2017 Armenia Road Trip Report: Yerevan Attractions, unique nature, monasteries, caves and cable car.
Dates and purpose of travel
The trip was purely tourist. The choice fell on Armenia, because there were vacation dates (from May 2 to May 6, 2017) and unredeemed Aeroflot points. I wanted to fly somewhere, but suitable tickets were found only to Yerevan.
Why you should NOT rent a car in Armenia?
Initially, we planned to rent a car and conquer Armenia on our own. We were even puzzled and selected a company in advance that is ready to rent a car to a driver like me (I am only 21, driving experience barely exceeded a year, and most distributors set the minimum conditions for 22/2). By the way, for especially risky ones, here it is: https://travelcar.am/rent-a-car-in-yerevan.
One trip from the airport to the city center was enough to cancel plans to travel without a local driver. What the Armenians call traffic, I would call Brownian - just complete chaos. When turning, they don't even try to look at the rear-view mirrors (and these mirrors are not visible, all cars are tinted tightly), they drive very close to each other, a good half of the cars have at least one bumper torn off.
The prohibitive traffic signal is ignored in 90% of cases, and those who still stopped at the red signal are indignantly honking, they say, "Why get up, let's go!" But my favorite is a Mercedes, cutting off the circle in the opposite direction of traffic right in front of vigilant police.
Standard situation: a car drives into a green pedestrian
And all this is in the capital! Outside its borders, everything is even worse, there are also roads in places to which not every Russian is accustomed. Plus get ready for traffic jams in the form of a herd of sheep or cows.
Typical Armenian traffic jam: sheep blocked the way
But all this was only "in the first place". As for "secondly", it is better to take a taxi driver, and not just a car, if only because the lion's share the Armenian flavor gives out exactly local population... And there is no better way to get to know and feel the country than to drive through it with a real Armenian taxi driver. They are cunning, of course, but at the same time they are open, welcoming and much more pleasant than many of their brothers who have moved to Moscow.
What to see in Yerevan?
I must say right away that there is nothing special to watch in the capital of Armenia, not cities go to this country to see. But all a few interesting places are there.
Brandy factories. It is impossible not to notice them: "Noah" and "Ararat" stand opposite each other right at the entrance to the city and look like two warring fortresses. Although, they say that it was originally just one plant. And there, and there, there are guided tours and tastings.
"Noah" and "Ararat" face to face
Republic Square. The central square of Yerevan is a circular movement surrounded by historic buildings... There is a historical museum, a government building, a post office, and the main concentration of Yerevan taxi drivers.
central square
GUM market. "Masthav" is for lovers of dried fruits, churchkhela and other sweets. They will be fed to death here for a test, plus they will steam three kilograms, and then you will not know how to fit it all into carry-on luggage... The main thing is not to buy right at the entrance: a string of churchkhela from the first saleswoman cost 2 thousand drams, in the outback - only 1 thousand. Be sure to try what is given, even if you think you hate dried fruit. I, since childhood, intolerant of raisins, prunes and dried apricots, was completely delighted with figs stuffed with walnuts and orange.
Armenia is practically the birthplace of dried fruits
Great Cascade. You need to visit it to put a tick, because this structure of stairs is considered the main attraction of Yerevan. There is a really good view from there, but the fountains that did not work in May, the unfinished flower beds and unfinished construction spoiled the impression a little.
Grand Cascade: bottom and top view
Walking around the city. To get an impression of Yerevan, it is enough to wander around it for a couple of hours. Immediately striking is the southern architecture with its houses made of pink tuff, the number of white and no other Nivas (considered a prestigious car here), a large number of abandoned abandoned buildings near the center and decorated arches-entrances to the courtyards (there are really a lot of them). An obligatory item on the program is to buy khachapuri in a tent and eat it on the go. They don't bake them here.
Cozy Yerevan street
Variety of graffiti
What to see in the vicinity of Yerevan?
Realizing that there are still 4 hours before check-in at the hostel, and we have already walked around the whole of Yerevan, it was decided to go to Republic Square and start a race around the surrounding churches. The first on our route was the Church of St. Hripsime.
Church of Saint Hripsime against the background of a sparse poppy field
Inside, Armenian temples and churches are not much different from each other, but at the same time they definitely inspire some kind of awe even among convinced atheists.
The Armenian Church from the Inside: A Collective Image
The next church we visited is Saint Gayane. An extremely interesting character lives here - a priest who distributes advice and wishes to everyone who wants it, and not entirely from a bully, but as if he really sees something in people right away. And although most of them were still in the spirit of horoscopes, i.e. generalized and suitable for almost everyone, some of his advice was interesting to listen to.
The next item on the program is the Echmiadzin Monastery. Locals call him the Armenian Vatican and for a reason: not only the monastery itself is located on the territory, but also the residence of the Catholicos (like the Pope, only the Armenian Pope), a library of theological literature and much more. From what I liked the most - the painting of the monastery itself.
Painting of the Echmiadzin monastery
And the last point of our sortie was Zvartnots, for the sake of which we, in fact, were looking for a taxi. Here, however, we were very unlucky. The fact is that many sights in the vicinity of Yerevan are remarkable because they stand against the background of snow-capped peaks. And we got there when all the mountains disappeared behind the clouds. But if you draw in your mind Ararat behind these ruins, then the spectacle will be the most beautiful. And, by the way, the first place, for visiting which they took money.
Ruins of the once three-storey temple of Zvartnots against the background of the invisible Ararat
Khor Virap - Areni (city) - Noravank - Areni cave
Early in the morning of the second day we set out. Initially, we wanted to split the trip into two days:
- Only Tatev.
- Only Khor Virap.
