Armenia
Where to stay in Yerevan
Yerevan is a city in Armenia, home to about 1,106,000 people.
- Best months
- May to September
- Nearest airport
- EVN11 km · Zvartnots International Airport
- Currency
- AMDArmenian dram
- Time zone
- Asia/Yerevan
- Language
- Armenian
About
About Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of the country, as its primate city.
Even though the history of Yerevan dates back to the Erebuni fortress, making it at least 2,800 years old, little remains of what was small settlement saving the excavations at Hrazdan river gorge, Erebuni, Karmir Berd and Avan. These sites have been excavated, and the artifacts found are in museums today. Being on a strategically important place Yerevan was a constant war stage for rival Ottoman, Persian and Russian Empires. It has been repeatedly ruined by those wars or natural disasters (e.g. an earthquake in 17th century almost entirely destroyed the town).
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Yerevan
See
Churches in Yerevan are open from early morning till very late evening. There is no entrance fee ever charged. If you manage to find the priest you can ask him to bless you and any object (of non-violent usage) that belongs to you (including friendship and other relationships).
- Katoghike
- Katoghike Tsiranavor Church of Avan
- St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral
- Saint Sarkis Cathedral
- St Astvatsatsin of Nork
- St John The Baptist Church
- Erebuni Fortress
- Republic Square
- Northern Avenue
- Abovian street
- Freedom (or Theatrical) Square
- Mashtots avenue
Do
- Hrazdan Gorge partying
- Climb the Cascades
- Catch a concert
- Yerevan Water World
- Yerevan Zoo
- Spartak Stadium
- Botanical garden of Yerevan
- Children's Railway Park
- Children's Park
- Circular park
- English park
- Park of Komitas Pantheon
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Yerevan to stay in
Most of tourist Yerevan is concentrated in the city centre, which is very compact and easily walkable, with endless dining and entertainment options. The rest of the city is mostly sleeping or business quarters, so a typical tourist will not have much incentive to leave the centre.
Yerevan has a wide variety of accommodations but for the most part they are overpriced. If you're staying for an extended period of time, rent an apartment. Check the AUA (American University of Armenia), local travel agents (Menua tours, Hyur Service) or real estate brokers for rental listings. There is a good selection of hostels and homestays in Yerevan to choose from for budget travellers.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Yerevan
8 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Tulip Grand Hotel Yerevan Groupe du Louvre | 1926 | 0.2 km |
| Ani Plaza Hotel | 1970 | 0.5 km |
| Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan Marriott International | 1958 | 0.5 km |
| Radisson Blu Hotel, Yerevan Radisson Hotels | 2005 | 1.8 km |
| «Դվին» հյուրանոց | 1979 | 1.3 km |
| hôtel Ibis Yerevan | 0.1 km | |
| Andor Hotel | 1.7 km | |
| Partez Hotel | 1.8 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Yerevan
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Yerevan are May to September. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; May is the wettest, with about 78 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Yerevan: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zvartnots International Airport (EVN), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Iğdır Airport (IGD, 59 km) and Shirak International Airport (LWN, 84 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
The center of Yerevan is compact and easy to get around by foot. Watch your step, however, as construction sites, potholes and aggressive drivers abound. Cross the street only at designated spots and be careful of distracted or aggressive drivers who do not yield the right of way to pedestrians. The main means of public transport in Yerevan is the bus. Yerevan operates 8- and 12-meter buses, as well as minibuses, better known as marshrutkas. The frequency of buses varies depending on the day, time of day, and many other circumstances.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
EVN · Zvartnots International Airport
IGD · Iğdır Airport
LWN · Shirak International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Yerevan
Eat
Stands selling Armenian-style "pizzas" called "lamehjun" or "lahmajoun" are prevalent throughout Yerevan. This cheap snack consists of a thin layer of dough topped with an herb and meat paste.
Drink
Cafés, bars, restaurants, clubs and the countryside on a picnic are all popular places for vodka, the usual drink of choice, with wine, beer, champagne and brandy all popular as well. Most restaurants only sell pilsner-style beers, of middling quality, but some brew pubs and craft beer outlets can be found. Restaurant wine is usually very good. Drinking in public may be legal, but doing so as a foreigner will get you stopped by the police (and earn you plenty of dirty looks from the locals). You can drink in a car, as long as you’re not driving. Drivers cannot have a drop of alcohol in them, with zero being the legal threshold – and the penalties for violating this are stiff.
Stay safe
Yerevan is a very safe city at all times of day and night for people of all genders and ages - especially in the central neighborhoods where most visitors will stay. Street crime and street violence are almost non-existent: people regularly leave belongings unattended in the street without fear of theft. Nevertheless, as in the most cities of its size, in crowded places and transport beware of pickpockets. There are no scams but you may be need to bargain at stores that do not have fixed price tags, though bargaining seems to be uncommon. The traffic can be quite rough during morning and evening rush hour, so pay close attention when crossing the street, especially in non-designated areas.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Yerevan: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Yerevan?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Yerevan are May to September. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; May is the wettest, with about 78 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Yerevan?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zvartnots International Airport (EVN), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Iğdır Airport (IGD, 59 km) and Shirak International Airport (LWN, 84 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Yerevan?
Armenian dram (AMD).
Nearby
Destinations near Yerevan
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.