Armenia

Understand

History Armenia has been around for at least 3,000 years. Armenians have historically inhabited the "Armenian Highlands", a vast section of mountains and valleys across eastern Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus. It is here that the biblical mountain of Ararat (and today's eponymous cognac brand) can be found. Armenia is the world's first Christian country, ever since the king officially adopted Christianity in 301 AD. Various vassal states (Hittites, Hayasa, etc.), principalities, Armenian kingdoms of Orontids, Artaxiads, and Arsacids rose and fell in different parts of this highland during history. They were unified once, just before the time of Christ, in the empire of Tigran the Great (95-55 BC), which stretched from the Caspian to the Mediterranean Sea. Much of the region's history has since been spent under the dominion of whichever great power was à la mode at the time: Romans, Byzantines, Mongols, Ottomans, Persians, Russians and Soviets have all come and gone. These empires often fought their wars on Armenian territory, using Armenian soldiers. Despite rarely being politically independent, Armenians have consistently kept their language and their church. Its location on the silk road allowed Armenians to forge a link in the great network of merchant communities that extended from Singapore and Malaysia to Venice and Amsterdam. The modern independent state of Armenia only comprises part of the traditional Armenian lands. It includes much of what was historically known as Eastern Armenia, while the historical Western Armenia, in which Mount Ararat, the holiest site in the world for Armenians, is located, is today part of Turkey. Western Armenia was largely ethnically cleansed of its Armenian population during the Armenian Genocide.

Modern history Russians an

See

Armenia lies at the root of the Christian faith, as it is known as the first country that was evangelized by two of Jesus' own disciples. Today, there is still a wealth of religious heritage to see. Beautiful churches and monasteries are omnipresent, and some are up to 1700 years old. A few of the most important ones are listed on Unesco's World Heritage list. To start, there is the monastery of Geghard, carved out of a mountain slope and dramatically situated between the stunning cliffs of the Azat river gorge. Once you are there, the Garni Temple with its Roman temple is just a quick stop downriver. The Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Vagharshapat i

Getting there

Armenia's visa policy is remarkably open. Most people can obtain a visa on arrival or visit the country without a visa.

Visa requirements

Visa-free Citizens from the following locations can travel to Armenia visa free for 180 days per year: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, China (PRC), European Union, Georgia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Macau, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nagorno-Karabakh, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Vatican City.

Visa on arrival For all others (except a handful of mainly African countries; see below), 21-day tourist visas are available upon arrival at Yerevan airport and at some land crossings at the price of 3,000 dram for 21 days and 15,000 (Armenian) dram for 120 days. At Yerevan airport, there is a currency exchange and an ATM located before customs and immigration. There is a hefty surcharge of approximately US$10 for changing traveler checks, which in general are not widely used in Armenia. At some land crossings, border guards will take other currencies but only at lousy rates. Try to have Armenian dram before arriving at the border. Some travellers have been charged as much as US$20 (the approximate equivalent of three times the official price), but as of August 2015 you will be charged US$10 for a 21-day visa at the Bagratashen-Sadakhlo border crossing. Border guards and customs officers will not be able to change a US$100 note, so check the current exact amount and have some spare small-value notes. As of 2022, not all land border crossings allow for visa on arrival. You may be denied entry and turned aro

Getting around

By bus or marshrutka Public transportation is very good and inexpensive (about 100 dram/10 km) in Armenia, with timetables here and connections here. Use google translator if you do not read Armenian. It can also be tough to get to more remote sites outside of populated areas. The system could be described as a hub and spoke system, with each city offering local transportation to its surrounding villages and each city offering connections to Yerevan. Most inter-city travel is by 14-seat minibuses or buses. Yerevan has several bus interchange stations that serve the whole country, so depending on where you want to go, you should find out which bus interchange station services the area of your destination. Unlike many countries in Eastern Europe, many Armenian marshrutkas do not sell tickets beforehand, and do not issue tickets at all. However, in some larger cities/towns there will be a ticket office where you must buy a ticket beforehand. This is more likely to be the case for longer journeys, but if in doubt ask the driver. Otherwise, you pay the driver, at any point in the trip (though some will collect at the beginning). Exact change is never required, but a 20,000 dram note for a 1,000 dram ride might present a problem. Tips are unheard of on public transportation. Be aware these buses are usually overcrowded and do not have AC in summer.

Transport for Armenia (Journey Planner). An amazing journey planner website and non-government project run by volunteers to improve public transport in Armenia for Yerevan and for the rest of the country. Since this service is also available in English and Russian, this website is not just great for locals but travellers likewise. They also have the prices available for numerous inter-city marshrutkas—no more discussion with ma