Cities to visit in Armenia in Europe
Places of interest in Armenia - what to do and what to visit Discover amazing cities to visit on the European continent
Our travel itinerary in Armenia
– Eghegnadzor and Noravank: 3 days
Two hours south of Yerevan, Eghegnadzor is a pleasant village surrounded by golden hills. The city itself can be visited quickly but we appreciated its particularly warm inhabitants. In the surrounding area, friendly excursions took us to the fortress of Smbataberd, in the multiple bends of the Selim Pass and especially at the foot of the Noravank Monastery, one of the most beautiful in Armenia. An ideal first step to discover the country smoothly!
➤ Read the article on Eghegnadzor and Noravank
– Goris, the troglodyte city: 2 days
Further south, we discovered the small town of Goris. Here again, it is the landscapes more than the city itself that are worth a visit: all around Goris, amazing troglodyte formations cover the hills, a feast for the eyes, and a mysterious setting as possible as a walking environment!
– Tatev, in the depths of Armenia: 1 day
Not far from Goris, the longest cable car in the world (yes yes) dropped us off in Tatev, a village surrounded by mountains. The attraction of the area is the monastery, elegantly perched on the edge of the precipice. Be careful, the view is often blocked by clouds. The round trip from Goris is easy during the day. ➤ Read the article about Goris and Tatev
– Yerevan, the capital where it is good to stroll: 15 days
Yerevan is a favorite! The Armenian capital has a certain charm with its pink monuments, wide sidewalks, laid-back inhabitants, café terraces, markets and exciting museums. The Armenian Genocide Museum, in particular, is as informative as it is poignant. We found the city of Yerevan particularly lively and culturally oriented. It is a surprisingly modern and dynamic capital compared to the rest of Armenia. ➤ Read the article about the city of Yerevan
– Aragats, Ghegard and Garni, excursion around Yerevan: 1 day
A beautiful escape around Yerevan made us successively climb the Aragats volcano, admire the monastery of Ghegard, one of the oldest in Armenia, greet the Greek temple of Garni... before witnessing a stunning sunset over the Armenian countryside. Do not hesitate to dedicate a day or two to the surroundings of Yerevan, rich in discoveries. ➤ Read the article on Aragats, Ghegard and Garni
– Dilijan, its monastery and its national park: 2 days
Going up north, towards the Georgian border, we stopped in Dilijan. Nearby are the Haghartsin Monastery and especially the large Dilijan National Park, ideal playground for hiking in landscapes... snowy during our visit! If you are a fan of treks, multiple trails are being marked.
– Alaverdi, Soviet ruins and hiking: 2 days
Last stop in Armenia, the industrial city of Alaverdi. It's certainly not the cutest corner of the country, but we were happy to discover one last rusty little town, high perched monasteries and enjoy a hiking trail that winds between them.
➤ Read the article on Dilijan and Alaverdi
Clearly, we traveled taking our time. If you are looking to make a week-long itinerary in Armenia,our favorite places in the country are Yerevan and its surroundings, Eghgnadzor, as well as Goris for a hike in the middle of the fairy chimneys.
Fairy chimneys, Old Goris, Armenia
The stages of our tour in Armenia on a map
Food in Armenia
It seems that fruits in general and apricots in particular are among the best in the world in Armenia. Visiting the country in the fall, we fell back on the dried fruits, delicious!
In much of the country, the kitchen revolves around barbecued skewers. Not ideal for vegetarians! Yerevan, the capital, is an exception, offering dozens of restaurants, for all tastes. Our favorites are those inspired by the Middle East. We feasted on hummus, vine leaves and babaganoush for example.
Oriental food
Note that many restaurants and cafes are still unfortunately smokers.
Transport in Armenia
We mainly traveled to Armenia by public transport, that is to say in marshrutkas,minibuses of about fifteen seats. They are rather frequent, cheap and we have always found free seats.