Moreover, both trips with a return. But our taxi driver convinced us that it was irrational. He said that it would be better to just go with an overnight stay in Tatev or its environs and look on the way to a whole bunch of interesting places.For example, we did not know about any of Areni, and we simply did not intend to go to Novarank, but in vain.
The first stop was the Khor Virap monastery - the key attraction of the country, the hero of almost all souvenir postcards and the closest point to the symbol of Armenia located in Turkey. In general, Ararat turned out to be very secretive: we only saw him entirely from the runway, sitting in the plane. The rest of the time (and we drove past him three times) he showed up only in pieces, and, they say, this is almost always the case.
Khor Virap monastery against the background of invisible Ararat
Part of Ararat was published
May poppy fields decorate any landscape
The second stop is Areni, the city of winemakers. All these tents that can be seen in the photo are shops selling wine of their own harvest. This wine is made from just about anything: from cherries, blackberries, peaches, raspberries, pomegranates, mulberries and, oddly enough, grapes. They also make cognac and mulberry - mulberry vodka, more like Serbian brandy.
Wine tents along the road
Tastings are held in tents, and the wine is poured into unexpectedly clean glasses. But if you decide to buy wine (and it is very tasty), then do not wait for glass containers: they sell it in cola bottles with a lid, for example, from forfeits. They sell gasoline in the same bottles nearby - the main thing is not to mix it up.
The next item on the cultural program is Noravank - the first two-story monastery in Armenia. A beautiful gorge, painted with red clay, leads to it.
Red mountains around Noravank
Noravank himself
You can even climb to the second floor, but the steps are short in width, you need to hold on to the cable, and it is more convenient to descend backwards. There is a chapel and a museum next to the monastery itself. It is worth going to the museum, where a very nice woman will tell about the history of the monastery, about the life and work of its architect, as well as about the composition of those paints that were used in Echmiadzin, and myrrh - a special consecrated oil. The entrance to the museum is paid.
Ingredients for making myrrh
Also on the territory of the monastery there is a cemetery where you can see old khachkars. Khachkars are monuments with flowers, crosses and other patterns carved on them. Purely Armenian art. It is believed that there are no two identical khachkars in the world, but I strongly doubt about those small souvenir copies.
Khachkars at the cemetery at Noravank
The road from Noravank to Areni cave
The last attraction we visited that day was Areni Cave, the place where the oldest shoe and the oldest winery in the world was found. Maybe they will find something else, excavations are still underway here.
Sectorization for the convenience of archaeologists in the Areni cave
The rest of the time before check-in at the hotel and dinner, we spent on the road. Here it already became clear that one should not be particularly upset about the hidden Ararat, because something better awaits us.
On the way to Tatev
All in the same place
And a little more from there
Goris - Wings of Tatev and the way back to Yerevan
First of all, after breakfast, we went to the city of Goris, located in a mountain pit and surrounded by rocky ridges. The mountains here are really unusual. Everywhere there are more or less gentle, more likely hills, but here they are sharp, as if wet sand had dripped with a turret. There are caves in these mountains, and in them, in some unthinkable way, women and children were raised during the war.
If you look closely, you can see the caves
Something special, except for the oldest amphitheater, hollowed out right in the cave, we did not see in the city. But it was also pleasant to just wander there - the views are incredible, and on the hills there are remains of fortresses.
Goris
Then we set off, at last, to the goal of our sortie - the Wings of Tatev. This is the longest cable car in the world, on which a five-kilometer gorge can be crossed in just 12 minutes. To be honest, it was useless to photograph there, no camera can transmit all that volume.
A round trip by cable car cost AMD 5 thousand.
It's just breathtaking in life, but it doesn't work like that in the photo.
Booth arrival point - Tatev Monastery
During the trip, a short excursion sounds. "Look to the right, look to the left, break your eyes, because what we're talking about looks the size of an ant from here." With good eyesight, it is quite possible to find what they are talking about. For example, in the photo below is an abandoned monastery.
Abandoned monastery at the bottom of the gorge
The Tatev Monastery continues to be rebuilt, so a lot was in the scaffolding. However, here is a peaceful courtyard, interesting museum and the purest mountain air.
Important! Tatev Monastery is the first of all that came across on our way, where women were not allowed inside in shorts and with bare heads. So it's better to have some scarves with you or dress in a suitable way in advance.
And a few more views of Tatev (from the observation deck)
From the cable car
It took us six hours to get back to Yerevan, no less, but this is taking into account the stops for food and refuel.
Gas stations in Armenia
- They are few. It is not for nothing that bottled gasoline is sold in Areni on a par with wine. Therefore, the golden rule: I saw a gas station - just in case, refuel, because the next one may be very far away.
- The gas stations are a little scary, but they are all like that, so there is no choice.
- Gasoline costs about 380 AMD per liter (about 47 rubles).
Unloaded track
Where to stay in Armenia?
In Yerevan, we checked into Yerevan hostel (sorry for the tautology). The location was perfect, or, as booking.com says, even great: it's no more than five minutes to walk to Republic Square.
In fact, the hostel is a few apartments, where they simply put locks on the door of each room. Clean, nice, shared toilets, but there are two of them. There is a good kitchen, iron and ironing board, washing machine, TVs in every room and even a hairdryer. Breakfast every morning: rice, egg, fruit yoghurt, cheese cut, cake and a large glass of compote. You can eat, but in Armenia, without local cheeses, lavash and great coffee for breakfast, it's somehow sad.
But the staff is very friendly. Wi-Fi is free, but parking is not, it is public. For four nights in a room for two, they gave about 5 thousand rubles.
