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Blue Mosque: Your itinerary should definitely include a stop at the Blue Mosque, the only functioning place of Muslim worship in the city, and a superb example of Islamic art. It was built in the 18th century by Persian followers of Islam, as a place of worship, and it contains within it a theological seminary.
Address: 12 Mesrop Mashtots Avenue, 0015 Yerevan

Cascades Complex: For an incomparably beautiful, panoramic view of the city and Mt. Ararat, ascend the 572 giant stone steps of the outdoor Cascades Complex, an art deco version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, equipped with fantastic fountains and open-air post-modern sculptures. This is home to the Cafesjian Contemporary Art Centre, also known as the Armenian answer to the Guggenheim. At the highest point of the complex you will find Haghtanak Park (the Park of Victory) with its impressive statue of Mother Armenia.
Address: 10 Tamanyan Street, 0009 Yerevan

National Gallery of Armenia: The 56 rooms of this superb museum house more than 26,000 works of art, the collection including works by Armenian, Russian and European artists, as well as marvellous examples of the decorative arts. The collection offers a comprehensive overview of Armenian painting, with masterpieces by such artists as Aivazovsky, Atamian, Zardaryan, Aventisyan and Tadevosyan.
Address: 1 Aram Street, 0010 Yerevan, www.gallery.am

Republic Square: The city’s main square was designed by the famous Yerevan architect Alexander Tamanyan, between 1924 and 1929, and was completed in its current form in 1952. It is surrounded by 7 imposing buildings, among them the world-class National Gallery and the State Museum of Armenian History. The most famous sight are the musical fountains, which dance on summer nights to the rhythm of the music and lights.

The Genocide Memorial and Museum: Dedicated to the memory of the 20th century’s first great act of genocide, the iconic Genocide Museum on Tsitsernakaberd Hill is an essential part of any visit to Yerevan. Constructed within the hill, the underground museum relates the tragic events of 1915 through photographs, reports and documents by eye witnesses, journals and personal effects of survivors, and oral histories.
Address: City Centre, Yerevan 0028, www.genocide-museum.am

Matenadaran Manuscript Museum: This is one of the largest collections of ancient manuscripts and books in the world, with more than 17,000 works of inestimable intellectual and historical value, dating from the 5th to the 18th century. The collection covers a broad range of areas, from literature and medicine to history and cosmography, with material in various languages (Armenian, Greek, Hebrew and Latin). The older texts are written on stone, wood and animal skins, while the less ancient manuscripts are exquisitely illuminated in bindings decorated with precious metals and stones.
Address: 53 Mashtots Avenue, 0009 Yerevan, www.matenadaran.am

Lovers’ Park: This is the oldest park in Yerevan, the venue for open-air art exhibitions and concerts. The park recently underwent a new landscaping in the traditional style of a Japanese garden. We recommend you take a stroll by the beautiful lake and admire the superb stone sculptures which adorn the park.
Address: 21 Marshal Baghramyan Avenue, Yerevan 0019

Erebuni Fortress: The construction of this military fortress marked the founding, in 782 BC, of the capital of Urartu (the ancient kingdom of Armenia), on the site of what is now Yerevan. Among the remains of the fortress and in the museum of the same name visitors can admire some of the most important archaeological finds to have been unearthed in Armenia.

Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator: An impressive example of Armenian architecture, in orange-coloured volcanic stone (tufa), this huge church is dedicated to the founder of the Armenian Apostolic Church and patron saint of the city. Its construction was financed by contributions from members of the Armenian diaspora and it was consecrated in 2001, to mark the 1700th anniversary of the country’s conversion to Christianity.
Address: Yervand Kochar Street, Yerevan

Museum of the History of Armenia: Since it first opened its doors in 1920 this has been the most important national museum in Armenia, safeguarding its important historical and cultural legacy. Its collections feature more than 400,000 items, including bronze artefacts from the 3rd millennium BC, cuneiform inscriptions, coins, jewellery and frescoes.
Address: 4 Republic Square, Yerevan, www.historymuseum.am

The busiest shopping street in Yerevan is the opulent Northern Avenue, next to Republic Square. Here you will find shops selling all the best-known western brands and labels, as well as expensive boutiques, jewellery shops, cafes and restaurants. The best place for jewellery and accessories is the modern Abovyan Street.

