There aren’t many directions that make up a convenient cycling day trip from Yerevan as most of the routes out of the city will require you to make a moderate to rigorous climb. And if you just wanted to spend an easy day cycling and enjoying yourself, that’s probably not what you were looking for.
There are some exceptions though and one of them is to cycle to Khor Virap Monastery.
The Monastery is known to be the site where Grigor Lusavorich (aka Gregory the Illuminator) was imprisoned in a pit for 13 years because of his Christian beliefs. At that time – 3rd century – Christianity wasn’t too fashionable in Armenia as we were pagan. However, Gregory got lucky when the King got sick and by curing him, he became one of the famous guys in Armenia and Christianity. Eventually in 301 Armenia became the first state to officially accept Christianity – a fact that every tour guide and every Armenian for that matter will tell you about.
And so, the trip from Yerevan starts from getting to the highway that goes to South, to Meghri. You can choose to either ride the highway which offers a generous shoulder for most of the trip or follow H8 provincial road which is likely to be less maintained but you will have a quiet, more authentic ride through various villages and towns. You will also see a few churches along this way that offer a nice spot for a break. If you decide to cycle by the highway you can observe how beautiful Mount Ararat all the way on your right. I would recommend to take the highway on your way to Khor Virap early in the morning so you have a car-free view of Ararat and take the provincial road back to Yerevan so you can enjoy the quiet of the villages, have breaks and lunch somewhere.
Practical Info
Total round trip is around 87km with 600 meters of climb from which you will really notice only the last 200 when entering Yerevan on your way back.
Yerevan to Khor Virap route 
Round trip elevation profile
- Type: round trip
- Length: 87km
- Climb: 280m (it should only be around 280m, however my tracker showed 600m that day)
- Altitude: 840-1040m
- Surface: mostly asphalt
- Difficulty: easy
- Sightseeing: Khor Virap Monastery, Artashat town and church, Tushpa wine cellar
- Food: anywhere in Artashat, Khor Virap B&B (call in advance)
- Drink: plenty of public water sources until Artashat
- Best season: spring, autumn
Bonus tip: if you cycle in the month of April you will see blooming apricot and peach trees. Just make sure to check with a local because the blooming period lasts for 2-3 weeks only.
Peach tree starting to blossom 
Peach tree and Ararat