The Temple of Garni is one of the most famous sights in Armenia. It is a great day trip from Yerevan and easy to reach by shared taxi or bus.
Here is everything you need to know to plan your visit to Armenia’s Temple of Garni from Yerevan.
What is the Temple of Garni?
The Temple of Garni is an ancient pagan temple in Armenia.
It is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. And thus it is the best-known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia.
Now, don’t be expecting an entire ancient Roman city like Volubilis (Morocco) or Persepolis (Iran). This is just the temple structure itself. (No offence to the Temple of Garni). But, even for those of us who aren’t history buffs it is worth the short trip from Yerevan to visit the Temple of Garni and see the beautiful valley and Garni Gorge where it is situated.
So, where is the Garni Temple?
The Temple of Garni is located in the village of Garni, in central Armenia. Garni is about 30 kilometres from Yerevan and it is easy to reach by taxi from Yerevan or even by public transport.
History of the Garni Temple
Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 A.D. And thus, being the first Christian nation, Armenia has amazing churches with old, mesmerizing architecture.
However, before Christianity arrived, the nation had a rich history with traditions that believed in many Gods. At this time Armenia practiced paganism.
The only example of Armenia’s paganism that is still in existence today is the Temple of Garni.
The temple is a Greco-Roman style building. It was erected in the 1st-century AD by King Tiridates I to honour the ancient Pagan God of Sun, Mihr.
The temple has stood on the edge of the Garni Gorge for centuries despite attempts to purge paganism after Armenia converted to Christianity. But in 1679 the temple was destroyed by an earthquake. It wasn’t until 1966 that the structure was restored to the temple you see in Garni today.
- Fact: The word ‘Garni’ comes from the Armenian word Gar”, which means a lamb. But interestingly the original name of the Garni Temple is unknown.
Visiting Garni Temple
The Temple of Garni is open year-round and operates from Monday Sunday.
During the summer the site is open from 10:00-21:00 and during the winter, from 10:00-17:00.
Below are the ticket prices for the Temple of Garni:
- Foreigners: 1000 AMD.
- Adults: 250 AMD.
- Children: 100 AMD.
Getting from Yerevan to the Garni Temple
The village of Garni is only 30km from Yerevan and can be reached by public transport (marshrutka) or by taxi.
We opted for a taxi to the Temple of Garni which we order through the Yandex Taxi app.
A taxi from Yerevan to Garni cost 3900 AMD one-way and we negotiated a price of 9000 AMD return with our driver. (This meant the driver waited for us while we explored the temple).
How to Get to Garni from Yerevan by Bus
The bus station in Yerevan where marshrutka (minibus) go to Garni is located outside the city centre at 14/3 Gai Avenue next to the Mercedes-Benz (Armenia) at Gai Bus Station.
A marshrutka costs 250 AMD (Less than $1) per person and takes 40 minutes. The bus number is ‘266’.
What to bring with you
The temple is outside but only a short walk from the carpark and entrance (about 300m).
You don’t need anything specific but comfortable walking shoes are always a good choice; and a hat and sunglasses if you are lucky to be visiting in summer. There are small souvenir stalls outside the entrance and a few kiosks that sell ice creams and cold drinks.
Enjoy the stunning views of the Garni gorge and beautiful surrounding valleys and mountains. The landscape is quite unique and it makes a great day trip of half-day outing from Yerevan.
Enjoy the Temple of Garni!
Useful links for your travels in Armenia and beyond…
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- Hostelworld– The largest inventory of hostel accommodation in the world.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home).
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