Ancient monasteries, apricot orchards and Ararat on the horizon.
Armenia is a small, high country of stone churches and wide mountain views. Yerevan is a lively, café-filled capital with Mount Ararat visible across the border on clear days, and short drives lead to the Greco-Roman temple at Garni, the rock-cut monastery of Geghard, Tatev's long cable car and the wide blue expanse of Lake Sevan.
Meals are long and generous: khorovats barbecue, dolma, lavash baked in tonir ovens, and local brandy and wine. Distances are short, so day trips from Yerevan by marshrutka, taxi or tour cover a lot. Late spring and early autumn are best, with mild weather and the harvest in September; summer is hot in the capital and winter brings snow to the highlands.
Best time to visit Armenia
May, June, September, October.
Places to visit in Armenia
Yerevan: Armenia's capital of rose-coloured tuff stone, café terraces and a giant stairway with views to Mount Ararat on clear days.
Garni and Geghard: Two of Armenia's great monuments near Yerevan: a columned pagan temple above a basalt gorge and a monastery carved from the cliff.
Lake Sevan: One of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the world, with the Sevanavank monastery watching over its turquoise water.
Tatev: A medieval monastery on the rim of the Vorotan gorge in southern Armenia, reached by one of the world's longest reversible cableways.
Essentials
Currency: Armenian Dram (AMD)
Language: Armenian; Russian widely understood, English among younger people
Plugs: Type C / F, 220 V
Driving: Right side
Time zone: UTC+4
Tipping: Round up; 10% in restaurants if no service charge is added
Getting around: Marshrutka minibuses and cheap taxis; hire a driver for the monasteries
Entry: Check the official rules for your passport before booking