This summer saw me traveling around the Caucasus region. I spent just over a week in Georgia, and I spent just under a week in Armenia. The country is fascinating, with so much history. If you’re visiting Armenia, chances are you’ll be passing through Yerevan—as the capital, it’s the central hub in the country. At first glance, Yerevan might not look to have many attractions or sights to see. So many of the best places to visit in Armenia are spread throughout the country. However, there’s plenty to keep you busy in Yerevan if you look off the beaten path! Here are 16 things you must see on a trip to Yerevan!

1) Republic Square

Republic Square is one of the major attractions for tourists, and one of the most important places in the city. The large buildings surrounding the main square are built using pink and yellow rock, and gives the place a beautiful color. My favorite thing about Republic Square? Every night in the summer, once the sun goes down, they do a fountain show. Everyone (and I mean everyone!) comes out to enjoy to fountains, listen to the music, and watch the lights! I went to the fountain show almost every night I was in Yerevan, and it never got old. This is simply one thing you cannot miss in Yerevan, in Armenia, and in the Caucasus region in general!

2) The Cascade

This grand staircase is so much more than it might appear. The monument itself, made of limestone and right in the city center, is stunning. There are escalators inside that will take you all the way up to the top. I recommend taking the escalators up, and walking down outside to see the features on each level. Inside is home to the Cafesjian Museum of Art—most exhibitions have an admission charge, but it’s free to use the elevators.

Make sure to walk all the way up past the Cascade to the large monument (Monument to 50 Years of Soviet Armenia) at the top. The views are simply incredible.

3) Yerevan Brandy Factory

Armenia is well-known for its brandy, in particular Ararat brandy. There’s nowhere better to experience this than at the Yerevan Brandy Factory itself! If you’re lucky, you can book on for a guided tour of the factory/museum and enjoy a tasting. They run tours in Armenian, Russian, English, French, and German, although not necessarily all in one day. Go online to book a few days beforehand (especially in busy summer season)—I unfortunately missed out on this as I’d already booked daytrips and they didn’t have any tours in English on the days I’d be in Yerevan! You can visit their website here.

4) Vernissage Flea Market

One of my favorite experiences in Yerevan was shopping at Vernissage Flea Market! Saturdays are the best time to go, and most sellers don’t open up shop until after 10:00am most mornings. If you want unique souvenirs, chess sets, or a nice cold kvas (a bread-like type of non-alcoholic drink popular in Eastern Europe)—this is the place to go! I especially loved seeing all the beautiful carpets here.

5) Armenian Genocide Museum (Tsitsernakaberd)

This certainly isn’t an easy visit, and can be controversial as not everyone recognizes what happened as a genocide. But to truly understand Armenia today and its place in the world, going to the Genocide Museum (also called Tsitsernakaberd) is a must. The museum is exceptionally well done. It’s free to visit, very well organized, and is translated in three different languages throughout the museum (Armenian, English, and Russian). Roughly 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire (in Turkey) between 1915 and 1923. It is so important to educate the world about terrible things, in order for them to never happen again. This museum was so hard but so important. It ends with the infamous and harrowing quote by Hitler: “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” It was so difficult, and I cried a lot.

You should also pay a visit to the memorial next to the museum. There is also a large area of trees planted by world leaders who recognize the Armenian genocide as a genocide. The museum is a bit of a trek outside the city. A taxi from the museum to Republic Square cost just 1500 dram (I was crying too much to worry about haggling), and took about 10 minutes—I highly recommend just taking a taxi.

6) Blue Mosque

Although it’s not nearly as famous as its counterpart in Istanbul, the Blue Mosque was one of my favorite places to visit in Yerevan. It’s tucked away off busy streets in the middle of the city. It’s the only active mosque in Armenia, and is simply beautiful! The Blue Mosque was originally built in the 18^th-century, but closed during the anti-religious Soviet period and operated instead as a museum. It’s free to walk around the courtyard, but ladies make sure you’re dressed appropriately.

7) Opera House

You can’t miss the Opera House in Yerevan, as it’s in the dead center of Freedom Square and just around the corner from the Cascade! You can get great views of it from the Soviet monument at the top. The Opera House opened in 1933, and is still a functioning opera house with a full program of events!

8) Mother Armenia

It’s very unlikely that you’ll visit Armenia and not see the statue of Mother Armenia, towering over the city with her sword. It was built on top of the city in Victory Park, so that she overlooks the whole city. She replaced a statue of Stalin, which was taken down after his death—Mother Armenia was built in 1967. Today, there is a small museum in the base of the state. It’s free to visit (although donations are welcome). The museum focuses mainly on the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Only about half of it is in English.

9) History of Armenia Museum

If you want to learn more about Armenia’s history, there’s no better place for it than in this museum in Yerevan! The museum can be visited on its own, or with a combination ticket including the National Gallery. Most of the exhibits have English, but not all of them do. This is where you can see the world’s oldest shoe, found in the Areni Cave in Armenia! The museum is right on Republic Square.

10) Katoghike (Catholic) Church

The Katoghike Holy Mother of God Church is sort of like two churches in one. The tiny, medieval Catholic church originally dates back to 1264. It managed to survive the earthquake in Yerevan in 1679, and a larger church was built encasing the medieval church. When the anti-religious Soviet authorities demolished the basilica in the 1930s, they found the tiny medieval church still in tact—and it was miraculously saved from subsequent destruction. In 2014, construction finished on the St. Anna Church, located right next to the medieval Katoghike Church. Both churches are certainly worth a quick visit!

