Best Things To Do In Yerevan (Part 2/2)
This guide comes in two parts: Part 1 · Part 2
I hope you like the first part of the interview with Egor about Armenia, a charming ex-USSR country that is worth visiting. If you didn’t have a chance to read it, please do so, and then come back to this post to learn more about the best things to do in Yerevan and the other places nearby.
The main points covered in this post - 2nd part of the interview - are as follows:
- Trip To Sevan Lake
- Visiting Shaki Waterfall
- Exploring Tatev Monastery
- 7-Days Yerevan Itinerary
- Budget Of The Trip To Armenia
Marie: Egor, you mentioned that you spent 5 days in Yerevan and then went for 2 daily trips to Lake Sevan and Tatev monastery. Tell us a bit more about those excursions, please.
Egor: We took a bus toLake Sevan, located around 60 km from Yerevan. The journey from Yerevan to Sevan took us around 1 hour.
Marie: Where did you take this bus? How much did the ticket cost?
Egor: We took the bus at Yeritasardakan subway station and the ticket cost 1000 dram – 2.5 EUR.
Marie: Did you like it? What is so special about this place?
Egor: Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and one of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the world. I liked this place: the lake is surrounded by breathtaking mountain landscapes, I think hiking lovers would appreciate this place a lot. Also, we visited Sevanavank - a historical monastic complex of the 9th century located on the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in Armenia.
Marie: Wow, that’s amazing! Are there any recommendations before visiting Lake Sevan?
Egor: Sevan is located in the mountains and its temperature is around 10 degrees lower than in Yerevan. Hence, you need to pick warm clothes and comfortable shoes to climb to the monastery.
Marie: Wow… I would like to visit this place as well! What is this second place that you saw?
Egor: Another trip that we did was to the winery (Areni Wine), and then to thewaterfall Shaki and Tatev monastery. It was a full-day trip, and this excursion cost around 20k dram per person – 50 EUR.
Marie: When and where did you start?
Egor: We started from the city centre at 8:30, and then we headed to Areni Wine Factory for a wine tasting - a rare occasion to drink wine in the morning. After that, we went to Shaki waterfall. According to the local legend, it was named after the beautiful girl Shaki, who rushed from the cliff, refusing to obey the will of the conquerors. While falling, the girl’s dress opened in the wind and turned into a waterfall.
Marie: Amazing pictures. Where did you go next?
Egor: After that, we went to see an ancient Armenian Apostolic Christian monastery Tatev: it was created in the 9th century, and is considered to be one of the most important landmarks of Armenia. The distance between Shaki waterfall and Tatev monastery is around 60 km and can be easily covered in 1 hour.
Marie: That looks impressive!
Egor: Agree! We also visited one of the longest cable car routes in Europe - it’s called Wings of Tatev, and the length is almost 6 km.
Marie: That sounds like a very intense day! How did you feel afterwards?
Egor: Yes, it was a long trip, we spent around 4 hours to reach the waterfall from the centre of Yerevan and then another 4.5 hours to come back to Yerevan from Tatev monastery. But it was great: despite the tiredness, I would say, it was worth it!
Marie: Thank you Egor, could you please summarise your journey, day by day?
Egor: Sure. So, let me tell you the key places we visited day by day:
Day 1:
- places visited: Republic Square, Northern Avenue;
- food and drinks: Sherep Restaurant(I went for breakfast, but overall it’s a nice cosy place), Buzand Cafe Restaurant(dinner options).
Day 2:
- places visited: Saint Gregory The Illuminator Cathedral, St. Astvatsatsin Kathoghike Church, Freedom Square, Alexander Tamanyan Park,Cascade Complex, Victory Park;
- food and drinks: Laboratory Specialty Coffee(a good coffee place), Tavern Yerevan (great for local food).
Day 3:
- places visited: Yerevan 2800th Anniversary Park, Sevan Lakeand Sevanavank monastery
- food and drinks: Pomegranate juice near Sevan (500ml for 2000 dram - 5 EUR), pomegranate wine (4000 dram – 8EUR),Semoyi Mot restaurant (rather touristic, but friendly ambience).
Day 4:
- places visited: National Gallery of Armenia, Blue Mosque;
- food and drinks: Zeituna Home Of Food (nice lahmajun - a kind of Armenian pizza with minced meat - and baklava), Ararat Brandy factory shop(to buy local brandy).
Day 5:
- places visited: Trip to Tatev monastery(including Shaki waterfall);
- food and drinks: Areni Wine Factory (wine tasting and shop), Old Halidzor Restaurant(place with nice shashlik - grilled meat).
Days 6-7:
- places visited: leisure stroll in the city centre, Vernissage (flea market), Dalma Garden Mall;
- food and drinks:379 Torch and Brew (local beer brewers, you can get a free beer if you fill in the crossword about beer), Cheburek. me (1 cheburek cost 2 EUR).
Marie: That’s impressive! What was the overall budget for your trip?
Egor: 300 EUR for the ticket from Luxembourg (both ways, 1 person - for the best options check Aviaseles), 600 EUR apartment-hotel for 7 days (3 people), there are plenty of options on Booking.com, 150 EUR we paid for the excursion (for 3 people), average dinner/lunch with wine 50-75 EUR for 3 people, an average taxi ride is 3-4 EUR.
Marie: Thank Egor. That doesn’t sound expensive at all. Would you like to come back? What would you do differently at a planning stage?
Egor: Yes. For a 7-day trip, I would plan to stay in different areas of Armenia to avoid spending driving time sightseeing out of Yerevan. And exchanged money at the supermarket with better rates (Gurmenia in the centre).
Marie: Thank you, Egor, for sharing with us your impressions of your amazing trip! I have the desire to go there myself, next year.
Egor: Thank you for inviting me, it was such a pleasure to share my experience of visiting Armenia with you.
Marie: Thank you, and see you soon!
