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    [name] => Armenia in Spring
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Nestling in the snow-capped Caucasian Mountains and overlooked by Mount Ararat just over the border in Turkey, Armenia is one of the Western Palaearctic's best kept birding secrets. Despite its small size, not much bigger than Wales, and the fact that it is landlocked, this former Soviet Republic is home to over two thirds of Europe’s regularly occurring bird species including many that are rare or difficult to find elsewhere.

  • Colony of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters near Armash Fish Ponds
  • Caspian Snowcock and Caucasian Grouse
  • Lammergeier and Levant Sparrowhawk plus several eagle species
  • Radde’s Accentor, Rock Thrush and White-winged Snowfinch
  • Marbled, White-headed and Ferruginous Ducks among a host of other wetland birds
  • Moustached, Great Reed, Paddyfield, Menetries’ and Upcher’s Warblers
  • Look for Asian Crimson-winged Finch, Wallcreeper, Ortolan Bunting and Rose-coloured Starling
[introduction] => An 11-day birdwatching tour to Armenia, a hidden gem of the Caucasus region. [edges] => Array ( ) [locations] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [name] => Armenia [description] =>

Armenia is a small Christian country, about the size of Wales, situated at the meeting point between Europe and Asia, in the Caucasus region. It is a land-locked country, formerly a Soviet Republic, nestling in the snow-capped Caucasian Mountains, overlooked by Mount Ararat just over the border in Turkey.

Its capital, Yerevan, bustles with a lively juxtaposition of old churches and a thriving jazz scene, while at weekends the huge and atmospheric ‘vernissage’ open-air flea market attracts locals and tourists.


It has a rich cultural history – 13th century bridges, ‘caravanserais’ (stopovers for traders plying the silk route in the 14th century) and many interesting Armenian Orthodox monasteries, some dating back as far as the 9th century, all serve as reminders of Armenia’s long history and strategic location.

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The Caucasus is a land of contrast and intriguing combinations. Situated between the Caspian and Black Seas, this spectacular region is dominated by the towering peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, which form a natural barrier between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. This unique location results in an ecological, historical and cultural melting pot that, along with the astonishing scenery, makes the area amongst the most fascinating to visit in the world. Its value for nature in particular is remarkable; listed as one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, the region’s varied habitats – from snow-capped crags to steppes and coastal lagoons – support 6,400 species of higher plants (1,600 of which are endemic), around 400 bird species and iconic mammals such as Persian Leopard, Brown Bear and Wolf. From a Western European perspective, it is perhaps this heady mixture of familiar and exotic species that gives the Caucasus its greatest appeal.

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Caucasian Black Grouse and Caspian Snowcock are found in the high mountains as well as a very good selection of more widespread alpine species such as White-winged Snowfinch, Eurasian Crimson-winged Finch, Alpine Accentor and Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush. Juniper scrub below the snowline holds Radde’s Accentor, Ring Ouzel and Bluethroat, (the latter like many other species in the Caucasus, a very distinctive local subspecies). Broadleaf woodland further north resounds to the song of Mountain Chiffchaff, Green Warbler and both Semi-collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers while the gorges and mountain steppe landscape nearer the Turkish border provide habitats for White-throated Robin, Finsch’s Wheatear, Menetries’ and Upchers Warblers plus many other predominantly Middle Eastern species which reach their northern limit here. The fishpond complex at Armash is renowned for its breeding populations of White-headed, Marbled and Ferruginous Ducks plus Pygmy Cormorant, White-tailed Lapwing and many others species; this area is also a magnet for migrants and is also home to a small colony of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.

Throughout this largely unspoilt and sparsely populated country, bird of prey populations remain healthy with several species of eagle to be expected and we have a good chance of encountering Lammergeier and Levant Sparrowhawk. Our 11-day tour covers each of the country’s main habitat types but being such a small country, with generally good infrastructure, travelling times between areas are short allowing us to maximise the amount of time spent in the field. While our primary focus is on the regional specialities of the Armenian Caucasus we are sure to see a very good cross section of more widespread European species too.

Armenia sits within the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains and is overlooked by Mount Ararat just over the border in Turkey. Despite its small size and lack of coastline, this former Soviet Republic is home to over two thirds of Europe's regularly occurring species of birds, including many that are rare or very difficult to find elsewhere. Unusually in a region where the Muslim faith predominates, Armenia is a mostly Christian country and its capital, Yerevan, bustles with a lively juxtaposition of old churches and modern buildings and a thriving jazz scene next to reminders of its Soviet past, such as Republic Square. Elsewhere, 13th century bridges and well preserved 'caravanserais' (roadside inns for traders plying the ancient silk route) serve as fascinating reminders of Armenia's long history and strategic location.

