Travel Memoirs

Glimpses of My First Trip to Armenia

What you can learn from my exciting trip to this exotic country

Before my trip to Armenia, my knowledge about the country was limited. While Google offered some guides in English, I decided to explore the depths of the internet, including the darknet, searching in Russian to prepare for my journey.

Surprisingly, this unconventional method uncovered valuable insights that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.

In this post, I want to share everything I discovered and learned during my trip to Armenia. I wish I had known this before boarding my plane to Yerevan, the capital city.

You may wonder whether it's worth going to Armenia. Absolutely! Armenia is definitely worth a visit—it’s a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

Since it’s not as popular as other tourist destinations, it offers reasonable prices, delicious food, friendly locals, and stunning landscapes that differ from Europe's.

While traveling around Armenia may not always be without its challenges, I’ve penned this guide to ensure your journey is as seamless as possible. The guide covers where to go in Armenia, what to expect, and how much to budget for.

My first culture shock(s) in Armenia

Armenia continues to recover from the aftermath of the USSR’s collapse and the military conflicts with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. In the 1990s, society grappled with poverty and faced winters without electricity.

We found a lot of things from the time when Armenia was part of the Soviet Union, like a sign made of trees that spelled out “LENIN” in a field or some old-fashioned ideas about men and women.

Despite the challenges of Armenian history, the sense of unity among the locals runs deep within their spirits. We were amazed at how readily people shared their phone numbers and how open they were to strangers.

In Dilijan, when we slept in the forest hut and had to travel everywhere on foot, numerous locals stopped to offer us rides and asked if we needed anything. Armenians are incredibly generous.

Upon arrival at the Yerevan airport, I did the following

I bought a local SIM card at the stand. You can do this even if your flight lands late at night. Simply hand over your phone and pay for the package on the spot. The prices are not different from those in the city.

I withdrew some cash from an ATM. You may consider starting with at least 15,000 Armenian drams if you’re there for a few days.

I installed the GG taxi app (a local Uber). A ride to the city shouldn’t cost you more than 3,000 drams. Beware of airport taxi drivers who may try to charge you 10,000 dram for the same ride (that almost happened to us).

I used the app, and we found a car at a much more reasonable rate (around 2500 dram). Be prepared to pay your driver in cash.

I found accommodation in Yerevan

It wasn’t easy to find accommodation in Yerevan at a reasonable price. Both hotels and Airbnb tend to overcharge for what they offer.

During our stay, we had two different accommodations in Yerevan. The first was a flat we found on Airbnb, situated on a hill surrounded by construction sites and noisy dogs (that’s what you get for 25 euros a night).

The second was a hostel where we opted for a private room and paid around 40 euros per night. It was the only place that offered a reasonable price, had a convenient location (next to the subway), and was actually pleasant. I’ll give it a shout out here for free: JR’s hostel.

When searching for accommodation in Yerevan, aim not to spend more than 50 euros per night.

Transportation challenges in Yerevan

The cheapest and most convenient way to go around the city is by subway. Yerevan’s subway system consists of a single line, so it’s virtually impossible to get lost.

To buy a single subway ticket, simply hand cash to the attendant through a window, you don’t even have to talk to them.

As our first apartment was far from the city center, we relied on local buses. It’s only 100 drams for a ride, no matter how far you go.

Don’t be surprised if the bus driver leaves the doors open while driving — it’s just to keep the bus cool inside.

After 9 pm, buses might not stick to the schedule, so consider using a taxi app and always be ready to pay in cash.

Also, many (taxi) drivers don’t wear seatbelts, and some cars may not even have them installed in the back seats. Locals explained to me that wearing a seatbelt can sometimes be seen as questioning the driver’s skills.

For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend renting a car in Armenia. Local driving habits can be quite different from what you’re accustomed to.

Dealing with language issues

The younger generations, especially in the capital, speak English. However, during our travels around Armenia, I mostly spoke Russian.

While the influence of Russia on Armenia is significant, Armenians stay true to their language, so don’t expect everyone to speak Russian fluently.

While hitchhiking outside the city, three brothers picked us up, despite the language barrier as they only spoke Armenian and some French.

Their kindness was truly touching as they not only offered us a ride but also gave us their phone number in case we needed anything (well, that phone call would be awkward.

When people want to, they’ll understand each other.

Things I enjoyed in Yerevan

Yerevan is a compact capital where you can explore most attractions in just one or two days. I’d recommend staying in the capital a bit longer as it’s a convenient base for exploring places outside the city.

While in Yerevan, make sure to join the Yerevan Free Walking Tour, conducted in English. The organizer not only shares the history of Armenia post-USSR collapse but also provides insight into the current state of affairs in Armenia. It’s hard to gain this level of understanding when walking around the city all by yourself.

