Yerevan

Not in the story-mood? Scroll down for the Quick Budget Fact Overview: an itemized information summary of Yerevan! ↓

I feel like, as a traveler, you owe it to a country. Even though I personally feel much more at peace in natural environments and I can generally conclude that capital cities are rarely representative for the rest of the country... skipping it altogether seems like you’re missing a relevant point. When it comes to Armenia, it is indeed true that I strongly prefer modest-sized destinations such as Goris, Areni and Dilijan over Yerevan. Towns that differ in every fibre from the toing and froing of the 1,1mln-metropole of Armenia. Yet, I treasure warm memories of this city, as it is one that, despite its size, is shrouded in a comforting veil of tranquility. Be it its earth-colored buildings, satisfactorily smoothened in plane shapes patterns, or its relatively calm residents, unwilling to participate in the common flow of chaos and stress that often so strongly marks a sizeable city... Yerevan was a place that invited to stay longer.

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This was a feeling that I most certainly would have deemed impossible prior to my arrival. I wasn’t yet mentally ready to immediately travel to yet another capital from Tbilisi (Georgia), but local minibus drivers don’t leave you with much sensible choice...

The Logistics

There is 1 price for the transfer from Tbilisi to Yerevan, with zero discount if you step out anywhere else along the way, even if it’s only 40% of the ride. I guess we have Georgian chauffeurs to thank for this. In Yerevan itself (and in Armenia in general), public transportation is dirt cheap though. A trolleybus or metro ride costs a staggering 100 AMD (0,25 EUR – it used to cost 50 AMD up until quite recently). Of course, don’t expect anything too fancy for that rate: Yerevan’s public transport system of metros, buses and trolleybuses has not been updated since the collapse of the USSR in 1990. The mashrutkas are run privately by drivers who are underpaid and work in rather poor conditions, which leaves little room for investments. The most common travel apps faciliting navigation in public transport, such as Moovit and Google Maps, do not work here (although Google Maps does display the metro connections). The Transit.am app is useful for figuring out bus lines, although keep in mind that wifi is necessary to use it.

All previous photos by Miles Watson Photography.

Pre-planning your accommodation is a nerve-wrecking task, as Yerevan’s hotel industry is quite the mess. The first room I booked on Booking.com turned out to be unavailable as the owners were out of town... which I only figured out because I double-checked myself, not because it crossed their minds to inform me. As it was pouring rain, I can imagine my mood if I would have knocked on a closed door, soaked and with no internet yet to figure out further plans, in a 223 km2 sized city to navigate through. The second one contacted me to cancel my reservation, to subsequently quote me a much higher price. The third one was a booking for an 8-bed dormitory, upon which I was presented with a 25(!)-bed-dormitory which reeked of feet and despair. Obviously, for the exact same price. When I decided to book a private in that property instead, they refused to honor the Genius-discount I am entitled to as a frequent traveler and which was part of my booking contract. You can imagine that at this point I was quite over Yerevan.

Museums

Luckily, I wasn’t entirely defeated yet. Considering my overall low state of mind and tainted expectations, it would be rather easy to impress me. A task Yerevan took seriously. As it turned out, I had walked into the capital on its yearly National Museum Day, granting free entrance to all 40+ museums present on its grounds. The chances of any readers having the same share of luck in this regard are rather small, but at least I can provide you with quite a high amount of first-hand reviews helping you to select those museums that fit your personals interests (and: the entry fees are overall incredibly low).

National Gallery / History Museum of Armenia: By the looks and location of it, this seems to be the main museum of the city. With that thought in mind, it is a rather disappointing experience. Most of the museum was closed off for renovation projects, which according to the internet has been going on for several years (yet, the admission price remains the same). What was left was a modest collection of the talented painter Jakub Gyurjian, an exhibit of gold and silver ornaments, as well as a comparative exposition on global and Armenian impressionism. The latter was outstanding... but: not enough.

Photo by Miles Watson Photography.

Armenian Genocide Museum & Tsitsernakaberd Memorial: In my opinion, if any museum should be elected as “Yerevan’s Most Important”, it should be this one. A visit, which is free of charge, will provide you with a comprehensive tour through the years of (and leading to) the Armenian Genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire. This series of tragic events took the lives of an estimated 1.2-2.5 million innocent Armenians, whose sole crime it was to simply have a different religion (and hence, blocking the Islamic expansion eastwards). As Turkey still denies this appalling crime against humanity, it’s all the more important to educate ourselves on what happened here and spread the word. Come well-rested and with plenty of time on your hands (about 3 hours), as the amount of information panels to read is rather overwhelming. Oh… and bring earplugs, as the tour groups loudly talk while everyone else tries to read.

