We entered Armenia, the last of the six countries on this almost 6-week overland trip from Slovenia to the Caucasus and back with our LR Defender camper on the first day of September. We ended up staying a little over one week in this interesting country, which, I would say, is just enough to see all the most important sights and get good impressions of places. Unfortunately we had to skip visiting some of the spots we wanted to see, due to car problems, but more about that later on. Armenia is a real treasure of interesting facts. It counts as the first Christian country in the world, it is famous for its tasty apricots, the color of which is also on Armenian flag, they have their own alphabet, some of the oldest wineries in the world, their traditional bread is protected by Unesco and so on. There is also the famous Mount Ararat, which dominates the views around Armenian capital city, Yerevan. Armenia impressed us with its beautiful landscapes, hospitable locals, delicious cuisine, countless monasteries and interesting history. We found it very affordable and loved the fact that wild camping is allowed here as well. In this blog post, I share our journey with you, adding brief descriptions of some of the places and activities that we unfortunately missed this time. Let’s go!
Places: Debed canyon, Haghpat monastery, Dilijan, Sevan lake, Garni gorge, Garni temple, Symphony of Stones, Geghrad monastery, Azat rezervoir, Yerevan, Gyumri
How: with our LR Defender from Slovenije
Accommodation: wild camping, campsite
WE TRAVELLED IN ARMENIA, WHEN MILA WAS 3 YEARS OLD AND LEO 7 MONTHS OLD. READ MORE ABOUT ARMENIA WITH KIDS IN THIS POST.
FROM GEORGIA TO ARMENIA | Sadakhlo – Bagratashen border crossing
Our last night in Georgia was relatively short, as it was loud outside until the morning hours. We were happy to start the day early, and as a result, there was no crowds at all on the border with Armenia. I again had to cross the border with Mila and Leo on foot while Charlie drove with the car. It all went pretty quickly, there was a little delay later in arranging some paperwork which is necessary if you arrive to Armenia with a foreign vehicle.
Once we were done with checking our passports we had to do two more things on the Armenian side. First, CAR INSURANCE (we paid 33eur for 10 days I believe), then TEMPORARY CAR IMPORT (we paid 25eur). Both are arranged right there in the offices directly at the border, but the employees were a bit slow with English so it took a while. There is also a bank here, where we exchanged some money. Be careful – put all the papers away carefully, especially those about the temporary import of the vehicle, because they will be checked again when you leave Armenia. This paperwork process took us over one hour.
Before entering Armenia we arranged a local eSIM card with the provider SAILY in advance. We also have a 5% discount code for our readers and followers, with which we earn a small commission through their affiliate program. To get the discount, be sure to use the link below and enter the promo code SPECIAL5
eSIM SAILYDEBED CANYON | one of the most known natural areas in Armenia
Shortly after crossing the border, we drove through an area that is considered one of the most beautiful natural spots in Armenia. DEBED CANYON, the Debed river, the surrounding hills covered with lush forests, mighty rocky cliffs and beautiful viewpoints attract many visitors and if you are passing through here anyway, like us, it would be a sin to just rush on. And indeed, as soon as we arrived in Armenia, the landscape changed so drastically compared to the one on the Georgian side. A completely different world awaited us here and the change suited us, despite the fact that we have really grown to love Georgia over the past two weeks.
Besides NATURAL ATTRACTIONS and recreational activities in nature (hiking, rafting, cycling, horseback riding, bird watching, camping, enjoying the lakes), there are also some HISTORICAL SITES here. In addition to the SANAHIN MONASTERY and KAYAN FORTRESS, there is also the HAGHPAT MONASTERY, which we also visited.
HAGHPAT MONASTERY | interesting complex on the Unesco world heritage list
Woohoo our first Armenian monastery! I don’t have an exact number, but there is no shortage of monasteries and churches in Armenia, of course it is impossible to visit them all, and also, unless you are a big history enthusiast, they probably all start to look similar after visiting a few of them. Anyway, we really liked HAGHPAT MONASTERY. It was very peaceful and interesting, we were there very early and were the only ones on site. The souvenir stands were just being prepared in front of the entrance and we were given some fruits by a friendly lady. Such a great start of getting to know Armenia.
THE MONASTERY is also known as HAGHPATAVANK, it is located, as mentioned, in the vicinity of the Debed Canyon, in the Lori province, and since 1996, together with the nearby Sanahin Monastery, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This monastery complex consists of several buildings – the main church with a dome and side chapels, a smaller church, a bell tower and scriptoriums.