Things to do in Yerevan

Let me summarize other things you should do in Yerevan. The links lead to locations on Google Maps.

Visit Vernissage — a market with lots of handmade items. Be sure to bring cash (there’s an ATM near the market). Even though it caters to tourists, the market has fair prices and unique items, such as handmade chess boards.

Chess is a national sport in Armenia, with kids learning it in school. You can also find a chessboard in nearly every coffee shop.

See the Singing Fountains at Republic Square. There’s a free show every night at 9 pm.

Indulge in the local cuisine — every restaurant we tried in Yerevan left me amazed. From upscale places like Lavash Restaurant to budget-friendly options like Art Lunch (it’s a canteen), where you can enjoy Armenian food for just a couple of euros.

Explore the Armenian Market if you’re into dried fruits and local foods. The sellers, typically retirees, are friendly but may persuade you to buy some things you don’t need (that happen to us). Again, bring cash.

Treat yourself at beauty salons. Armenian women take good care of themselves. You’ll find plenty of salons offering affordable services like haircuts, nail treatments, etc. Just drop by to book an appointment.

If you’re interested, you can also visit the Koniak Factory. It wasn’t on our list, so I can’t tell you what it’s like.

Places I visited outside of Yerevan

Armenia is a small country, so you can reach anywhere from Yerevan within a few hours. To get to some places, we relied on local buses, which was the cheapest option. It also added a sense of adventure to our journey. However, finding the right bus could be time-consuming.

Another option is to find a driver. When we had enough of buses, we opted to negotiate a fixed daily rate with a local taxi driver. For approximately 50 euros per day, the driver took us to all the places we wanted to visit. He also told us so much about the culture and what’s like to live in Armenia, we were just lucky to meet him.

If I were to visit Armenia again, I’d book an organized tour with GetYourGuide to not worry about transportation. For around 40 euros a day, you can visit most of the places if you join one of the tours like this one.

Here’s what you need to see around Yerevan.

Garni Temple

This is a beautiful temple surrounded by hills, with the nearby Garni Gorge known as the “Symphony of Stones”. We took a bus to get there.

Khor Virap

This is an Armenian monastery near the Turkish border, it offers stunning views of Mount Ararat. Our driver took us there.

Azat Reservoir

This is a water reservoir surrounded by glowing mountains. I got there with a driver as well.

Lake Sevan

Located in the north, this lake offers a cool retreat from the heat of the capital. While it’s worth visiting the lake and Sevanavank Monastery, nearby hotels tend to be overpriced, so we only spent a couple of hours there.

Tatev Cable Car Ride

We didn’t have much time to experience it fully, but it looks absolutely epic.

Dilijan

This place is known as a spa city. You might want to spend a couple of days there as it offers a completely different scenery. It’s remarkably green and spacious (compared to the dry and dusty Yerevan). While you’re there, consider visiting Dilijan National Park and going on a hiking tour to Mount Dimats.

Yell Extreme Park

Visiting Yell Extreme Park is another unique experience near Dilijan. The park is situated in a stunning location and it offers a range of thrilling activities such as ziplining (one of the best and most terrifying experiences, but I would totally do it again!), off-road truck rides, via ferrata (climbing route equipped with steel cables), and horseback riding.

The park is located in a remote area, and we had to hitchhike and then walk uphill for 30 minutes to reach it. I‘d recommend going on an organized tour to get to Yellow Extreme Park, it’s a bit pricey but worth every penny.

Conclusions and Takeaways of My Story

This was a fantastic trip that remained in my fond memories. I believe you will love your trip to this exotic location too. I’d like to give some additional tips for your consideration if you plan to visit Armenia.

May and other summer months bring rising temperatures to Yerevan, so prepare for potential heat waves. However, remember that Dilijan has a different climate, so pack a jacket for the cooler temperatures up north.

You won’t encounter many tourists on the streets or at the epic locations I’ve described in this post. Simply put, these places aren’t widely known. This means you might face an extra challenge finding your way around, but you’ll also enjoy the solitude and capture stunning photos without crowds.

You’d be surprised, but Armenians will want to talk to you — on a bus and on the streets. Break out of your shell and be ready to engage with your hands or in rusty Armenian, Russian, or English.

In the Western world, it’s rare for strangers to show care when you’re lost or unsure about something. In contrast, Armenia, a small country with limited resources and unfulfilled dreams, finds its strength in the trust its people have in each other.

Thank you for reading my story. In the upcoming post, I’ll share more travel stories from Armenia, a country that impressed me.

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