Your Best Yerevan Travel Guide
Armenia is an incredibly old country (dates more than 3000 years ago) with very flexible boundaries, it stretched and contracted as the empires in the west and the east fought their wars in Armenian territories.
However, it is a very young country in the sense that it just got its independence on September 21st, 1991 after 55 years under the USSR occupation.
Important information about Yerevan
Language: The official language is the Armenian language. Russian is the second most used language, in addition to English.
Location: Yerevan is the Capital city of Armenia. Armenia is in the South Caucasus region of Asia bordering Europe. Armenia is landlocked, surrounded by Turkey from the west, Azerbaijan from the east, Georgia from the North, and Iran from the south.
There is a small Azerbaijan territory called Nakhichevan border Armenia from the south west, although it is an Azerbaijani territory, but it is separated from Azerbaijan by Armenia.
In return, there is Nagorno-Karabakh which is a in Azerbaijan but considered Armenia territory and there were many wars between the two countries over this area last decade.
Religion: Armenia is the home country of the Armenian people, the first country to adopt Christianity and the home of the Armenian apostolical church in Etchmiadzin.
Is Armenia an Asian or a European Country?
Geographically, Armenia is in the South Caucasus region between Europe and Asia, it can be considered both Asian and European country.
Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, also Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.
Culturally it is closer to European than traditional Asian country and is part European football (soccer) team.
My First Trip to Yerevan After Independence
It was June 2012 (eight years ago); I was in Dubai when my son in California gave me a call, he told me he will be going for a month vacation to Yerevan with his grandmother and his younger cousin and he asked me if I could join him there so we can spend some time together.
He was landing in Yerevan on July 25th, and I decided to be there on the 30th.
I was a kid when I visited Yerevan the first time, and that was in the 1970s, and then Armenia was still part of the Soviet Union.
I dedicated two blogs remembering and describing the one month I spent in the 70s living in Soviet Armenia, it sure looked like a different country then.
In Yerevan Airport
Visa
When I landed in Yerevan airport, I had to get an entry visa on arrival. It was a fast and painless process and it cost me a couple of dollars. The only issue was that the Visa fees must be cash and in Armenian Dram (the Armenian currency), so if you are going to Armenia, you have the option of getting an e-visa, which makes the process faster and you pay online.
Otherwise, when you land, make sure you have local currency or go to the exchange first before spending time waiting in line for the visa. The exchange rate in the airport was the same exchange rate as in the city, no considerable premium for exchanging in the airport.
Airport Taxis
When I left the passport control and claimed my luggage, I saw my name flashing on an electronic board indicating that the taxi I booked online was waiting for me (very Impressive).
And when I left the building the taxi was waiting with a sign with my name on it, and the car was parked very close. The driver was helpful, polite and the ride was very comfortable.
Recommended Hotel
The hotel was a bit unusual, it was only on the 14th floor of the building (hence the name 14th floor hotel), and there is a dedicated lift (elevator) so no intermediate stops.
I found that hotel online, it is a few hundred feet from the “Herabarak” (the main republic square in the city center), and very reasonably priced. I was not disappointed, it was a very comfortable stay, with very helpful people.
They quickly accommodated me when I asked for a sofa bed in the living room for my son to sleep on, and they didn’t charge me extra.
The breakfast was authentic Armenian with local butter, cheese, and homemade jams that Armenia is famous for, in addition to the typical western or continental breakfast (the eggs, ham, sausages, pastries and serials ..etc).
It looked more like a furnished one bed apartment but it was a hotel.
The 14th Floor Hotel in Yerevan
The Fountain in the Herabarak – City Center, in front of City Townhall. Huge Change From What I Remember in my 1977 Visit.
Yerevan After 35 Years
After I settled in my room, I called my son to check how and where we will meet since he was there 5 days before my arrival. He told me to take a taxi and tell the driver “Nalbandyan and Tumanyan intersection”.
From my experience in other countries, including Dubai and even many European countries, taxis don’t understand intersections like in the US. They know either address, or description (for example, the white building next to the Clock Tower, close to the Diera City Center in Dubai).
