Things to do in Armenia

Armenia is landlocked, mountainous and old. It was the first state to adopt Christianity, in 301. The alphabet is its own, designed in 405 and still in use, with two letters added since.

The country beyond Yerevan

Nearly everything is a day trip from the capital. The country is small enough for that. Two hours in any direction covers most of it.

• Lake Sevan. One of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world, at about 1,900 metres, with Sevanavank monastery on the peninsula above it.
• Dilijan. Wooded and humid, unlike the rest of the country, with Haghartsin and Goshavank in the forest nearby.
• Vayots Dzor. Wine country, and the Areni-1 cave where the oldest known winery was found, about 6,100 years old.
• Syunik. The far south, reached by the Wings of Tatev — 5,752 metres of cable, the longest reversible ropeway there is.
• Lori. The Debed canyon, with the Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries on the rim and riding routes through the gorges.

The monasteries

They are the spine of every itinerary, and they are not interchangeable. Garni is not one at all. It is a Greco-Roman colonnaded temple, the only one in the region.

Geghard is cut into the rock, with whole chambers carved out of the cliff. Khor Virap sits on the plain facing Ararat. The mountain is in Turkey, and that border has been shut since 1993.

What the offer is made of

Almost all of it is a private car with a driver-guide. Group departures are rare outside summer. Winter narrows to Tsaghkadzor and the ski schools there.

Practical

• Currency. The dram, and cash still matters outside the capital. Cards are normal in Yerevan.
• Season. May to October for the regions, December to March for skiing. High passes close with snow.
• Borders. Turkey and Azerbaijan are shut. Georgia and Iran are open, and the run to Tbilisi is a common transfer.
• Food. Lavash is baked in a pit oven and sits on the UNESCO heritage list. Bakery visits are sold as part of tours.
• Brandy. The ARARAT factory in Yerevan runs tastings, and it books out ahead in season.
• Altitude. Sevan and the passes stay cold. Take a layer even in July.