Updated: 27 August, 2024
This route through Armenia includes all the best of the country to see in 6 or 7 days, it is ideal if you are traveling to Armenia for the first time.
If you are planning to travel to the Caucasus and want to spend a 1 week in Armenia, I'll tell you about the essentials of that country.
This route through Armenia is based on my experience living in the area, specifically, I was living in Georgia for 1 year and visited Armenia several times.
The itinerary includes Yerevan, its capital, and several excursions that you can do starting from there because the country is quite small.
Therefore, my proposal is that Alternate visits to the city with visits to the surrounding area.
If you are going to drive, you may want to group the excursions, so you will need fewer days of car rental, because Yerevan can be visited without driving.
Likewise, this itinerary will serve as a starting point to prepare your trip to Armenia on your own, according to your preferences.
✅ Tour to Garni, Geghard and Lake Sevan – the most surprising.
✅ Excursion to Khor Virap, Noravank and Tatev with its fabulous cable car, Alas de Tatev.
✅ Yerevan Tour – to learn about its fascinating history.
How to get around Armenia?
Before continuing with the route through Armenia I want to talk to you a little about how to get around the country, because it is an important topic.
Although, I'm not going to go into depth because I already wrote this detailed guide on How to get around Yerevan and Armenia.
In Yerevan you will not have much problem getting around with public transport or taxi.
However, in the rest of the country, although there are buses and minibuses (marshrutkas), the tourist places are not well connected.
Must take into account, From a tourist point of view, Armenia is not very developed, as well as the infrastructure.
This has the advantage that you will visit a very authentic country without overcrowding.
On the other hand, if you depend on public transportation, in most cases you will need to combine several buses, many infrequently, or go by taxi.
That's why, one of the best ways to visit Armenia is by driving.
Although I have to warn you that driving on Armenian roads can be quite a challenge, driving in this area of the country is aggressive and I only recommend it if you have a lot of experience behind the wheel.
Additionally, the mountain roads have many curves and are not in the best condition.
In case you go to rent car in Armenia, I recommend this search engine that only works with serious and cheap local companies.
The most practical alternative to tour Armenia is with excursions, In Armenia you will find many offers. Below I leave you links to the tours I took and alternatives with guide in Spanish.
Armenia Road Trip
1. Yerevan
Yerevan is one of the longest inhabited cities in the world.
Despite this, it is a quite modern city with an old town with wide streets that make the walk very enjoyable.
It turns out that during Soviet times many buildings, especially religious ones, were demolished and new ones were built.
The capital of Armenia is a vibrant city full of bars, cafes and restaurants with very good nightlife.
At the same time, it has a lot of history and a beautiful pink color given by the Armenian tuff, a typical reddish stone from the area.
Yerevan is a surprising city that has nothing to envy of many well-known European cities.
– How many days to spend in Yerevan?
To explore Yerevan without rushing, I recommend spending 3 days.
In this way, it will give you the time to see all its essentials and enjoy it well because it is fascinating, as well as taste their delicious cuisine.
– What to see in Yerevan?
Some of the most notable sites in the city are:
- The Cascade Center, a very unique museum that exhibits most of the works outdoors and its construction in itself is a beauty. If I had to recommend only one place in Yerevan, I would choose this one without hesitation.
- The Republic Square, a meeting place where during the summer nights they light their dancing fountain;
- Other of the most emblematic buildings of the city are the Blue Mosque and Katoghike Church of the Holy Mother of God, are among the few ancient buildings that survived the Armenian Soviet period.
- If you want to know more about the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, You can't miss the monument and museum.
- Discover how they make Armenian brandy at the Brandy company. This brandy is one of the best in the world appreciated by Churchill, who imported it in large quantities for his personal reserve.
⭐ In this other article you can read more about What to do in Yerevan: 14 best plans.
2. Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery
A short distance from Yerevan you will find one of the most surprising temples in the country, the Garni pagan temple.
The most interesting thing about this temple dedicated to the sun god is its Greco-Roman styleFurthermore, unlike other pagan temples, it was not destroyed or reused as a church.
Continuing along the road a short distance away is the Geghard monastery, founded in the 4th century by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia.
This monastery was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2000.
3. Lake Sevan and Dilijan National Park
The immense Lake Sevan is one of the largest high mountain lakes in the world, with no less than 78 km long.
This is the favorite destination for Armenians to take a dip in the summer, because the rest of the year the water is too cold.
The environment is super beautiful and at the top of one of the mountains you can visit the Sevanavank monastery.