Contacts and photos of the hotel near the Wings of Tatev
On the other side of the country, we spent the night in the eco-hotel Harsnadzor. At the Wings of Tatev parking lot, there is a huge stand with the nearest places of possible overnight stay. There we found this eco-hotel when we drove to the cable car in the evening of the third day.
If all the other proposals looked nondescript, then "Harsnadzor" is a cozy place where, instead of the usual rooms and restaurants, there are large wooden barrel houses, food cooked on the grill and a mini-zoo with peacocks in the yard. About the air and the view of the mountains, I just keep quiet. Parking and Wi-Fi are free, one night cost 1,300 rubles.
Attention! Rooms are snapped up there, so it's best to book the cabins in advance.
Taxi and food prices
As for food and shopping, the same rule applies here as in the rest of the world: in tourist places, prices are two to three orders of magnitude higher. It will also taste bad. Here again, a plus in favor of the driver, because the chef brought us to a restaurant near Zvartnots, where we ordered so many high-quality and delicious national dishes for 8000 AMD (about 1000 rubles) that we had to take with us.
For the trip itself (our taxi driver's old Mercedes drove on gas), the driver was given 75 thousand AMD, which in rubles is about 10 thousand.
Initially, he called a much larger amount, so bargain! It's okay here.
What to take from souvenirs?
Armenia is a very tasty country, so the best souvenirs will be dried fruits, churchkhela, semi-sweet fruit wines (the market sells bottles in the form of the fruit from which the wine is made). Well, with the phrase "Are you going to Armenia? Bring brandy!" see off on vacation, perhaps, anyone who is going here.
From the inedible, you can bring a duduk - a national wind musical instrument. It can be bought for 5000 AMD at a flea market in Yerevan. Of the magnets, the most interesting are small dried pomegranates. And symbolic, and beautiful, and weighs little, and not from China. They are also carrying small replicas of khachkars.
December 23rd, 2013It was decided to get to Armenia by plane. At Sheremetyevo airport, I met with my friend Dima, with whom we were planning to visit the country.
Our trip did not go well from the very beginning. It started snowing in Armenia a couple of days before our arrival. It all started with the fact that our flight was delayed and the departure was promised at 8 am instead of 1-45. Then they began to puzzle over what to do. While we were thinking, a message appeared about the departure at 2-45. There were no more announcements. By chance at 2-30 in the on-line scoreboard on the phone I saw that the registration was over and the boarding was in progress. Then we started to panic. It's good that we registered via the Internet. Control passed instantly and ran to the plane. The flight was delayed for another 15 minutes due to a drunk passenger.
At the airport in Armenia, a rental car was waiting for us - Kia Rio, booked from the CaraVan company. Not the most the best way, as practice has shown.
The roads were in a terrible state - with a crust of ice and snow. The ride was completely uncomfortable - the average speed was 50 km / h.
Sometimes there was such a thing.
The views along the road are fantastic!
In the mountains, the weather can change dramatically - from cloudy and cold to sunny and warm.
The first point of our route was the devil's bridge. He made no impression on me. What I saw in the photo was shot very beautifully from a different angle. But there was no desire to go down to her, to break her arms and legs.
Then we drove to the Tatev monastery. In one place, several kilometers before the monastery, we could not climb the hill. We suffered for a long time trying to call in. But we realized that we would not get to Rio, and did not dare to leave the car on the road, thereby blocking it. Somehow we turned around and went to Yerevan. On the way, I saw a monastery. But the telephoto lens was in the trunk, and it was pretty scary to stop, since there was a chance not to climb the hill.
In Yerevan we stayed at the Capital hotel.
We lived in a four-bed room for 1310 rubles a day.
The room has everything. The only negative is that there is no parking, the car just stood on the road.
In the morning at 10 in the morning, by agreement with the rental, we are changing Kia to Niva because of this, the schedule has shifted.
The first point of our route was the Saghmosavank monastery.
The time was 14-40, and to the next place 126 km. It was decided not to go, since 126 km could stretch for 3-4 hours. We decided to drive up to the fortress by another road, but 14 km before it the clean road ended, and it was somehow scary to go 14 km in the snow.
We go to the hotel, leave the car and walk to the center of Yerevan. We got there by metro. The price of the trip is 8 rubles.
Taught by bitter experience, we replayed the route and drove immediately to the farthest point of our route. On the way, we decided to stop by Lake Sevan.
On the coast of the lake is the Sevanavank monastery. The place is tourist, even souvenirs are sold here and tourists meet.
We decided not to go according to the original plan, but to visit the sights along the way, since the road was not pleasing. Further, the Haghartsin Monastery Complex.
Not far from Haghartsin there is the Goshavank monastery ensemble. The scaffolding on the temple was very upset.
Ptgavank monastery-fortress Akhtala. It was very upsetting that the mountains were blocking the sun, which made the whole complex look gloomy.
This day was planned walking tour in Yerevan. The weather was terrible. In addition to the cold weather and gray skies, there was also fog, which terribly spoiled the views. Most of all I liked the city in the evening and exclusively on weekends. On weekdays, it’s a living hell, it’s still half a step to Moscow. I had to stand for half an hour in a traffic jam, in the morning and in the evening there is very heavy traffic.
Another observation is that there are a lot of paid parking lots in the city; only by Moscow standards, the price is adequate. Paid parking from 9 to 24 hours and costs 8 rubles per hour, 40 - a day, 80 - a day, 165 - a month and 990 - a year. I've heard a lot about driving and all this is so. If a pedestrian's green light is on, this does not mean that, like here in Moscow, he can walk boldly, here you need to make sure that the car is not rushing. Even if you go to green, they will signal you. Two solid, overtaking under signs, etc. here in full range.
