Your 2-Week Armenia Itinerary is here!
Armenia had been on my list for a while. After years in Los Angeles, Armenian friends and acquaintances gave me little glimpses into the culture, food, and history. It made me curious about a country I didn’t know that much about. So when my time in the Schengen Zone was up, and I wanted to stay in this part of the world, it finally felt like the right time to go.
I spent two weeks traveling through Armenia, stopping in four places that felt nothing like one another: Yerevan, Areni, Gyumri, and Dilijan. A polished, beautiful capital. Rugged wine country where family-run wineries sit at the end of dirt roads. A historic second city built from dark volcanic stone. And finally, a cozy mountain town tucked into the Caucasus forests.
Four stops. Four completely distinct sides of Armenia. Here’s your Armenia itinerary and why I fell for each one.
Yerevan: Armenia’s Beautiful Capital
I landed in Yerevan in the middle of the night, so I didn’t get to know the city until the next morning. Yerevan surprised me. It was beautiful, manicured, incredibly walkable, and filled with parks and public spaces that made me want to spend the day outside. Monumental architecture and statues are everywhere, but alongside all that history is a city with great restaurants, wine bars, music, and a thriving arts scene.
Give yourself at least four days here. Walk everywhere. Eat well. Drink Armenian wine. Explore day trips. And if you can, see a ballet or another performance while you’re in town.
But there’s one place I think everyone visiting Yerevan needs to experience.
The Armenian Genocide Museum
I don’t think I have ever visited a museum where I read every single explanation card from beginning to end. The Armenian Genocide Museum absolutely rocked me. I knew the broad history before visiting, but I didn’t understand the magnitude of what the Armenian people endured. By the end of the museum, I was shaking.
It’s difficult. It’s emotional. And it’s one of the most important experiences I had during my two weeks in Armenia. Give yourself enough time to move through it slowly rather than squeezing it between other sightseeing.
Getting Around Armenia with the Marshrutka
Leaving Yerevan also introduced me to one of the most useful parts of traveling around Armenia: the marshrutka.
These shared minibuses connect cities and towns across the country, and I used them throughout my trip. They aren’t glamorous, but they’re inexpensive and became part of the Armenia experience. You’ll transit with locals, just like they do. With that, I left Yerevan’s polished streets and headed south to a completely different side of the country: Armenia’s wine country.
Pro Tip ~ To pull off your Armenia itinerary, download Yandex Maps. I found it much more reliable than Google Maps for figuring out public transportation. It tracks bus arrivals down to the second.
Areni: Armenia’s Rugged Wine Country
Areni was high on my list because I wanted to experience Armenian wine country. Armenia and neighboring Georgia both have very strong feelings about their place in wine history. I’m not too political about it. I tend to believe whoever I’m standing next to. But with a history that goes back 8,000 years, I was more than intrigued.
What I found was much more rugged than I expected, and I loved it. Dirt roads lead to small wineries and family guesthouses, and everything still feels intimate and wonderfully unpolished. It reminded me a little of what Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico might have felt like 50 years ago.
This is a place to slow down and leave some room in your plans. Walk the main road, stop into the small mom-and-pop wineries, and try what people are making. You’ll find plenty of traditional Armenian quevri wine, but also homemade fruit wines that are completely different from what you may be used to. Some of my favorite moments were simply sitting down, tasting whatever was poured for me, and talking to the people who made it. If you want to taste at larger wineries, you’ll have a few options too.
Visit Momik Winery at Sunset
One stop I absolutely loved was Momik Winery. Born out of a farm-to-bottle initiative and named for Momik, the legendary 14th-century medieval architect who designed nearby Noravank Monastery. The couple running it are incredibly sweet, the property overlooks their vineyards, and if you time your visit around sunset, it’s pretty hard not to fall in love with the place. Sit down for a tasting, snack on whatever they bring out, and take time to enjoy the view instead of rushing off to the next winery.
Momik is out there, you’ll probably want to arrange a car to get there and back. Book ahead, especially if you want to visit for sunset. I walked there and almost destroyed my sandals. 🫠
Eat at Nazarian’s House
Do not leave Areni without eating at Nazarian’s House. This family-run restaurant reminded me why I love traveling. The parents and their children run it together. The portions are incredibly generous, the house wine is delicious, and the whole experience feels like you’ve been welcomed into their home, because you have!
What stayed with me most was how genuinely the family wanted me to be comfortable, well-fed, and taken care of. It wasn’t fancy or trying to be anything other than what it was: warm, cozy Armenian hospitality and a really good meal. Make a reservation, come hungry, and don’t miss this intimate dining experience.
