Watch our today birds eye view (drone) of Armenia!
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Why travel to Armenia? Because it’s a small, scrappy country that is a hotbed for history, lush as can be, and filled with some of the nicest people in the world. Don’t leave Armenia off of your list the next time you’re planning a vacation or backpacking adventure.
Armenia is a tiny country, oft-forgotten by travelers due to it being tucked away behind Turkey and its more popular neighbor, Georgia. It’s an ancient and mystical land, and a country still unspoiled by the crowds of mass tourism, even though there are many things to do in Armenia.
Its people are among the friendliest in the world, and it’s a serious hotbed for history. Some sites date back as early as 4,000 BCE. And whether you’re a lover of rolling hills, or prefer traipsing over snow-capped peaks, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the Armenian landscape. To seal the deal: it’s incredibly cheap, making it a perfect destination for budget travelers and backpackers. In three weeks of travel, I spent less than €500. Yeah, you read that right.
Don’t leave Armenia off your bucket list. It can’t be hidden away forever, and the time to visit is now before it’s truly “discovered” by mass tourism.
Once a vast civilization, it is now a tiny land-locked country situated between Iran and Georiga, and trapped between Turkey and Azerbaijan, its enemies. Its people were slaughtered by the Ottomans in a genocide that is not yet recognized by many countries in the world, and its grand buildings were ravaged by a devastating earthquake in 1988.
Despite its turbulent history, the Armenian people are fiercely proud of their country’s history, and for good reason. The Armenian civilization used to span all the way from Persia into Eastern Europe and was home to many significant historical firsts such as being the first country to make wine, and the first country to adopt Christianity.
Visas
If you’re travelling from the UK, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, the US or Canada, then the great news is that you don’t need a visa to visit Armenia and can just get a stamp on arrival, either at a land crossing or at the airport.
This is also true for the citizens of many other Middle Eastern nations, but do check before you travel as the rules can always change.
Best time to travel
Armenia has a crazy climate, in that it goes from freezing cold in the winter to boiling hot in the summer!
I guess that’s the reality of being a landlocked, mountainous country!
As a result of the climate variation, I honestly think the perfect time to travel Armenia is during the northern hemisphere spring and autumn, namely April through June and September through October respectively.
In this way, the best time to travel Armenia is similar to that of the Middle East.
Travelling during these months means you avoid the freezing conditions of the bleak winter, but you don’t risk burning to a crisp in the summer temperatures and humidity!
It’s also wildflower season during spring and conditions are perfect for hiking, which you should definitely do when you travel Armenia.
Money Matters
The currency is Armenia is the Armenian Dram… but you knew that right!
ATM’s are widespread in the cities here and easy to use with both Mastercard and Visa accepted.
However life gets very rural in Armenia very quickly, so if you’re heading out to the countryside at all, I definitely suggest taking all the cash you’ll need with you.
Transportation
Due to a lack of tourist infrastructure and some poor road conditions in parts, getting around Armenia can be a little tricky.
Public minivans, known as marshrutkas, are the cheapest way to go, but they only ply main roads and generally operate only to and from the capital.
To make matters a little more complicated, there are 6 marshrutka stations across Yerevan and finding out which buses leave from which stations is an adventure in itself!
Check out this useful website, which had the most current info I found online, otherwise ask where you’re staying for the latest details, as the often buses often change stations!
To combat the confusing minivan situation however, the good news is that hitchhiking is easy and commonplace across rural Armenia – often you’ll be picked up on the street without even having to stick your thumb out!
Otherwise, ride-sharing apps such as Yandex can be used to grab cheap taxi rides for shorter distances and make communicating across any language barriers much easier.
In Yerevan, there’s also an extremely cheap metro system.
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