Do you want to travel cheap, have a great time full of joy and unforgettable memories, see many wonderful places, and taste national cuisine? If your answer is YES, then I offer you to visit Armenia, one of the smallest countries in the world. Small but full of interesting, amazing places where you can feel the warmness of a country and the people. But if you are a traveller and meantime want to save your money, this guide is just for you. So let’s see how to travel to Armenia cheaply. It’s always better when you pay for something less than it costs, isn’t it?
Before getting to Armenia, you need to have a visa. Get full information about how to get your visa here. It’s very cheap: for 21 days you must pay 8$/6€, for 120 days 41$/40€.
When making a decision of traveling, you should have these three questions in your mind.
Where to stay?
What and where to eat?
How to move inside the country?
Where to stay in Armenia
There are many high-class hotels, hostels, motels in Armenia, so don't worry, you’ll certainly find a place to live in. But if you want a cheaper place, I advise you to stop at hostels. They cost 4500-5000 AMD (~10 $) with breakfast in the center of Yerevan. It means that you don’t need to pay for a taxi as well since Yerevan is a small city and you can have a walking tour.
When traveling inside Armenia you will have lots of choices. Outside of our capital you have a chance to stay in guesthouses. The Armenians are very hospitable, they are ready to host you in their homes, give a private room and surprise you with national cuisine. At the same time, you can get acquainted with the life of Armenian villages. And it costs really cheap and sometimes free.
Armenian farmers deal with agriculture, so you can taste natural dairy products, fruits, juices, dried fruit, homemade canned foods, etc. You have another alternative, for example, rent a house if you come here with your family or friends, it will be cheaper. Of course, in that case, you must cook yourself or eat outside But it’s not a big problem. Let’s see your options.
What and where to eat
In Armenia, you can taste different cuisines: European, Georgian, Arabic, Chinese, etc. Everywhere you can find a food spot, especially in the centre of Yerevan because Armenians like to eat. Armenian fast food is cheaper than in Russia or any European country. You have 2-3 dollars? Congrats, you’ll have a tasty lahmajo, Lula kabab or something else. You can buy tasty ready-made food from supermarkets. These variants will be much cheaper than in restaurants. What to eat in Armenia is another question. You can learn about our cuisine here.
In summer and autumn, if you are outside of the busy and noisy Yerevan, you may see many fruitful trees. Please, don’t steal, because there is a risk that guarding dogs will chase you, just ask the owner if he's there and he'll surely give you free and juicy fruit. But if you get the fruits and escape the dog, know that Armenian fruits are the tastiest in the world.
The next significant argument that makes you travel cheaply in Armenia is the water. This little country is rich in water resources. In every step, you can find drinking fountains (we call them pulpulak) and drink cold water absolutely for free. For example, 1.5 litres bottled water costs more than 2 $ in other countries. Not bad yes?
How to move cheaper in Armenia
And the last question is how to move around Armenia cheaply? There are many means of transportation: buses, taxi, metro, train. Inside of the city bus tickets are very cheap, taxies are a little bit expensive, but if you order online “Yandex taxi” it’ll be faster and cost cheaper. Metro is also a very cheap way, buses and mini-buses are very comfortable, too: 100 AMD (0.20 $), can you imagine?
If you want to go to Gyumri, the second biggest city in Armenia, or if you want to reach Lake Sevan, you can travel by train because it’s comfortable, interesting and cheap. But if you want to move and travel absolutely for free, then just bring your bicycle with you and your journey in Armenia will be incredible.
Another cheap variant is to share your trip with someone else. Find friends, take a taxi and share the charge.
What about the guide?
Armenia is an open-air museum. There are many sites worth seeing: old churches, ancient castles, magnificent nature, the world’s longest ropeway in the world, the world’s first astronomical observatory (Qarahunj) and many things you can see just by visiting there. Instead of hiring a guide, you can join another group and listen to what their guide tells.:) Besides, there is a piece of information in every historical site on the signboards. You can read and explore the area on your own. Another variant is to find a friend from Armenia who knows your native language and travel with him or her.
So, my friend, don't wait, travel to Armenia, discover this ancient land, feel, see, love and have a good time, spending only pennies.
P.S. You know, Armenia is famous as a sunny country, because it is sunny 225 days (2700 hours) a year. You can bring with you a solar battery and charge your phone or other devices. Hope it’ll help you. If you have questions feel free to ask. We are looking forward to your comments.
Published May 21, 2018
Article by Shushanik Shahbazyan
