Want to know what to expect when travelling in Armenia? Or where to find some off the beaten path attractions? ‘Armenia – Useful Information for Travellers’ is our personal experience exploring this country in 2024. Our adventure includes Yerevan, Areni, Goris and Dilijan. We share our insights on where to stay, where to eat and drink, and things to see and do. ‘Armenia – Useful Information for Travellers’ reflects our travel style and aims to provide useful things to know before visiting this obscure destination.
Armenia ‘the land of churches and monasteries.’ With thousands of these structures scattered throughout the country, it’s easy to understand how they came up with this phrase. ‘Land of the resilient’ would also fit. With an ancient culture, and a complicated and often tragic past, if would be no surprise if Armenian’s were cold and unwelcoming. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The Armenian people are warm and friendly. Furthermore, the countryside is vast and quiet, the landscape spectacular, and opportunities for adventure are abundant. Armenia is a destination where it’s hard not to be inspired.
Why go to Armenia?
Medieval fortresses, abandoned cave cities, jaw dropping scenery, and even a wine growing region, are just some of the many things that the curious traveller can discover in Armenia. Yerevan, the capital, is a modern, bustling city, with plenty to offer. The rest of the country offers some world class points of interests, most of which are within easy reach. Yes, there’s loads of monasteries, but it’s often the location and the drive to reach them that can be the main experience. National Parks and Reserves provide ample hiking options, with outdoor activities growing in popularity. All this, along with laid back locals, make travelling in Armenia a rewarding and memorable experience.
- Capital: Yerevan
- Best time to visit: May – October
- Budget/Mid-Range/Couple: AU$130 per day
- Currency: Armenian Dram (AMD260 = AU$1)
- Language: Armenian
- Visa: No
- Difficulty: 2 (1-basic & 5-challenging)
Yerevan
Yerevan will surprise you. It’s a modern and happening place. Museum’s, monuments and galleries provide a glimpse into the past, and a chance to learn some of Armenia’s story. Cafes, wine bars and restaurants fill the tree lined streets, which become crowded with people in the evenings. Fast cars, designer clothes and fancy stores seem to be the scene here. But parks filled with statues and monuments are never more than a block or two away, and are a popular place for socialising, with men playing backgammon. Yerevan is a place where you could easily spend a couple of days or more.
Getting to Yerevan
With connections to most of Europe, along with Middle Eastern destinations, flying to Yerevan is easy and in-expensive. Minibus’s make multiple trips per day between Yerevan and neighbouring Tbilisi, and an overnight train makes the journey a few times per week in the summer. Bus 201 makes the trip from Yerevan Airport to the city every thirty minutes, where you can connect with the local metro.
Where to stay in Yerevan
Accommodation options are plentiful, with all budgets covered. Finding a place near one of the many parks is a good idea. Having a metro station within walking distance is also a bonus, as a lot of the sights are on the outskirts of the city. We found a great Airbnb near Circular Park and Zoravar Metro, with the city centre an easy walk away.
Where to eat and drink in Yerevan
The city is packed with restaurants, bars and cafes, they are everywhere. Quality and prices vary. Check where the locals are eating, this is usually a good indication of the food on offer. All diets are covered, with a great variety of local cuisine. Keep an eye out for small bakeries making bread the traditional way.
- Get to Future Diner (a cool place offering local, organic ingredients, with heaps of vegan options)
- Don’t miss StrEAT Food (buffet style local place. Great selection and prices. Popular with locals)
- Check out Gluten Free Bakery (a small local bakery offering some of the tastiest cakes and treats. Look in the fridge for the vegan slices!)
Things to see and do in Yerevan
Yerevan is a museum lovers paradise. Additionally, squares, statues and monuments decorate the streets. Other attractions are located outside the city and can be reached by bus or taxi. Day trips are offered by tour companies all over the city.
Armenian Genocide Memorial Museum A place of reflection. Very powerful. Not to be missed.
National Opera and Ballet Theatre Yerevan is a great place to check out an opera or ballet, with very affordable tickets and numerous shows. We saw the Nutcracker. It was a wonderful experience.
The Cascade stairs are home to the Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Make your way to the top for the view of the city. Keep exploring to find the Mother of Armenia statue in the nearby park.
Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery can be easily combined on a day trip from Yerevan. Avoid on weekends! Reachable by bus with a bit of planning. The number one trip for tour operators. A lot of the monastery is closed off, but there are some good short walks nearby.
