• The beautiful natural landscapes
• Arts and crafts (lots of arts galleries and a handicrafts made of local stones, clay, wood, etc)
• Rich cultural life
• Multitude of restaurants, cafes and bars with delicious Armenian, Middle Eastern and European cuisine and the world-famous Armenian brandy
• Safe night life till very late hours

and/or engage in .

• Tourism (cultural, historical, adventurous, religious)

• Recreational activities (winter sports, water sports, mountain climbing, hiking)

• Bird-watching

• Landscape, Wildlife or Architectural photography  

Numerous monuments and masterpieces of the Ancient era and Middle Ages can be found throughout the country. Tourism in Armenia is rooted in the country's historical landmarks and natural attractions such as the water resorts of Lake Sevan, the hot springs of Arzni and Jermuk, the forests of Dilijan, Aghveran, Tsaghkadzor, Bjurakan and Gugark, and the mountainous natural caves and cliffs of the Southeast region. The 5165 meter Mount Ararat, geographically located in Turkey, is a national symbol of Armenia and is visible from much of the Southwest region.

The majestic peaks of the snow-capped heights of mount Ararat, where the Biblical Noah's Ark first landed escaping the Great Flood, provide a stunning backdrop to Yerevan the capital city of Armenia. With a population numbering over 1.2 million, Yerevan is a bustling city. The monastery of Khor-Virab and the ruins of the ancient city of Dvin (dating back to the second century BC) are located in the mid-distance aerial view of Yerevan. The city's central plaza, Republic Square, is designed in the Armenian national style and houses the Government House, the Cabinet and other governmental offices as well as the Erebuni and Marriott-Armenia hotels.

 Also situated on Republic Square are the Armenian History Museum and the Art Gallery of Armenia. Here, one finds informative and interesting models and artefacts of ancient Urartu and later days Armenia. In the Art Gallery a worthy section on Armenian art from the seventh century AD can be found. Amongst the many other museums in the capital city, the two most interesting house museums are those of the renowned artist Martiros Saryan (1880-1972) and twentieth century composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978).

Yerevan extends you a warm and friendly welcome. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. The earliest recorded settlement there dates back to 782 BC. King Argishty I founded a fortress city in the north-eastern part of present-day Yerevan, with the following cuneiform inscription, "With the majesty of God Khald, Argishty, son of Menua, built up this inaccessible castle and named it Erebuni..." You can still see relics from this part of our history at the Erebuni Museum in Yerevan.

The jewel of Armenia, Lake Sevan, is the largest alpine high mountain freshwater lake in the Caucasus region and in Armenian Highland. The lake takes up 5% of Armenia's surface area and is about 2,000 meters above sea level. With its turquoise water, pure air and sandy beaches Sevan is a popular resort in the summer. The lake has always been famous for its Ishkhan fish (trout) which graced many Lords' tables in old times. Among interesting sites in Sevan is the monastery on the rocky peninsula founded in 874 AD by King Ashot I and his daughter Mariam. The lake area has been rapidly developing over the past decade with many luxury hotels and resorts built recently to provide the most convenient accommodation, services and amusement activities.

Tsaghkadzor (Flower Canyon) is a resort town in Armenia often called little Switzerland for its lush greenery and high hills. The resort is famous for its rope-way taking tourists up the hills to enjoy the nature and scenery in the summer, while offering skiing and sledging activities in the winter. The 3-level rope-way is 4382 meters long and is located 1900-2940 meters above the sea level.

The Armenian landscape is interspersed with a range of ancient and dramatic churches, mostly set against staggering backdrops of gorges and hillsides. Armenian churches, fortresses and monasteries are masterpieces of architecture. The most important among them is Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral - the religious center of Armenians located about 20 km from the capital, Yerevan. The Cathedral, the oldest Christian temple, was founded in 301 and is one of the first churches in the Christian World. Among other important churches from the architectural and historical point of view are the monastery of Geghard (10-13th c.), Hripsime Church in Echmiadzin (7th c.), Haghartsin monastery (13th c.), Haghpat monastery (10th c.), Dadivank Monastery (1st c.), Tatev monastery (9th c.), Noravank monastery (13th c.), Sanahin monastery (10th c.) and others.

 Garni, the famous heathen temple of 1st century AD, is one of the best known and probably the most frequently visited monument near Yerevan. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1679 but restored in the Soviet period. The temple was part of the Garni fortress and the ruins of some other structures can be observed on the grounds nearby. Parts of a richly ornamented bath house with advanced engineering solutions for heating, believed to have been built in the third centuryhave survived and display amazing colours from that age.

Khachkars or Cross Stones express Christian faith and high aesthetic taste of the Armenian nation that was the first to officially adopt Christianity as the state religion in 301 AD. While spreading Christianity in Armenia, St. Gregory the Illuminator used to put wooden crosses in the places of pagan shrines as well as where Christian churches were to be built. As the wooden crosses could be destroyed easily, the stone crosses replaced them later. Khachkars are the unique manifestation of Christian Armenian national art which in its Christian form and type has no other equivalent in the world. Many of Armenian Khachkars are now located on the territory of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and other countries.

Practical information

How to get there
The most convenient way to reach Armenia is by air. Major international carriers such as BMI, Air France, Aeroflot, Austrian Airways, Czech Airlines and Lufthansa fly to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The Armenian national carrier, Armavia, also has connections to Armenia from major European. There are land connections with Georgia and Iran. Information about flights schedule can be obtained from the site of the Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan.
The shortest way to travelling to Armenia from the UK or Ireland is the non-stop (4.5 hours) BMI (formerly BMED) flight from Heathrow Terminal 1 to Yerevan.

Where to stay
New and comfortable hotels are built every year to satisfy the fast growing numbers of visitors.The new facilities range from five-star luxury hotels with all amenities to budget B&Bs both in Yerevan and in the country.
Information regarding hotels, tour operators/travel agents, and places of interest in Armenia can be found on the Armenian Tourism Development Agency site.

Roads and transportation
All inter-city roads (motorways or highways) are recently renovated to high standards and in very good shape. Some country roads may be a bit bumpy. It would be a good idea to plan travels to remote areas in advance as bus service may not be very frequent to all destinations. Car hire is available. Transport is very affordable and in abundance in cities. Yerevan taxies are safe and affordable. 

Money matters
The currency of Armenia is "Dram" (AMD). To see the current exchange rate of Armenian Dram with major foreign currencies, please log on to the website of the Central Bank of Armenia. There are a lot of currency exchange centres in Yerevan and other cities. The number of ATM machines is growing increasingly. Although Arrmenia is predominantly a cash society, credit cards are accepted in most big stores, hotels and restaurants.

Weather
Summer, especially July and August get very hot in Armenia (often over 40C), while winters can get extremely cold (-10C or 15C is normal, and -20C is not something extraordinary). Late spring and early summer and early to mid-autumn (September-October) are usually considered the best season to visit because of mild and warm weather, magnificent colours and extremely tasty, organic vegetables and fruits. Rains are rare and usually fall in spring or late autumn.

Late hours and crime
Yerevan is considered very safe and visitors enjoy staying up late and wandering in the city. 

 Public Holidays in Armenia

January 1,2		New Year
January 6		Christmas
January 28		Day of the Army
March 8		International Women's Day
April 7		Motherhood and Beauty Day
April 24		Genocide Memorial Day
May 1		International Worker's Solidarity Day
May 9		Victory and Peace Day
May 28		First Republic Day
July 5		Constitution Day
September 21		Independence Day
December 7		Earthquake Memorial Day