Parz lake - Gosh village - Gosh lake / Trans Caucasian Trail with waypoints/ Armenia

This is one of the top hiking trails in the Tavush region of Armenia.
It starts from Parz Lake, leads to the 12th-century Goshavank Monastery, and continues to Gosh Lake.

▶Distance from Yerevan to Parz lake:
112 km 2 hr 05 min

The trail is located within Dilijan National Park ( Դիլիջան ազգային պարկ ) and is considered part of the Transcaucasian Trail ( Տրանսկովկասյան արահետ ) and Armenian National Park ( Հայաստանի Ազգային Արահետ ).

◤Description of the Trail

𝐼 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝐼𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑦. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒, 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑑𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑓 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑.

You can split this trail into two consecutive sections:

From Parz Lake to Gosh Village – 7.2 km

From Gosh Village to Gosh Lake – 6.5 km

The trail is marked and signs are visible in most places, though some may have faded. Using GPS with waypoints is helpful in case of unclear junctions.
There are several paths that lead to Gosh Village and Gosh Lake, and some are shorter than the official route, but this one offers the most comfortable hiking experience.

If you're planning a one-day hike, keep in mind that you’ll need to return to Gosh Village, and that return section is not counted in the trail length. You can take a shorter way back along vehicle tracks (about 2 km). I’ve included this return route in my trail section.
Sometimes friendly dogs may accompany you along the trail. They’re used to hikers and generally harmless.

Parz Lake is a popular weekend destination for locals, so if you prefer quiet places, it’s better not to camp there.
Gosh Lake is more hidden, but even here you may encounter people on weekends, mostly those who arrive by car. It's best to avoid weekend hikes if you’re seeking solitude.

◤𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨?

The hiking season in the Tavush region runs from April to mid-November, typically ending with the first snowfall.

▶ Doable:
This trail is doable year-round if you enjoy snow hikes. While Tavush winters are relatively mild, snow usually covers the trails from mid-November to April. Depending on the year, some trails may remain snow-free even in winter.

▶ Recommended
𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐴𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑙 - 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟
Starting in mid-April, the landscape comes alive, with blooming peaking around mid-May.
Although summer months can be hot, the wooded trails provide plenty of shade, making it a pleasant summer hike.
In summer, mosquitoes and ticks can be a problem, so insect repellent is recommended.
Autumn foliage begins in early October and peaks by mid-October, offering vibrant colors and cooler temperatures.

▶ Other Seasons

𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟: Marks the transition into winter. Trees are usually bare, and temperatures drop, but the trail remains accessible for those who enjoy quiet, cooler hikes.

𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ: A transitional month with melting snow and lingering winter conditions.

𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠:
Snow and colder temperatures are typical. Conditions vary—some years the trail is snow-covered, while in others it may be clear. Winter hiking is only recommended for those specifically seeking a snow experience.

*𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒:
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