Armenia

A trip to Armenia usually starts in Yerevan. You have already picked the country and are now working through the practical questions: how many days to give the capital, which district to stay in, what you can fit in outside the city. We have put together guides that answer these questions in order. You don't need to read all of them back to back.

The core of this section is the Yerevan guides. There is an itinerary for a first visit to the city, with food and nightlife, a one-day walking route through the center and a two-day plan. Alongside them are a large overview of places in the capital with prices and opening hours and a roundup of Yerevan's museums. Pick the format that fits the time you have.

The second group of guides covers trips out of the capital. We describe Khor Virap with its view of Mount Ararat, a one-day route through the Garni temple, the Symphony of Stones and Geghard, and Lake Sevan with the monasteries on its shores and the road to Dilijan. In each text we go through the journey and the time needed on site. An overview of excursions from Yerevan helps you compare the options. It is handy when you are short on days.

The third group deals with the practical questions. The guide to the seasons goes through the weather by month and region and lists the holidays. The text on Zvartnots Airport explains how to get to the city by bus, taxi or transfer. The Yerevan hotel roundups are organized by district, and hotels with a pool are collected separately. There is a breakdown of costs: what takes more money than you expect and what is free in the country. Two guides to souvenirs suggest what you can realistically get home. For a general picture, there is a collection of facts about Armenia.

Every guide opens with a short conclusion: the main points in the first paragraphs, the details below. Then come the practical blocks: how to get there, how much time to allow, what to buy in advance. For prices and timetables we state the source and the date we checked it. We write about the downsides plainly: where it gets crowded, where the drive takes longer than the map suggests, what you can skip.

This section suits those who travel independently and want to put the trip together themselves: from a short stop in Yerevan to a week with outings to the monasteries and the lake. It is useful both for first-time visitors and for those who are coming back and looking for new routes. If you need a ready-made guided tour, these texts will not replace it. We do not sell trips and do not put them together to order. There are no detailed guides to the remote regions of the country yet, and we say so honestly.

Start with the guide to the seasons: it will help you choose a month. Then read the cost breakdown and the hotel roundup by district to settle on a budget and a place to stay. After that, pick a Yerevan itinerary for your number of days and add one or two trips out of town. The airport guide is worth opening before you fly. Leave the souvenirs for last.

This section is part of "Asia", which belongs to "Destinations". If you are still comparing countries, the neighboring sections are "Azerbaijan", "Turkey", "United Arab Emirates" and "India", as well as "Maldives", "Thailand", "Vietnam" and "Indonesia". The guides there follow the same structure, so comparing is easy. We do not restate entry rules and document requirements: check them on official government websites before your trip.

Prices, timetables and opening hours change, so we regularly return to published texts and check the data against the official websites of the museums, the airport and the carriers. The date of the last check is given in each guide. If a figure in the text differs from the official source, trust the source. The section keeps growing with new itineraries and roundups. Open the guide that answers your most immediate question and move on through your plan from there.