Our holiday begins with a flight to Yerevan and a night in the city. The following morning, we head towards Dilijan National Park for a 3-night stay, stopping along the way at Lake Sevan, one of the world's largest freshwater subalpine lakes. Here at a height of 1,900 metres, we will look for Armenian Gull, plus a wide range of other species including Moustached Warbler, Ferruginous Duck, Ruddy Shelduck and all three marsh terns (White-winged, Whiskered and Black Terns). The sea-buckthorn thickets may hold Caucasian Chiffchaff, Red-backed, Lesser Grey and Woodchat Shrikes. 

 After visiting Lake Sevan, we will complete our drive to Dilijan National Park, home to a wonderful variety of European and Caucasian forest birds, many of which are represented by local Caucasian subspecies. Our primary targets here include Middle Spotted Woodpecker, the samamisicus race of Common Redstart, Red-breasted and Semi-collared Flycatchers and Green Warbler. On one of our days we will explore the Pambak Mountain Range, where we hope to watch Caucasian Grouse at their favourite display areas, plus Red-fronted Serin, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and perhaps a soaring Lammergeier. 

Moving on, we will spend three nights in the Arpa River Valley, from where we will visit the Selim Pass which lies at 2,410 metres and is an excellent spot to scan for raptors. In the nearby open juniper forest and scrub we will search for Chukar, Eastern and Western Rock Nuthatches and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, whilst orchards around the villages are home to Levant Sparrowhawk and Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. Higher up in the Karkatar Mountains we will look for Caspian Snowcock and, if fortunate, may even find a European Brown Bear foraging on a distant slope. The spectacular Norovank Monastery sits in a scenic rocky valley and its surroundings are home to such avian delights as White-throated Robin, Red-tailed Wheatear and Upcher's Warbler, whilst on the nearby Syunik Plateau we will look for Lesser Kestrel, Asian Crimson-winged Finch and Ortolan Bunting.

Next, we change the mountains for wetlands as we explore the Armash Fishponds, Armenia's premier site for waterbirds. We will be based in the town of Chiva for one night as we explore this wonderful patchwork of lakes and marshland which teems with birds including Pygmy Cormorant, White-headed and Ferruginous Ducks, White-tailed Lapwing, White-winged Tern and such passerines as Moustached, Great Reed and Paddyfield Warblers. Meanwhile, the surrounding dry countryside holds Menetries' and Upcher's Warblers, as well as a small colony of exotic-looking Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.

Our tour of Armenia concludes with two further nights based in the capital, Yerevan, from where we will explore the nearby Vedi Hills and areas close to the Khosrov Reserve. Here, within a landscape of steppe and semi-desert, we will hope to encounter an exciting range of open-country birds such as Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Pale Rockfinch, Trumpeter Finch, Rock and Grey-necked Buntings and the occasional Desert Finch. On our final day we will visit the volcanic slopes of Mount Aragats, an isolated four-peaked volcanic massif, one of which at 4,090 metres is the highest peak in the country. We will wander Mount Aragats' foothills, woodlands, orchards and open habitats in search of European Bee-eater, Roller, Bimaculated, Crested and Greater Short-toed Larks, Isabelline and Finsch's Wheatears, Rock Sparrow, Snowfinch, Twite and Crimson-winged Finch. A wonderful variety of raptors can be seen here too, including all four breeding European vultures (Griffon, Egyptian, Cinereous and Lammergeier), plus Golden, Lesser Spotted, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black Kite, Long-legged and Honey Buzzards, Hobby and Goshawk! Such a 'raptor spectacular' will be a fitting finale to our time in this fascinating, and bird-rich, country before we return to Yerevan's international airport for our flight home.     

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Comfortable tourist hotels, each room with private facilities.

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All food is included in the tour from breakfast on Day 2 to breakfast on Day 11.

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At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!

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A Naturetrek Tailormade holiday allows you, with the benefit of our wildlife travel expertise and destination experience, to enjoy the perfect private wildlife holiday – one that truly matches your requirements, expectations and ambitions. We will ensure the most competitive prices, superb naturalist guides and seamless ground services.

