2 days in Yerevan

Day by day

1. Day 1: Cascade and Cafesjian Center for the Arts and Republic Square

   Cascade and Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Republic Square, Matenadaran and History Museum of Armenia, then Opera House and Swan Lake in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Cascade and Cafesjian Center for the Arts

      Inside, the Cafesjian Center for the Arts has escalators and galleries. From the top, the view takes in the city centre and, on clear days, Mount Ararat.

   2. Late morning

      Republic Square

      On summer evenings, its fountains dance to music in front of crowds.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Khorovats

      Grill restaurants across the city and roadside places on day trips.

   4. Afternoon

      Matenadaran

      A statue of Mesrop Mashtots, creator of the Armenian alphabet, stands in front of the building.

   5. Late afternoon

      History Museum of Armenia

      Highlights include Bronze Age artefacts, Urartian finds and the Areni-1 shoe, a leather shoe around 5,500 years old found in a cave in southern Armenia.

   6. Evening

      Opera House and Swan Lake

      Check the programme for opera or ballet; tickets are affordable by European standards.

2. Day 2: National Gallery of Armenia and Vernissage market

   National Gallery of Armenia, Vernissage market, GUM Market and Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, then Saryan Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Gallery of Armenia

      In the same building as the History Museum, the National Gallery displays Armenian painters such as Martiros Saryan and Ivan Aivazovsky alongside Russian and European art.

   2. Late morning

      Vernissage market

      It is largest at weekends.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Lavash

      Every restaurant; watch it being baked at Garni and village bakeries.

   4. Afternoon

      GUM Market

      It is a lively place to see everyday Yerevan.

   5. Late afternoon

      Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral

      Consecrated in 2001 for the 1,700th anniversary of Armenia's adoption of Christianity, this is the largest Armenian cathedral, with a bright, spacious interior and the relics of St Gregory.

   6. Evening

      Saryan Street

      A cluster of wine bars serving Armenian wines by the glass.

If it rains

• Swap in Sergei Parajanov Museum (Kond): Watch a clip of 'The Colour of Pomegranates' before visiting to appreciate his style.
• Swap in Yerevan Brandy Company tour (Hrazdan): Choose a tour with more tastings if you want to compare ages; eat beforehand.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–12 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most central sights are within walking distance, along wide avenues and through the Ring Park around the centre.

More or fewer days

• One day in Yerevan
• 3 days in Yerevan
• 5 days in Yerevan

Questions travellers ask