Souvenir hunters will find their paradise in the open-air Vernissage market, which is held every weekend and has everything from ceramics and paintings to jewellery and traditional Armenian rugs. You will also find excellent souvenir shops on Abovyan and Tumanyan Streets. If your particular interest is in Armenian painting, the open-air art market in Saryan Park has interesting works by local artists at very reasonable prices.

The city’s biggest shopping centre is the Yerevan Mall, a modern, three-storey shopping and leisure complex stocking all the major international fashion labels.

Don’t leave Yerevan without purchasing some of the country’s famous brandy, one of the best in the world. You can find genuine brandy distilled by the Armenian Cognac Factory in the company’s exclusive boutiques on Amiryan Street and Mashtots Avenue.

The restaurant scene in Yerevan is dominated by local Armenian cuisine, with some international (Mediterranean, Caucasian and Middle Eastern) options available. You should try one of the picturesque Armenian restaurants offering their traditional dishes, served with great ceremony and usually accompanied by Armenian music and dancing. Armenians are very fond of barbecued food (khorovats), of which you will find every conceivable variety, from lamb, beef (horti), pork, mushrooms (sunki) to barbecued vegetables with flavoursome tomatoes, peppers and aubergines sprinkled with fresh herbs. You should also sample the fish known as ishkhan from Lake Sevan, as well as manti, su borek and midia dolm. The Armenians’ favourite snack is lahmajoun (a version of pizza), which can be found in the many street kiosks dotted around the city. 

In the evening you will find there are thousands of bars, pubs, discos and nightclubs, although the bars do most business in the winter season. In summer the most popular places to enjoy a drink are the open-air cafes and café-restaurants around the opera house, Republic Square and Pushkin Street, where the hipsters hang out. Most of the nightclubs are in the city centre and range from modern dance clubs and cabaret clubs to Soviet-style exotic clubs staging semi-erotic shows, in a decadent ambiance reminiscent of past eras, and even karaoke clubs.

• Yerevan Perspectives International Music Festival: Leading musicians, performers, symphony orchestras and musical ensembles from all around the world descend on Yerevan each year for the biggest classical music festival in Armenia. The festival begins in April and goes on to December, drawing audiences of tens of thousands with its truly impressive programme. Guest artists have included the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, Placido Domingo, the Kronos Quartet and the Salzburg Camerata.
• Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival: An excellent reason to be in Yerevan in July, this is the biggest film event in the Armenian calendar. To be held from 12-19 July this year, the festival has two competitive sections (fiction and documentary), one non-competitive section, an overview of Armenian cinema, retrospectives of the work of internationally renowned cineastes, master classes and appearances by guest artists such as Fanny Ardant, Abbas Kiarostami and Atom Egoyan.
• HIGH FEST International Performing Arts Festival: A superb and comprehensive festival of the performing arts which brings to Yerevan each year theatrical productions (from drama and mime to circus and puppet theatre), dance (classical, traditional and contemporary) and music (classical, opera, jazz and musicals) from all around the world. This year’s festival (1-10 October 2015) will be dedicated to the centenary of the Armenian Genocide and will feature performances on the themes of genocide and violence, as part of the Memorial Program which has been included in the festival.

Transport from the airport

Aegean flights land at Zvartnots International Airport. The modern, efficient and recently renovated passenger terminal at Yerevan has every convenience for the traveller, including two duty-free shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, banks, ATMs, bureaus de change, a post office and pharmacy. Wi-Fi is free throughout the airport.

Zvartnots International Airport is located 12km from the city centre and can be reached by bus or taxi. The safest and easiest way into the city centre from the airport is to book one of the chartered taxis run by AeroTaxi, the airport’s official carrier. There is also bus no. 107, which runs from the airport to the opera house in the city centre.