Travel Tips
Armenia- is a nation, and former Soviet republic, in the mountainous Caucasus region between Asia and Europe. Among the earliest Christian civilizations, it’s defined by religious sites including the Greco-Roman Temple of Garni and 4th-century Etchmiadzin Cathedral, headquarters of the Armenian Church. Khor Virap Monastery is a pilgrimage site near Mount Ararat, a dormant volcano just across the border in Turkey. Armenia is one of the most ancient and unique countries in the Caucasus. Despite its small territories, this country has so much to offer to its foreign guests, picturesque mountainous landscapes, ancient sights, delicious cuisine, exciting places for active holiday lovers!
Trip Planning: The planning stage of your trip can be instrumental in its success and an enjoyable part of the experience itself. You have a world of options...and plenty to consider.
Entry and Exit formalities: Visitors must hold a passport valid for at least six months & beyond at the time of entering the country. Some nationalities can obtain visa on arrival and for nationalities who requires visa please refer to the Armenian consulate website: https://uae.mfa.am/en/visa/
Transportation: Figuring out how to get around is one of your biggest pre-trip decisions. Get our holiday expert best advice on deciding between your options.
Based on your trip itinerary, our experts will help you choose wisely. You'll also find a wealth of practical travel tips.
Money: Use your money wisely. Know the best time to use cash or card — and how to avoid unnecessary fees either way — as well as tipping etiquette.
Phones and Technology: Phones and other smart devices can be huge time-savers...or expensive distractions. Get our tips for making the best use of technology during your trip, and for calling home with or without your own phone.
Packing Light: On your trip you'll meet two kinds of travelers: those who pack light and those who wish they had.
Sleeping and Eating: Your hotel and restaurant choices can be a matter-of-face chore…or they can provide rich opportunities to connect with locals and their culture.
Health & Hygiene: Take comfort: Doctors, hospitals, launderettes, and bathrooms aren’t that different. Dealing with them can even be part of the fun of travel.
Sightseeing & Activities: Once you're on the ground, the real fun begins…but it pays to have a thoughtful plan. Our experts will help you get oriented to your surroundings, use your sightseeing hours wisely, and find your way off the beaten path.
Things to see & do:
Armenia-is of а great interest for cultural tourism lovers. And that’s no wonder: the country with its 3500 year- old history has so many unique historical and cultural attractions, that it is sometimes called the museum under the open sky. Most of the sights here are connected with Christianity: ancient monasteries and churches with their amazing architecture, unique cross-stones not only history and culture Armenia is famous for Mountainous landscapes of Armenia are very favorable for different extreme sports and it has good conditions for paragliding, mountaineering, ski sports, snowboarding, rock climbing, trekking and others.
Yerevan- Armenia's capital, is marked by grand Soviet-era architecture. The Matenadaran library, housing thousands of ancient Greek and Armenian manuscripts, dominates its main avenue. Republic Square is the city's core, with musical water fountains and colonnaded government buildings. The 1920s History Museum of Armenia on the square's eastern side contains archaeological objects like a circa-3500-B.C. leather shoe.
Ancient city of Yerevan-The Yerevan delights with its cozy atmoshphere, unique architecture, lots of educational museums, and well-designed cafes and restaurants. Visit the city center with its majestic Republic Square, Opera and Ballet Theater, and modern Northern Avenue, have a good time in one of the national restaurants and order national dishes like tolma, horovats, harisa, stroll around the
Dilijan- is a town in northern Armenia. It's known for spa resorts and traditional craft workshops. The town is surrounded by the forests of Dilijan National Park. The Geological Museum and Art Gallery displays archaeological finds and international art. North of town, Haghartsin Monastery is a complex of stone churches. East, Goshavank Monastery is known for its intricate khachkars, or carved stones.
Lake Sevan-The beauty of which will not leave anyone indifferent. It is one of the highest fresh water lakes in the world and the largest in the Caucasus. It is impossible not to admire the picturesque landscapes surrounding the lake: hills covered with forests, rock cliffs, grasslands turning into alpine meadows. Sevan is the best choice for those who prefer beach vacations, want to swim, sunbathe, play active games and have a good time. Sevan, is a town and urban municipal community, as well as one of the most and popular resorts in Armenia, located in the Gegharkunik Province on the northwestern shores of Lake Sevan.
