How to plan an epic hike through Armenia on the Transcaucasian Trail

13.09.2024 - 09:47 / lonelyplanet.com / Anna Richards

Sep 12, 2024 • 9 min read

In Lonely Plan-It, we take you step by step through how we put together some of the most complicated travel adventures. Here, travel writer and outdoors enthusiast Anna Richards explains how she hiked the Armenian section of the under-the-radar Transcaucasian Trail. 

I knew very little about Armenia before deciding to hike the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT), which winds hundreds of miles through this under-explored country. When I told friends of my plans, most knew little more than the scraps I did – a turbulent, tragic recent history, some vague connection to the Kardashians.

But what I found there simply amazed me: millennia-old monasteries, vast volcanic plateaus and rust-colored gorges that crumbled like breadcrumbs as you hiked them. 

The full TCT spans 932 miles (1500km) across Georgia and Armenia. A separate section is in progress to cross Azerbaijan, which would bring the full trail to almost 1900 miles (3000km). Unfortunately, due to current border conflicts, linking the two sections is a far-off goal. 

Totaling 516 miles (832km), the Armenian segment of the TCT opened to the public in 2022. I was one of the guinea pigs that got to beta-test when it first opened ⁠– although the distance I covered over four weeks (360 miles / 580km) made me feel more like a hamster on a wheel. 

Some numbers for context: the USA’s Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) issues 8000 hiker permits a year. Around 3000 thru-hikers attempt the Appalachian Trail annually. Fewer than 100 hikers completed a multiday section of the TCT in 2024 – making this a track that is truly…off the beaten track.

In order to (safely) get away from the hiking masses, you’re going to have to plan ahead. Here’s how to plan a trip to hike the Transcaucasian Trail. 

With maps, GPS and careful planning for water

This trail requires a lot of preparation. It should only be hiked between June and September, as outside of this season snow makes parts of the trail inaccessible. (Even when I hiked in August, some snow lingered in the Gegham Mountains.) Yet while the warm summer months clear the trails for hiking, the season brings challenges: in July and August temperatures along much of the route soar to more than 32°C (90°F). Since water is scarce, you’ll need bottles with a few liters’ capacity, as well as a filter-purifier to refill them. To hike the full Armenian section of the TCT you’ll need to allow for around six weeks, hiking almost 20 km per day. If you’d prefer to take it at a more leisurely speed, factor in two months. Fastpackers and trail runners can cover the ground in significantly less time.

It’s essential to download route-planning apps. While there are no physical maps of the TCT, GPX files are available through the TCT