Ara Sargsyan's & Hakob Kojoyan’s Museum: Ara Sargsyan was an Armenian sculptor in Soviet times (rewarded with the honorary title “People’s Artist of the USSR”)... who, incidentally, also sculpted the Mother of Armenia statue. Hakob Kojoyan was a scultpure as well. And a painter. And a goldsmith. His multiple talents come to show in the incredible variety in his artworks... from illustations, to woodcuts, to oil on canvas, to coal sketches, to watercolours, to dissolved gold techniques... and all of that in an endless variety of styles and genres. In all of which, incredibly enough, he excells. Oh, and he also designed Armenia’s Coat of Arms on the side, why not? The true “homo universalis” of Armenia. As both artists used to work and live together, their house (a cultural heritage monument) has now been turned into a museum honoring both of their works. And honor it, we truly must.

Modern Art Museum / Museum of Contemporary Art: Normally I am slightly hesitant to visit a museum that labels itself “contemporary.” I have always been fascinated by the visual arts, the main reason being the pure display of beauty, talent, a vision and a frozen moment in time. However, when presented with the standard Pollock’s or Mondriaan’s, I can’t find any of these aspects. That said, I was honestly quite impressed with Yerevan’s collection, exhibiting work showing true skill and craftmanship. The history of this museum is a rather interesting one as well. You see, it was established in the 60’s, when Armenia still formed an element of the Soviet Union. In these times, the only art style allowed was Socialist Realism, which funtioned as a means of propaganda depicting and idealizing socialist doctrine. As there was as such no government aid, the museum came about by direct artist donations. Because of this, the focus of the collection lies on these local artists, originating from either Armenia or the diaspora.

Eduard Isabekyan Gallery: Across the road of the Modern Art Museum, you can find a small gallery dedicated to this one painter, founded by the artist’s son. His work startled me, as it seemed an odd combination of impressionism and expressionism, which seems by definition impossible. It turns out, we’re dealing with a style defined as the “thematic compositional genre”, founded by the man himself. Expect paintings displaying man versus nature as well as historical events... and above all, glorifying the splendors of Armenia.

Martiros Saryan House-Museum: Martiros Saryan Street lies in Yerevan’s most bustling nightlife area. Besides live music and a good glass of wine, you’ll find the former home of the painter the street is named after. Initially focused on capturing the East, he promptly returned to Armenia when the news of the genocide reached his ears. “I witnessed crowds of people fleeing from the genocide in Turkish Armenia. People were dying right in front of me.” It was there and then that he dedicated his entire creative career to his homeland. “My intention is to picture the visible survival of our small country after its tragic epic soaked in blood and purified in faith. This piece of land on the slopes of Mount Aragats I look upon as the source of our hope. I wish to show the world that this mountainous little country exists and keeps in its bosom just a handful, but hard-working people, whose heroic history is symbolized by the century's old spiritual treasures.” Besides that, he made great efforts to regenerate the cultural life of the country. To name a few of his not-so-small-projects: He (co-)founded the Artists' Union of Armenia, the Armenia National Museum, the Society for the Preservation of Monuments of National Culture, the Yerevan Art College and... should I go on? A small part of the museum is dedicated to his son Lazarus, a renowned composer.

Yerevan History Museum: The collection is not as large as the building suggests, but yet it contains quite the thorough overview of the history of both Yerevan and its direct surroundings, specifically focusing on its origins in the Bronze Age. Expect an easily digestible collection, from pottery and ancient weaponry to ornaments and ethnic attires.

Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum: In order to understand the purpose of this museum, we must first know who Hovhannes Tumanyan is. To immediately answer that: Our good man is a writer, translator, public activist and poet. And not just a poet… he’s referred to as “The National Poet of Armenia.” Yet, that doesn’t become entirely clear when visiting this collection, which is chaotic, unexplained and lacking focus.

Ararat Brandy Factory & Museum: Welcome to the most expensive museum in town. Is it worth it? Potentially, if you like brandy. Personally, I hate it with passion, even a whif of the scent makes me gag. As such, I wasn’t too interested in taking the tour... not even for free. With clear weather, the views from the gardens in front provide some pleasing city views with Mount Ararat rising up in the background. Comparable: Noy Wine, Brandy & Vodka Factory.

Other museums include: Matenadaran (manuscript museum); Cafesijan Center for the Arts (inside the Cascade); Sergei Parajanov Museum; Lusik Aguletsi House-Museum; Erebuni Historical-Archeaological Museum Reserve; Aram Khachaturyan Museum; Ervand Kochar Museum; Museum of Russian Art; Museum of Folk Arts; Komitas Museum; Museum of Literature and Art; Museum of Printing; Children’s Art Museum; Megerian Carpet Museum.

It seems that the Micro Art Museum seized to exist.