Some of the benefits of Naturetrek Tailormade travel include:
• A bespoke itinerary which is crafted by experts and designed specifically for you
• Private guiding by the very best local naturalists 
• Travel with people you know, at your own pace
• Incorporate as much culture, history or relaxation time as you wish
• Choose dates to suit you
• Select your preferred style of accommodation
• Travel with families and children of any age

Furthermore, our Tailormade team are always on hand to help and guide you along the way, with friendly advice, first-hand knowledge and inside information specific to your destination of choice. So if you have any queries about your holiday, we will be delighted to answer them. Please just give us a call!

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For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Itinerary image

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A 9-day Bargain Birdwatching tour to Armenia.

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Armenia in Spring

Tour Code: ARM01

An 11-day birdwatching tour to Armenia, a hidden gem of the Caucasus region.

£3,695

Flight Inclusive

£2,795

Land Only
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Tour Itinerary and Reports

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1 Itinerary
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Carbon Footprint

1917kg CO2e

With International Flights

808.3kg CO2e

Tour Only

What does this mean?

Highlights

  • Colony of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters near Armash Fish Ponds
  • Caspian Snowcock and Caucasian Grouse
  • Lammergeier and Levant Sparrowhawk plus several eagle species
  • Radde’s Accentor, Rock Thrush and White-winged Snowfinch
  • Marbled, White-headed and Ferruginous Ducks among a host of other wetland birds
  • Moustached, Great Reed, Paddyfield, Menetries’ and Upcher’s Warblers
  • Look for Asian Crimson-winged Finch, Wallcreeper, Ortolan Bunting and Rose-coloured Starling

Summary

Caucasian Black Grouse and Caspian Snowcock are found in the high mountains as well as a very good selection of more widespread alpine species such as White-winged Snowfinch, Eurasian Crimson-winged Finch, Alpine Accentor and Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush. Juniper scrub below the snowline holds Radde’s Accentor, Ring Ouzel and Bluethroat, (the latter like many other species in the Caucasus, a very distinctive local subspecies). Broadleaf woodland further north resounds to the song of Mountain Chiffchaff, Green Warbler and both Semi-collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers while the gorges and mountain steppe landscape nearer the Turkish border provide habitats for White-throated Robin, Finsch’s Wheatear, Menetries’ and Upchers Warblers plus many other predominantly Middle Eastern species which reach their northern limit here. The fishpond complex at Armash is renowned for its breeding populations of White-headed, Marbled and Ferruginous Ducks plus Pygmy Cormorant, White-tailed Lapwing and many others species; this area is also a magnet for migrants and is also home to a small colony of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.

Throughout this largely unspoilt and sparsely populated country, bird of prey populations remain healthy with several species of eagle to be expected and we have a good chance of encountering Lammergeier and Levant Sparrowhawk. Our 11-day tour covers each of the country’s main habitat types but being such a small country, with generally good infrastructure, travelling times between areas are short allowing us to maximise the amount of time spent in the field. While our primary focus is on the regional specialities of the Armenian Caucasus we are sure to see a very good cross section of more widespread European species too.

Armenia sits within the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains and is overlooked by Mount Ararat just over the border in Turkey. Despite its small size and lack of coastline, this former Soviet Republic is home to over two thirds of Europe's regularly occurring species of birds, including many that are rare or very difficult to find elsewhere. Unusually in a region where the Muslim faith predominates, Armenia is a mostly Christian country and its capital, Yerevan, bustles with a lively juxtaposition of old churches and modern buildings and a thriving jazz scene next to reminders of its Soviet past, such as Republic Square. Elsewhere, 13th century bridges and well preserved 'caravanserais' (roadside inns for traders plying the ancient silk route) serve as fascinating reminders of Armenia's long history and strategic location.

Our holiday begins with a flight to Yerevan and a night in the city. The following morning, we head towards Dilijan National Park for a 3-night stay, stopping along the way at Lake Sevan, one of the world's largest freshwater subalpine lakes. Here at a height of 1,900 metres, we will look for Armenian Gull, plus a wide range of other species including Moustached Warbler, Ferruginous Duck, Ruddy Shelduck and all three marsh terns (White-winged, Whiskered and Black Terns). The sea-buckthorn thickets may hold Caucasian Chiffchaff, Red-backed, Lesser Grey and Woodchat Shrikes. 

