Armenia / Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն – Let’s explore here

Armenia is a transcontinental country – it is located both in Europe and in Asia. Because of this, the information on the country is located both in our European and in our Asian travel destination sections. Don’t worry though, all the information for this amazing country is captured on this page.

Armenia is a truly stupendous, absolutley stunning, mainly mountainous country that is part of the Caucasus. It really is one of the most strikingly visual places we’ve ever been to. If you like mountains, you’ll find yourself stopping all the time just to take in the views and capture great photos. The highest point is Mount Aragats, not far from the capital, Yerevan, at 13,420ft (4,090m).

Its neighbours include Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran. There are several disputed regions in the country, including Iran and Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. When we visited, there were also heightened tensions in the country with Turkey and Azerbaijan. We had to make careful plans for any journeys, as some routes were not accessible due to being blocked by Russian peacekeeping troops.

Current travels

On our current journey we travelled from Georgia over the mountains on the main Tbilisi – Yerevan route into Armenia, before heading down to Vanadzor. The journey through Dilijan national park and around Lake Sevan and the Seven peninsula was amazing. After exploring Yeghegnadzor, we drove down to the Iranian border (the southernmost point in Armenia), and back to Tatev and Goris, before visiting the capital Yerevan.

Our best places in Armenia

Arevik national park

Arevik national park is a large mostly mountainous area that sits within Syunik province in the south of Armenia. There are many types of eagles, vultures and falcons that can often be seen in the area.

Dilijan national park

Dilijan National Park is truly beautiful – it’s one of four national parks in Armenia. It consists mostly of mountains and forests, with many hiking trails to explore.

Goris

Goris is a lovely, small town in southern Armenia. As a cultural centre, it’s a popular tourist hotspot, and thus is well set up with hotels and restaurants. It’s surrounded by incredible scenery and is a great place to make a base to explore the area.

Hayravank monastery

Hayravank monastery was built between the 9th – 12th centuries, and is located on the southwest shore of Lake Sevan.

Kapan

Kapan is a sizeable town in southern Armenia, the largest in the south (c. 41,000 people). The name literally means mountain pass, which is apt as it lies between the Bargushat and Meghri ridges of the Zangezur Mountains.

Lake Sevan & Sevan peninsula

Lake Sevan is the largest body of water in Armenia, being about 1,900 square miles in area, (5,000 km²) – one sixth of Armenia’s territory. The lake sits (6,234ft (1,900 m) above sea level and is fed by 28 rivers and streams. During soviet occupation the lake was partially drained, and Seven island became a peninsula.

Meghri

Meghri is a very small town on the border with Iran. People are very friendly and the scenery is absolutely spectacular. When we visited, we found that we couldn’t travel east along the border with Iran, as the road was blocked by Russian peacekeeping forces, due to the disputed nature of regional territories and the proposed Zangezur Corridor.

Noravank monastery

Noravank monastery is a lovely thirteenth century monastery sitting on a mountainside in a valley, surrounded by seventeenth century fortress walls.

Tatev monastery

Tatev monastery is a stunning ninth century monastery which sits atop a cliff face overlooking a spectacular gorge. The monastery was responsible for preserving much of Armenian culture and wisdom during turbulent times.

Vanadzor

Vanadzor is a small bustling city in the north of the country. Named after its central river, the city is surrounded by the 8,200ft (2,500m) high Bazum and Pambak mountains. We stayed in the Hotel Kirovkan – an old soviet era hotel that has been refurbished inside.

Yeghegnadzor

Yeghegnadzor is a small town in the south of Armenia. It sits 3,917 ft (1,194m) above sea level. A great stopover on the way south – just make sure to avoid the Karine B&B, Spandaryan Street 66, 3601 Yeghegnadzor, Armenia – we caught them stealing from us!!

Yerevan

Yerevan is the capital of Armenia and has a population of around 1.1 million people. Overlooked by the incredible Mount Ararat, it’s a vibrant and friendly city that contains both ancient and modern aspects. One sight that really must be visited is the Cascade complex which houses a park, a set of multi-tiered steps, an outdoor gallery of art and statues and numerous restaurants and bars.

What’s it like to drive in Armenia?

Borders

First off, you are not allowed to drive between Turkey and Armenia, all border points are closed due to hostilities between the nations. Similarly all border points are closed between Azerbaijan and Armenia, again due to hostilities between the nations. This means that you can only enter Armenia from either Georgia or Iran.

On entering the country you are required by customs to purchase a car declaration form (for importing your car) at a cost of 10000AMD (£20). Car insurance is readily available from one of many offices at the border town at a cost of 5000AMD (£10). At the Bagratashen – Sadakhlo border crossing, we drove to the roundabout and took the first exit where there is a supermarket and a row of four small offices. We found that the supermarket also offers a good rate of exchange for Armenian Dram.

Driving style

Driving in Armenia is a leisurely affair. Most Armenians outside of the capital are very polite drivers, with very little aggression, and little sounding of car horns. Even in the capital, although it’s super busy and it’s almost impossible to find a parking space, the aggression levels are low compared to many other countries.

Road condition

Whilst many of the major roads are in good condition, in the villages and towns and more remote areas, and in particular south of Goris, the roads can be in an appalling state, with lots of extremely large potholes or no remaining road at all. Only in Albania did we encounter such poor road conditions anywhere in Europe!

That said, our mighty VW Golf GTI literally took it all in its stride, and so long as we were careful, we found we could navigate the enormous potholes with ease! We never found any roads that required a 4×4 vehicle, rather it is ground clearance that is required.

Police patrols

The police patrol all areas of Armenia regularly, and they’re particularly keen to use their loudspeakers to drum out messages to all and sundry. Not being able to understand the language, we have no idea what they’re saying, but they do talk a lot, and can be heard in every town and city!

In the far north-west of the country we found that the police traffic patrols were particularly keen to stop us – perhaps because we had unusual number plates? We were stopped several times and asked for our driving license. We got the sense that they were more curious than anything else, and we were sent on our way pretty quickly.

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

What currency do they use in Armenia?

In Armenia they use the Armenian Dram. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is now widespread within the capital, Yerevan. Traveller’s cheques are accepted at banks. There are lots of ATMs. 

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Armenia?

They speak Armenian in Armenia, although many speak Russian and English also, particularly in the capital.

What time zone is Armenia in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.

Do I need a visa to visit Armenia?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

Is wild camping legal in Armenia?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Armenia, although you should avoid national parks and natural reserves.

Is it safe to drink water in Armenia?

Yes, it is safe to drink tap water in Armenia, although in our experience much of it has an unusual taste. Bottled water is readily available across the country. There are also many natural springs throughout the mountains that can also provide water – most of these springs have road signs indicating their locality.

Armenian SIM card

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!