Areni-1 Cave
The cave near Areni village that gave the world its oldest leather shoe (~5,500 years) and its oldest known winery (~6,100 years) — both still being excavated, with the originals now in Yerevan.
Historical Sites
Armenia preserves traces of every era — from prehistoric caves and Bronze Age megaliths to medieval caravanserais on the Silk Road and old cave-dwelling settlements. This section gathers the country’s historical sites that fit naturally into day trips from Yerevan: the Areni-1 Cave with the world’s oldest leather shoe, the Zorats Karer megalithic complex (Karahunj), the cave village of Khndzoresk, the 14th-century Selim Caravanserai on the Vardenyats Pass, and other monuments.
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Khndzoresk Cave Village (Old Khndzoresk)
A cave village abandoned only in 1958, ~3,000 rock-cut dwellings on a 3 km gorge near Goris, reached by a swinging 160 m bridge built by villagers themselves in 2012.
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Zorats Karer
A megalithic site of 223 basalt stones on a 1,770 m plateau in Syunik — sometimes called the “Armenian Stonehenge”, contested between observatory and necropolis interpretations.
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Selim Caravanserai
Armenia’s best-preserved Silk Road inn at 2,410 m, built in 1332 by the Orbelian princes. Officially renamed Orbelian’s Caravanserai in 2014.
Tours to Armenia's Historical Sites
Armenia's deepest history sits outside the main monastery circuit: the Areni-1 cave complex with the world's oldest leather shoe and the earliest known winery, the Zorats Karer megalithic complex, sometimes called the Armenian Stonehenge, the cliff-side cave village of Khndzoresk, and the 14th-century Selim Caravanserai still standing on a Silk Road pass. Each of them sits far from public transport and needs a half- to full-day trip from Yerevan.
Areni-1 pairs naturally with a Vayots Dzor day around Noravank Monastery and the Areni wine route. Khndzoresk and Zorats Karer fit a Syunik loop with Tatev Monastery — usually a long single day, or more comfortably an overnight in Goris. The Selim Caravanserai stands on the Vardenyats Pass between Vayots Dzor and Lake Sevan and works as a natural stop on the southbound route.
For most of these sites the cleanest option is a car with driver from Yerevan — none of them has direct public transport. Larger groups can use a minivan with driver for the long Syunik loop. For a guided multi-stop day that combines historical sites with adjacent monasteries, choose one of our day tours from Yerevan.