The Monestary is about 1000 years and is built on the clif edge of the mountain. You appricaite the difficulty, the passion and the inspiration which must have been the driving force in completing such a difficult project. Take your time and listen to the serenity of the scenery - surrounding valleys and mountains.

On an edge over the gorge of River Vorotan, the Armenian Church built, in the 9th century, the awesome "Tatev Monastery". On its golden years, between the 11th and 15th centuries, more than 1,000 monks lived and studied within its walls. "Tatev Monastery" was considered an important medieval university, with relevant works on science, philosophy, theology, reproduction of manuscripts and miniature painting. The monastery was named after "Eustateus", a disciple of "Apostle St. Jude Thaddeus" ("St. Jude Thaddeus" brought the "Holy Spear" relic to Armenia, which can be actually seen at the "Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House Museum" in the "Echmiadzin Complex"). "Eustateus" preached and was martyred in the region. Visit "Tatev Monastery" and its main churches dedicated to "Sts. Peter and Paul", to "The Holy Mother of God" and to "St. Gregory the Illuminator". It is easily reached after a 12 minute ride with the "Wings of Tatev", a modern cable car connecting the village of Halidzor and the monastery itself. And if you are lucky enough, Father Mikael will be at the altar of one of the churches of "Tatev Monastery" blessing all visitors! Unmissable! Enjoy!

This is the most sacred monastery in Armenia. It is also not close to anything else. It sits on the precipice of beautiful cliffs. It is still a working church, too. You have to drive past it to get the great view you see in pictures. Inside you can learn a little of the history but I wish there were more to teach us about how it was built, how people lives there for so many years. It is in a stunning location

Going to Tatev Monastery was the highlight of the trip. Well worth the journey! I enjoyed the destination very much and will take it with me for the rest of my lifetime. I highly recommend seeing it in November as the weather is beautiful this time of year. Although an issue happened with my pick up destination prior to the tour. A refund was credited to my account for the inconvenience which i was not expecting. This shows that this agency cares about the happiness of its customers in case something does go wrong.

Beautiful complex of churches including three or four buildings where one of them is the main church, one is like a grave yard or something, the other is empty but with an unbelievable view of the nature around, and the last one is souvenir shop. All located in an outstanding sightseeing near Tatev in Armenia. I saw nobody of church staff and bishops there but traditions are still obeyed such as forcing to wear Hijab (with scarf) or staying quiet in the environment. There are candles to be used for the wishes and prayes in the main building. Recommended.

Great place, awesome history, amazing views. The only downside is the very long way from Yerevan. Hard to do in one day. Wish we stayed overnight in Tatev. The aerial road is so long! More than 3 miles! But it was so packed - we couldn’t move, unbelievable in COVID times! Hope they will stop chasing money and fix that situation

Comfortable journey by his 4X4 , very friendly & charismatic. Have deep knowledge about history & great ability to show his country through his eyes, enough to fall in love with Armenia. Lucky to have great views of mount Ararat though out our journey . Got few surprises like the green old beauty (ride of old Russian military car) . Beautiful Tatev & it’s cinematic view mesmerized us. Played Hindi songs & loved to be back again.

I'd seen pictures of Tatev Monastery in both of my guidebooks, so I was determined to stop by and see it for myself while backpacking around Armenia. It's pretty hard to get to, which I think discourages many tourists to Armenia. But if you have the time, this really should be a must-see for any trip to Armenia. The setting couldn't be any more dramatic. It's about a 40-minute taxi ride outside of the charming town of Goris, and the scenery the entire way there is spectacular. My creaky little cab had to grind it's way all the way up a mountain, then down it again, across a ravine, then slowly up the dirt switchback roads of Tatev Mountain. The monastery is perched right at the edge of a cliff, surrounded by little farms and dark green shrubbery. Entrance into the Monastery is free, but if you head to the back wall from the front gate, you'll probably find a monk selling religious mementos and accepting donations. Then you're free to explore on your own. The main church of the monastery was built in the 9th century, and then additional buildings and fixtures were added until the 15th century. Be sure to go down the steps of the cloisters and walls. Most rooms are empty, but you'll occassionally find interesting carvings on the walls and doors, often featuring snakes and lizards, symbols of protection and common wildlife for the area. At one point I accidentally walked into a room that was clearly being lived in by one of the monks! Also nearby, be sure to stop and look at Satan's Bridge, a natural rock formation at the bottom of Tatev Mountain. There's also a natural spring pool if you feel like swimming, plus a couple areas that are nice for picnic-ing. Look down into the ravine and you'll see Tatev Monastery's former university, now overgrown with weeds, but still very picturesque.

Tatev Monastery used to be one of the most difficult monasteries to reach until it became accessible by cable car from the nearby village of Halidzor. The dark color of the monastery building is showing its antiquity. Booking a group tour package like what I did is the way to go. For only US$45 you can visit this remote monastery along with two other attractions in the comfort of an airconditioned bus, get a free cable car ride (return trip), benefit from the wealth of information available from your experienced tour guide, and enjoy the company of other tourists. Hiring a car with driver for one day will cost not less than US $100 plus petrol and there is no guarantee that it is hassle-free considering the rolling hills and rough roads along the way.

Just stunning- the location, the church, the drive there, the cable car (the world's longest!) over the gorge, the rock formations on the way up- utterly utterly stunning. Sorry to gush.... but go there! The monastery is perched on a cliff- you see it as you drive along the top of the gorge- then you plungedown a twisty road, before winding up the other side past waterfalls, forests and cliffs, with eagles soaring above you. The road has been been recently restored, so is now an easy drive (by Armenian standards) though the road signs are a bit eccentric The cable car is well nigh impossible to find on the way there- but easy to find at the top. May be worth a retiurn trip from the monastery if you have a good head for heights. In the village right next to the monastery there are home stays aiming to give people an income and reason to stay there and learn traditional skills. At the very least buy a cake from the house nearest the carpark and support this great project