The short version
Garni Temple sits about 30 km east of Yerevan, and Geghard Monastery is further up the same valley, about 36 to 40 km from the city. The drive to Garni takes 40 to 50 minutes. Geghard is around an hour from Yerevan.
You have four options: a tour, a taxi or hired driver, the marshrutka (shared minibus) or a hire car. The right one depends on how many places you want to see and how much you want to organise. This page covers all four, with times and costs checked in October 2026. Prices are in dram (AMD), the Armenian currency.
| Option | Time to Garni | Cost reported | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour | Hotel or meeting point to back, about 5 to 8 hours | See day tours | Seeing all three sights without planning |
| Taxi or hired driver | 45 to 50 minutes | 2,700 to 3,200 dram one way by app; 15,000 dram for a half-day loop | Small groups who want flexibility |
| Marshrutka | About 40 to 60 minutes | 250 to 500 dram | Garni only, on a tight budget |
| Hire car | About 40 minutes | Not checked | Confident drivers with an early start |
By organised tour
A tour takes the guesswork out of the day. One operator lists a Garni and Geghard trip as about five hours, including driving of just over two hours. A longer private tour that adds the Symphony of Stones and Lake Sevan lists 8 hours 30 minutes. Another guide describes a Garni and Geghard day as 5 to 7 hours, or 6 to 8 with the Symphony of Stones and a long lunch.
What you give up is flexibility. You will have a set time at each stop, and you cannot linger at Geghard if the schedule says move on. In return, you get transport both ways, and the operators we checked include a guide. Check whether Garni Temple entry is included, because some operators list it as an extra.
Our day tours page compares what each trip includes. If you want to add other stops, see Khor Virap or Lake Sevan.
By taxi or ride-hailing app
Yerevan has several taxi apps. Wikipedia lists GG Taxi, Utaxi and Yandex among the online providers. GOV.UK calls GG a reputable app and warns about being overcharged by taxis hailed in the street. One guide updated in 2025 says Yandex has an easier interface and almost always has cars, while GG is liked by locals but sometimes has none available. You need mobile data to order either.
For a one-way ride to Garni, the same guide quotes 2,700 to 3,200 dram depending on traffic, with the price shown in the app before you book. It puts the journey at 45 to 50 minutes from central Yerevan. The guide’s writer could not link a foreign credit card to any app and paid cash, so carry small notes.
The harder part is coming back. We could not find a source that confirms how easily you can book an app car from Garni village. One guide says drivers wait outside Garni Temple and you may need to bargain.
A simpler plan is a driver for the whole half day. A guide updated in July 2026 hired one for Geghard and Garni at 15,000 dram. The writers say every driver they asked at Republic Square quoted the same price. They set off at 8am and were back just after 1pm. Another traveller in 2025 paid 3,000 dram for a ride from Garni to Geghard, an hour’s wait, then the Symphony of Stones and back to the bus stop. Agree the price, the route and the waiting time before you get in.
By marshrutka
The marshrutka is the cheapest way to Garni. Buses leave from Gai Bus Station in Nor Nork, a district of Yerevan. Wikivoyage lists Gai as the station for Garni, Goght and Geghard, and describes it as, in reality, a park. One guide says it is next to a Mercedes-Benz dealership. One guide says to reach it from the centre on city bus 63, which cost 100 dram.
Route number. Guides most often name 266, and some name 284. One lists 226. Transport for Armenia shows a Yerevan to Garni route without numbers, so confirm the number with the driver.
Time and fare. Guides give about 40 to 60 minutes. Transport for Armenia lists 250 dram and says to pay the driver, with small change ready. Adventurous Miriam agrees on 250 dram, while other guides report 300 to 500 dram, so keep some spare cash.
Frequency. This varies by source. One guide says every 30 minutes or so, another hourly, and a third copies a timetable with irregular times. Use the Transport for Armenia journey planner, and treat any printed times with caution.
Getting off. Transport for Armenia says there is a stop a few metres from Garni Temple and warns that most buses carry on to Geghard village, so do not stay on to the last stop. Other guides say the bus ends at Goght, 3.8 km short of the monastery.
Coming back. Do not rely on a single last bus. One timetable lists the last Garni departure at 19:46 but carries a warning. A 2025 Geghard guide lists direct buses from Goght to Yerevan at 9:00, 13:30, 14:20, 15:50 and 19:30. Ask the driver on arrival.
The marshrutka works well for Garni and the gorge. It works badly for Geghard, which is why most visitors add a taxi.
By hire car
Driving suits you if you want to start early and stay as long as you like. The road is paved. One guide gives the route as the H3 east from Yerevan for 31 km, then Geghard Monastery Road for 2 to 3 km. Another guide says the surface is asphalt the whole way. Parking at Geghard was reported at 200 dram.
GOV.UK describes driving standards in Armenia as poor and says roads are in a poor state from November to February. It advises avoiding driving outside towns in the dark. UK licence holders need both their licence and a 1968 International Driving Permit. We did not check hire prices, so compare them yourself before you rely on this option.
Which to choose
Choose a tour if you want all three sights in one day, you do not want to deal with bus timetables, or you are travelling alone and want someone else to handle the return.
Choose a taxi or driver if you are in a group of three or four and want to set the pace, or you want to add a stop a tour does not cover.
Choose the marshrutka if you only want Garni, or you are on a tight budget and have time to spare. Leave early so you are not racing the last bus.
Choose a hire car if you are comfortable with local driving and want to see Geghard before the tour groups arrive. Geghard guides suggest the morning or late afternoon for fewer groups.
For a first visit, most people are better off with a tour or a driver. If you are choosing where to base yourself, see where to stay in Yerevan. For opening hours and seasons, see when to go. Once you arrive, there is more on each stop on the Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery and Symphony of Stones pages.