But it seems in Yerevan it was sufficient for the driver to understand and took me exactly where I wanted.
As the driver was driving and I was watching out through the car window, I suddenly realized that this city is totally different from the city I remembered visiting 35 years ago.
Yerevan in the past years (since independence) went from the cold, dry, almost no life city in the 1970s, to a new colorful, vibrant, modern city today. The city didn’t look anything like the miserable pictures I used to see on the news.
It looked like a medium size European city with English and Armenian signs on most businesses and clean streets.
All the streets are named with clear signs in Armenian and English to make navigating the city as tourists friendly as possible.
Most Signs in Yerevan are in Armenian and English to Make it Easy for Tourists
How to Go Around
Traveling around Yerevan and Armenia is easy. There are many choices as follows:
Taxis
In Yerevan there are no UBER or LyFt. However there are many other choices, like UBER applications. The three I know are the below.
- GG,
- Yandex Taxi
- UTaxi
These applications work just like UBER, but the navigation might not be as accurate as in the US.
Hence, you need to communicate with the driver via SMS or call and give exact description, or street intersections. The cars might not be the exact car advertised, they might send a msg saying they are using a different car.
Usually, this is okay. But it is up to you to accept or reject and ask for another one.
The default payment mode is cash, but you can pay by card through the application (for GG and Yandex, however I am not sure if UTaxi does accept cards), there will be a 2% card payment charge.
You can pin the destination on the app, or you can change your mind and describe it later to the driver.
The application will give you many choices depending on the type, model, and age of the car.
On the other hand, normal taxis, on call or from the street, have meters. But if they do not want to use it, bargain before getting in. The fares are as follows: 600 AMD ($1.5) for 5 kilometers (3 Miles) and an additional 100 AMD rate per each kilometer after that ($0.4 per mile).
Car
You can rent a car with a driver per day. Rates vary from $80 to $150 per day for 4 to 6 people. Sometimes the driver will ask for fuel money which can be another $20. The rate depends on the type of car, destination, and how you found the car.
You can find these types of cars by local online advertisements, friend referrals, local social media advertisements, ask the GG or offline taxi driver, or the hotel reception.
You can rent a car and drive, the streets are right-hand traffic, and easy to drive. You might need an international driving license. The car rentals vary between $20 to $50 per day depending on the type of car and where you rent it from.
As for bicycles and motorcycles, these are not that big of an option in Armenia.
Food
I noticed during that visit that the restaurants – unless you are planning to eat in one of the five star high end restaurants – the street restaurants that tourists usually use to have breakfast, lunch or just a doughnut with coffee were not up to standards.
In these types of restaurants, the food choices, the service, the restaurant sitting arrangement were quite simple and primitive. However, the situation changed dramatically year after a year.
Now when I visit Yerevan, I can easily find Kebob, Shawarma and other Armenian – Mediterranean food places, in addition to western burger joints, sandwiches shops, bagels, doughnuts and other French and Dutch pastry shops and cafes.
These were not available during my 2012 trip, and with the same cleanest and service standard that you find in western cities.
The fast improvement I think is attributed to the flux of Armenian immigrants from Syria, Iraq and Lebanon that fled the political unrest in their countries.
Armenia opened their doors to all Armenians from these countries and provided them shelters and food for limited period of time till they were able to integrate into the society and open businesses.
How Safe is Yerevan? Can I haggle When I want to buy something?
The city felt safe and all materials and foods were priced in local currency. I did not have the need to haggle and negotiate, everything was priced and you can see locals are paying the same tagged prices.
I tried bargaining a few times for the sake of bargaining (a habit I picked) but soon I learned that I was wasting my time.
The only exceptions are the taxicabs, some did not have meters, or they do have a meter but do not use it. So it is recommended in these cases to bargain before sitting in the car.
However, for a tourist from a western country, the fees are so low that even with hiking prices it is cheap.
Religion
Armenia was the first nation to adopt to Christianity as the legal religion of the nation.
That was in the year 301 when St. Gregory the Illuminator was able to convert King Trdat III to Christianity after curing him from a lycanthropy disease.
