A plan for Yerevan

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). Few buildings of the old Erivan survived to the present-day Yerevan.

At the time of Armenia's independence in 1918, when Yerevan was made the capital of an independent Armenia, Yerevan was a town of just 20,000. Large scale construction began, which took a more holistic approach under the new city plan laid out by Alexander Tamanyan. The plan involved the demolition of much of what existed, in favor of concentric circles, parks, and taller structures. He planned for Yerevan to become a metropolis of 200,000 people.

In Soviet years, Yerevan underwent massive reconstruction, following architect Alexander Tamanyan's plan to make a "perfect city" - a Neo-Classical town with wide avenues, resembling Paris, Vienna and Saint Petersburg. As a result, the city is easily accessible by foot and boasts a dense assortment of parks, galleries, museums, and other public institutions.

People

Yerevan is a very ethnically homogeneous city, though tiny Yezidi and Molokan (Russian) minorities exist. Because the population of the city was only 20,000 a century ago, the vast majority of the Armenians are immigrants themselves, from all over the world. From the villages and towns of Armenia, from Tbilisi which was the centre of Eastern Armenian culture before 1918, from Western Armenia as genocide survivors poured in, and even from the Middle East and Europe in a large, post-World War II wave of immigration. Since independence, the city has become the heart of the entire Armenian world, as the divisive communist governments demise has allowed the Diaspora – larger in number than the population of Armenia itself, to embrace the city as its own.

Churches

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).

1 Katoghike (Holy Mother of God Kathoghike Church, Սուրբ Աստվածածին Կաթողիկէ Եկեղեցի), corner of Sayat-Nova Ave. and Abovian St (Metro: Yeritasardakan 300 m). A tiny structure constructed in typical Armenian style. Katoghike means "cathedral"; the reason for the incongruity is that the original 13th century church had a much larger basilica attached to it in the 17th century - but that addition was demolished in 1936. In 2015 a new and much larger separate church was built next to Kathoghike, the cream colored St. Anna church. (updated Sep 2024)

2 Katoghike Tsiranavor Church of Avan (Ավանի Սուրբ Աստվածածին Կաթողիկե Եկեղեցի, Katoghike Tsiranavor church, later renamed Surp Hovhannes) (in Avan district). This is the city's oldest surviving church, which was completed in the 6th century. (updated Sep 2024)

3 St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, Yervand Kochar St (Metro: Zoravar Andranik). Completed in 2001 to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of Armenia as a Christian nation. The holy relics of St Gregory the Armenian were given back to the Armenian Church by the Vatican in 2001 and placed in this cathedral. The building is a megalomaniacal exaggeration of traditional Armenian Church Architecture. As opposed to all other churches in Yerevan (and Armenia) the cathedral is full of light and does not carry any stand for candles. The candle-house is a separate structure next door. However, the complex is vastly and visibly unfinished. (updated Sep 2024)

Hrazdan Gorge partying (try around the start of the children railway and from there going northwest). Only in summer. Visit one of the themed restaurants in the Hrazdan Gorge to see the locals partying. The food does not tend to venture far from barbecue and crayfish, but it is usually good barbecue, and the prices range from very reasonable to the unreasonable. Check the prices on the hard liquor and wines before ordering a bottle if you’re price sensitive. (updated Oct 2024)

1 Climb the Cascades. (or - before 20:00 - take the escalators inside the art gallery, stepping outside at each level) one evening for the great views of the city and Mt. Ararat, then head across the street to the amusement park inside Victory Park for some cotton candy and a ride on the rickety Ferris wheel. (updated Oct 2024)

Catch a concert, multiple. on the Cascades or the Lover's Park, and an art exhibition at Swan Lake park or Lover's Park.

2 Yerevan Water World (Water park "AquaWorld"), 40 Myasnikyan Ave, ☏ +374 10 638998. 12:00–21:00, indoor water park "Aquatek" is open all year round without holidays. A water park popular with the locals in the summers, it consists of a big open-air water park and a much smaller indoor one. Anybody can cool down there as in total it offers 7 outdoor and 3 indoor pools. There are also wall-climbing facilities. During winter time, the largest pool of the park is turned into an ice skating rink. (updated Oct 2024)

3 Yerevan Zoo (Zoological Garden of Yerevan), Myasnikyan St., 20, ☏ +374 10 562362. Dec-Apr 10:00 - 17:30. Zoo is home to about 3,000 animals mainly representing South Caucasus and Armenia: bears, goats, snakes, Armenian mouflon and black vultures. Also from other parts of the world: lions, tigers, hyenas and an Asian elephants. It was upgraded and renovated to the modern standards back in 2014. Adult 800 dram, children 12-16 years - 500 dram, children 3-12 years - 300 dram. (updated Oct 2024)

Football: the national men's soccer team play at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium (capacity 14,400) southeast corner of the city.

Budget

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.