Not far away, we could have visited the picturesque VILLAGE OF LORI BERD too, but somehow we didn’t feel like making an additional detour from the planned route at that moment. So we continued to the famous LAKE SEVAN, which is located about 200km south of the border crossing with Georgia, and we made a quick stop in the popular spa resort famous for its mineral water called DILIJAN on the way. This place is really lush and it is also called the “Little Switzerland”.
SEVAN LAKE | Armenian sea and the largest lake in the Caucasus
Our original plan for this day was WILD CAMPING BY LAKE SEVAN, somewhere on the north-eastern shore, which I read was less populated and wilder. Unfortunately, this part of the lake was mostly deserted with numerous tourist complexes and buildings that had not seen a living soul for a long time, except perhaps for a photographer enthusiastic about the abandoned buildings. The wind was also extremely strong that day and it wasn’t very pleasant outside. We did see some inviting spots among the pine trees right by the lake, but there was also a lot of garbage everywhere and as I said, the surroundings of the lake in this area did not convince us, so we decided to change our plan. It’s a good thing that we travel this way and can adjust the route as needed.
LAKE SEVAN lies at almost 2000m above sea level and is the LARGEST LAKE IN THE CAUCASUS. Of course, this means also in Armenia. It looks huge on the map, representing 1/6 of the entire country’s area and at times it seemed to us that we were looking at the sea and not a lake. Armenia does not have access to the sea, so the LAKE SHORES are a popular spot for locals during the warmer months. Most of those nice beach areas are privatized though and belong to larger hotels, but there are also some public beach spots with the possibility of renting sun loungers and engaging in different water activities from windsurfing, jet skiing, sailing and such. Otherwise, the most recognizable attraction in the immediate vicinity of the lake is the SEVANAVANK MONASTERY, located on a small peninsula. HAYRAVANK MONASTERY and the village of NORATUS with a very special CEMETERY are also good points to visit around the lake.
GUTANASAR VOLCANO | photogenic black wall
On the way to the chosen campsite, we initially wanted to visit another natural landmark, namely the mighty BLACK WALL, also known as SEV PAT or FANTAN, near the village of Fantan, about 30km north of Yerevan. This impressive vertical wall is located at the foot of the inactive GUTANASAR VOLCANO, and can be reached either on foot or by off-road vehicle. Due to lack of time and small children, the hike on foot was not doable for us this time, and with the car, due to our broken rear windshield (an accident in Georgia), we did not want to go on off-road tracks, so as not to make the situation worse. So we left that for next time, I’m sure this place is awesome!
CAMPING 3GS | our oasis and a well-known spot for overlanders
Finally arrived. It was an unexpectedly long day, as we covered quite a few extra kilometers in the afternoon. CAMPING 3GS is a popular and well-known spot among members of the overland community, who stop here during their travels through the Caucasus or longer routes to the east. It is also possible to leave your vehicle here over the winter or for as long as you wish. Sandra, the lovely Dutch lady who runs the camp, gave us a warm welcome and we really felt at home straight away.
We planned to stay here for a few days, so we immediately made ourselves comfortable and arranged our corner under a tree that cast shade on the plot during the day. Then we treated ourselves to a jump in the POOL and a cold beer (okay two) with a unique view of the surrounding hills. The location of the camp is simply fantastic. There are attractions nearby, which I will describe in more detail below, and in the immediate vicinity there are also bakeries, small shops and everything you need. We even went to the hairdresser! By the way, a men’s haircut costs 3 euros.
The pool was a jackpot, of course, and Mila was especially delighted with it, but the camp also boasts numerous GROUP KITCHENS and SOCIAL AREAS, extremely clean SANITARY FACILITIES, SPACIOUS PITCHES on different levels, and you can also rent ROOMS WITH BREAKFAST. Oh, and they also have DOMESTIC ANIMALS. Really ideal for a short relaxing break from driving. It’s also very affordable.
We really didn’t suffer here. As befits a real vacation, we treated ourselves to a little luxury and made ice cubes for the first time in our awesome new fridge, which also has an ice maker.
In the nearby SHOPS we stocked up on fresh vegetables, fruits and of course bread. By the way, ARMENIAN BREAD is not inferior in importance to Georgian, moreover, LAVASH, a traditional thin bread, can be found on UNESCO list of cultural heritage. Just to give you an idea, we paid about 6 euros for all of this in the picture.
Even though the rest was good, we of course went on a day trip around the area the next day, because we love to be a little bit active as well.
