Armenia is a country in Asia and located away from the typical tourist trail. I combined it with a backpacking trip to Georgia and Azerbaijan.

  • I have used and can recommend the Lonely Planet Guide for Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
  • On our route we traveled from Georgia to Yerevan. We made a day trip to the monastery of Echmiadzin and on the way back we visited the Swartnoz Cathedral. On the next day, we visited the Geghard Monastery and the Garni Temple on a reasonably priced organized day trip through the Rafael Hostel. After visiting Yerevan, the minibus returned to Georgia, as there were no cheap flights from Armenia.
  • There is still a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan today. If you were in certain areas of Armenia, you are not allowed to enter Azerbaijan. Therefore, it is recommended to travel first to Azerbaijan and then to Armenia.

  • Garni Temple

    The Garni Temple is from the 1st century, known for its columns in the classical Greek style.

  • Geghard Monastery

    Geghard Monastery is a picturesque medieval monastery, partly located in a gorge and carved out of the mountains.

  • Monastery of Echmiadzin

    The monastery of Echmiadzin dates back to 300 AD, when Christianity was adopted by the Armenian nation.

  • Swartnoz Cathedral

    Swartnoz Cathedral is today an old ruin complex and houses the relics of the Catholicos, the first head of the Armenian church.

  • Yerevan

    The capital Yerevan has a modern downtown and huge monuments from the last century. Recommended is the cascade complex, a long staircase with statues on several levels. Impressive was the large-scale Republic Square.

Accommodation

  • For Yerevan, it is best to book on HostelWorld or Booking.com.
  • We stayed in Yerevan at the Rafael Hostel. It is centrally located, has a huge kitchen, plenty of space in the lounge and large bedrooms.

Transport

  • Public transport was not available in Google Maps and Rome2Rio. We used WikiVoyage and the Lonely Planet.
  • There are minibuses between Tbilisi and Yerevan, but these only leave in the morning! The driving style of our bus driver was very aggressive. The border control went fast and went smoothly.