It was said that the King’s Sister had a vision that only a man called Gregory, in Kor Virab prison, can save her brother the King.
King Trtad III had previously punished Saint Gregory for preaching Christianity against Armenian original Gods, by sending him to Khor Virab.
That was the ultimate punishment for any criminal because usually people go there and die. But Gregory lived there for 13 years until he was released.
When the King’s sister had her vision, she ordered St. Gregory to be released from his prison. Just finding him alive was considered a miracle.
When he successfully cured the King, he was recognized as a Saint and became Saint Gregory the Illuminator and he was able to convert the King to Christianity.
As the King became Christian, he ordered all Armenians to become Christians and he destroyed all temples and started building churches.
Places to Visit In Yerevan (or Close Destinations)
Here are several places you can visit in Yerevan (including nearby destinations).
Etchmiadzin
The church is in the center of the Armenian culture, language, and Armenian people’s everyday life.
In Yerevan you can find churches and cathedrals old and new everywhere. But the most important and impressive cathedral is the “Etchmiadzin” and for the Armenian people, it is equivalent to the “Vatican”.
Etchmiadzin, is a 15-mile drive from the center of Yerevan, and it costed me around $25 as a tour. A private car picked me and my son from our hotel and dropped us back.
Another option is to get a taxi which will cost around $7 each way.
The most important cathedral in “Etchmiadzin” is the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. It is the main and the original church in Etchmiadzin.
This Cathedral was built by Saint Gregory the Illuminator in 301–303. It is the oldest continuously used church in Armenia.
Etchmiadzin Gate (Entrance)
Echmiadzin means “the only begotten descent”. The church was built at the same place where Gregory the Illuminator had a vision that Christ came and hammered that place singing that “this is where I want you to build my church”.
It was built on the ruins of an ancient temple in Vagharshapat (the capital of Armenia at the time) which exists till today under the main church.
Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin
The complex also has the Treasure Museum of Echmiadzin. It has many priceless collections of Armenian handwritten Bibles, and historical items including the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion.
That spear, allegedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude Thaddeus, and stored amongst many other relics displayed in the Echmiadzin treasury.
Some of the Treasures in the Church’s THE TREASURY MUSEUM OF ECHMIADZIN (Must See)
Zvartnots Cathedral
Zvartnots Cathedral is a 7th Century Cathedral on the way from Yerevan to Echmiadzin. You can find it at the edge of the city of Vagharshapat where Echmiadzin is also located.
It was built by the order of Catholicos Nerses III Shinogh “the Builder” from 643-652, dedicated to St. Gregory the Illuminator. Now you can only see the ruins of that Cathedral.
It was built on where the first meeting between the King Trdat III and St. Gregory the Illuminator took place which resulted to Armenia becoming a Christian country.
It was said that the Cathedral was built following the Arab occupation of Dvin after intense wars between the Byzantine and Arab Muslim armies.
Zvartnots stood for 320 years before its collapse in the 10th century; due to the Arab raids.
It was said that the Cathedral was built to withstand thousands of years, which at the time, was the projected date of the second coming of Christ.
Tsitsernakaberd (Armenian Genocide memorial complex)
Tsitsernakaberd, in Armenian, means “Swallow’s fortress”.
Swallow is the bird that symbolizes peace in the bible. It was chosen to symbolize the memorial of the 1.5 million Armenians killed in 1915 genocide and the genocides which followed.
The memorial was completed in November of 1967 (under the Soviet Union rule).
Tsitsernakaberd (Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex)
The tall 44-meter (145 feet) stele type monument represents the “rebirth” of Armenia. The twelve tilted slabs to a central space (the short monument) represents the 12 provinces that were lost to Turkey during the Ottoman empire and the subsequent genocide.
In the center of the 12 slabs, is an eternal flame dedicated to the 1.5 million Armenians killed during the 1915 genocide.
There is also a 100-meter wall (330 feet) with the names of all the towns and villages where the massacres happened. There is also an Alley of trees planted to commemorate the genocide victims.
