One of the few land border crossings we did during the sabbatical was the border crossing between Georgia and Armenia. Oleg had booked a car because it only takes 6 hours from Tbilisi to Yerevan (capital of Armenia). At the border crossing it was the first time for Qiao-An that it paid off not speaking Russian (or Armenian) as she breezed through security. Oleg had to exchange some pleasantries which took a lot longer but soon enough we were back on the road surrounded by lush green mountains.
Armenia is a landlocked country in the Caucasus neighbouring Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan. Armenia has been part of the Persian, the Ottoman empire and is also a former USSR country. A famous mountain peak, Mount Ararat has been the symbol of Armenia for years and was historically part of the Armenian Highlands. In 1923, a peace treaty drafted between Turkey and the Soviet Union put Ararat in the administration of Turkey. The mountain has many stories and legends associated with it and the most famous one being its biblical reference. Mount Ararat was first referenced as the place where Noah's Ark came to rest after the flood.
Mount Ararat is still a symbol and source of inspiration for Armenia. You can actually see the mountain from Yerevan, it's in their coat of arms and they have a brandy and football club named after it. Let us take you on an adventure through Armenia and we'll share our view on the best location to admire the sacred mountain.
Good to know:
Official language: Armenian (they have their own unique alphabet). Russian is the most common foreign language spoken and English is less widely spoken.
Currency: Armenian Dram (AMD).
They accept foreign credit cards, however cash is king. We used cash for our accommodation, most of the smaller lunch places and for parking and entrance fees. Most of the restaurants in Yerevan take credit card.
Armenia has a population of 2.8 million people and 1 million people live in the capital, Yerevan.
Armenia currently gives visa exemption to citizens of around 45 nations
Georgia borders the country so we decided to do a private transfer (around 130 USD) between Georgia and Armenia. There are plenty of companies offering this service, the one we selected was allgeotrip.ru.
Rental car: surprisingly not easy and not that cheap to arrange in Yerevan. After finding a good deal in Georgia we thought it wouldn't be that different in Armenia. There were no car rental companies available through rentalcars.com so we had to improvise and found an option through localrent.com.
Taxi's: order via the Yandex Go
If you travel by car to the various sites across the country, it is likely that you will need to pay for parking even if there is no proper parking lot and you're just parking by the side of the road. There are usually some people standing around who will help point out a parking space and will approach you to ask for money.
Dress code: in cities feel free to dress as you like. We recommend in the countryside and when visiting religious sites to dress modestly. Similar to Georgia, we advise women to bring a scarf and a skirt just in case you need to cover up when visiting churches.
Day 1-2: Yerevan
Yerevan is a bustling city which reminded us a bit more of other cities in Central Asia where soviet era architecture is present. Brutalist architecture, big fountains and parks. There are lots of cafés, restaurants, and wine bars with outdoor seating and markets you can explore.
For the best view of the city, your first stop should be the Cascade complex made of limestone and consisting of 572 steps connecting 5 terraces. It stands at 302 meters high and is known to be an open air museum as well as housing the Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Climb to the top of the stairs on a clear day and you will understand why Mount Ararat is the symbol of Armenia. The mountain is the perfect backdrop for the city.
Take a stroll through Republic Square, it is seen as the heart of Yerevan and is located in the city centre. The square is dotted with pink/yellow stone buildings such as the National Museum and Marriott hotel. It has the singing fountains in the middle of the square and in the evening around 20:00 the fountain lights up for a show (don't go out of your way to see it). If you find yourself a bit thirsty when visiting the square, you can pass by the "pulpulak" which are public water fountains with clean drinking water and have cultural significance. Keep an eye out for these water fountains when travelling in Armenia, you will see them in a lot of places.
If you're looking for a place to buy souvenirs or just to have a look at local art make sure to visit the Vernissage. It is open daily but in the weekends it's definitely more lively!
Top sites to visit:
Cascade complex
Vernissage
Republic Square
How to get around:
We were quite centrally located so we managed to walk everywhere in Yerevan.