Tsakhkadzor-The most popular ski resort of Armenia is Tsakhkadzor which offers great eqipment and well-developed ski trails. The rope-way built on the slopes of Mount Teghenis ensures maximum safety for the visitors. Tsaghkadzor, is a spa town and urban municipal community, as well as one of the most popular health resorts in Armenia, located north of the capital Yerevan in the Kotayk Province.
Tatev- is a village and rural community in the Syunik Province of Armenia. It is home to the Tatev monastery. The the best example of medieval architecture, Haghpat and Sanahin included into UNESCO world heritage list.
Khor Virap- is an Armenian monastery located in the Ararat plain in Armenia, near the closed border with Turkey, about 8 kilometres south of Artashat, Ararat Province, within the territory of ancient Artaxata. The monastery was host to a theological seminary and was the residence of Armenian Catholicos. Its breathtaking view to Mount Ararat.
Geghard- is a medieval monastery in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with enhanced protection status.
Yeghegnadzor- is a town and urban municipal community at the south of Armenia, serving as the provincial capital of Vayots Dzor Province. It is located at a road distance of 123 km south of the capital Yerevan, on the shores of Srkghonk River, at a height of 1194 meters above sea level.
Ganja- is a city in western Azerbaijan. In its east, the Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum honors the revered 12th-century local poet. Not far from the center, the ancient city of Ganja is an archaeological site with the ruins of a walled fort. The Imamzade complex features religious buildings with ornate blue tile work. Other notable landmarks include the Juma Mosque, with its large dome and ornamental fountains
Gyumri- is an urban municipal community and the second largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative centre of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country.
Vanadzor- is an urban municipal community and the third-largest city in Armenia, serving as the capital of Lori Province in the northern part of the country. It is located about 128 kilometres north of the capital Yerevan.
Vagharshapat- is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about 18 km west of the capital Yerevan, and 10 km north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as Ejmiatsin, which was its official name between 1945 and 1995.
Kapan- is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative center of the urban community of Kapan as well as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji River and is on the northern slopes of Mount Khustup.
Goris- is a town and the centre of the urban community of Goris, in Syunik Province at the south of Armenia. Located in the valley of river Goris, it is 254 km from the Armenian capital Yerevan and 67 km from the provincial center Kapan. Goris is the second-largest city in Syunik in terms of population.
Artashat- is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Ararat Province. It is located on the Araks River in the Ararat plain, 30 km southeast of Yerevan. Artashat was founded in 1945 by the Soviet government of Armenia and named after the nearby ancient city of Artashat.
Gavar- is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Gegharkunik Province. It is situated among the high mountains of Gegham range to the west of Lake Sevan, with an average height of 1982 meters above sea level.
Ararat- is a town and urban municipal community in the Ararat Province of Armenia, located on the Yerevan-Nakhchivan highway, 42 km southeast of the capital Yerevan and 19 km south of the provincial centre Artashat. In the 2011 census, the population of the town was 20,235.
Abovyan or Abovian- is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia within the Kotayk Province. It is located 16 kilometres northeast of Yerevan and 32 kilometres southeast of the province centre Hrazdan.
Masis- is a town and urban municipal community in the Ararat Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of the Hrazdan River, 9 km southwest of Yerevan towards Mount Ararat.
Alaverdi- is a town and municipal community in the Lori Province at the northeastern part of Armenia, near the border with Georgia. It is located at the only direct rail link between Armenia and Georgia.
Armavir- is a town and urban municipal community located in the west of Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Armavir Province. It was founded in 1931 by the government of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Ashtarak- is a town and urban municipal community in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of the Aragatsotn province.
Sisian- is a town and the centre of the urban community of Sisian, in Syunik Province at the south of Armenia. It is located on Vorotan River, 6 km south of the Yerevan-Meghri highway, at a road distance of 217 km southeast of the capital Yerevan, and 115 km north of the provincial centre Kapan.
Hrazdan- is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Kotayk Province, located 45 kilometres northeast of the capital Yerevan.
Ijevan, is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Tavush Province. It is located at the center of the region, at the foot of Ijevan ridge of Gugark Mountains, on the shores of Aghstev River.
Jermuk- is a mountain spa town and the centre of the urban community of Jermuk in Vayots Dzor Province at the south of Armenia, at a road distance of 53 km east of the provincial capital Yeghegnadzor. It was considered one of the popular destinations for medical tourism in the Soviet Union.
