Armenia Adventure Travel Blog- Yerevan Tips and Information Guide
Armenia Quick Travel Guide
Capital: Yerevan
Best Time to Visit: May–June & September–October
Recommended Trip Length: 7–10 days
Why travel to Armenia?
Straddling the divide between Asia and Europe, Armenia (the world’s first Christian Nation) boasts a diversity of terrain, ruined monasteries, a city older than Rome, Roman temples, and more. Armenia is a country with a lot of history (and tragedy). It is a country that should be high on any traveler’s bucket list.
My trip to Armenia began in Yerevan at Zvartnots International Airport. It was not a fun experience flying from Istanbul- the flight left at 2am and arrived at 4am. All the flights from Istanbul were at terrible AM hours (done on purpose I assume due to relations between countries) so I arrived in Yerevan looking like an extra from the Walking Dead.
My first day I forced myself to stay awake and try to get a few photographs. I took a power nap at noon then was out again by 2pm to explore the city.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for some great resources for visiting the city.
(Republic Square panorama shot with my crappy iPhone 8)
My Yerevan trip began in Republic Square- the central town square in Yerevan. The square is surrounded by five major neo-classical buildings (a great place for sunset and sunrise photographs).
Note: the Oval roundabout, which would make a great place to take pictures is not supposed to be tread upon. I found out as a police car & police man came over to admonish me in Armenian. His words were not understood, but his intent suggested I go somewhere else- right now!). I was just taking pictures, no harm done. Not like I was standing in the oval with a bazooka pointed at the Armenian House)
The square was originally designed in the 1920s and used to featured a statue of Lenin- thankfully removed after Armenia’s independence.
The square is packed with Armenians and travelers later in the afternoon.
(Cascade Complex in Yerevan- there is an indoor escalator available during working hours but that is cheating (and you would miss the views))
Yerevan’s other big tourist draw- Cascade Steps. Overlooking the city and affording amazing views of Mount Ararat- you can’t miss this. 572 steps to the top (because I looked it up) and five platforms give you a bit of a breather before reaching the top. You can continue further up to Monumental Terrace which houses the 40th Anniversary of Soviet Armenia monument standing 118 m tall.
Photo tip: I found the views better from the third platform than from the very top. Look at the difference in these photographs:
(Aerial views of Mt. Ararat and architecture of Yerevan, Armenia)
The top photograph was shot on my first day in Yerevan, an overcast day where you couldn’t see Ararat at all. Notice how the buildings look flat. That is due to cloudy conditions and perspective.
The other photographs were shot lower on Cascade Complex, from the third and second platform. Notice how the lower I went, the more the architecture of the city sticks “up” in front of Mount Ararat. This hierarchy (missing in the first image) creates a sense of depth and tells you what element is foreground, middle, and background. I talk about hierarchy all the time in painting and it is equally applicable to photography.
My second morning in Yerevan was crystal clear and I had much better photographs.
Thanks to my friend Cujo for helping me get the photographs at Cascade Complex. Yerevan has a unique program of capturing wild dogs, neutering/spaying, then releasing them. Cujo befriended me after a few pats and was unwilling to leave me alone. She was a mooch!
(Spayed/neutered street dog in Yerevan at Cascade Complex)
Everytime I tried to move, Cujo would lean against me to prevent me from leaving. Or, she would lay on the ground and nibble my ankle (thus the nickname).
(Black tuff building in Yerevan)
(Vendors playing cards during Art Market near Freedom Square)
(View of Yerevan Square from Diamond Restaurant on the NW Corner of Republic Square)
(Me on the 2nd day of the trip- after a little sleep and not looking dirty yet!)
Original fine art painting and prints available HERE
The Ultimate Armenia Travel Guide for Photographers & Artists
- Yerevan
- Geghard Monastery
- Garni Ruins
- Khor Virap
- Noravank
- Tatev
- Goris
- Lake Sevan
- Dilijan
- Gyumri
- Etchmiadzin
- Zvartnots
Next Garni Temple/ Geghard Monastery Day Trip From Yerevan
Armenia Travel Resources
Flights:
I found my flight on Expedia. I flew a multi-city trip to Istanbul-Armenia then back to Istanbul then the USA. I do NOT recommend flying to Armenia from Istanbul. The ONE daily flight was at 2am in the morning and both of my flights were delayed. Better options would be to fly from Greece or Bulgaria (whose diplomatic relations with Armenia are better)
Hotels:
Hotel Olympia. Located NW of the city center. Approx. 10 minute walk from Metro station (which I never used). Decent sized room with a great view (photograph below). There is a pool (not operational when I visited in mid-October) and buffet style breakfast starting at 8:30.
The hotel is located close to the Armenian Genocide Museum (which I also did not get a chance to visit on this trip) as well as a 2 minute walk to a 24 hour supermarket (convenient for iced coffee for the artist who gets up at 5:30 in the morning to take photographs).
Do not let the distance to the city center deter you- taxis are available easily on the GG App. Yandex works too but GG is a fixed rate (no additional charges due to traffic). Rides to the city center cost 800-1900 dram per trip. At the time of this post the exchange rate was approx. 370 dram to 1 USD. I attached my credit card to GG and didn’t even have to carry cash for the trips. Super convenient.
Other Hotels:
https://expedia.com/affiliates/hotel-search-yerevan.aMdqmse
If I had had the money, this is where I would have stayed (right on Republic Square- what a view!)
Now the only question is: which photograph do I paint first? I will be adding my artwork as it becomes available- I need to get back into the studio and pick one image from the over 8K I shot on this trip!
Guide Books:
Lonely Planet Armenia. This guide covers Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. I purchased this travel guide.
History of Armenia. Certainly worth reading if you are going to spend a little time in this country with it’s amazing and often tragic history.
Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345
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That 2am Istanbul flight is such a rite of passage for Armenia-bound travelers — I’ve done the jet-lagged zombie shuffle through Zvartnots myself, and somehow Republic Square at sunrise still managed to knock me sideways despite my complete inability to form sentences. What struck me about your Cascade Steps experience is how that climb earns the view in a way an escalator just can’t — and given that Armenia draws something like 1.5 million visitors annually (per the World Tourism Organization’s recent figures), it’s remarkable how unhurried the city still feels compared to similarly historic capitals.