Walk
Taxi (Yandex)
Bus
Metro
Car
Where to stay
Guest house YEREVAN - Best to look this place up via booking.com as the name is a bit generic. It seems like it's owned by a family who own the whole building and have lots of rooms available. There is a communal kitchen with lots of fridge space on the top floor. We found it a comfortable and basic stay. The only issue we had was that our A/C was extremely noisy but for 36 EUR a night, we didn't expect much of the place. They only accept cash. The location was great for us as they are on a main street with lots of parking and opposite a big supermarket which was open 24/7. We grabbed our breakfast and pastries there on a daily basis. If you're looking for a bit more luxury we would not recommend staying here, look for some places around the Republic Square.
For the foodies:
Breakfast/coffee
Lumen coffee 1936 (they have two locations but the 1936 one is the most unique. They serve excellent coffee and food in a beautifully decorated interior. The walls are painted and there is intricate woodwork so make sure you pay attention to the details when visiting. If the seats in the front are all taken they also have a big communal style table in the back with plenty of space!)
Nero Bean Coffee Roastery (We grabbed takeaway coffee from here which was lovely)
Lunch/snacks
SAS supermarket (for some of the tastiest Armenian paklava we had. Instead of thin filo pastry it is made of a crunchier thicker texture and soaked in honey and filled with walnuts)
The Green Bean Cascade (for a lot of healthy lunch options right by the Cascade complex. They have an outdoor seating area perfect for people watching)
Achajour (for simple and tasty lunch options self service style)
Dinner
Sherep, Lavash and Tavern are all restaurants you need to make reservations for in advance (doesn't matter if it's during the week or weekend, they're always busy). These 3 restaurants all owned by the same business and we really liked the food.
Sherep Restaurant (one of our favourite restaurants located right by the Republic Square. They had a lot of food items that are similar to Georgian cuisine, khachapuri and khinkali. We would recommend trying their deep fried khinkali as that is a bit different to the Georgian steamed version)
Lavash Restaurant (named after the thin flat bread served with meat or as we would find out in a place in Garni also eaten with cheese and herbs as a wrap. A must try is their ghapama which is a stuffed pumpkin dish.)
Anteb (they serve a variety of dishes which have similarities to Turkish cuisine. We really liked the manti which are dumplings which in Armenia are crispy and served in a broth with yoghurt on top)
Tavern Restaurant (for a more traditional style restaurant known for playing live Armenian music on certain nights
Drinks
Mirzoyan Library (for great cocktails in a cozy courtyard setting with open balconies. There is indoor and outdoor seating and they also serve food. The location is unique and we loved relaxing here after a long day)
In Vino (for amazing local wine and snacks. Try the Voskehat ancestors' wine, it is a great amber wine)
Day 3: Khor Virap Monastery, Garni temple, Symphony of Stones & Geghard Monastery
We decided to base ourselves out of Yerevan because the distances in Armenia aren't that big making it ideal for day trips. For us it made sense because after travelling non-stop for 5 months it was a welcome change not to have to pack up our suitcase every 2 days.
We will start with the best view in Armenia: Khor Virap Monastery. We liked it so much that we didn't go once but twice! Once in the afternoon and the second time for sunrise, we can say with confidence that sunrise is the best time to go! You can see the difference in the photos, just look at how stunning the scenery is in the morning! It is 100% worth waking up early for. Just make sure that when you plan to go there, it's a clear day or you might miss out on these incredible views. An unexpected bonus was that when we visited early in the morning we also didn't need to make use of the general parking lot. We were able to drive right up to the monastery which meant we didn't have to pay any parking fee.
To get the view with the monastery and Mount Ararat, drive along the road until you find a dirt road you can drive into off the main road. You may need to walk a little into a field to get this view but have a look at the photo and tell us that isn't worth it!
There aren't really any cafés around Khor Virap Monastery so after this it is best to head towards the village of Garni for amazing local food, to see Garni Temple and the Symphony of Stones.
When arriving to the Symphony of Stones, you will see cars parked along side of the road. There is an entrance fee of 250 AMD (0.6 EUR) and after that you follow a well paved path into the Garni Gorge. Along the sides of the gorge there are well preserved basalt columns which are known as the Symphony of Stones. They are a natural monument and also known as the basalt organ because the columns look similar to organ pipes. Basalt columns are formed due to cooling and contracting of lava, so if you have been to Iceland before you may recognise this from Reynisfjara Beach or Stuðlagil Canyon. We may be a little biased but the landscape in Iceland is much more impressive so feel free to skip this area in Armenia if you have already seen this.