1 Master Class, 28, 20 Tumanyan St (a couple of spaces from Abovyan Street, semi underground.). Angus beef kebab sandwiches for 1500 drams (Oct 2026), and a few other items on the small, focused menu. (updated Sep 2024)

2 Mer Taghe, 21, 1 Tumanyan St (west of Abovyan). A small lahmejun joint on Tumanyan, and their lahmejuns have a big following. If you have some extra time and want to splurge, try the manti dumplings or the norahars, a kind of regional lasagna. (updated Sep 2024)

3 OST, 20 Mesrop Mashtots Ave, ☏ +374 10 539580. daily 10:00-22:30. Cheap cafe, lots of food options and drinks. Very central, try the Ajarakan khachapuri or the lahmejun. Free Wi-Fi. (updated Sep 2024)

4 Meghedi, 34/6 Tumanyan, Freedom Square, ☏ +374 96 661890. daily 10:00-midnight (possibly later closure on Sun). Cheap cafe, lots of food options and drinks. Very central, next to the Opera at the Freedom Square. Free Wi-Fi. (updated Sep 2024)

5 Tumanyan Shaurma, 32 Tumanyan St. Yerevan style shawarma. A local chain with a dozen restaurants around Yerevan. (updated Sep 2024)

6 Artashi Mot, Alexander Spendiaryan St. Opens 11AM. Cheap shaurmas, soups and kebabs upstairs, fancier but still well priced sit-down restaurant underground. Great place to have BBQ and to meet your traditional fast food cravings. The fancier part is considered by many to be the finest place for khorovats (BBQ) in Armenia. Judge for yourself, but not before trying the horti (beef) and sunki (mushroom) barbeques. They are both delicious, when they have them. Other nice alternatives include the fish barbeque and the piti soup. Whichever barbeque you get, get some of the tomato sauce mix that Artash makes to put on your meat, or just to dip your bread into. (updated Sep 2024)

7 Jengyalov Hac (Ժենգյալով Հաց), 62 Teryan St. Bakery. Excellent Armenian zhangyalov hats. (updated Sep 2024)

8 Lahmajun Gaidz, 9, 9 Tumanyan St (Main entrance, downstairs). Good cheap Armenian fast food, run by a kind and hard working Syrian-Armenian woman. (updated Sep 2024)

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.

Places for a drink

The most popular places to drink in the summer tend to be outdoor cafés and café/restaurants. The cafés by Cascade and the wine bars along Saryan are always packed.

The following bars are popular spots with visitors.

1 Calumet, 56a Pushkin St, ☏ +374 94 359229. Bohemian, friendly, alternative crowd. Insanely smokey (seriously). There is no outdoor section so if you're not a fan of cigarette smoke, it might not be the place for you. English speaking staff and solid drinks selection. A nice place to kill a night. free. (updated Sep 2024)

2 Roza, 10 Pushkin St, ☏ +374 41 060460. Small bar with great ambiance in old Yerevan building, and fantastic drinks. Try the Tutovni house cocktail made with the famous local mulberry vodka. (updated Sep 2024)

3 In Vino, 6 Saryan Street. open round the clock. The first wine bar on Saryan Street, that led the transformation of the entire neighborhood is still popular. (updated Sep 2024)

4 Jack's Pub, 21 Gevorg Kochar Street, ☏ +374 96 808408. Good spot for a drink, the bloody mary is legendary and the basil gin cocktail is great in the summer. You'll likely meet some repats here. (updated Sep 2024)

Drinks to try

Cognac – see the buy section above.

On foot

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.

By municipal transport

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. Special screens with a list of upcoming buses are installed at some bus stops in the city. You can also track the movement of buses using Yandex Maps.

Urban transport operates on a unified ticket system, with a single fare of 150 drams. There are also packages lasting several hours, days, weeks, and months, which must be purchased in advance. You can pay for transport with a bank card or a transport card. Transport cards can be purchased at Telcell offices, tourist offices, metro stations, etc. After purchasing the transport card, it can be topped up with new tickets at Telcell terminals, which are widely located in the city.

Due to the peculiarities of the system, after purchasing a ticket or package, it is necessary to wait up to 15 minutes for the purchased ticket or package to be activated. You can find out more on the Yerevan ticket system website.

By metro

The metro system in Yerevan is quite reliable and modern, having been built in the early 1980s. It is the quickest way around town, and at 100 dram, the cheapest aside from walking. Plastic tokens that were used previously have now been withdrawn and there is a contactless payment in use, so you can pay each trip simply with your credit card. System is underused, as most citizens find buses more convenient.

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. Most locals obey street signs and there may be fines for jaywalking.

Taxi-related scams

The most dangerous thing you will encounter here are the taxi drivers, ripping off tourists and even locals. They may take detours instead of going directly—have a map or navigation ready and tell them the correct way. Never ever believe a taxi driver who wants to convince you that there is no bus or marshrutka to the destination you are heading to—this is mostly a lie. Any story that will get them to the point where you decide to take a taxi is probably a hoax.