.
Autumn foliage begins in early October and peaks by mid-October, offering vibrant colors and cooler temperatures.

▶ Other Seasons

𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟: Marks the transition into winter. Trees are usually bare, and temperatures drop, but the trail remains accessible for those who enjoy quiet, cooler hikes.

𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ: A transitional month with melting snow and lingering winter conditions.

𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠:
Snow and colder temperatures are typical. Conditions vary—some years the trail is snow-covered, while in others it may be clear. Winter hiking is only recommended for those specifically seeking a snow experience.

*𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒:
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