Getting around Yerevan
Yerevan has a practical metro, a single line running North to South, which is super cheap and easy to use. Traffic in the centre is aways bumper to bumper, so walking is the best way to get around. Buses and minivans head in every direction, with numbers displayed on the bus indicating the route. The main bus and train stations are located outside the city centre. The train station is connected by the metro station Sasuntsi. The bus station has no nearby metro or direct city centre connections. A taxi is your best bet.
Areni
Areni, the wine capital of Armenia, is a small, pleasant village, packed with wineries and road side stalls selling locally grown wine and fresh produce. On the main road South, it is a popular place to stop for lunch and a drink on your way to Goris. But consider staying for a few days, as there’s loads of local vineyards to visit and wine to taste. A short drive out of town lies one of Armenia’s best scenic monasteries, along with caves, and a giant cliff top fortress. The locals are welcoming, the wine is tasty. Life is good.
Getting to Areni
Less than two hours by bus or car from Yerevan, reaching Areni is simple. Located on the main highway which runs through the country, it’s not a hard place to get to.
Where to stay in Areni
Guesthouses and Airbnb’s can be found around town. With most visitors only stopping here for a break, there’s not a massive selection of accommodation options. It’s a small place, so anywhere in town would be a convenient choice. There’s a couple of wineries that offer homestays, and we found a decent Airbnb at the bottom of town.
Where to eat and drink in Areni
There are a number of eating options on the main street, which are popular with tour groups. The prices can be high, and the quality can vary. A number of the local wineries have lunch and wine tasting options. These offer delicious homemade produce. Pre-booking is usually required.
- Don’t miss Areni Wine Winery (one of our favourites. Six wines, homemade snacks, pleasant atmosphere)
- Check out Wine House Mher (family run. Serves wine and lunch. Also sells wine by the glass)
- Visit one of the Roadside Stalls selling wine and fruit. Ask for a sample. Sold by the litre. Keep an eye out for where the locals stop, a good indication.
- Get to Yeghegnadzor Food Court (a short drive, this place has the best selection in the area. Friendly staff. Some speak English)
Things to see and do in Areni
Wine Tasting is on everyone’s agenda here. You could spend a week here and still not visit them all.
Noravank is one of the most spectacular spots in the country. Get here early. Not to be missed.
Areni-1 and Magellan Caves can be explored on a thirty-minute guided tour. No English. Both are on the road to Noravank.
Smbataberd Fortress lies on top of a cliff and is reached by old jeeps who wait on the road at the bottom. The trip takes around twenty minutes. AMD12000-15000 for a return trip per jeep.
Getting around Areni
Areni is best explored on foot, especially if you are doing some wine tasting! To get to sights just out of town, you will need a car. Minibuses head along the main roads, where you can hop off, and catch a lift with someone for the last leg.
Goris
Goris is our favourite Armenian town. It’s an often overlooked place, with most visitors stopping briefly for lunch on their way to Tatev. But Goris offers plenty for the curious traveller. It’s a great place to spend a few quiet nights after exploring the nearby abandoned cave cities or hiking in the surrounding hills. The tree lined streets and welcoming resident’s give it a calm and peaceful atmosphere. The old part of town has ancient stone houses, which have managed to survive the Soviet era.
Getting to Goris
Goris is around a five-hour drive from Yerevan, with numerous attractions along the way to break up the journey. Two minivans depart each day from outside Sasuntsi Metro station in Yerevan, making the trip in about six hours.
Where to stay in Goris
Finding a local guesthouse isn’t too hard. It’s not a flat town, so consider this when making a booking. Places on the hill have the best views, and also an up hill walk when returning from the town centre, where restaurants and supermarkets are located. We stayed at Hayi Tun Guesthouse, at the top of town. It’s a good choice for those with a car, with easy access to the main road.
Where to eat and drink in Goris
There’s understandably not a massive variety of eating establishments around town, but there are a couple of nice local places, plus a few decent supermarkets, and more than enough fruit and vegetable stalls.
- Get to Tur Baza Cafe (hands down the best selection of food in town, with fantastic views across the river of Old Goris)
- Don’t miss Shane Supermarket (the place to get your groceries. Also a very popular food court, with local dishes. Limited room, so avoid during the lunchtime period)
- Check out Old Goris (local restaurant with lovely service and homemade food)
Things to see and do in Goris
Old Khndzoresk should be on everyone’s Armenian itinerary. Exploring the old cave dwellings was one of our most memorable experiences in the country. The location itself is amazing, above a river in a gorge. Access is over a swing bridge, it’s free, and nowhere is off limits. Perfect place to bring a picnic. It takes about twenty-five minutes to drive here from town.