Tsitsernakaberd the Central Eternal Flame
Republic Square, Freedom Square, the Swan Lake, and the Armenian Opera House
In Yerevan, mostly everything starts with the Herabarak (also known as, Republic Square, City Square, the Clocktower and the Dancing Fountain).
That is where many locals and tourists gather especially at night to listen to the music, watch the colorful and dancing waters, eat, drink and enjoy the nice weather during spring, summer and fall..
The Herabarak (Clock Tower, Public Square)
Few hundred meters (Feet), north of the Public Square crossing Aboyan street and along that road is the Northern Street.
This is a fairly new development of up class stores, residential apartments and businesses, that is famous in Yerevan.
It is called Northern Street, because the development is built around a promenade that is aligned with true north and south. It is a big road and many events are held on this promenade.
The Northern Street
At the end of the street from the northern part of that promenade, is the Tumanyan Street.
Across the street, there is a large square called Azatut’yan hraparak which means Freedom Square. It is also called Liberty Square because it is the center of all anti-government demonstrations, and can hold up to 40,000 to 50,000 people.
Yerevan Opera Theater
This is the second biggest and important square after the Public Square (Herabarak).
The square also has a lake called The Swan Lake (in Armenian Karapi Lich). It is a man-made lake with an island in the middle of it and two real Swans swim there at all times (one black and one white).
The Square is also a part of the Yerevan Opera Theater Square. It is located at the north of the park which is why it’s also called the Opera Square or the Theatre Square (too many names for one square).
Beside the Swan Lake and the Opera house, you’ll find many artifacts including the statues of the Armenian writer Hovhannes Tumanyan and the Armenian composer Alexander Spendaryan.
Wintertime, the Swan Lake can be transformed to an ice-skating rink. The project was a gift from Moscow to the people of Yerevan in 2005.
Armenians in Yerevan love outdoors and they will be out with families or friends most of the time. The square has also many cafes and restaurants with indoor and outdoor Hookah and cocktail bars.
Cafesjian Center for the Arts (CCA) – The Cascade Like Building With Actual Water Cascade
Cafesjian Center for the Arts (CCA) – The view from the upper platform
Yerevan Vernisazh
Yerevan Vernisazh is a large open area in Yerevan which lies between Aram and Buzand streets, just opposite Tufenkian Old Hotel.
It was under serious renovation when I was there in 2012. It’s a walking distance from the Public square.
The name comes from the French “Vernissage” (meaning “the opening”). The Yerevan Vernisazh was not always at the same place.
It started in 1981 to 1982 as a small street art show in front of Artist’s Union (Charles Aznavour Square), then moved few times till it ended up in front of the Republic Square Metro Station (where it is today) and became much bigger than it used to be.
Yerevan Vernisazh
This open market transformed from selling art in the 1980s to now selling anything from art, paints, handcrafts, carpets, antiques, sculptures, old and used equipment, musical instruments, coins, stamps, new and pre-owned clothing, souvenirs, food ..etc.
Final Thoughts
Yerevan is one of the best cities I visited and enjoy visiting repeatedly. It is easy to travel too. The visa is very easy and fast to obtain for most nationalities. For Americans and Europeans, it is visa on arrival. For other nationalities, 1 day online e-visa is possible.
The city is full of life from early morning to very late at night. People are easy to deal with. It’s affordable to mostly every income level. It’s clean and with limited English, you can easily find your way around.
Another important thing is the feeling of safety. Of course mugging is everywhere in the world, but in Yerevan I felt safe.
The city has a lot of beautiful places to visit. The weather is great for outdoor activities most of the time, except during winter when it can be very cold.
The food is great. There are lot of bars, tea lounges, great coffee shops, indoor and outdoor cafes. The local wine and cognac is magnificent.
Nature is unbelievably beautiful, and the architecture is unique to the area. It is a place you can lower your guards and just enjoy your vacation.
Leaving Yerevan, there is a final treat that you can enjoy and that is waiting for your plane on a comfortable chair looking at the magnificent Ararat mountain while enjoying an Armenian coffee.
Yerevan Airport – looking at Mount Ararat
Need more information about this story? Simply fill out this form to contact me.