A First Trip to Armenia: Yerevan and the Roads Out of It

Armenia rewards a slow first visit. The country is compact, so most trips keep one hotel in Yerevan and go out from there rather than moving bags every second night.

Yerevan as a base

The centre is walkable. Republic Square anchors it, the Cascade steps climb north out of the city with views back over the rooftops, and the streets between the two are where the cafes are. Two full days here is a comfortable start.

The day trips

Most of what people come for sits within a couple of hours of the capital. Garni and Geghard pair naturally in one day - a colonnaded temple above a gorge, then a monastery cut into the rock. Lake Sevan is a different day again, and Dilijan turns the landscape green and forested.

• Distances look short on a map, but mountain roads take longer than the kilometres suggest.
• Carry some cash for smaller towns and roadside stops.
• Summer is warm and dry; spring and autumn are milder for walking; winter brings snow to the higher ground.