A very particular monastery where sinful monks were sent.
Normally, a visit to Lake Sevan with its monastery is usually combined with a visit to the Dilijan National Park, which is known as the «Switzerland of Armenia».
This mountain park has the most picturesque landscapes with its forests, lakes and waterfalls.
4. Tatev Monastery and the Wings of Tatev
Tatev Monastery is the most picturesque in Armenia, a place that you cannot miss.
This monastery is one of the oldest in the country and with the greatest religious importance.
In 2010 the Wings of Tatev were inaugurated What is the double-track cable car without stops? longest in the world, 5.7 km long.
– How many days to dedicate to Tatev and the surrounding area?
Tatev is a little far from Yerevan, the excursions are usually 1 day and include several stops, but if you are going to drive it will be very difficult for you to return on the same day.
Therefore, I recommend sleeping in the area and you can take the opportunity to visit more places such as other monasteries and waterfalls.
In addition, it is an area of vineyards, if you are a wine lover you cannot miss it visit a winery where they will explain to you how they do it Armenian wine with 6,000 years of history.
⭐ In this other article you can read in detail about What to see in Armenia: 25 essentials from Yerevan, with everything there is to see and transportation alternatives.
1 week itinerary
| Day | What to do? |
| 1 | Arrival in Yerevan. Public transport to the center or with a transfer with fixed price which is very useful if you travel with more people. First contact with the city. |
| 2 | Half-day visit to Garni temple and Geghard monastery, you can go on an excursion like this one that includes a stop to see how traditional Lavash bread is made, or this one with guide in spanish. Afternoon visit to Yerevan, walk through the old town, visit the Cascade Center and end at Republic Square to see the dancing fountain. |
| 3 | Excursion to Lake Sevan and Dilijan National Park, this link tour also includes other stops at Goshavank Monastery and Lake Parz. |
| 4 | Museum day in Yerevan you can include the Matenadaran Museum, the mother of Armenia and Levon Underground Museum. Visit the Armenian Brandy factory. End the day with a Ballet or Opera, which are cheap in Armenia. |
| 5 | Visit to the Tatev Monastery and its impressive cable car, this link excursion It includes the Shaki waterfall and a visit to the Armenian wine cellars in the area. |
| 6 | Day to visit Yerevan, you can go to the Armenian Genocide monument and museum. Tour to visit the Blue Mosque and Katoghike Church. If you prefer to tour Yerevan with a guide, I recommend this one. very complete cultural tour. End the day with a visit to the Vernissage market to buy some souvenirs (better if it falls on a weekend). |
| 7 | Return flight. |
On the Armenia circuit, the place to sleep every night would be in Yerevan.
I have left you links for several excursions that will help you save time.
But, remember that if you are going to drive, the visit to the Tatev Monastery (day 5) will make it a good idea to sleep in the area.
Map of the Route through Armenia
On the map I have marked the most important points, for example in Yerevan I only marked the city.
If you want to see the specific visits for each place, I recommend that you visit my specific articles where you will find many details.
If you are preparing your route through Armenia on your own and have questions, leave me a comment below and I will help you in any way I can.
* To check the legend for each place, click the button in the top left corner of the map. To view this map on your phone or computer, tap the star on the right side of the title. Then go to Google Maps, select "Your Places" and "Maps" from the menu.
Final Thoughts
I hope this route through Armenia helps you plan your trip.
The first time I went to Armenia I didn't know much what to expect, because it is a rarely visited country and it surprised me in every way.
Despite how small Armenia is It has a lot to see in terms of picturesque landscapes and culture.
Another thing that I found fascinating was his very tasty cuisine, with Asian and European influence due to its location on the border of both continents.
Furthermore, its people have a warmth that they will make you feel at home at all times.
My recommendation is that you don't miss visiting this wonderful country.
In case you are preparing your trip on your own, this Armenia guide It may help you, where you will find all the articles I wrote.
If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and I will help you in any way I can. And if you found the article useful, share it with other travelers. Have a good trip!
More about Armenia and the Caucasus
- 17 Tips for traveling to Armenia
- Visit to the Cascade Complex in Yerevan
- 31 Surprising Curiosities of Armenia
- How to Get from Tbilisi to Yerevan: Fast, Cheap, and Comfortable
- 9 Best Tours from Kutaisi
Hello, I’m Andrea, the creator and writer of Viajeros Activos (Active Travelers). I’m a nomad, so I consider myself a full-time traveler. I’m passionate about good food and always looking for new adventures.