Rafting
The snowmelt decides when we go.
At a glance
- Duration
- 3–4 hrs
- Season
- May to July
- Region
- Tavush
- Group
- 4–12
- Swimming
- yes
- Water temperature
- Cold, even in high summer
- Wetsuit
- yes
- Price
- on request
Every route is put together differently — we work out the price once you ask.
Fitness
Three hours of active paddling, being able to pull yourself back into the boat, coping with cold.
Why these months
From August to April we advise against it: in late summer and autumn the meltwater is gone and you push more than you paddle; in winter and early spring the water and air temperature are the real hazard.
What to expect in Armenia
Rafting in Armenia is a question of water level, not of the calendar. The rivers live on snowmelt, which means there is a window that opens in spring and closes again in summer. Nobody can honestly predict in February exactly when.
So this starts with an observation. Where we put in is decided in the week beforehand. At high water a section is sporty that at low water would be a drag over stones — and conversely there are levels at which we do not go out at all.
The sequence is the same everywhere. The briefing happens on the bank: paddle commands, seating position, what happens if somebody goes out of the boat, how to lie back in the water rather than stand up. Those twenty minutes decide more than everything that follows.
Then everyone is wet. Not after the first wave, but after the first metre. Meltwater from the mountains is cold even in June, and the first surge over the bow disposes of any illusion of sitting dry. After that you paddle, and you paddle together: a raft moves because six people are in time.
Between the rapids it is quiet, often in a valley floor no road reaches. Steep slopes, gravel, a few trees, nothing else. The boat drifts, the paddles lie across the tubes, and the guide tells you what comes after the next bend. Those minutes are why the cold is worth it.
You need to be able to swim. Helmet and buoyancy aid are not negotiable, and neither is neoprene as long as the water is what it is here in spring.
At the end the crew drags the boat up a gravel bank, everyone is soaked, and somebody has lost a pair of sunglasses on the way. Bring a full change of clothes, not just a towel — the drive back in wet gear is the least pleasant part of the day.
Included
- Boat and paddle
- Guide in the boat
- Safety briefing
Not included
- Transfer to the put-in
- Food and drink
- Photos
Bring
- Swimwear
- Towel and a full change of clothes
- Shoes that may get wet and will stay on
We provide
- Helmet
- Buoyancy aid
- Wetsuit
- Paddle
Safety and weather
When the weather doesn't cooperate
Rain itself is no issue — you are wet anyway. The level is what counts: after heavy rainfall the river rises and clouds within hours, and then it is cancelled rather than postponed.
How we keep you safe
Helmet, buoyancy aid and wetsuit are worn without exception. Before putting in we practise how to behave in the water: on your back, feet downstream, never stand up in current. A guide rides in the boat, and the section is chosen by the current level rather than by programme.
Sound like your kind of day?
Tell us what draws you — we'll build it into your trip or plan it on its own.