Find places in Armenia

Must-Haves

• Matenadaran (Mashtots Avenue)
  One of the world's great collections of ancient manuscripts, beautifully displayed.
• Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum (Tsitsernakaberd)
  A moving memorial and museum on a hill above the Hrazdan gorge, essential to understanding Armenia.
• Cascade Complex and Cafesjian Center for the Arts (Kentron)
  A giant stairway of terraces and modern sculpture with city and Ararat views from the top.
• History Museum of Armenia (Republic Square)
  The best introduction to Armenian history, from Bronze Age finds to medieval treasures.
• Erebuni Fortress (Erebuni)
  The hilltop Urartian fortress from 782 BC where Yerevan began, with a small museum.

Must-Haves

• Republic Square (Kentron)
  The grand pink stone heart of the city, lively in the evening around the singing fountains.
• Yerevan Brandy Company (Admiral Isakov Avenue)
  Tours and tastings at the home of the famous Ararat brandy.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kond neighbourhood (Kentron)
  A maze of old lanes and courtyards that shows the Yerevan before Soviet planning.

Must-Haves

• Vernissage Market (Kentron)
  A sprawling weekend open air market of crafts, carpets, jewellery and Soviet curios.
• Megerian Carpet (Arshakunyats Avenue)
  A carpet workshop and gallery where you can watch hand weaving and restoration.

Low Cost and Authentic

• GUM Market (Mashtots Avenue)
  A covered market piled with dried fruit, nuts, spices, cheese and churchkhela, with plenty of tasting.

Fun for Everyone

• Dalma Garden Mall (Tsitsernakaberd Highway)
  A big modern mall for practical shopping, a cinema and a food court.

Must-Haves

• Lavash Restaurant (Tumanyan Street)
  Classic Armenian dishes with lavash baked in a tonir oven in front of you.
• Sherep (Amiryan Street)
  A bright, modern take on Armenian home cooking with an open kitchen.

Great for Date Night

• Dolmama (Pushkin Street)
  A long established restaurant known for creative Armenian cooking in a stylish room.

Fun for Everyone

• Pandok Yerevan (Amiryan Street)
  A lively tavern with khorovats, folk music and a big, friendly crowd in the evenings.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Zhingyalov Hats (Teryan Street)
  Flatbreads stuffed with a mix of wild herbs, a speciality from Artsakh, made to order.

Great for Date Night

• In Vino (Saryan Street)
  The wine bar that started Yerevan's wine scene, with a deep list of Armenian bottles.
• Malkhas Jazz Club (Pushkin Street)
  Live jazz most nights in an intimate club run by a well known pianist.
• Poplavok Jazz Café (Swan Lake)
  A jazz café by the small lake near the Opera House, made famous by an old Armenian song.

Must-Haves

• Wine Republic (Saryan Street)
  A popular wine bar and restaurant for trying wines from every Armenian region.

Fun for Everyone

• Dargett Craft Beer (Aram Street)
  Armenia's best known craft brewery, with many beers on tap and good bar food.

Must-Haves

• Jazzve (Kentron)
  Armenian coffee brewed in a jazzve pot, the local way, in a cosy café chain.

Fun for Everyone

• Green Bean (Amiryan Street)
  A relaxed café with good coffee, breakfasts and space to work.

Great for Date Night

• Mirzoyan Library Café (Mher Mkrtchyan Street)
  Coffee and wine in a hidden courtyard with old wooden balconies.

Fun for Everyone

• Lovers' Park (Baghramyan Avenue)
  A pretty landscaped park with ponds and a small amphitheatre, lovely at dusk.
• English Park (Kentron)
  A shady city park with cafés and a popular spot for families in summer.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hrazdan Gorge (Hrazdan river)
  A green gorge through the city with walking paths below the Genocide Memorial.

Must-Haves

• Symphony of Stones (Garni gorge, day trip from Yerevan)
  Giant basalt columns hanging over the Azat river, a short walk below Garni.

Must-Haves

• Vardavar Water Festival (Across the city)
  A summer festival where everyone throws water at everyone, so expect to get soaked.
• Genocide Remembrance Day March (Tsitsernakaberd)
  On 24 April, huge crowds walk to the memorial to lay flowers at the eternal flame.

Fun for Everyone

• Yerevan Wine Days (Saryan Street)
  A spring street festival of Armenian wineries, food stalls and music.
• Erebuni Yerevan City Day (Across the city)
  The city's birthday in October with concerts and events in the streets.

Off the Beaten Path

• Golden Apricot International Film Festival (Kentron)
  A summer film festival with screenings around the city.

Must-Haves

• Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel (Kentron)
  A hotel styled in traditional Armenian design with hand made carpets, close to the centre.
• Grand Hotel Yerevan (Abovyan Street)
  A historic hotel on Abovyan Street, a short walk from Republic Square.

Great for Date Night

• The Alexander, a Luxury Collection Hotel (Abovyan Street)
  A stylish central hotel with a rooftop and polished design.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Envoy Hostel (Pushkin Street)
  A friendly, central hostel and a good place to meet other travellers.

Fun for Everyone

• Paris Hotel Yerevan (Amiryan Street)
  A central hotel with a rooftop restaurant facing Ararat.