Sights

Not everyone is thrilled by the prospect of speed-visiting all museums Yerevan has on offer. Luckily, there are plenty of other affairs that should keep you entertained for a couple of days. A lil’ sightseeing tour around the city will inevitably lead you over the Charles Aznavour Square (a V.I.A. – Very Important Armenian), the Northern Avenue shopping street, the touristy Vernisage Market and over the Republic Square with its dancing fountains. One of the most peculiar structures in town is the so-called Cascade, a waterfall-shaped structure providing a true challenge to those brave enough to climb its 572 steps, which will eventually be worth the views (there are escalators inside as well, but let’s not be lazy!). As an extra bonus you’ll find many interesting artworks inside and around, among which to my surprise a couple of works by the hand of the Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero. My feeling of surprise mainly coming from the astonishment of seeing these horrendous creations outside of Colombia’s country borders, which seems entirely unneccesary. Talking about public artworks: You might want to walk up to Yerevan’s most famous one, the Mother Armenia statue. She combatively overlooks her entire capital city, which means you will too when standing at her pedestal. Another pleasant view can be obtained from the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, which is immediately Armenia’s largest. To cross a UNESCO one off the list, a visit to the ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral are recommendable. You’ll find the entire city stuffed with charming little churches, but unless you’re an enthusiast I reckon a visit to these crown pieces will suffice. That said, the Katoghike Church has a rather interesting story.* For an entirely different experience, I recommend to have a look at Yerevan’s very own Blue Mosque (very much unlike the one in Istanbul), the tilework justifying a visit on its own.

* It was built in 1264 under the name St. Artsvatsatsin Church, but was incorporated into a much bigger basilica of the Katoghike Church in 1695… and entirely forgotten. Only in 1963, after the anti-religious Soviet government ordered its destruction, the original building was suddenly revealed. As it was one of the very few structures that survived Yerevan’s 17th century earthquake, it was arguably the oldest church in town, causing the public and a mob of archaeologists to fight for its conservation. The (anti-religious) Soviets finally gave in, but refused to leave a House of God in plain sight. Therefore, it was covered again, this time with a linguistic institute. As such, it faded into oblivion once again… to be re-discovered after the collapse of the communist regime.

For a more alternative sightseeing route, I recommend including the Mirzoyan Library, the Books 1512 bookstore, the Spider Statue and the Kond Soviet Tunnel, which connects downtown Yerevan with the Hrazdan Gorge. A gorge giving way to the Hrazdan River*, which originates at Lake Sevan from where it streams all the way to the Ararat Plain. The area forms an unusual green belt right inside of the capital city, yet in its sheer depth hiding from the daily turmoil. Don’t be startled nor cautious when invited for a picnic or barbecue while strolling along the riverside… you’ll soon discover that this is inherent to the incredibly hospitable nature of the Armenians (“yes” is the only advisable answer). On higher grounds, the Tumo Park alongside the gorge offers a more bustling place to unwind.

* The gorge’s aqueduct isn’t anything Roman… it was completed in 1950.

Day Trips from Yerevan

Garni Pagan Temple, Symphony of Stones & Geghard Monastery

One of the most often-mentioned day trips from Yerevan must be the Garni Pagan Temple. I honestly wonder why. Maybe because the addition of the word “pagan” makes it sound a bit bad-ass, like you’ll find a bunch of atheist rebellions waltzing around it butt-naked during full moon, serenading Lucifer. In reality, you’ll just find a tiny pre-Christian temple in the middle of a landscape that by all means outshines the glory of this small structure. This gorgeous valley contains another national treasure: the Symphony of Stones. Theoretically, this is a rather unusual collection of massive hexagonal and pentagonal basalt columns, created by the cooling and crystalization of volcanic lava... However, if we allow ourselves to look up from our text book and witness this downright marvel of nature, we can’t escape the thrilling sensation to be sucked into a re-enacted surrealist Dali-painting. Mother Earth has lost her mind over here and I adore getting drawn into her madness. Pin this one on your map.

* It’s useful to download Maps.me, as it it pins the Garni bus stop in Yerevan. Bus #266 and #284 will get you there. Some blogs mention free entrance to the Garni Temple. This isn’t accurate anymore... its growing popularity is paired with an adjacent ticket booth. At the time of writing, the fee was incredibly cheap though. The Symphony of Stones and the Geghard Monastery were cost-free during my time of visit.

While here, you’re only a stone’s throw (HA-HA, get it?) away from the Geghard Monastery. One that deserves special attention as it is a UNESCO Heritage Monument containing the for-Armenia-oh-so-typical carved out crosses, which is also marked a UNESCO Intangible Heritage. Another interesting element are the numerous cave residences and shrines, hollowed out of the cliffs surrounding the site, some only reachable by rope. It is believed that St. Gregory The Illuminator, who allegedly founded the monastery at te beginning of the 4th century, lived in one of these cells.

There is a hiking trail connecting the Garni Pagan Temple in the Azat Reservoir and the Geghard Monastery. The total estimated hiking time is only about 2.5 hours. The area is called the Khosrov Forest State Reserve, which contains an extensive trail network.