Having put Dima in a taxi, who had to fly to St. Petersburg, I went on for a walk around Yerevan.
On this day, two more trips were planned: to Vagharshapat - a small one and interesting city... And to Zvartnots. But not only was it dark enough, but the doors were also closed.
After collecting my things, I went towards the Geghard Monastery. The first point of my train was the Garni Fortress.
Geghard monastery. Of all my trip, I liked it the most. The monastery is not large, but very unusual, entering the temple, you can feel the centuries-old history. I was the only tourist.
The last point of my trip was Zvartnots - a temple of early medieval Armenian architecture, which I did not have time to visit the previous day.
So my trip to Armenia ended. There were many mistakes and mistakes in the trip. First, it is better not to travel in winter to countries where most of the attractions are located in the mountains. Due to a sudden snowfall, my route was cut in half. After changing the car, a problem arose - my tablet charger did not fit the Niva's cigarette lighter. I had to run around Yerevan and look for a new exercise. It's another story about leaving a passport in an MTS communications store. Summing up, I will note that the country is interesting, very kind and hospitable people everywhere, both in Yerevan and in the far wilderness. I had the honor to meet with the police officers, they are also good guys, you can even bargain. What I liked was Armenian bread, pastries and Armenian food, which, surprisingly, my sick stomach moved with a bang. Another surprise in the city of Yerevan was the huge number of KFCs (formerly Rostix) and the absence of McDonald's.
There are no normal network filling stations with a single design in Armenia, as in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus or Estonia. I would never refuel my car on these, but there is no choice here. 95 gasoline costs about 41 rubles; what it is in the euro class is very difficult to say. Roads are bumpy, bearable, but not perfect. Probably you can say, like ours.
I plan to return to Armenia in autumn in September and visit what was not possible on this trip.
Let's sum up the trip:
Flight: 15304.00
Car rental 9840,00
Gasoline 5640,00
Hotel 5270,00
Meals (on me): 1000.00
Taxi: 200.00
Parking: 110,00
Museums: 222.00
Hello friends! Today we have an article with a purely practical information... We will tell you how to travel to Armenia on your own: what documents are needed, whether you need a passport, how to get there, what to eat, where to live, where to go, and so on.
Planning a trip to Armenia? Read our comprehensive guide!
Documents and visa
Citizens of the Russian Federation, CIS and Georgia do not need a visa to Armenia, and you can stay in the country for as much as 180 days in half a year. Do I need a passport to travel to Armenia? No, quite usual: on January 24, 2017, an agreement was signed allowing citizens of the Russian Federation to enter Armenia with a civil passport. They promise that from the summer of 2017 the new rules will come into effect, but for now you can go with a passport that is valid for the duration of the trip.
If you have a foreign citizenship then a visa will be required. It can be issued either at the consulates of Armenia, or upon arrival at the Zvartnots airport, or upon entering through the land borders with Georgia. The cost of such a visa is AMD 3000 (for 21 days).
Entry to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR)
Citizens of Russia need to obtain accreditation, which can be done at the NKR representation in Yerevan (Zaryan st., 17 a), or in Stepanakert itself. In any case, upon arrival, be sure to register at the consular service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stepanakert (28 Azatamartikneri St.). Entry is carried out according to a passport, and no marks should be placed on it.
After visiting Karabakh, you may have problems with entering Azerbaijan, you should be allowed in, but a long conversation at the border cannot be avoided. However, Russian citizens are not stamped in their passports when they visit NKR, keep an eye on this.
Foreign citizens need to apply for a visa to Karabakh in Yerevan in advance, its cost is only 3000 AMD (for 21 days). A regular visa is made within 5 working days, you can make an urgent visa by paying the same amount.
Documents for a trip to Armenia with children
- passport for a child, and if the child is less than 14 years old, then it must be entered in your passport
- birth certificate
- if the child is traveling with one of the parents, then a notarized permission from the other parent is required.
How to get to Armenia?
By plane
Most convenient way to get to Armenia from Russia is a flight. Direct flights are operated by Pobeda, Aeroflot, S7, UTAir, Ural Airlines, VIM, Georgian Airways from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Sochi and other large cities of Russia.
You can get tickets from Moscow to Gyumri from Pobeda for 999 rubles one way and 2000 rubles there and back - this is the cheapest and most convenient way to get to Armenia. You can take 10 kg of luggage with you. Of course, in summer prices are higher, but still cheaper than others.
With other airlines, the cost of tickets from Moscow to Armenia in winter and summer differs little, in low season can be found for 8000 rubles round trip, and in summer tickets cost about 11 thousand rubles.
There are also direct flights from Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan.
Find cheap flights to Armenia:
By train
It is impossible to get from Russia to Armenia by train. At the time of the union, a branch through Adler-Abkhazia-Georgia worked, but now, due to the Abkhaz conflict, this line does not function throughout.
It is possible to get to Armenia by train from Georgia: Yerevan and Tbilisi are connected by one train, it travels for a long time, but at night, so you can use it. V summer time there is a flight from Yerevan to the Georgian Batumi.
By car or bus
Land borders are open only with Georgia and Iran. Armenia's relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey are not very good, to put it mildly, therefore all checkpoints are closed. The only way to Armenia from Russia is through Georgia.
There are three crossings between these countries, if you are traveling from Tbilisi to Yerevan, use the Sadakhlo / Bagratashen checkpoint, and if from Akhaltsikhe to Gyumri, then the Ninotsminda-Bavra checkpoint.
To enter Armenia by car, you will need the following documents:
- rights
- technical passport
- lease agreement if the car is rented
- upon entry and exit, a customs fee of 2000 AMD is levied.
