Armenia

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. Taxis are widely available, and are inexpensive. Buses serve most major cities and smaller towns, so can make for a decent travel option. Yerevan does have metro system, though train services to elsewhere in Armenia might not be the most convenient option.

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 4 star hotels in Armenia, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our long stay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

Armenia is a landlocked country, covering 29,800 square kilometres. Much of the terrain is mountainous, with about half of Armenia’s total land area having an elevation of at least 2,000 metres. Lake Sevan sits in the eastern half of the country, and is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in Eurasia.

Armenia has a highland continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Depending on the season you intend to travel, check weather reports and dress accordingly.

Armenia has 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can view the official list of the sites here (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/am).

Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin, an outstanding example of Armenian religious architecture
Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley, a remarkable monastery complex partially carved out of the rock of the surrounding mountainside
Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Armenia has many festivals and events throughout the year to honour its past traditions and heritage. Several festivals are dedicated to the foods and produce of Armenia, including Syunik Mulberry Festival, the Dolma Festival and Yerevan Wine Days. The Taraz Festival in August showcases the taraz (traditional dresses) and distinctive clothing styles of Armenia’s people. A notable event to witness is the Vardavar Festival – intiially a pagan festival, Vardavar is now an annual midyear event whereby people splash water on each other in a lighthearted fashion.

• The Armenians, by Elizabeth Redgate
• Tour de Armenia, by Raffi Youredijan
• Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages, by Helen C Evans
• The Spice Box Letter, by Eve Marks

Lamb, eggplant and lavash (bread) all feature prominently in Armenian food.

A mainstay of Armenian cuisine is dolma, which is a mix of vegetables, rice and sometimes meat wrapped up in grape leave.

Numerous dishes are prepared for certain religious occasions, with choereg sweet bread traditionally consumed during Easter, while Ghapama (a stuffed pumpkin filled with boiled rice, fruits and nuts) is a staple of the Christmas season.

Sweets and desserts often take the form of pastries, such as gata (sweet bread) and baklava (a sweet, dessert pastry).

Although much of the country is safe to travel in, however independent travellers should consider avoiding heading to either the Armenia-Azerbaijan border or the Nagorno-Karabakh regions due to underlying local tensions.

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. The electricity supply in Armenia runs at 220V and 50Hz. Armenia uses both the Type C and Type F plug types, so make sure you have the right travel adaptor handy.