An intriguing city located on the border of Eastern Europe and Asia, Yerevan is brimming with ancient relics, delicious Armenian cuisine and an exciting nightlife.
There are a fine selection of sites and activities to keep you busy in Yerevan, even during a short stay. Whether you want to explore the city’s historic landmarks, have some fun, or relax outside its trendy cafés, there’s plenty to keep you busy over a weekend.
Visit Yerevan’s Cascade & Cafesjian Center for the Arts
The best place to start your stay in Yerevan is with a visit to the city’s famous Cascade, which is located right next to the Cafesjian Center for the Arts. The 572-step Cascade is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Armenia. Here you’ll enjoy a stunning, panoramic view of the entire city and be able to see Mount Ararat in all its glory. The Cafesjian Center houses a variety of beautiful art exhibitions and some of the important paintings throughout Armenia.
Go on a walking tour and explore Republic Square
When the weather is nice and sunny, the best way to explore Yerevan is on foot and we highly recommend doing a walking tour during your stay. Take a stroll up towards Republic Square and you’ll be right in the heart of the city. Here you’ll see buildings that showcase Yerevan’s combination of Soviet and Persian architecture. Important sites like the Blue Mosque, Opera House and the National Gallery are all located nearby.
Enjoy the best of Yerevan’s exciting nightlife
Yerevan has undergone a rapid transformation over the last decade. It’s now a truly modern, hip city to hang out in. Evidence of this can be seen in Yerevan’s thriving nightlife, where secret underground nightclubs booming with techno music, and late-night jazz clubs selling whiskey and cigars are incredibly popular. Venues like Paparazzi Club, Calumet Ethnic Lounge Bar and El Sky Bar are packed on Friday and Saturday nights. Armenians adore their jazz music too, so if you prefer a more chilled-out vibe be sure and check out Malkhas Jazz Club and Mezzo Jazz Club.
See Vernissage’s open-air marketplace
If you want to experience a traditional Armenian marketplace, then visit the stalls at Vernissage. Located along Aram and Buzand streets and running from Republic Square’s metro station to the Vardan Mamikonyan statue, this market specialises in authentic Armenian artworks. You’ll pick up paintings, rugs, jewellery and musical instruments here.
Have fun with the family at Yerevan Water World
During summer in Armenia temperatures in the capital can reach as high as 35 degrees. The perfect way to cool down is by spending an afternoon at Yerevan Water World. With seven outdoor swimming pools, 12 water slides, three indoor pools and two children’s areas, this is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Yerevan from May to August. Ideal for families with young children.
Delve into history at Yerevan’s intriguing museums
Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world and it’s steeped in history. Yerevan has a number of excellent museums where you can learn more about the capital’s interesting past. The Matenadaran is one of the oldest and richest book depositories in the world, containing over 17,300 manuscripts, 450,000 archive documents and 3,000 ancient books. History Museum of Armenia and Tsitsernakaberd (the Armenian Genocide memorial complex) are also worth visiting if you want to delve deeper into the country’s past.
Armenia has an interesting cuisine that features meat, fish, vegetables and dairy. Delicacies like lamb, eggplants, and lavash flatbread feature heavily alongside rice and fresh fruit. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients are favoured over heavy herbs and spices.
Lavash Restaurant
If you want an introduction to traditional Armenian cuisine, then Lavash Restaurant located on Tumanyan Street is the best place to start. Here you can enjoy beloved local dishes like Ghapama, Dolma and Khash. This cozy restaurant has excellent service, a warm ambiance and an ideal central location right in the heart of the city.
Vostan Restaurant
With beautiful interior decor and situated on Abovyan Street, at Vostan Restaurant you can delve further into Caucasian and Eastern European cuisine. Perfect for an elegant evening dinner with friends, you’ll enjoy professional service and a high quality, authentic meal. We recommend trying their pig fillet skewers.
Pandok Yerevan Restaurant
This snug, lively tavern is an excellent spot for an evening meal. Armenian brandy is famous all over the world (Winston Churchill was a big fan) and if you like your liquor, we suggest ordering a nice glass of Ararat brandy here. Pandok has a comfy, intimate vibe and has an excellent menu packed with delicious Armenian dishes. The big selling point here is the superb live music and exciting dance performances on show. Be prepared for a night of entertainment.
Yerevan now has an extensive array of hotels for visitors to stay in, from five-star luxury offerings to more reasonably priced budget options located right beside the city’s biggest most popular tourist attractions.
Ibis Yerevan Center Hotel
If you’re looking for an affordable place to stay in Yerevan that’s right in the heart of the city, then Ibis Yerevan Center Hotel fits the bill. A clean, dependable option, an excellent location is this three-star hotel’s key selling point. It’s close to all the main attractions like the Opera, Republic Square, Matenadaran Museum and the Cascade.
Hotel Alpha
Sitting on Koryun Street and just a mile away from Republic Square, Hotel Alpha is an excellent choice if you want a hotel that’s clean, convenient and modestly priced. Staff here speak English, Russian and Armenian, there’s an on-site restaurant and a continental or buffet breakfast is available for guests.
Nova Hotel
Stylish and comfortable with a central location. Nova Hotel ticks a lot of boxes for first-time visitors to Yerevan. Each room has a flat-screen TV, there’s free WiFi and private bathrooms. Based on Sayat-Nova Avenue in downtown Yerevan, it’s located just 100 yards from the Armenian Opera and Ballet Theatre and is a 20-minute drive from Zvartnots Airport.
Heading on a trip to Yerevan soon? Make sure to tag us in your photos using the hashtag #ryanairstories – you might be featured on Ryanair’s Instagram feed!
2017 © Ryanair DAC. All rights reserved.