From many cities in the south of Russia and Moscow there are buses to Yerevan, theoretically you can get by them, but physically it is difficult: the journey from Moscow takes about 40 hours.
A trip to Armenia - where and when to go?
You can go to Armenia at any time of the year, depending on your goals. Temples and cultural heritage can be visited at any time of the year. In winter, you can have a great rest on ski resort Tsaghkadzor, and in the summer go to great trekking in the mountains or climb the most high mountain countries - Aragats.
But still the same the best time to visit is mid-spring and autumn. In spring it is already warm, but not yet hot, nature blooms with bright colors, the slopes turn green and are covered with flowers. Delicious peaches ripen in autumn. plums, grapes and other fruits, in the markets at this time they are very cheap. In addition, it is not so hot in the fall.
Armenia is a small country, so the route consists of the following combinations:
Yerevan and its surroundings (, Echmiadzin,) - 3-5 days.
Travel south (, Sisian,) - 3-5 days.
If you wish, you can also go to the northern part:, Ijevan, Gyumri, Stepanavan.
Thus, 10-12 days will be quite enough to leisurely enjoy your travel in Armenia.
Read also:
Domestic transport
Many interesting places removed from civilization, and public transport does not go there, so the best option is to come by your own car or take a taxi. Moreover, the cost of a taxi in Armenia is low - calculate about 120-150 AMD per km for the whole car.
You can easily rent a car - it costs about $ 40 per day, and an all-wheel drive one can be rented for $ 50. Recently, international car rental services have appeared in Armenia. Distributed and public taxis, for example, there are those from Yerevan to Karabakh.
Public transport has degraded, mostly minibuses run between cities, but they are cheap.
The railway line connects Yerevan and Tbilisi, passing through Gyumri and Vanadzor, in the summer there are electric trains to Lake Sevan. The train is an almost useless way to travel around Armenia.
Hitchhiking is very good, although there are some questions, but we never stood for a long time. Metro, buses, trolleybuses and minibuses operate from the city transport in Yerevan, and travel around the city costs 100 AMD.
Housing in Armenia
In general, the tourist infrastructure is not very developed, and there is a large selection of hotels / hostels only in Yerevan. There is room for choice: very cheap hostels for 3000 AMD per night, modest hotels and hotels for 7000 AMD per room, there are also more comfortable options.
You can rent a whole apartment in the capital - this will be the most comfortable option for families, and large companies... Read more about 10 good options.
In other cities, housing is mainly represented by old Soviet hotels and guest houses. Here in the guesthouses I warmly recommend staying! So you will have the opportunity to plunge into local life and customs. I stayed in a guesthouse in Tatev (near the monastery) - it turned out that the owner had lived in Omsk for 15 years! We talked all evening, the hosts treated me to delicious Armenian food, it was fun ;-) Locals can invite you to spend the night with them for free, with a certain level of your sociability.
Find cheap hotels in Armenia:
Money, cards
The currency of Armenia is called dram, and all transactions in the country are made only in drams. It is most convenient to carry cash, although there are also ATMs in Yerevan and other cities, you can withdraw there. Regardless of the currency of your account, the ATM will issue the amount in AMD. Now they give 7.5 drams for one ruble, but check the actual rates before traveling to Armenia.
Prices for groceries and food in a cafe
Armenia is very inexpensive country, here everything is cheaper than in Russia, except for goods brought from the Russian Federation. The hostel in Yerevan cost us $ 5 per person per day, including breakfast. City transport costs 100 drams (13 rubles), in Russia there have been no such prices for ten years. Intercity minibuses cost about 1.5 rubles per kilometer, that is, almost twice as cheap as ours. It is easy to eat a hearty meal for two in a cafe for 3000 AMD, we bought fruits and vegetables at the market and their cost at the end of summer was also very low, but how delicious they are! By the way, in cafes and restaurants, a tip of 10% is always included in the bill.
Communication and Internet
Making or receiving calls while roaming is quite ruinous, so buy a local SIM card right away. Now there are three mobile operators in Armenia: MTS VivaCell, Beeline, Orange. MTS and Beeline have approximately the same packages, and the quality of coverage, as I understand it, is better at MTS. We took a SIM card for 1500 AMD (1500 minutes within the network, 1 GB of Internet, 150 SMS) and were satisfied. This is quite enough not only to get into the mail and social networks, but also to do a little work. Wi-Fi is available in almost all hotels / hostels around the country, as well as in some cafes in large cities... In general, there were no problems with this.
Food
For the sake of cuisine alone, it is worth going on a trip to Armenia! It will appeal to meat-eaters, vegetarians, and sweet lovers. It goes without saying that you must go to the “Ararat” factory and taste the cognac (you can also buy it there), as well as go to Areni and taste the local wine. It is hard to imagine Armenian cuisine without khorovats (barbecue), lavash, cheese, dairy products, various snacks, such as peppercorns. I recommend trying dolma and zhengyalov hats.
What to bring as a gift from Armenia?
First of all, everyone carries the famous Ararat, Noy cognac (there are other brands) and wine. Armenian craftsmen are famous for their silverware, precious stones, ceramics. If the budget allows, then you can buy a real handmade carpet. Homemade halva Armenian sweets, boiled fruit juice - doshab, sujukh (analogue of churchkhela), dried fruits will be a good souvenir. From the products you can also take cheese and dried herbs and spices.
We are often asked how Russians are treated in a particular country? Well, we answer: Russians are loved and respected in Armenia. Many fondly recall the years they spent in Russia, or indicate that their brother / husband / son is now working with us. Though official language Armenian, some speak Russian and certainly understand almost everything. From communication with Armenians, we have the most pleasant memories, these people are famous for their hospitality, and our trip to Armenia independently confirmed this!
