If southern Armenia is Armenia's ancient and spiritual heart, the north is its wild, forested soul.

This full day takes you through a completely different side of the country - past the vast blue expanse of Lake Sevan at 1,900 metres altitude, deep into the oak and beech forests surrounding Dilijan (called “Armenian Switzerland” by travellers who can't quite believe the scenery), and into the 10th-century monastery complex of Haghartsin, so quietly embedded in the forest that it feels less like a tourist site and more like a discovery.

The day ends at the Ijevan Winery in the Tavush region - one of Armenia's most respected northern producers - for a tasting of wines and brandies made from grapes grown in the mountain valleys you'll have spent the day driving through. It is, without question, the most scenically rewarding day trip from Yerevan.