Spitak- is a town and urban municipal community in the northern Lori Province of Armenia. It is 96 km north of the capital, Yerevan, and 22 km west of the provincial centre, Vanadzor. Spitak was entirely destroyed during the devastating 1988 earthquake, and it was rebuilt in a slightly different location.
Artik- is a town and urban municipal community in the Shirak Province of Armenia. As of the 2011 census, the town had a population of 19,534. Artik is famous for its tufa stones, mainly the pink and rosy colored tufa.
Charentsavan- is a town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It was founded in 1947 as Lusavan, and renamed in 1967 after the poet Yeghishe Charents.
Stepanavan- is a town and municipal community in the Lori Province of Armenia. It is located 139 km north of the capital Yerevan and 24 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor, in the centre of Yerevan-Tbilisi highway.
Vardenis- is a town and urban municipal community at the southeastern part of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. It is located in the valley of the Masrik River, on the territory of the Masrik artesian basin at 2,006 metres above sea level, near the southeastern shores of Lake Sevan.
Stepanakert, or Khankendi- is the de facto capital and the largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, though the city is within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan.
Tashir- is a town and urban municipal community located in Lori Province at the north of Armenia, near the border with Georgia. It is located 42 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor and 154 north of the capital Yerevan.
Vayk- is a town and the centre of the urban community of Vayk in Vayots Dzor Province at the south of Armenia. As per the 2016 official estimate, Vayk had a population of around 4,700.
Aparan- is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia, located in the Aragatsotn Province, about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Yerevan.
Martuni, is a town and urban municipal community in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, located on the southern shores of Lake Sevan.
Chambarak- is a town and urban municipal community in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. Chambarak was founded in 1835-40 as Mikhaylovka on the Getik River by Russian immigrants.
Talin- is a town and urban municipal community in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The community is notable for the 7th-century Cathedral of Talin.
Berd- is a town and urban municipal community in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The town is located to the west of the Tavush river, 211 kilometres from Yerevan, surrounded by low mountains. Near the city are the ruins of the Tavush fortress and the Nor Varagavank and Khoranashat monasteries.
Maralik- is a town and the centre of the urban community of Ani, in Shirak Province at the northwest of Armenia.
Noyemberyan, is a town and urban municipal community at the northeast of Armenia, within the Tavush Province. It is located 2 km west of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, and 9 km south of the Armenia-Georgia border.
Akhtala- is a town and municipal community in the Lori Province of Armenia, located along the Shamlugh river, on the slopes of Lalvar mountain, at a distance of 186 km north of the capital Yerevan and 62 km north of provincial centre Vanadzor.
Meghri- is a town and the center of the urban community of Meghri, in Syunik Province at the south of Armenia, near the border with Iran.
Byureghavan- is a town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is located 16 kilometres northeast of Yerevan, and 25 kilometres south of the provincial center Hrazdan. It covers an area of 4 square kilometres.
Vedi- is a town and urban municipal community in the Ararat Province of Armenia, located along the Vedi river, 35 kilometres south of the capital Yerevan, and 18 kilometres southeast of the provincial centre Artashat.
Yeghvard- is a town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is located 39 kilometres southwest of the provincial centre Hrazdan.
Tumanyan- is a town and urban municipal community in the Lori Province of Armenia, located 149 km north of the capital Yerevan, and 38 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor.
Nor Hachn- is a town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia, founded in 1953. The town is located on the right bank of Hrazdan River, to the west of the Arzni canyon, on the immediate proximity of the Arzni-Shamiram canal.
Ayrum- is a town and urban municipal in the Tavush Province of Armenia, located at a road distance of 206 km northeast of the capital Yerevan and 73 km north of the provincial capital Ijevan. It is situated on the shores of Debed river, only 2 km away from the Armenia–Georgia border.
Kajaran- is a village in the Kajaran Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. The village is home to the 17th-century Surp Hakovb Church.
Dastakert- is a village in the Syunik Province of Armenia that belongs to the community of Sisian. It is located 225 km south of the capital Yerevan and 115 km north-west of the provincial centre Kapan.
Garni- is a major village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is known for the nearby classical temple.
Shamlugh- is a village within the Akhtala Municipality of Lori Province at the northeast of Armenia. It is situated on the left bank of Debed River, at a road distance of 196 km north of the capital Yerevan and 63 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral- is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city of Vagharshapat, Armenia. According to most scholars it was the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia, and is often considered the oldest cathedral in the world.