11) Matenadaran

Another of Yerevan’s main museums is Matenadaran, housing a spectacular collection of ancient manuscripts in every subject imaginable. Even if you don’t go inside and visit the museum, you should still check out the building, with its imposing statue, from the outside. One of my favorite pieces was the Homilies of Mush, which was written between 1200-1202, and weighs just over 60 pounds. Two Armenian women found the book in a deserted Armenian monastery during World War I and the Armenian Genocide in the early 1900s. Since it was too big and heavy, they split it in two, buried one half, and took the other half to Georgia. Both halves were finally brought back to Armenia and are together in the museum!

12) Armenian Alphabet on Mesrop Mashtots Avenue

On the street leading up to Matenadaran was one of the coolest random things I discovered in Yerevan: a giant exhibit on the Armenian Alphabet! The street is named after the man who founded the Armenina alphabet in 405 AD. I’m no expert on the alphabet by any means, but it was really interesting to learn about the different letters and what it all means!

13) Dalan Art Gallery

I saw the most amazing photos on Instagram of this place, and knew I wanted to visit. The art gallery is small, and is really just a souvenir shop. That being said, all the items looked just amazing, and the whole place was really colorful. It’s located at 12 Abovyan Street.

14) Mirzoyan Library

Another place I discovered on Instagram was the Mirzoyan Library. It’s located in a pretty courtyard, off a quiet street. The library was unfortunately closed when I visited, but I loved the courtyard and the balcony that the library is located on! They also have a small café. The address is 10 Mher Mkrtchyan Street.

15) GUM Market

If you want to travel back in time and do some old-school-style shopping, head over to GUM Market. It’s very Soviet-esque, but where lots of locals do their shopping. It’s particularly good for fresh and dried fruits. Come in the morning when most sellers are still at their stalls—by the afternoon, a lot will have closed up shop.

16) St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral

This stunning cathedral is located just around the corner from GUM Market, and is one of the biggest religious buildings in Armenia. It was only completed in 2001, so the church is quite modern in design. It’s a magnificent building, and I even saw a bit of an Armenian wedding inside! The church is free to enter.

Yerevan is also home to a surprising number of really nice parks! The city has a huge cafe culture, and the streets will be packed in the evening as everyone goes for a drink. I also really recommend getting out of the city and seeing more of Armenia. Yerevan makes a great base for daytrips! I did two, both with Yerani Travel. One was to Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery, and one was to Khor Virap, Noravank, and Areni. Definitely get out of Yerevan and see the country!

The Basics

Armenia is located in the Caucasus region, between Russia and Iran, which sometimes is (and sometimes isn’t) considered a part of Europe. Yerevan is the capital of Armenia, and the main hub for all things (especially transport) in the country. The population of Armenia is just shy of 3 million, with just over 1 million people living in Yerevan. The official language is Armenian, which is written in the Armenian alphabet. Russian is widely spoken by nearly everyone (Armenians still learn it in school). Most people in main tourist places will speak English, although being able to speak Russian will be a huge bonus, especially for eating out and restaurants. The currency is Armenian Dram, which is incredibly affordable for those with standard Western currencies. The land borders between Armenia and Turkey, and Armenia and Azerbaijan, are closed due to political conflicts with those countries.

Getting Around

Yerevan is a large city, and it can be daunting to walk everywhere in the intense summer heat. It is still walkable though, as most of the main attractions are less than a 30-minute walk away. The city does have a Metro system, which has one line that runs through the city. Rides cost just 100 dram per person (£0.16 GBP // $0.21 USD). I only took the Metro once, in the morning when I arrived on the night train from Tbilisi. Taxis are also an affordable option in Yerevan (and in Armenia). Always agree on a price before getting in. If you’re looking for apps, Yandex Taxi is one of the best ones to use—it’s the equivalent of Uber. I also had the Uber-like Armenian company GG Taxi recommended to me as well!

Where I Stayed

I stayed at Feel Inn Hostel for my five nights in Armenia in a private room. My room didn’t have air conditioning, which was a huge drawback in the sweltering summer weather. However, I loved basically everything about this hostel. The women who run it were so friendly and helpful, they gave us an extra fan in our room (so we had two fans), and cooked up an amazing breakfast every morning. The location was great, on a quiet side street about a 10-minute walk to Republic Square. It was fantastic value for money. You can read my full review of Feel Inn Hostel here! I’d absolutely stay here again.

Yerevan is such an interesting city, and one the certainly deserves a few days of exploration. If you look hard enough, there’s plenty of attractions to keep you busy. There is so much history to learn, and so many hidden gems to discover! I loved my time in Yerevan, so don’t miss these 16 things on a trip to the Armenian capital!

You might like my other posts:

How Much Does It Cost To Travel The Caucasus And Istanbul For 2.5 Weeks?

A Daytrip To Khor Virap, Areni, And Noravank In Armenia

Hostel Review: Feel Inn Hostel, Yerevan

The Tbilisi To Yerevan Night Train

Have you ever been to Yerevan or Armenia? What were your favorite things? Let me know in the comments below!

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