Cascade Complex
Giant stairway with modern art (Cafesjian) and city panoramas.
Things to do
Our bucket list for Armenia
Armenia is small but packed with surprises. Below are our personal favourites: first things you can experience in Yerevan itself, then day trips from the capital, sorted by travel time.
In the city
Things to do in Yerevan
Sights, tastes, and experiences within walking distance or a short taxi ride.
🚗 City centre
Republic Square
The beating heart of the city, with dancing and singing fountains in the evening.
Opera & Swan Lake
A green oasis with terraces around the opera house.
Saryan Street
Wine-bar street, perfect for an evening of Areni, Voskehat, and meze.
Pushkin Street
Lively street with cafes, restaurants, and bars — great for an evening walk and dinner.
Hyusisayin Street
A charming narrow lane with hidden terraces and local flavour.
Abovyan Street
One of the oldest and busiest streets, full of cafes, shops, and historic architecture.
Mashtots Avenue
Main cultural avenue with bookstores, cafes, and a grand pedestrian feel.
Sorison
Cosy cafe for cakes, coffee, and sweet treats.
Vernissage Market
Open-air market: carpets, jewellery, khachkars, and souvenirs.
GUM Market
Colourful covered market full of dried fruit, spices, and lavash.
Matenadaran
Museum housing thousands of ancient Armenian manuscripts.
Ararat Brandy Factory
Tour and tasting of the legendary Armenian cognac.
Tsitsernakaberd
Impressive monument and museum commemorating the Armenian genocide.
Day trips
Around Yerevan
Combine two or three places per day; travel times are calculated from the city center.
Zvartnots Cathedral
Ruins of a 7th-century cathedral with views of Ararat (UNESCO).
Arch of Charents
Stone arch with the postcard view of Mount Ararat.
Garni Temple
First-century Hellenistic temple on the edge of a gorge.
Symphony of Stones
Natural basalt columns like organ pipes in the Garni gorge.
Khor Virap
Monastery with the closest view of Mount Ararat.
Geghard Monastery
UNESCO monastery partly carved into the rock.
Azat Reservoir
Turquoise reservoir surrounded by red cliffs.
Lake Sevan
The largest mountain lake in the Caucasus, with Sevanavank on a peninsula.
Dilijan
Wooded mountain town, often called the "Armenian Switzerland".
Areni
Wine region with the oldest known wine cellar in the world (6,100 years).
Mount Dimats
Off-road jeep tour to one of the country's most beautiful panoramas.
Noravank Monastery
Medieval monastery enclosed by dramatic red rock walls.
Jermuk Waterfall
70 m waterfall in the spa town famous for its mineral water.
Culture
Museums & galleries
A few more places in the centre, all within walking distance of each other.
Cafesjian Center for the Arts
The contemporary art museum inside the Cascade, with sculptures on the terraces and a large collection spread over several levels.
National Gallery of Armenia
The largest art museum in the country, right on Republic Square, with the world's biggest collection of Armenian art next to Russian and Western European works.
Sergei Paradjanov Museum
A tribute to the Armenian film director and artist, full of collages, drawings and his playful artistic heritage. One of the most loved museums in Yerevan.
Tamanyan Street
The street at the foot of the Cascade, lined with cafes, sculptures and terraces. The perfect start or end of a walk up the steps.
This is just a selection of the incredible places you can visit here. Feel free to ask us for tips — we'd love to help you plan a custom route.
Where to eat
Our favourites in Yerevan: Lavash Restaurant for classic Armenian dishes, Sherep Restaurant for a longer dinner, and Elie's Lahmajun for the best quick lunch in town.
See all our eat & drink tips →Have an extra week? Visit Georgia
Neighbouring Georgia is a fantastic addition: Batumi (the "little Dubai" on the Black Sea), the vineyards of Kakheti, the Caucasus mountains, and the charming capital Tbilisi.
Check out our Georgia tips →