Gyumri: Armenia’s Historic and Artistic Second City
Next up on my Armenia itinerary was Gyumri. I hopped on another marshrutka and headed north to Armenia’s second-largest city. After Yerevan and the rural wine country, Gyumri was another complete change of pace. It has cobblestone streets, beautiful architecture built from dark volcanic stone, and an older, more historic feel than Yerevan. It’s still a substantial city, but it feels quieter and a little rougher around the edges.
Gyumri is also extremely walkable, with pedestrian streets, cafés, galleries, and plenty to discover. I’d give yourself two or three days here. It’s enough time to explore without rushing and experience another Armenian city that feels totally different from the capital.
The Gallery of Mariam and Yeranuhi Aslamazyan Sisters
My favorite thing I did in Gyumri was to visit The Gallery of Mariam and Yeranuhi Aslamazyan Sisters. I knew very little about them before I walked in, and I left fascinated by their story.
The sisters became acclaimed artists, traveled extensively, and created work influenced by Armenian culture and history, as well as their experiences around the world. Mariam Aslamazyan has even been called the ‘Armenian Frida Kahlo,’ and learning about these two women’s lives and careers was one of the highlights of my time in Gyumri.
Walk to Black Fortress and Mother Armenia
Another outing worth making is to Black Fortress and Mother Armenia, two major Gyumri landmarks located near one another. Black Fortress is a striking circular fortress built from the same dark volcanic stone you’ll see throughout the city, while the enormous Mother Armenia monument sits above Gyumri looking out over the surrounding landscape.
Dilijan: My Favorite Stop in Armenia
From Gyumri, another marshrutka took me to Dilijan, and I quickly realized this would be my favorite stop. Tucked into the Caucasus Mountains, Dilijan has that cozy feeling I always find in mountain towns. Traditional wooden houses, surrounding forests, small restaurants and wine bars, and hiking trails that lead straight into the mountains. It’s charming without being overly polished.
Dilijan is nicknamed ‘Little Switzerland,’ and it’s easy to see why. But what really makes it special is its access to nature. It is a hiking town, with trails winding through the forests of Dilijan National Park and often leading to old monasteries hidden in the mountains. The famous Transcaucasian Trail also passes through the area, with an approximately 80-kilometer section running through Dilijan National Park.
Go Hiking in Dilijan National Park
Even if you aren’t coming to Armenia specifically to hike, make time for at least one trail while you’re in Dilijan. Download the HIKEArmenia app and check out your options when you arrive. Some trails start in town, while others require a taxi to the trailhead, so a little planning makes sense. Plenty of other trails surround Dilijan, so choose one that fits your time and hiking level.
One hike to put on your radar is Parz Lake. The trail between Parz Lake and Dilijan is about 13 kilometers and takes you through the town’s surrounding forests and hills. Bring water and snacks, set aside a good chunk of the day, and enjoy the forest.
Eats and Drinks in Dilijan
Part of what made Dilijan feel so cozy to me was the food. Kchuch Restaurant was my favorite for that very reason. Think warming soups and stews, forest mushrooms, and hearty noodle and pasta dishes—the kind of food that makes sense after a day of mountain hiking.
And Armenia’s wine follows you all the way to Dilijan. If you haven’t had your fill yet, stop by Hovaz Wine Rooms or The Kliver Wine Place. Both are welcoming places to taste and maybe meet some of the people who make it.
Mostly, though, give yourself time to enjoy Dilijan. Walk around town. Hike into the forest. Eat something warm. Drink some wine. This place has a coziness that is hard to explain until you’re there, and after moving through three completely different sides of Armenia, Dilijan felt like the perfect last stop.
Dilijan Must Try ~ Eat jingalov hats at the small stall outside the big supermarket. It’s a very thin, unleavened flatbread stuffed with a generous filling of 10 to 20 different kinds of chopped mountain herbs. It will change your life.
What I’ll Remember Most About My Armenia Itinerary
When I think back on my time in Armenia, what connects all four places isn’t the landscape, the wine, the architecture, or even the history. It’s the hospitality. I’ve experienced incredible hospitality all over the world, but Armenia’s warmth stayed with me. Again and again, I had this feeling of ~ You are my guest. You are here. I want you to taste this food the way I taste it. I want you to see my country the way I see it.
The easiest way to experience this is to stay in family guest homes and eat at their restaurants. Their generosity and pride in sharing Armenia made me feel absolutely welcome.
Of course, Armenia has many more places to visit. But if you have two weeks, these four stops make an incredible route and show four completely different sides of this special country.
Two weeks wasn’t enough to see all of Armenia. But it was more than enough to make me fall in love and plot a return.
xoxo, Bekah
PS ~ If you are looking for another great resource for planning trips, check out this article!