Khor Virap Monastery & Gorovan Sands

Yup, yet another monastery! An exclamation that slipped out of my mouth when presented with the option to visit Khor Virap. I just had a full year of traveling through Balkan land behind me, and I was close to drowning in the exuberant downpour of an indigestable amount of churches and monasteries (and castles, for fuck’s sake, keep ‘em away from me!). Yet, as I soon learned, in Armenia a monastery-visit doesn’t necessarily focus on the building per se... it’s about the superb property marketing of the monks. 10 points for location, every single time! In the case of Khor Virap, it’s not the building that is the eye-catcher... it’s in fact Mount Ararat, majestically rising above its shadows, that justifies a visit.

An hour is plenty of time to visit the monastery. If you however feel like making a day out of it (I in fact stayed 3 nights in the area), it’s possible to opt for a hike at the Gorovan Sands Sanctuary. This desert-like landscape is unlike any other nature reserve I have encountered in Armenia.

All the professionally taken photos of this series taken by Miles Watson Photography.

Mount Aragats

Mount Aragats is on paper the highest peak of Armenia. Yet, the Armenians consider the illustrious Mount Ararat their highest… and in all fairness, I can’t say I disagree. This stunner of a mountain, on clear days majestically rising up behind Yerevan, has been located on Armenian soil for the lion share of our (somewhat) recent history. Soil that, with most of Eastern Europe, was swallowed by the Ottoman Empire for about 500 years. An Empire that did not appreciate the dominant Christian religion of this ethnic group, as in their opinion this formed a clear obstacle hindering the Islamic expansion eastwards. The Ottoman solution? Murdering every single Armenian standing in their way. As you might have learned in the Armenian Genocide Museum, during WWI a Turkish-Armenian War was fought out simultaneously, during which an estimated 1.2 - 2.5 million Armenians were killed or sent out on the by now notorious death marches. 2.5 million! After the genocide was completed, they seized significant parts of Western Armenia (containing big chunks of current-day Anatolia), including their national symbol: Mount Ararat. A mountain that is considered sacred by Armenians and is depicted on their coat of arms… yet a mountain they cannot reach, as they are not allowed to travel to what now geographically is registered as Eastern Turkey… while Turkish politics, over a century later, still doesn’t have the decency to admit a genocide ever happened.

Yet, what we do have until justice is served: Mount Aragats, a 4-peaked volcanic massif located about 40km north of Yerevan. Where Ararat is 5137m high, the highest of Aragats peaks only has a 4090m height. However, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy ascend, especially not if you attempt it out of season (the season runs from July-September, depending on snowfall). However, as I was there mid-June I didn’t have much of a choice (unless you mean choosing NOT to do it, which is simply not an option if you are me). I was met with nothing but demotivation: People told me I was basically going to freeze to death, drown in snow, get dramatically lost without a guide, be devoured by bears and if I would survive all of that, the lightning would most definitely kill me. Well-intended advice, but usually given by people who didn’t actually attempt it themselves (to be compared with the numerous warnings I receive about so-called “dangerous countries,” given by individuals who have never travelled there and blindly trust the news and social media). Yet, I decided there could be a slight grain of truth hidden in these exaggerations and approached this “finger crossed operation” with scepticism about its completion.

To say it wasn’t easy is indeed an understatement. First of all, as like most tourists my travel partner and I didn’t have our own vehicle, we needed to grab 3 different hitchhikes to reach the starting point.* Sure, it is possible to organize a taxi, but they notoriously overcharge as they are quite aware you don’t have a whole lot of choice. People weren’t lying about the cold, as we indeed went from perfect summer to an almost 30-degrees temperature drop. But… what else is new on a 4000+m elevation? Not a problem clothing cannot fix. Yet, the snow was indeed a serious issue. Even though the HIKEArmenia office in Yerevan (yes, they have such an institution!) had assured me that it would be doable, and even suggested we camp in the crater which they said would be snow-free, nothing was further from the truth! I found a bunch of beautiful recordings on Wikiloc, indicating where the trails should be… but all I was confronted with was a long stretch of knee-deep snow, every now and then hiding a massive slush river underneath we could tumble into if we didn’t pay attention. We had no idea where it was safe to walk, and often sank about crotch-deep into a depth we couldn’t anticipate on.

After a long struggle through paradise, we finally reached the side of the southern peak. As the standard trail was inaccessible, we had to scramble up over the loose rocks on the mountainside, which tumbled away under our very feet with every movement. In retrospect this was quite a dangerous operation to undertake without helmets and safety equipment. As we weren’t ready to give up just yet we however managed to reach the Southern Peak (3888m)… from where a grand view over all 4 peaks of the Aragats taught us this is the absolute furthest we could go, as an ascend to the highest Northern Peak would include a crossing of the crater, which still had an unpredictable, meters-thick snowpack resting in its core.

