Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian highlands of West Asia.
It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Yerevan is the capital, largest city and financial center.
Getting to Armenia
Armenia's visa policy is remarkably open. Most people can obtain a visa on arrival or visit the country without a visa. = = 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,…
Worth seeing
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.
Things to do
Hiking – Armenia has an endless amount of hiking trails and peaks to discover. South of Lake Sevan Region, around Garni, up and down the Debed Canyon, and Southern Armenia are just a few of the highlights.
Where to eat
Khorovats – A barbecue which can be chunks of pork, lamb, chicken or beef (called Shashlik in other post-Soviet countries). Usually, it is flavored with onions and other Armenian spices. Tomatoes, eggplant and bell peppers are also part of the khorovats meal. Kebab is the ground-meat version of khorovats, and is cheaper.
Getting around Armenia the local way
- Get inYou may be denied entry and turned around at the border, which, if you've come by marshrutka/minibus, means that you will be stranded until you are able to find a new bus or hitchhike back to Tbilisi.
- Get inThere are marshrutkas from Tbilisi to the border for about 17 lari to Yerevan.
- Get inAlso, several marshrutkas leave daily from Akhalkalaki into Armenia (Gyumri).
- Get inMarshrutkas pass through Ninotsminda, so it is possible to jump on there.
- Get inIn both directions, marshrutka leaves quite early in the morning.
- Get inKapan and Kajaran are more frequently served by marshrutkas, but it is a long and mountainous (and therefore expensive) stretch to the border from there.
- Get aroundMost inter-city travel is by 14-seat minibuses or buses.
- Get aroundUnlike many countries in Eastern Europe, many Armenian marshrutkas do not sell tickets beforehand, and do not issue tickets at all.
From Wikivoyage: Armenia, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.