The locals are quite religious, but they calmly relate to the observance of certain rituals. Women have equal rights with men, and it seemed to us that they feel quite free.
They will rarely try to deceive you, it was surprising for us, especially considering the general standard of living. They may call a taxi fare overpriced, but bargaining is possible and necessary. Sometimes there are power outages; we had no light all evening in Dilijan. Houses generally do not have central heating. The roads in Armenia leave much to be desired: if the Yerevan-Sevan-Dilijan highway is of good quality, then the road to the south towards the Iranian border is narrow and with potholes. The road to Georgia from Vanadzor to the border is of the same poor quality.
If you get behind the wheel in Armenia, be careful - the locals drive dashingly, quickly, not really observing the rules.
Although, in general, everything is in order with security in Armenia. One has only to exercise reasonable caution, do not shine in large amounts, do not walk at night in remote areas, and everything will be fine. And one more thing: if a girl travels alone, then she will probably be given signs of attention, trying to get to know each other. That's all. Enjoy your rich adventures in Armenia!
Since I was hooked to travel through the ruins of the country in which I was born, the other day I paid a short friendly visit to the former Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and its capital city of Yerevan. Much to my annoyance, being busy at work (due to the fault of some dumb-ass freaks) made it possible to devote only three and a half days to this fascinating occupation. Despite this, it seems to me that I managed to get an impression of Armenia, and I managed to see a lot, although not everything and not as carefully as I would like.
What we did in three days:
- drive along the mountain roads of Armenia all the way to Kapan (southern Armenia);
- wander around Yerevan, including visiting the Historical Museum and the Matenadaran Institute-Museum of Armenian Writing;
- visit the ancient monasteries of Tatev, Noravank, Khor Virap, Geghard, the ruins of Zvartnots and the residence of the Katalikos - Echmiadzin, a pagan temple in Garni;
- see the ancient fortress Amberd and climb the highest mountain in Armenia - Aragats;
- admire the views of Ararat, eat khash and taste Armenian alcohol.
Shchaz ... briefly about all of the above.
Arrival.
Preparing for the trip took as much as two days and consisted in buying plane tickets (Armavia - 14,000 rex round trip) and searching, through Moscow acquaintances of Armenians, an Armenian Armenian (that is, living in Armenia) who could donate his time, taking over the function of a guide. Naturally, such an Armenian was found. Having taken off at about 22 hours 45 minutes from Domodedovo, at about 2 hours 30 minutes I was already at the Zvartnots airport in Yerevan.
Zvartnots is a very decent clean airport, built to replace the old Soviet one. Free Wi-Fi is available, although there is no data transfer rate. Departing, I was able to make sure of this. Pages open within a few minutes, periodically resetting to zero. Airplanes of the "Armavia" company clearly saw in their lives more than the airport. Judging by the half-torn paper plates on the chairs, they used to fly in some Eastern European republic. Passport control I went by like a fly, in my opinion there was no customs control. Anyway, I don't remember him.
The landmark of the same name is located not far from the Zvarnots airport. There she is.
These ruins were formed after the collapse of the temple of the Vigilant Forces, built in the 640-660s, which was one of the main temples of Armenia and amazed even the Byzantine emperor with its appearance. The entrance to the territory is paid, the museum is closed on Mondays. It was on Monday that I examined these ruins, having gone through a piece of dramas. 
A little bit about the bastard. I have a Megaphone. As an honest fraudulent, even before departure, I significantly replenished the balance on the phone, activated the "Around the World" service and naively expected that the phone would work the same way as it worked in Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Fuck there. The phone quickly found the network (a certain "Orange"), but refused to call tightly, despite the increased stock of dough on the account. As a result, I didn’t get through to the citizen who was meeting me and took a taxi to Yerevan. The taxi driver announced 400 rubles for the trip, which, as it turned out later, was a form of robbery. Since it was late, I went to sleep at a cheap hostel for students called Envoy hostel. For spending the night and having breakfast in an 8-bed room, they charge AMD 7000, which is about 550 rubles. I overslept breakfast, so I can't rate it. Even at the airport, I changed a certain amount of rubles for Armenian drams. The rate is 1 to about 12.8 in our favor. By the way ... on the way from the airport to Yerevan, on both sides, there are many different gambling establishments, casinos, etc. hot spots. Locals call this area Las Vegas. The gambling business in Armenia is not banned, so if anyone needs to spend money, welcome to Yerevan.
In the morning, in search of a SIM card of a local operator, I went to wander around the city.
With the exception of pink tuff, with which almost all houses in Yerevan are faced, ranging from pre-revolutionary buildings, Stalin's and Khrushchobs and ending with nine-story panel buildings of the eighties and newly built houses, I did not see anything super outstanding. An ordinary large post-Soviet city. With a touch of noticeable poverty. In my opinion, Yerevan looks like Dushanbe, but this is personal. Many houses, especially on the outskirts, objectively need repairs, the roads also leave much to be desired. The absence of Tajiks in orange vests has an extremely negative effect on the Armenian housing and communal services, so it would not hurt to clean up many streets. New construction, like new asphalt, takes place, but this is not a massive phenomenon. A characteristic indicator is a small number of plastic windows in houses and a large number of cracked wooden frames. With all this, the city center is quite nice. 
(Republic Square)
On the day of arrival, the city was preparing for the holiday, uh…. anniversary of the city, and in addition, a football match of the local team with Italy was to take place. In connection with the latest event, I had the opportunity to watch Armenian football fans. T-shirts, scarves, national flags painted on their faces, many national flags on the shoulders of fans. Tellingly, there was no aggression from the fans. On the contrary, there was a general positive feeling. At first, I generally mistook the crowd for the city day celebrations. 