A disappointment? A bit, as I always attempt to reach the highest peak of each country I visit… Yet, I prefer to actually continue living injury-free to keep doing so. And admit, these panoramic views from the southern ridge are probably even more memorable because of the dreamy layer of snow:

An easier (but less impressive) alternative is the walk towards the Amberd Fortress. As an extra stimulation: If you hike to the fortress up the rather short trail along and through the canyon (opposed to entering via the parking lot at the end of the road) you can enter free of charge!

* It’s rather doable to get a hitchhike until the split-off with the road towards the Amberd Fortress, as quite a few tourists visit this sight. From there it is however still 13km to the starting point, from where traffic is severely limited. On the first day I didn’t manage… only on the second day I was lucky to get a ride from one of the suppliers of the hotel/restaurant which is located next to Aragats.

** There is full cell phone coverage in the area with Ucom.

*** The best base to stay when planning an adventure to Mount Aragats: the tiny village of Agarak.

Lake Sevan National Park

A holiday in Armenia can’t be complete without a visit to the beach. Wait, what? Isn’t Armenia an entirely landlocked country? That is indeed correct my dear fellow, but Sevan Lake, the largest body of water in both the country and the entire Caucasus region, offers an ample supply of coastal strips, picnic areas and recreational campgrounds. That inevitably makes it prone to all misfortunes of mass tourism, which is indeed an ongoing concern despite its national park status. Yet, besides the source of dim-witted family entertainment, the presence of a series of monasteries balances out the cultural value. Especially the Sevanavank Monastery makes for a compelling visit, while offering the best photo opportunities capturing both historic and natural monuments of Armenia.

Quick Budget Fact Overview

Armenia Facts

Capital: Yerevan
Language: Armenian (incl. their own alphabet)
Population: ± 2.9 mln*
Sq km: ± 29,743 km²
Currency: Dram (֏)
Electricity Outlet: C & F / 230 V / 50 Hz. Check here.
Country Code Phone: +374
Emergency Phone: 103 (ambulance), 101 (fire), 102 (police)
Visa: Check out the visa requirements here. Easy applications can be arranged here.
Climate: Hot Summer Continental (Dfa)
High season: Summer

* An estimated 7mln Armenians live outside of Armenia in “Diaspora Communities”. The main reason for this immigration was the genocide carried out towards the Armenian people by Turkey (beginning of 19th century) and the recent war with Azerbaijan concentrated in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Short History Recap

2400BC: The Book of Genesis identifies the land of Ararat as the resting place of Noah's Ark. 2300BC: Armenian nation created in Ararat. 1200BC: Nairi tribes in highlands (Van /Hakkari provinces of current Turkey). 860BC: Kingdom of Urartu. 782BC: Fortress of Erebuni constructed. 512BC: Annexed to Persia. 331BC: Alexander the Great attacks Persia, but doesn’t conquer Armenia --> independence from Persia gained. 190BC: Artaxiad Dynasty. 83BC: Conquest of Syria, Phoenicia, and Cilicia. 66BC: Pompey invades Armenia, but returns to Rome after money is offered by Armenian Tigranes the Great. 1AD: Arsacid Dynasty. 58: Roman invasion. 301: Armenia 1st Christian state in the world (by King Tiridates III). Division into West-East between Sassanid Persians and Roman Byzantines (Peace of Acisilene). 405: Armenian alphabet invented. 428: Part of Sassanid Empire. 639: 1st Arab invasion. 650: Khazar-Arab Wars & Byzantine-Arab Wars. 1016: Seljuk Turks --> become dominant in Anatolia. 1045: Armenia falls to Byzantine troops --> Armenian exodus. Conqueror Timur from Timurid Empire invades Armenia, Georgia & Anatolia: slaughter / enslavement. 1502: Safavid Dynasty of Persia conquers Armenia. ’14: Ottoman-Persian Wars. ’32: Ottoman-Safavid Wars. ‘55: Peace of Amasya & 1639’s Treaty of Zuhab: Western Armenia under Ottoman rule. 1813: Treaty of Gulistan: Eastern Armenia under Persian rule, Karabakh part of Russian Empire. ’26-’28: Russo-Persian Warà Eastern Armenia to Russia. ’94-’96: Hamidian Massacres; an estimated 80,000–300,000 Armenians are killed by Ottomans. 1909: Adana Massacre: 15000-30000 Armenians killed by Ottomans. WWI: Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire (still denied by Turkey) --> between 600,000-2.5mln Armenians murdered or sent on death marches to present-day Syria. Motivations: Christianity & suspicion of pro-Russian sympathies. ’16-’18: Armenian regions of Ottoman Empire fall to Russia / Soviet Union. ’18: The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk gives Armenian Kars, Ardahan and Batum regions to the Ottoman Empire. Independent Armenia. ’20: Invasion by Turkey & Bolshevik Russia. ’22: Armenia incorporated into USSR. ’88: Armenians begin to campaign for Nagorno-Karabakh (NK), a region with a predominantly Armenian population in Azerbaijan, to be united with Armenia. Earthquake kills 25,000. ’89: NK begins --> many Azeri citizens are forced to flee their homes. ’90: Nationalists win elections --> Independence Armenia declared, but ignored by Russia. ’91: Joins Commonwealth of Independent States (successor to Soviet Union). ’92: Joins UN. Trade + energy embargo imposed by Azerbaijan. ’94: Demonstrations over food+ energy shortages --> Russian-brokered ceasefire ends NK fighting. Self-proclaimed republic: Armenian forces in control of Azerbaijani territory. ’99: Prime minister + 6 officials killed in parliament. 2001: Council of Europe member. ’07: Parliament allows dual citizenship: naturalisation of Armenia's massive foreign diaspora (8mnl people). ’14: Tensions rise over NK again. ’15: Eurasian Union. Gyumri massacre (Armenians killed by Russians). ’16: NK clashes. ’20: NK War --> recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Photo by Miles Watson Photography.

