It’s not every day that Time names a hiking trail to their annual World’s 100 Greatest Places list. In fact, this is a first.

And this is just the beginning of the attention and recognition that the new Transcaucasian Trail, a more than 1,800-mile trail that connects some of the most beautiful and remote regions of Armenia and Georgia (and eventually Azerbaijan) to one another, has started to receive.

And while these are some of the most incredible landscapes you could ever experience in person, it isn’t just the views that make the Transcaucasian Trail a special experience, it’s the interactions and hospitality of the locals along the way that especially set these hiking trails apart.

And whether you thru-hike the trail and camp all along the way or you decide to join a small group trip that will equip you with a guide, pre-plan your nightly stays at quaint and delightful local guesthouses and small hotels, and feed you all along the way, there’s no wrong way to experience everything that the trail has to offer.

From the moment you start this hike, with Sevan Lake to your back as you ascend into the clouds that you really start to realize the beauty – and diversity in landscapes – that Armenia has to offer.

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