From the Symphony of Stones it is a short drive to Garni temple. This place also has an entrance fee 1500 AMD (3.6 EUR) and once again it will be easy enough to find parking as there will be people helping you for a small fee. The Greco-Roman structure dates back to pre-Christian Armenia and was built in the first century AD. When Armenia adopted Christianity as its national religion in the 4th century, all pagan temples except for this one were destroyed. The real reason as to why it survived is still unknown but there are a number of theories and stories surrounding it which adds to the mystery of the place.
Continue to Geghard Monastery from here. One thing we learned while being in Armenia is that Georgia isn't the only country that built monasteries in beautiful locations in the mountains. When we visited in June 2023, there were some renovation works going on on the outside. The site contains a number of churches and tombs cut into the rock and there are structures dating between the 4th and 13th century. There are decorative details carved into the structure and it has a cave like feeling inside. When walking up to the monastery from the parking lot you will notice a lot of vendors selling sweets, one of them looking like a round glazed pastry called gata. They typically have a sweet filling made of butter, flour and sugar. However, for freshly baked ones with non-traditional filling options we will recommend one at a different monastery.
Day 4: Sevanavank, Diljian and Haghartsin Monastery Complex
Sevanavank or Sevan Monastery is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan. It is made up of two churches and the surrounded by water and mountains in the distance. Be prepared to climb 230 steps as it's located on a hill. The place is worth visiting but our experience got a little tainted by the behaviour of locals at the parking lot. We share this story so you can be prepared when visiting the site. The locals are very pushy in trying to sell you candles and all sorts of things claiming that this includes the parking fee. We obliged eventually and bought some candles as we were a bit worried that they might do something to our rental car. On the way back we were told by another local that we needed to pay a parking fee. When you decide not to pay they start getting more people in an attempt to intimidate you. We weren't worried at any point that the situation would get out of hand and as we were leaving we refused to pay anything and just left. It does show that this behaviour comes from somewhere and it may have something to do with that 26.5% of the population lives below the national poverty line.
Make sure to pass by Dilijan on the way to Haghartsin Monastery Complex. We stopped in this cute town for lunch and it is known locally as the "Switzerland of Armenia". It seems like they're trying attract tourism to this area so this could also be a good place to base yourself from a couple of days to reduce travel time. Stroll through Sharambeyan Street which is a narrow street with houses that have open wooden balconies, craft workshops, a gallery and museum.
Haghartsin Monastery Complex is tucked away in the mountains and surrounded by thick forests. It is a stunning location and if that isn't enough to convince you, it's also where we had fresh gata from the oven! A must visit whether you're going for the food or the monastery. The complex was built between the 10th and 13th century and the name means "the dance" or "game" of eagles. The complex has 3 churches, a dining hall and bell tower. About 300 monks used to live here. Follow your sense of smell to Haghartsin Gata and order yourself a freshly baked one.
Top sites to visit:
Sevanavank
Dilijan
Haghartsin Monastery Complex
Garni Gorge - Symphony of Stones
Garni Temple
Geghard Monastery
Khor Virap Monastery
How to get around:
Car (highly recommended)
Taxi or private transfer
Walk
For the foodies:
Lunch/snacks
Merojakh family restaurant (A must visit when you're in Garni, it's a family owned business and set in a large garden. Usually they cater for bigger tour groups because they show how they make lavash in big underground clay ovens. We had grilled meat, a salad and tried their lavash with cheese and herbs. The portions were generous and we enjoyed the outdoor seating area)
Ker u Sus (A lovely restaurant in Dilijan with a huge outdoor area, it was still a bit chilly beginning of June but we can imagine it must be amazing to sit outside in the summer. We ordered the walnut stuffed aubergine rolls and the khachapuri)
Haghartsin Gata (for freshly baked gata, we had an untraditional filling with blueberry and lemon and it was delicious!)
Roadside stop (if you're driving from Yerevan to Dilijan, it is just after the Dilijan-Sevan tunnel on the Yerevan-Dilijan highway or just before the tunnel if you're driving the other way around. This is a place where a man with a stand serves matsun, which is an Armenian fermented milk product which tastes like sour milk or buttermilk. If there are any Dutchies reading this, it is reminiscent of Karnemelk. He also sells boiled corn in case you're feeling hungry!)
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