FREE Recommended Sights / Activities*

Sights: Republic Square / Dancing Fountains; Charles Aznavour Square; Mother Armenia Statue; Cascade; Northern Avenue (shopping street); Kond Soviet Tunnel; Mirzoyan Library; Books 1512; Spider Statue; Wiliam Saroyan’s Grave; Blue Mosque; St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral (Armenia’s largest); Zoravor S. Astvatsatsin Church; Katoghike Church (funny history here) & many other churches.
Museums: Armenian Genocide Museum & Tsitsernakaberd Memorial; Cafesijan Center for the Arts (inside the Cascade). Most museums are free on Museum Night (May). The Yerevan Card includes the entries of over 40 museums, as well as public transport and a sim card … however, the price is very steep. So unless you really want to visit all these museums in the limited time you might have, it’s much cheaper just to pay for the museums you’re genuinely interested in and just pay the few cents for public transport (it’s really dirt cheap in Armenia).
Hikes / Nature: Lover’s Park; Tumo Park; Hrazdan Gorge; Symphony of Stones (daytrip); Mount Aragats (daytrip – highest of Armenia); Lake Sevan / Sevan National Pak (daytrip).
Other: Khor Virap Monastery (daytrip); Garni Pagan Temple (daytrip); Geghard Monastery UNESCO (daytrip); Zvartnots Cathedral UNESCO (daytrip).

PAID Recommended Sights / Activities*

Sights: “Free” Walking Tour (tip-based – check and check).
Museums: History Museum of Armenia / National Gallery; Yerevan History Museum; Matenadaran (manuscript museum); Modern Art Museum; Sergei Parajanov Museum; Lusik Aguletsi House-Museum; Erebuni Historical-Archeaological Museum Reserve; Aram Khachaturyan Museum; Martiros Sarian House-Museum; Ervand Kochar Museum; Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum; Museum of Russian Art; Museum of Folk Arts; Komitas Museum; Museum of Literature and Art; Museum of Printing; A. Sargsyan and H. Kojoyan Museum; Children’s Art Museum; Eduard Isabekyan Gallery; Megerian Carpet Museum.
Hikes / Nature: Yerevan Botanical Garden.
Other: Ararat Brandy Factory; Noy Wine Brandy Vodka Factory; In Vino Wine Bar; Yerevan Zipline.

* A relatively complete overview of all sights and activities can be found on TripAdvisor… these lists include the ones I personally recommend. You can order your Lonely Planet here.

Photo by Miles Watson Photography.

Evening Entertainment

Nightlife Areas: City Centre, especially Pushkin Street.

Theatres: Armenian Opera Theatre; Puppet Theatre; Russian Drama Theatre; Sports and Concerts Complex Karen Demirchyan; Open Air Cinema Yerevan; Gabriel Sundukyan State Academic Theatre; Yerevan Theatre of the Young Spectator; Hakob Paronyan State Musical Comedy Theatre; Pantomime Theatre; Experimental Youth Theatre; State Chamber Theatre; Marionettes Theatre; Hamazgayin State Theatre; Metro Theatre of the National Center of Aesthetics; State Song Theatre; Hrachya Ghaplanyan Drama Theatre; Mher Mkrtchyan Artistic Theatre; GOY Theatre of the National Experimental Centre of Performing Arts; Edgar Elbakyan Theatre.

Local Festivals

Yerevan Wine Days – May.
Utestfest Yerevan (culinary) – June.
Vardavar (religious water fest) – July.
TARAZfest (design / fashion) – August.
Watermelon Festival – August.
Yerevan Beer Fest – August.
Rural Life and Traditions Festival – September.
Yerevan Music Night – September.
Tea & Coffee Festival – September.
Erebun-Yerevan Festival – October.