Cascade Stairway and Museum - Located in the very center of Yerevan, this immense staircase is a beautiful creation with many terraces encompassed by artsy statues and sculptures, impressive floral ornaments, and some of the city’s best cafés, bars, and restaurants. Climb up the stairs for stunning views of the city and Ararat Mountain, or visit Cafesjian Center for the Arts to learn more about local art and artists.
Freedom Square - or Liberty Square as it is also often called, is a town square situated in the central district of the city. It is part of the Yerevan Opera Theater complex, located between Swan Lake and the Opera Park. Freedom Square, along with the Republic Square, is one of the main squares in the center of the capital bordering four streets: Mashtots Avenue, Sayat Nova, Tumanyan Steet, and Teryan Streer.
Mother Armenia Monument - Mother Armenia is a female representation of Armenia itself, located in Victory Park overlooking the capital. The statue is situated on a high pedestal and is 51 meters (167 ft) high in total. The monument symbolizes peace through strength and looks like a guardian of Yerevan. Every year, on May 9, thousands of Armenians come here to commemorate Armenian victims of World War II by laying flowers at its base. And if you are into military history, the pedestal of the statue is home of the Military Museum of the Ministry of Defense, where much of the exhibition space is dedicated to the Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1988-94.
Erebuni Museum - The opening of the Erebuni Museum in 1968 coincided with the 2,750th anniversary of the city. Standing at the foot of Atin Berd hill, you can explore the museum and the Urartian Fortress Erebuni that sits atop it, which has been turned into an outdoor museum. According to the inscription, the area was built by the King of Urartu, Argishti I, in 782 BCE. Most parts of the fortress were built from raw bricks, while the castle was surrounded by strong walls. Archeologists have found a large collection of artifacts, jars, everyday items, bronze bracelets, agate beads, and glass items, among other things.
Ararat Brandy Factory - Those of you who like trying locally produced alcoholic beverages will enjoy the tour of the Ararat Brandy Factory and its museum. You will learn about the factory, the production process, distilling, and bottling, as well as getting a chance to try some of the varieties of the brandy.
Sergei Parajanov Museum - Sergei Parajanov was a Soviet director and artist of Armenian origin. The house museum represents his artistic and literary heritage, and was founded in 1988 when Parajanov moved to Yerevan and started the construction project for it. Due to socio-economic problems and the 1988 earthquake, the museum was opened only after his death, in 1991. Being one of the cultural centers of the capital, the museum is known for its publications, exhibitions, and honorary receptions. Wander through two floors showcasing around 1,400 items, including drawings, hats, Parajanov’s memorabilia, original posters, festival prizes, unpublished screenplays, and his various artworks.
The Armenian Genocide Museum- As the name suggests, the museum is devoted to the Armenian Genocide of 1915 by the Ottoman government, who exterminated 1.5 million Armenians during and after World War I in two phases. The museum in Yerevan is a sobering walk back through history, where visitors can learn about the pre-genocide era, see the heart-wrenching interviews, observe the reports, and watch films that testify to the emotional distress of the survivors.
Yerevan Great Blue Mosque - This beautiful Blue Mosque is a Shia mosque built in the 18th century. Much like any other religious buildings, the mosque stopped its service during Soviet rule. However, after Armenia gained its independence, the mosque was renovated with support from the Iranian government. Being the only mosque in the whole country, Blue Mosque is a fascinating architectural site with its colorful design both inside and out, as well as its dome that attracts the eye from a distance.
History Museum of Armenia - History buffs will enjoy a visit to the History Museum of Armenia, which has departments of numismatics, ethnography, archaeology, and modern history. With its national collection of 400,000 objects, the museum is regarded as Armenia’s national museum. Here, you can find a large collection of bronze items dating back to the 3rd-2nd millennia BC, the historical-cultural heritage of Urartu, a collection of gold, silver, and copper coins of different countries and kingdoms, just to name a few.
Azat- is a river in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. Its source is on the western slope of the Geghama mountains. It flows through Garni, Lanjazat and Arevshat. It flows into the Arax near Artashat. The main purpose of the Azat dam is to serve for irrigation and hydro power generation.
Paragliding-one of the most favorite places is a small village Covagyugh near Lake Sevan and Mount Hatis.
Trekking- Mount Aragats is an isolated four-peaked volcano massif in Armenia. Its northern summit, at 4,090 m above sea level, is the highest point of the Lesser Caucasus and Armenia. It is also one of the highest points in the Armenian Highlands.