I would like to note that, despite the specific Armenian appearance of the population, the Christian faith still works miracles with this population. No bearded boys with protruding forefingers, aunts in hijabs wrapped up to their eyes, tambourines with Arabic script under the rearview mirror and similar oriental flavor that causes subconscious tension. Normal people who dress like other normal people, for example in Russia. Women are dressed in fashion, girls are often dressed very boldly. What surprised me was the level of Russian language proficiency. He is tall. Everyone I spoke to spoke to me in the correct Russian language, many without an accent at all. However, there are few signs in Russian in Yerevan, and since I am not an ear or a snout in the Armenian alphabet, it was difficult to understand that in front of you, a bookstore or a shoe repair.
As for the written language, it is one of the objects of pride in Armenia. The Armenian alphabet was created by Mesrop Mashtots in A.D. 406. and consists of 36 letters. I suppose that it is largely thanks to their own writing (+ their own version of Christianity) that the few and repeatedly persecuted Armenians survived as a people. Interestingly, books in Armenian began to be published in Europe (Italy, Poland) earlier than in Armenia itself, starting from the Middle Ages. A huge number of printed books and ancient manuscripts are collected in the unique Museum-Institute of Armenian Manuscripts Matenadaran. It is one of the most important sights of Yerevan and Armenia. The entrance costs 1000 AMD. 
(Matendaran)
The documents in the museum are really curious. For example:
What can I expect from Moscow, if I didn't save Burma from them either;)
According to my observations, almost half of the cafes in Russia are run by people from Armenia. The second half is held by Azerbaijanis. Another insignificant percentage is accounted for by Russians and everyone else. I mean, cafes in Yerevan are no different from Moscow and Russian in general. Although no ... one difference is available - portions. They're big. It cost me 8000 AMD to eat normally in the Pilsner Urkval cafe near Matendaran.
On the same day, I visited the Yerevan History Museum. It is located on Republic Square, in the same building as the art gallery. 
The exposition of the museum is very interesting, although there are no explanatory inscriptions under the exhibits in Russian. Only in Armenian squiggles and English. I was lucky - I joined the group with a Russian guide and heard a lot of interesting things.
Not less important Yerevan sights are located not far from Republic Square -
Here the liver will get some treatment, I will go and take a closer look at these buildings.
The metro in Yerevan consists of one line, resembles a dilapidated Moscow one and costs 100 AMD per trip.
(To be continued)
Report on a trip to Armenia (Yerevan). Walking sightseeing (temples, monasteries), acquaintance with local cuisine and history, tips for tourists and photographs.
Foreword
I have heard many reviews about amazing and colorful Armenia. Once, while on vacation, I decided that the moment had finally come to get to know this strong country. In April 2017, my friend and I bought tickets from Krasnoyarsk to Yerevan, and our dream began to come true. Upon arrival, we were waiting for a rented Toyota Corolla car and an interesting travel plan across the country for four days, which we thought out for a long time and carefully. The car was booked on bookingcar.su. The cost came out to about 8,000 rubles for two.
In Armenia, the national currency is drams, but for convenience I will convert everything into rubles. We were very lucky with the weather: it is usually cloudy in April, but we were greeted by the bright sun and clear sky. Later we realized what a bonus this is for Armenia.
Acquaintance with Yerevan
The first day.
On the first day we rested and walked around Yerevan. It is a very lively city with amazing and responsive people.
There are lovely cafes and streets. The evening was spent in the "Caucasian Captive" cafe. Everything inside was furnished in the style of your favorite movie. We were served delicious pomegranate wine, which is poured for free as a compliment. The cafe presents an amazing National cuisine: khachapuri, kebab, manti, beet balls with garlic and cheese (I can't remember the name). I also recommend trying their local Kelikia beer.
We walked on main square, went up to the observation deck. All beautiful Armenia is visible from there. In the center of Yerevan there is a colorful souvenir shop with access to a garden and an art gallery. In addition, there are many flower shops in the capital, to which local men commented: "Only fools do not give flowers to women!"
Excellent roads, the cars are mostly new and expensive, which was a surprise. The locals usually fill up with gas, there are few cars on gasoline. This also surprised us. We didn't even see gas stations, mostly gas. I was also pleasantly surprised by the Wi-Fi in the car, so we saved on communications and didn't buy local SIM cards. We rented a hotel on Booking almost in the center of Yerevan. We stopped at "Aviatrans" on Abovyan street. In a nutshell: the breakfasts are delicious, the Wi-Fi is good, the interior is clean and beautiful, the staff are polite. For three nights we paid about 12,000 rubles.
Travel to the north of Armenia
Second day.
In the morning after breakfast we set off on our long-awaited journey across the country. First they moved north. We wanted to get to the Tatev Monastery - 250 kilometers one way.
The first in line was the Khor Virap monastery, where, at the behest of Tsar Trdat, Gregory the Illuminator was thrown into a deep hole for preaching Christianity. Only after long years of imprisonment, when Gregory the Illuminator miraculously cured Trdat from a serious illness, the tsar proclaimed Christianity the state religion.
Khor Virap is the closest place to the majestic biblical Mount Ararat. From there we admired her, took pictures and thanked the weather for the gorgeous views. Armenians are very sensitive to Mount Ararat, looking at it at the same time with love and sadness. It was after this trip that I watched an interview with the Italian writer Tonino Guerra, who talked about Armenia, Ararat and the genocide (I advise everyone). This is the most painful topic for Armenians. Even getting acquainted with young people, they, as representatives of a new generation, react very painfully, evoking respect for their people and culture.