Budget Bites

Supermarkets: City; SAS; Kilikia; Parma; Carrefour; Evrika.
Markets: Kayarani Shuka; Central Market. The Vernissage Market is a tourist-oriented knick-knacks market. I won’t necessarily recommend the Gum Market either, which seemed to be highly focused on tourists instead of locals.
Local Dishes: Khorovats (BBQ); Tolma (dolma, rice/meat in wine leaves); Harissa (ground wheat / pulled meat porridge); Qyufta / Kufta (meatballs); Tjvjik (beef / lamb liver); Arishta (thick noodles); Spas / Tanov Apur (yoghurt soup); Khash (beef broth); Khashlama (lamb veg stew); Ghapama (pumpkin with minced meat, boiled rice, nuts, dried fruits); Jingyalov Hats (greens in flatbread); Aveluk Salad (Armenian wild sorrel with pomegranate seeds, garlic, oil, and walnuts); Tatar Boraki(yoghurt pasta); Basturma (dried beef tenderloin); Panrkhash (boiled cheese/butter/onions); Potchapur (bean onion soup with meat); Gata (sweet vanilla bread); Dabgadz Banir Boerag (flaky puff pastries filled with cheeses); Topik (chickpea dumplings); Lavash (flatbread); Manti (tiny little boats of dough, filled with meat); Shashlik / Kebab (meat skewers); Itch / Eech (bulgur salad); Kchuch (meat and vegetable stew / soup); Vospov Kofte (lentil kofte); Ishkhan (trout); Pelmeni (Russian dumplings).
The Veg Situation: Going veg is rather complicated in Armenia, as the local kitchen is very meat- and cheese-centred. On top of that, refusing food that’s offered by the generous locals can be taken as an insult. However, where there’s a will there’s a way. Find all veg-friendly in this destination here. Local veg dishes (description above): Pasuc Tolma (vegan); Arishta (vegan); Spas / Tanov Apur; Jingyalov Hats; Aveluk Salad (vegan); Tatar Boraki; Panrkhash; Gata; Dabgadz Banir Boerag; Topik (vegan); Lavash (vegan); Itch / Eech (vegan); Vospov Kofte (vegan); Mshosh (vegan - lentils/onions/walnuts/apricots); Ailazan (vegan - stew).
National Drink: Vodka (oghi); Cognac; Wine; Beer.

Sleep Cheap

Hostels / Hotels: Whereas Armenia is quite a cheap destination (depending on where you’re coming from) with relatively low costs of food, transportation and touristic attractions, you’re likely to spend the most of your travel budget on accommodation. Ho(s)tel prices aren’t outrageous, but generally a bit pricier than in Georgia or Iran… especially in the cities, like Yerevan and Gyumri. However, in homestays and guesthouses in the southern countryside you’ll be often treated on free meals, coffee and snacks as a general gesture of hospitality, so you can save some expenses there. Always re-confirm your booking per phone or whatsapp, as sometimes a property doesn’t have space for you at all, even though they’re accepting bookings. It also (rarely) happens that you’re given a different (worse) room than booked, or a different (higher) price is suddenly quoted. Payment is generally in cash. I personally found the best deals on Booking.com. They have the biggest selection, are transparent about the final price and have an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs (cheapest first!). If you use it often enough, Genius-discounts are applied. Agoda is often not transparent about prices, adding a lot of additional costs in the last booking-step. Opodo is another decent option. I don’t recommend Air BnB in Armenia, as it’s not only much more expensive, but often properties accept bookings but aren’t available at all… and as it’s prepaid, the owner has to cancel the booking for you to get your money back (try to explain that in Armenian / Russian). Writer’s choice: I visited Yerevan twice. My first stay was in the Capsule Hostel, which I definitely don’t recommend. My booked 8-bed dormitory suddenly had about 20 beds in it, the smell was unbearable and there was only 1 bathroom-shower-combo for 50+ people (I ended up staying in a pricier private room). The second time I stayed in a private room in the central Arm Hostel, which was much cleaner and way more pleasant. However, it was lacking a much needed aircon.
Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). Unfortunately, the active Couchsurfing community is quite limited in Armenia. During a month’s time I landed two stays, but I noticed that most profile’s are inactive or hosts live in with their parents and therefore cannot host.
Housesitting: is an amazing exchange allowing you to stay short- or long-term in somebody’s house, while looking after their house and pets. There are many different websites, most of them paid… but once you landed a sit, the subscription fee is pays itself back quickly. The main housesitting site is Trusted Housesitters.
Wild Camping: is entirely legal in Armenia. Of course, make sure to not litter and be careful in choosing your camping location, as bears and wolves are common in many natural areas of Armenia (never ever keep food inside of your tent and cook far away from your camping spot). Steer clear of shepherd’s territories, as the dogs guarding the cattle can be quite aggressive. When camping around towns and villages: Armenians are incredibly hospitable, and if you ask permission to camp on their land they’ll probably treat you with food and drinks.