The big flaw: they rarely allow you to reach tourist sites such as monasteries. It is then necessary either to hitchhike (rather effective), or to call a taxi. This leads the majority of travelers in Armenia to rent a car or participate in organized tours in private coaches.
In short, it is possible to travel independently, it is also very rewarding in terms of meetings, but you have to be resourceful!
Accommodation in Armenia
The Cascade is a giant stairway made of limestone in Yerevan, Armenia.
We stayed in comfortable, clean and well kept family guest rooms paying between 15 and 25 € the double room. If you are travelling in the winter, make sure that the accommodation has heating. In the middle of summer, you may need air conditioning. Breakfast is often offered, as well as dinner on site. Generally, our interlocutors spoke good English.
As the month of October heralds the beginning of the low season, we were able to travel without stressing ourselves for the accommodations. We only booked a few days before via Booking and could adjust the program. The months of June to September seem to see more travelers.
Here are our two favorite addresses:
in Yerevan: Accommodation in the capital is a bit more expensive than elsewhere in Armenia, but we were lucky to find a fully equipped studio, right in the center, run by a lovely family. Its name: VD Apartment (~30€). in Alaverdi: We stayed at the Guest House in Alaverdi (22€ per night). An excellent bed and breakfast: it is large, clean, comfortable and even cozy, with the possibility of dining on site for a ridiculous price.
Meetings with Armenians
We felt really good among the Armenians! We found them benevolent, smiling and gentle. In the countryside, they are curious to see tourists, and inevitably ask us if we love their country. They, in turn, tell us that they love France and the French. A small percentage of the population learned French at school, some have family in France and, seemingly nothing, the great Charles Aznavour probably helped to link our two countries.
Street Vendors, Selim Caravanserail, Armenia
Security in Armenia
Forget its stormy past, Armenia is absolutely not dangerous. Just know that the country does not get along with either Turkey or Azerbaijan and therefore these borders are closed and militarized. Avoid venturing too close and everything will be fine.
Travel insurance is far from imperative as for other destinations. It's up to you to see according to the activities you plan to practice. For our part, we prefer to be systematically covered during our trips outside the European Union and we use ACS Assurances. It is serious while being one of the cheapest on the market.
The best season to visit Armenia
The thermometer sees beautiful ones, with hot summers (more than 40 ° C) and cold winters (up to -15 ° C). If possible, aim for the off-seasons. For our part, while traveling to Armenia in October, we enjoyed mild temperatures and sunny weather. Only towards the end of October, we felt winter come with cold, a little rain and even snow at altitude.
Walk in Dilijan Park in autumn, Armenia
Our tips and tricks for traveling in Armenia
– Water is drinkable in Yerevan, not drinkable in the rest of the country.
– Gourmets, plan a little space in your suitcases to bring back dried fruits. We gorged ourselves on it!
– Do not hesitate to exchange with people in the street. They rarely start conversations, but dozens of questions burn their lips.
Avoid, however, talking to Armenians about Turkey and Turks. Genocide is still very much on people's minds.
Some anecdotes
– Be patient on the road because slowdowns can be created by... sheep!
Lada among sheep in Armenia
– Armenians push their passion for apricot to the point of calling the color that adorns the flag, not orange, but apricot.
– Armenia is the land of rust: car carcasses, old pipes, disused factories... But you will end up finding a certain charm, if so.
Armenia for nomads
4G works impeccably well in the country, even in remote places, it's impressive. However, we would have quickly become bored in rural Armenia, including medium-sized cities. For a long stay, aim for the pleasant and dynamic Yerevan, where you will have all the comforts you could dream of at a decent price, as well as a large selection of cafes perfect for working, in the middle of Armenian freelancers.
Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia
Paper guide on Armenia
We do not usually use paper guides, preferring to rummage through the Internet. But as online resources on Armenia are limited, we have invested in the Lonely Planet Georgia/Armenia/Azerbaijan (available in English only, so difficult to find in bookstores). Verdict: We recommend it. It is a version written in 2015, but it remains useful and generally reliable (transport, hiking, cultural information).