Tatev Monastery is the reason most people head this far South. Like many other monasteries in the country, it’s often the location and journey to reach it that is the highlight. Tatev can be reached via a modern cable car, the worlds longest, with spectacular scenery. It’s also possible to drive to the monastery, with some sights, including Satan’s Bridge, to check out on the way. It gets really busy after the first cable car arrives at 10am, so come early and you will have the whole place to yourself.
Old Goris Cave Dwellings are just across the river in town. Inhabited in the 5th century, not much remains, but there’s still a few things to discover, along with some great views back over Goris. There are more caves located in the surrounding hills.
Getting around Goris
Downtown Goris is easy to navigate on foot, and you can even walk to the cave dwellings across the river, however, the sights out of town require a vehicle. Local taxis will take you wherever you want to go, and hitchhiking is common in Armenia. Minivans can get to the turnoff, from where you will need to walk or catch a lift.
Dilijan
With a National Park on its doorstep, and plenty of nature and greenery, pretty Dilijan is a popular getaway for the people of Yerevan. Tourist’s flock here for the hiking and scenery, with the town becoming very crowded and overrun on weekends and holidays. Dilijan is growing, with development already underway to meet the demand, which will inevitably change the town. The area offers plenty of potential, but with the amount of visitors, you may need to be a bit more creative to find the peaceful forest getaway.
Getting to Dilijan
Connected by regular minibus’s, you can easily make the trip from Yerevan in under two hours. With your own car, the trip takes about 1.5hrs.
Where to stay in Dilijan
Dilijan is packed with guesthouses and hotels, they are everywhere. Staying in the town centre may be convenient, but you may want to consider somewhere which offers a river or forest view. There’s some nice places up on the hill above town, which are quiet and peaceful. We found a great Airbnb near the river on Kalinin Street, in a local neighbourhood, away from the tourists, but close enough to walk into the centre.
Where to eat and drink in Dilijan
Theres a few places to eat around town, which become packed during busy periods. Tsiran Supermarket at the top of town is modern, with the best selection of supplies, including fruit and vegetables for self-catering. One thing Dilijan isn’t short on is picnic spots, on the river, or in the National Park. Picnics are the perfect way to enjoy what the area is all about, nature, peace, and quiet, which is often missing in the busy town centre.
- Get to Hamov Ankyun Food Court (best selection in town, friendly ladies)
- Don’t miss Darchin Pastry and Cafe (delicious vegan cakes. The carrot cake was great)
- Check out Dili Coffee (awesome selection of coffee from all over the world. You can purchase beans, and have them ground, or brewed. Also sells cakes and treats)
Things to see and do in Dilijan
Dilijan National Park contains plenty of hiking and picnic options. The Tourist Information Centre in town has maps.
Haghartsin Monastery is set on the banks of a river surrounded by forest. Theres some short walk options which depart from here. Avoid on weekends.
Goshavank Monastery is another easy trip from Dilijan. Not as busy as Haghartsin.
Fallen Soviet Soldiers of WWII Monument is a short walk up the river from town.
Getting around Dilijan
The town centre is spread out, with a lower and upper area, which can both be negotiated on foot. To reach the National Park and monasteries out of town, a car or taxi is required. Public transport can drop you close to points of interest, where it is possible to catch a ride the rest of the way when it’s busy.
Getting to Armenia
Flying to Armenia is easy, with connections to most of Europe, along with Middle Eastern destinations. Arriving by plane into Yeveran, or entering by bus from Georgia, are the two main options when it comes to accessing the country.
We visited Armenia, along with neighboring countries, Georgia and Azerbaijan, over the three-month summer period.
Useful things to know before visiting Armenia
It gets really hot during the summer months.
Driving here is a challenge. You will need to have some experience.
Land borders with Azerbaijan are closed.
English is limited.
It’s safe.
A public toilet is almost non-existent. There are some by the Opera House.
Dress respectfully when entering a monastery or church.
E-sim has good coverage.
Final thoughts on travelling in Armenia
Armenia was a surprising place. It’s a destination where you leave with a different perspective than the preconceived picture you may have arrived with. There’s a lot to take in. A history of conflict, genocide and persecution will never be forgotten, and reminders of these times are on display throughout the country. But the people are resilient, they move on and continue their ancient traditions. Head out of the capital, and things appear as though they haven’t changed in hundreds of years. This is what the people want, to live their way, peacefully. Yerevan is a busy city, modern and forever evolving. Life here has a more 21st century feel. Business and fast cars. Still, Yerevan’s story is easy to see, in the buildings, statues, and parks. It’s a unique city and country, as are its people. Travelling here is a cultural and reflective experience, rewarding. Come with an open mind, and you leave with something more valuable than souvenirs, you will leave with a new appreciation of people, life and travel.