Arevik Campsite

About Arevik Campsite

Arevik Campsite sits in the southern reaches of Armenia's Syunik region, near the small village of Lichk. Zangezur Tour established it in 2018 inside the Boghaqar Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected reserve that shelters brown bears, lynx, and over 200 bird species according to Armenia's Ministry of Environment. The site takes its name from the Armenian word for "sun," which feels right when morning light breaks over the canyon walls and hits the river below.

The campsite occupies a clearing above the confluence of the Zvaraget and Meghri rivers. From almost every tent pitch you can hear the Lichk waterfalls before you see them. The cascade drops roughly 18 metres in two stages, and the sound carries through the valley on still evenings. Arriving here after the long drive south on the M2 highway, the silence hits you first, then the water.

Location and How to Get There

Lichk village lies approximately 15 km northeast of Meghri, the southernmost town in Armenia. The nearest large city is Kapan, around 90 km to the north along the M2 highway. From Yerevan, plan for roughly 5.5 to 6 hours of driving, covering about 370 km via the M2 through Goris and then south toward the Iranian border.

Here is the route in steps:

1. Leave Yerevan on the M2 heading south toward Ararat and Goris.
2. Pass through Goris and continue south on the M2 toward Meghri.
3. Before reaching Meghri, turn off toward Lichk village. The turning is signposted from the main road.
4. Follow the unpaved track for roughly 4 km into the sanctuary. A high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended; a standard saloon car will struggle on the final stretch, especially after rain.

The nearest petrol station is in Meghri, so fill up before the turn-off. Mobile signal is weak inside the sanctuary, so download offline maps of the Meghri district on Google Maps or Maps.me before you leave Kapan or Goris.

Facilities and What to Expect

Arevik Campsite is a tent-only site. There are no permanent cabins or glamping structures. Zangezur Tour keeps the setup intentionally simple so the setting stays the focus.

What the site includes:

• Designated tent pitches on flat ground close to the river
• A communal campfire area with seating
• WiFi, with a signal strong enough for messaging but not video streaming
• Basic toilet facilities
• A communal cooking and meal area where guides can arrange food on request

What to bring yourself:

• A four-season sleeping bag, even in July. Night temperatures near Lichk regularly drop to 8–12 °C, occasionally lower, because the canyon funnels cold air off the Zangezur mountain range after sunset.
• Waterproof footwear. The path to the waterfalls crosses the river twice on stepping stones that become slippery after any rainfall.
• Insect repellent. The riverside location means mosquitoes are active from dusk until around an hour after sunrise.
• Cash in Armenian drams. There are no card payment facilities on site. The nearest ATM is in Meghri.

The site operates from approximately July to September. Exact opening dates vary year to year depending on snowmelt and river levels, so confirm directly with Zangezur Tour before travelling.

The Lichk Waterfalls and Boghaqar Sanctuary

The Lichk waterfalls are the main reason most people make the drive. The cascade forms where a tributary stream drops off a basalt shelf into the Zvaraget river gorge. The spray creates a permanent mist at the base, and in mid-morning light you will almost always see a rainbow over the lower pool. The walk from the campsite to the falls takes about 20 minutes along a marked trail.

Boghaqar State Sanctuary was established in 1958 and covers roughly 18,500 hectares of mixed forest, subalpine meadow, and river canyon. The Armenian Ministry of Environment lists it as one of the country's key refuges for Caucasian leopard habitat, though sightings are extremely rare. What you are far more likely to see on a morning walk:

• Bezoar ibex on the upper ridge lines, best spotted at dawn
• Roe deer in the river meadows at dusk
• Egyptian vultures circling the canyon thermals during the day
• Armenian viper, a venomous snake found under flat rocks near the river; watch where you step and where you sit

The sanctuary has no entry fee for individual visitors arriving with a registered tour operator like Zangezur Tour.

Activities Based at the Campsite

Most guests stay one or two nights and use the campsite as a base for the surrounding area. Here is what you can realistically do:

Waterfall hike (easy, 20 minutes one way): The marked trail from the campsite leads directly to the lower falls. You can scramble up a rough path on the left bank to reach the upper cascade, but that section is unmarked and slippery; go with a guide if you are not experienced on loose rock.

Canyon rim walk (moderate, 3–4 hours return): A longer trail climbs out of the gorge to the plateau above the sanctuary. Views from the rim take in the full sweep of the Zangezur range and, on clear days, reach toward the Iranian border. Zangezur Tour guides lead this route on request.

River fishing: The Zvaraget holds brown trout. Armenian fishing regulations require a permit; ask Zangezur Tour to arrange one in advance, as they take time to process through the local fisheries authority.

Birdwatching: The canyon is a migration corridor. The peak window for raptors passing through is late August to mid-September, which conveniently overlaps with the campsite's operating season. Bring binoculars.

Stargazing: Light pollution is essentially zero at Lichk. On cloudless nights the Milky Way is visible with the naked eye. The campfire area is set back from the river bank and gives a clear view of the southern sky.

Booking and Contact

Arevik Campsite is operated exclusively by Zangezur Tour, a Kapan-based tour operator that has run guided trips through Syunik since 2013. They handle reservations, guide assignments, and food arrangements for the site. You cannot book independently through a third-party platform; contact is direct.

Zangezur Tour can arrange:

• Transfer from Kapan or Meghri to the campsite (recommended given the road)
• Guided day hikes and the canyon rim walk
• Meals cooked on site
• Fishing permits
• Multi-day itineraries combining Arevik Campsite with other Syunik stops such as Tatev Monastery, Zorats Karer (Karahunj), and the Shaki waterfall near Sisian

Before travelling, confirm the season's opening date directly with Zangezur Tour, as river conditions some years push the opening back into mid-July. Also ask about current road conditions on the track into the sanctuary, since washouts after spring snowmelt can affect vehicle access well into June.

What Campers Say

Personally, I think the drive south from Goris is one of the most underrated stretches of road in the Caucasus. The canyon deepens and the river gets louder and greener as you go, and by the time you reach Lichk you have already left behind anything that feels like a tourist trail. That feeling of genuine remoteness is rare in a country as small as Armenia.

People who have camped here consistently mention three things: the sound of the waterfall at night, the cold that arrives after dark even in August, and the surprise of having WiFi at all. The last point matters more than you might think if you are mid-way through a longer Armenia road trip and need to update plans or contact accommodation in Yerevan.

The campsite is not for people who need comfort. The facilities are basic and the road in is rough. But if you want to sleep inside a protected sanctuary in the least-visited region of Armenia, with a genuine waterfall 20 minutes from your tent and almost no other tourists around, Arevik Campsite is one of the few places in the country where that is actually possible.