Mama Said

Safety: Yerevan is generally safe, but use your common sense like everywhere. Don’t walk alone in remote areas after sunset, don’t take valuables along and follow your instinct when entering certain neighbourhoods further away from the centre.
Tap Water: is generally drinkable. That said, always double-check this with the accommodation owner, as some houses store their water supplies in water tanks, causing possible contamination.
Language: Keep into account that English is not spoken here. At all. Besides Armenian, most people speak Russian. If you don’t speak any of these two languages, make sure to have a translation app (such as Google Translate) at your disposal, as that makes life much easier.
Ethics: Boycott zoos like Yerevan Zoological Garden where animals are held in captivity out of their natural habitat.
The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates without any extra fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. Unfortunately, you cannot create an Armenian Dram wallet on your Wise account (yet!). Money exchange offices are concentrated in Yerevan and generally charge decent exchange rates (avoid doing it at the airport). I noticed there are quite some exchange offices, but almost none are listed on Google Maps, so it’s better to just look around.
Cash: Card payments are rarely accepted in Armenia. Always bring enough cash with you and keep in mind that small villages often don’t have ATM’s nor money exchange offices. Another difficulty is that large bills (sometimes even as small as 5000 dram / €10) are not accepted, as local shop owners simply don’t have change.
Simcard: Acquiring a simcard is rather easy and very affordable in Armenia. Simply walk into a phone shop with your passport and buy the sim and package that interest you, and the employees will set it up for you. Avoid any expensive tourist packages or deals sold at the airports. I experienced excellent service and coverage with Ucom, where I bought a 30-day call and data package. Other companies include Vivacell MTS and Beeline.

Transport

Walking: Most tourist attractions in Yerevan are located in the city centre and can be reached on foot. However, the city is quite spread out, so for further exploration or in order to reach the train and bus stations, public transport is necessary.
Cycling: Due to the hectic traffic situation in Yerevan and the reckless driving behavior of Armenian drivers I don’t recommend cycling. That said, Yerevan does have some shared bicycle systems, namely Yerevan Ride and Mimo Bike.
City Buses / Tram / Metro: Yerevan has very inexpensive buses, trolleybuses, mashrutka’s (minibuses) and a metro. You can pay the bus drivers or buy a coin for the metro system (there are ticket desks at every station). Navigation apps such as Google Maps and Moovit don’t operate here (Google Maps only gives the metro connections), but you can download the “Transit.am” app.
Taxi / Uber: The local taxi app is called Yandex Go.
Intercity Buses: There are several bus stations in Yerevan, all serving separate destinations. The Kilikia Central Bus Station (6 Isakov Avenue – reached by mashrutka/bus 5; 31; 24; 68) serves Armavir, Etchmiadzin, Vagharshapat, Abovyan, Vanadzor, Byurakan, Ashtarak, Sisian, Jermuk, Bagratashen, Stepanakert and international destinations such as Tbilisi and Tehran. The Southern Bus Station (50 Tigran Mets Avenue – reached by mashrutka/bus 1; 16; 23; 30 / metro station Sasuntsi David) serves Gyumri, Ararat, Goris and Kapan. The Northern Bus Station (1 Sevan Highway – reached by bus 32; 46) serves Dilijan and Sevan. The Nor Norq Bus Station (next to Mercedes Benz Salon) serves Garni. The Relay Factory Bus Station serves Tsaghkadzor.
Train: Even though there are many train stations all over Armenia, few are operational. Yerevan’s main train station is located at 50 Tigran Mets Avenue (reached by mashrutka/bus 1; 16; 23; 30 / metro station Sasuntsi David). From Yerevan there’s a train to Gyumri (twice a day) and one to Tbilisi (daily). Times and prices are flexible over time, so need to be verified at the station or tourism office.
Car Rental: I only recommend car rental to stress-free and confident drivers. The local traffic situation is quite the madhouse and traffic rules don’t seem to be followed. If you decide to rent a vehicle, get a proper insurance coverage as accidents and damage is never far away in Armenia. Expect to pay about 30 bucks per day.
Airport: Zvartnots International Airport (EVN). Mashrutka 201 connects the airport with downtown Yerevan (metro station Yeritasadarkan).
Hitchhiking: is relatively safe in Armenia and it’s a very common concept. Waiting times are relatively short and people generally buy you drinks and snacks along the way (and refuse to receive any generosity from your end). Take into account that English is not widely spoken, so chit-chat might be complicated.

Next?

National Destinations Close By: Garni; Khor Virap; Mount Agarats; Sevan; Dilijan; Areni; Gyumri.
International Destinations Close By: Turkey (border closed); Azarbaijan (border closed); Iran; Georgia.

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