The road was good on the mountainous terrain. Sometimes there were signs about rockfall. Sometimes there were small holes along the road, but in general the path was normal. The views are truly mesmerizing: around the mountains and wonderful gorges. It is simply impossible to go fast - you want to look at everything and shoot on camera. We never met the police. We didn’t see her at all in Armenia. Nevertheless, we did not violate traffic rules either.
Then we arrived at the bird cave, walked through it with a guide, listened to interesting stories from history. The interior is very nice and neat: steps, ladders, lanterns and signs are right in the cave.
The next in line was the Noravank monastery, which is located in the valley of the gorge of the Arpa River. There we were also told interesting historical facts... It is here that you can see pigeons flying towards each other on the walls, which means that Christianity came to Armenia from outside.
Then we only had to get to the Tatev monastery. There are signs everywhere along the road, it is almost impossible to get lost. We had to catch the cable car, so that later we could go back in the light of the sun. In April, the cable car runs from 10:00 to 18:00.
Tatev ropeway is the longest passenger ropeway in the world, named "Wings of Tatev". It connects the villages of Halidzor and Tatev through the Vorotan Gorge. Tatev ropeway got into the Guinness Book of Records. The Armenians said that it was built in less than a year, and the money for the construction was given by local investors. Initially, it was planned that travel would be free, but then they decided to set a symbolic price in order to restore the monastery with the proceeds. Tickets cost about 600 rubles in both directions, it takes about 15 minutes to ride the cable car.
We walked around the monastery, in some places there was really a reconstruction. In one of the rooms, we noticed a balcony, from which a gorge immediately went down. According to legend, the architect of the monastery rushed here with the words: "May the Holy Spirit send wings." In the process of falling, his wings grew, and the monastery was named "Tatev", which means "Give me wings."
On the territory of the monastery there are guest houses with their own facilities. We had dinner with homemade dolma and pickles, someone even drank wine. We met a family from Moscow, with whom we eventually drove all the way back to Yerevan. I advise you to go to Tatev with an overnight stay. There is an amazing atmosphere, strength and serenity. Since we did not know this in advance, we had to leave earlier than we wanted - we had the whole next day scheduled.
We traveled all the way back without stopping, tired and happy. Upon arrival in Yerevan, they helped us fill the car with gas. By the way, it takes a lot of time - we just waited half an hour.
Travel to the south of Armenia
Day three.
On the third day we headed south. Our plans included a visit to Lake Sevan. This day turned out to be not as emotional as the first, because on the way we did not see the majestic mountains.
Plain in Armenia
It was mostly flat terrain, only mountains were visible in the distance. We arrived at the village of Garni, where the temple of the same name is located.
Garni village and temple
The entrance to the territory of the temple is paid - about 150 rubles, in contrast to the previous monasteries. We walked around the garden, the interior, the streets of the village. There you can buy marshmallow, hummus, pine cone jam, homemade wine, etc.
The next point was mountain sports complex Tsaghkadzor. On the cable car, we climbed to the top, where the snow lay in contrast, and some guys ran and played snowballs. We drank mulled wine, took pictures and drove down - it was really very cold there.
On the way to the lake, we decided to spontaneously call in the city of Dilijan, since we still had a lot of time left. We read positive reviews about him. The roads in this city are, frankly, bad. We got lost, drove into some street under construction, almost got stuck there.
Barely found in this city famous monument characters from the movie "Mimino". Opposite there is a cozy souvenir shop, in which we, of course, once again bought trinkets. I advise you not to spend a lot of time on this city, we did not see anything special there.
Monument to the heroes from the movie "Mimino"
Finally, we reached Lake Sevan. This is a very atmospheric place - when going up to the observation deck, artists, artisans sit, and there are many benches with natural stones around. We were given moon stones, which, as we were told, were mined from the depths of Lake Sevan. I don’t know how true this is.
On the shore of the lake, we ate delicious fish caught in the lake at the Collette restaurant. Very tasty and cheap - I recommend this place.
After that we moved to reverse direction, caught a traffic jam when arriving in Yerevan. On this day we still have a lot of time, so we took a taxi and went to the cognac tasting at the "Ararat" factory. By the way, there are strikingly low prices for a taxi ride here: we drove through the whole city in a Mercedes and paid a little more than 100 rubles (in our money).
Brandy factory "Ararat" in Yerevan
Back to Yerevan
Day four.
On the last day we walked around Yerevan, went to the Museum-Institute of the Armenian Genocide. Entry is prohibited for the faint of heart. However, I still advise you to go here to get to know the Armenian people and its tragic history better. The entrance is free.
We also visited the National Art Gallery, which had five floors with canvases. We spent an hour and a half there, but I think you can quietly spend half a day here.
National art gallery in Yerevan
We went to the local colorful market. There is so much here: there are many different vases and figurines in the shape of a pomegranate, clothes, food, small household appliances, musical instruments. In short, everything is in one place. Finally, of course, we drank a glass of pomegranate wine with a bite of cheese and hummus in a street cafe.
I don't see any point in recommending certain cafes, coffee shops and pastry shops, since there are a lot of them. All are good in their own way. I'll tell you one thing for sure: every cafe, even the smallest one, prepares very tasty and inexpensive food. Kind and really friendly people live here.
Results of the trip
At the end, you can highlight major points costs:
- Car rental and gas: 8500 rubles (for two for four days).
- Hotel: 12,000 rubles (for two).
- All tickets: about 2,000 rubles per person.
- Food and cafe: 7000 rubles per person.
- Souvenirs, cognac: 5000 rubles per person.