Must-Haves

• Sevanavank (Sevan peninsula)
  Two ninth century churches on the peninsula with sweeping views over the lake.
• Noratus Cemetery (Noratus)
  A field of hundreds of medieval carved cross stones, one of Armenia's most atmospheric sights.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hayravank Monastery (Hayravank)
  A small monastery on a rocky headland above the water, with few visitors.
• Selim Caravanserai (Selim pass)
  A fourteenth century Silk Road inn high on the pass south of the lake.

Fun for Everyone

• Sevan peninsula beaches (Sevan town)
  The busiest summer beaches, with loungers, cafés and water sports.

Must-Haves

• Sevan National Park (Gegharkunik)
  The park protecting the lake and its birdlife, with viewpoints along the shore.

Great for Date Night

• Sunset at Sevanavank (Sevan peninsula)
  The best time to climb the peninsula, as the light turns the lake gold.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sevan Writers' Resort (Sevan peninsula)
  A striking Soviet modernist landmark on the peninsula, now a hotel.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Lakeside fish restaurants (North western shore)
  Grilled trout and crayfish on terraces over the water, a classic Sevan lunch.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sevanavank craft stalls (Sevan peninsula)
  Small stalls of carvings, honey and souvenirs at the foot of the monastery steps.

Must-Haves

• Haghartsin Monastery (Dilijan National Park)
  Medieval churches in a forest clearing with ancient walnut trees.
• Goshavank (Gosh)
  A great medieval centre of learning with a famous lace like khachkar.

Off the Beaten Path

• Jukhtak Vank (Dilijan)
  Two small forest chapels on a short walk from the edge of town.
• Matosavank (Dilijan National Park)
  A ruined, moss covered monastery hidden in the woods.

Fun for Everyone

• Dilijan Museum of Local Lore and Art (Dilijan)
  A surprising collection of paintings and regional crafts.

Must-Haves

• Old Dilijan Complex (Sharambeyan Street)
  A restored street of traditional houses with workshops and a small museum.

Fun for Everyone

• Yell Extreme Park (Yenokavan)
  Zip lines and adventure activities over a forested canyon near Ijevan.

Fun for Everyone

• Parz Lake (Dilijan National Park)
  A small forest lake with a café, boats and a trail to Goshavank.

Must-Haves

• Dilijan National Park (Tavush)
  Beech and oak forests with marked trails and mineral springs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Transcaucasian Trail, Dilijan sections (Dilijan National Park)
  Well marked long distance trail sections through forest and ridges.

Great for Date Night

• Dilijan mineral springs (Dilijan)
  Sip the local mineral water at springs in town and in the forest.

Must-Haves

• Kumayri historic district (Gyumri)
  Streets of black and red tuff houses, the best historic architecture in Armenia.
• Vardanants Square (Gyumri)
  The main square, with its two big churches and a lively evening atmosphere.

Fun for Everyone

• Black Fortress (Gyumri)
  A round nineteenth century Russian fort on the hill.

Must-Haves

• Holy Saviour's Church (Vardanants Square)
  A grand church rebuilt after the 1988 earthquake.
• Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God (Vardanants Square)
  Known locally as Yot Verk, the Seven Wounds.
• Dzitoghtsyan Museum of Social Life and National Architecture (Rustaveli Street)
  Gyumri's past in a fine merchant's house.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sergey Merkurov House Museum (Gyumri)
  The house museum of the famous sculptor of death masks.
• Aslamazyan Sisters Museum (Gyumri)
  The colourful paintings and ceramics of two painter sisters.

Must-Haves

• Cherkezi Dzor (Gyumri)
  A long running fish restaurant in a gorge with its own trout ponds.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Poloz Mukuch (Gyumri)
  An old style tavern popular for local dishes and beer.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ponchik Monchik (Gyumri)
  Cream filled doughnuts loved across Armenia.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gyumri Central Market (Gyumri)
  Cheese, dried fruit and bread from the region.

Must-Haves

• Villa Kars Hotel (Gyumri)
  A boutique hotel in a restored historic house.

Great for Date Night

• Berlin Art Hotel (Gyumri)
  A small, art filled hotel in the historic centre.

Must-Haves

• Wings of Tatev (Halidzor)
  A cable car gliding across the Vorotan gorge to the monastery.

Off the Beaten Path

• Old Khndzoresk (Khndzoresk)
  A cave village reached by a swinging footbridge across the gorge.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Goris town (Goris)
  A grid of stone houses and guesthouses, the best base in Syunik.

Must-Haves

• Tatev Monastery (Tatev)
  A ninth century monastery on a basalt cliff, once a great medieval university.
• Zorats Karer (Sisian)
  A field of ancient standing stones, some with bored holes.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tatevi Mets Anapat (Vorotan gorge)
  The ruined Great Hermitage in a peaceful valley below Tatev.

Fun for Everyone

• Satan's Bridge (Vorotan gorge)
  A natural rock bridge with warm mineral pools beneath.

Off the Beaten Path

• Shaki Waterfall (Shaki)
  A pretty waterfall best after the snowmelt.

Must-Haves

• Mirhav Hotel (Goris)
  A comfortable hotel in Goris with a garden.