 After visiting Lake Sevan, we will complete our drive to Dilijan National Park, home to a wonderful variety of European and Caucasian forest birds, many of which are represented by local Caucasian subspecies. Our primary targets here include Middle Spotted Woodpecker, the samamisicus race of Common Redstart, Red-breasted and Semi-collared Flycatchers and Green Warbler. On one of our days we will explore the Pambak Mountain Range, where we hope to watch Caucasian Grouse at their favourite display areas, plus Red-fronted Serin, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and perhaps a soaring Lammergeier. 

Moving on, we will spend three nights in the Arpa River Valley, from where we will visit the Selim Pass which lies at 2,410 metres and is an excellent spot to scan for raptors. In the nearby open juniper forest and scrub we will search for Chukar, Eastern and Western Rock Nuthatches and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, whilst orchards around the villages are home to Levant Sparrowhawk and Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. Higher up in the Karkatar Mountains we will look for Caspian Snowcock and, if fortunate, may even find a European Brown Bear foraging on a distant slope. The spectacular Norovank Monastery sits in a scenic rocky valley and its surroundings are home to such avian delights as White-throated Robin, Red-tailed Wheatear and Upcher's Warbler, whilst on the nearby Syunik Plateau we will look for Lesser Kestrel, Asian Crimson-winged Finch and Ortolan Bunting.

Next, we change the mountains for wetlands as we explore the Armash Fishponds, Armenia's premier site for waterbirds. We will be based in the town of Chiva for one night as we explore this wonderful patchwork of lakes and marshland which teems with birds including Pygmy Cormorant, White-headed and Ferruginous Ducks, White-tailed Lapwing, White-winged Tern and such passerines as Moustached, Great Reed and Paddyfield Warblers. Meanwhile, the surrounding dry countryside holds Menetries' and Upcher's Warblers, as well as a small colony of exotic-looking Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.

Our tour of Armenia concludes with two further nights based in the capital, Yerevan, from where we will explore the nearby Vedi Hills and areas close to the Khosrov Reserve. Here, within a landscape of steppe and semi-desert, we will hope to encounter an exciting range of open-country birds such as Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Pale Rockfinch, Trumpeter Finch, Rock and Grey-necked Buntings and the occasional Desert Finch. On our final day we will visit the volcanic slopes of Mount Aragats, an isolated four-peaked volcanic massif, one of which at 4,090 metres is the highest peak in the country. We will wander Mount Aragats' foothills, woodlands, orchards and open habitats in search of European Bee-eater, Roller, Bimaculated, Crested and Greater Short-toed Larks, Isabelline and Finsch's Wheatears, Rock Sparrow, Snowfinch, Twite and Crimson-winged Finch. A wonderful variety of raptors can be seen here too, including all four breeding European vultures (Griffon, Egyptian, Cinereous and Lammergeier), plus Golden, Lesser Spotted, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black Kite, Long-legged and Honey Buzzards, Hobby and Goshawk! Such a 'raptor spectacular' will be a fitting finale to our time in this fascinating, and bird-rich, country before we return to Yerevan's international airport for our flight home.     

Outline Itinerary

Day
1
Fly Yerevan
Days
2 - 3
Lake Sevan and Dilijan National Park
Day
3
Dilijan National Park
Day
4
Pambak Mountains
Day
5
Selim Pass and Arpa River Valley
Day
6
Karkatar Mountains and Noravank Gorge
Day
7
Arpa River valley and Syunik Plateau
Day
8
Fish farms in the Ararat Plain and Urts Mountains
Day
9
Vedi Hills
Days
10 - 11
Yerevan and inbound flights
Itinerary Image
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What's Included?

Food

All food is included in the tour from breakfast on Day 2 to breakfast on Day 11.

Accommodation

Comfortable tourist hotels, each room with private facilities.

Reviews

B.S, South Yorkshire, May '25, May 2025

A very enjoyable trip showcasing the great birds and nature of Armenia. We had excellent views of all of the target species with amazing views of a bear and three wolves being a huge added bonus.

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Dates & Prices

2027

Flight Inclusive

£3,695

Land Only

£2,795

Single Supplement

£395

Regional Departures

Would you rather depart from an airport closer to you? Give us a call at 1-844-433-9473 and we'll see what we can do.

Tour Leader
Levon Harutyunyan
Levon Harutyunyan
Levon Harutyunyan is a conservation biologist and ornithologist with more than 12 years’ experience in the study and protection of Armenia’s birdlife and its habitats, across both academic institutions and the NGO sector.
Read more about Levon

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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