Bus

Traveling Armenia On A Budget

Let's face it if you are a traveler in Armenia and you haven't booked a tour or know a local to guide you then it's not easy to navigate in and around the capital or head to other cities on public transportation. To spare you the frustration of figuring out which bus goes where, how to navigate the streets and find the bus stop you need, we made this guide of out-of-Yerevan transportation for fellow travelers like you. Tip: you may have encountered the term "marshrutka" when people talk about the public transportation in Armenia. That's a Russian word stuck in our colloquial language referring to public mini-buses.

The Yerevan city center is small compared to big European cities so you can explore it by foot. For those who prefer free walking tours just google "free walking tour in Yerevan" and you'll find info about it. It is guided by a great local guy who've been doing it for quite some time now. So, if you've explored the city center and want to see what's out there outside of Yerevan then here's how you can get to the destinations you want.

Garni & Geghard - The bus stop on Google maps - the bus departs for Garni at about every half an hour interval. There is no public transport from Garni to Geghard but it's not that far (10 km / 6.2 mi) so you either can hike there or take a cab.

Tsaghkadzor - The bus stop on Google maps - It looks like an inside-city bus stop but there are intercity minibusses going to Tsaghkadzor, Hrazdan and other cities from this stop. To get to this bus stop you can take the bus number 23 (ticket - 100 AMD) from Mesrop Mashtots avenue. The minibusses to Tsaghkadzor depart twice a day at 11:30 am and 6 pm. Ask about the ticket from the driver. The distance is 50 km (31 mi). The ride duration is an hour and 15 minutes. The departing hours from Tsakhkadzor back to Yerevan are at 9 am and 4 pm.

Noravank Monastery and Areni winery - The bus stop on Google maps 

Bus stop to Noravank, Vayk, Yeghegnadzor, Sisian

This bus stop is less known and serves only several routes. It's not far from the metro station "Gortsaranayin". To get to Noravank you have to take one of the minibusses going to either Vayk or Yeghegnadzor and ask the driver to stop near the Noravank road. From there it's 8 km (5 mi) to Noravank - you can either walk or catch a car. There are no set times when the minibusses depart. It's a wait-till-it's-full policy in action. The ticket is 1200 - 1500 AMD (about 3 Euros).

Southern (Sasuntsi Davit) Bus Station - Check it on the Google maps

South Bus Station

  • Khor Virap Monastery - The bus stop is near the left exit of "Sasuntsi Davit" metro station. There is no exact departure schedule: the buses leave when all the seats are occupied.
  • Goris - The minibus stop is at the same station as above. The distance is 235 km (146 mi). There are 2 rides a day - the first one is at 9 am (boarding starts at 8:30 am), the second one departs at 3 pm (boarding starts at 2:30 pm). The ticket costs 2500 AMD. The minibus gets full pretty quickly so it's a good idea to buy the ticket a day in advance or arrive early. The Goris - Yerevan departure hours are the same.
  • Tatev Monastery - There is no direct public transport to Tatev so you can take the Goris minibus and ask the driver to stop near the road junction with the Tatev road. From there, the distance to Tatev is around 18 km (11 mi). You are likely to get a lift from the locals there.

List of Destinations, South Bus Stop

Central Bus Station (Kilikia) - Check it on Google maps
  • Echmiadzin - A bus leaves at 8 am and 7:25 pm. There's also a minibus leaving at 8 am and 9:30 pm. The ticket costs 250 AMD (half a Euro). The distance is 20 km (12.4 mi). There is also another option to get to Echmiadzin on a budget. Taxis align near a sidewalk opposite the Modern Art Museum here. The drivers wait for 4 passengers to arrive before departing. It costs around 500 AMD (a Euro) per person. When you get there you should ask the group of drivers which is the next car departing. This is a car-pooling experience:))
  • Ashtarak - The bus stop is at the Central Bus Station (Kilikia). The departing hours are 9:10 am, 10:10 am, 1:10 pm, 2:10 pm, 4:30 pm, 5:10 pm. The ticket cost is 250 AMD (about half a Euro). The distance is 22 km (13.7 mi)
  • Jermuk - Departing hours of the bus: 1 pm and 4 pm. The ticket costs 2000 AMD (about 4 Euros). The distance is 170 km (106 mi)
  • Sisian - A minibus departs at 9 am (once a day). The ticket costs 2000 AMD (about 4 Euros). The distance is 210 km (130 mi).
  • Haghpat, Sanahin Monasteries & Odzun Church - To get there you must take a minibus to Alaverdi first. Ask about the ticket at the ticket office. The distance is 175 km (109 mi). The distance from Alaverdi to Haghpat & Sanahin Monasteries is 15 km (9.3 mi). You'd probably want to take a cab for that. That road has its ups and downs, not suitable for a leisurely walk:) The distance from Alaverdi to Odzun is 14 km (8.7 mi).
Northern Bus Station - Check it on Google maps
  • Sevan Lake - Northern Bus Station is at the outskirts of Yerevan. You can get there by the bus number 32 (100 AMD / quarter a Euro) from Mashtots avenue. From the Northern Bus Station, you can take the minibus going to Dilijan (ticket costs 1500 AMD - 3 Euros) and ask the driver to stop near the junction with the peninsula road going to Sevanavank, for instance. From the road junction to Sevanavank is about 1 km (0.6 mi). 
  • Dilijan - There is no exact departure schedule. It's best to get to the station before 4 pm. The minibusses depart as soon as all the seats are occupied. The ticket costs 1500 AMD (about 3 Euros). The distance is 90 km (56 mi)

That's about it, folks. If you struggle to find some information about public transportation in Armenia but have no luck with it write a comment below and we'll try to add more info. We hope you'll have a joyful time while navigating Armenia. And don't be afraid to strike a conversation with your fellow passengers while on a public (mini)bus even if you don't speak the language. The locals are usually curious and cheerful, they may as well treat you something) Enjoy your experience!

Comments