AZAT REZERVOIR | wonderful landscapes south of Yerevan
After about half hour drive from the campsite, we arrived at our first destination of the day, the beautiful lake or AZAT REZERVOIR, created in 1976, at a little over 1000m above sea level near the town of LANJAZAT south of the capital YEREVAN. The water from the reservoir is used to irrigate the surrounding agricultural areas. The road there was very interesting and the views of the surroundings blurred the memory of the extremely potholed road. Sometimes it would really be easier to drive on gravel than on bad asphalt, wouldn’t it?
Through the windows we admired numerous FRUIT PLANTATIONS. Let me mention again at this point that APRICOTS are the NATIONAL SYMBOL OF ARMENIA, and the apricot orange color also appears on their flag. They are also called “the Armenian apples”. So they seem to be super important and you should definitely try them here! If fresh fruit is not in season, I recommend trying dried apricots, they are really delicious too.
The landscape was like the moon at times. It can be very hot here despite the altitude, and there is no shade. If you are traveling with a motorhome or camper van, you can also wild camp and sleep peacefully in this area, but you will be looking for shade in vain.
Countless bends led us through the dry and bare landscape, all the way to the VIEWPOINT above the lake. There are probably several of these, we landed at one of those on the northern shore of the reservoir. The views were truly magnificent, we also took a little more time to take a few photos and WALK along the edges of the mighty rock walls above the RIVER AND LAKE AZAT.
GARNI GORGE | one of the biggest natural wonders of Armenia
The next stop of the day was the famous GARNI GORGE. We were impressed by this place, despite the large number of tourists, who fortunately got lost in the area so it did not feel overcrowded. The gorge is located very close to the campsite where we were staying and only 20 km east of the Armenian capital. That is why it is also a popular spot for ORGANIZED DAY TRIPS FROM YEREVAN.
GARNI GORGE, geographically located under the town with the same name, is one of the greatest natural attractions of Armenia, characterized by special geological formations, hexagonal basalt towers and a river winding between them. Here it is also possible to take several HIKES which connect several attractions in the area, for example, the HAVUTS TAR MONASTERY, GARNI TEMPLE and the so-called SYMPHONY OF STONES – more about both below.
GARNI TEMPLE | the only surviving Greco – Roman temple in the former Soviet Union
The rush of visitors at the paid parking lot at the Garni Temple was a bit of a shock, but we decided to visit it anyway. We calmly browsed the numerous souvenir stands, and treated ourselves to ice cream and iced coffee, because it was a really hot day and we needed a little refreshment.
The GARNI TEMPLE is the ONLY SURVIVING GRECO-ROMAN BUILDING IN ARMENIA and also in the whole territory of the former Soviet Union. It is also geographically the easternmost of all the temples built at that time. The mighty columns and views of the beautiful surroundings are truly impressive, and visiting the temple is extremely easy, as it is only a few hundred meters walk from the parking lot.
SYMPHONY OF STONES | impressive basalt cliffs and structures
The last point we visited that day is located very close to the above-mentioned temple, practically in in the gorge below it. Parking was a bit of a lottery, but luckily we got a spot right near the entrance. Here you pay an ENTRANCE FEE, which is not only a few euros, but still. Then you can continue from the gate ON FOOT OR BY TOURIST TRAIN. We walked and it was very pleasant due to the wonderful views, despite the worst heat of the day.
You can walk for as long as you like and turn around when you had enough. After just a few minutes you will already see the spectacular, up to 50m high BASALT HEXAGONAL COLUMNS, after which this landmark got its name. They were formed by the slow cooling of lava after the eruption of a volcano in the Geghama Mountains. The KHOSROV FOREST RESERVE area also begins here, the surroundings are truly beautiful and I definitely recommend taking time for a longer walk.
Full of new impressions, we returned to the campsite in the afternoon, swam in the pool, enjoyed one last time (well, that’s what we thought) the view of those magical pink-orange hues of the sunset caressing the slopes of the surrounding hills, had a delicious dinner, and said goodbye to all our neighbors thinking we will never see them again.
The next day we planned to first visit GEGHARD MONASTERY, then YEREVAN, then the famous ARMENIAN ALPHABET MONUMENT and last but not least LAKE KARI, where I had already marked a spot for wild camping. It sounds like a long day, but the distances weren’t that great, and we really wanted to see the capital more quickly anyway.
From Lake Kari, we wanted to continue our journey to Georgia and Turkey in the following days (Armenia has closed borders with Turkey and this was the way to return home), because we wanted to celebrate our anniversary in Cappadocia. Due to this detour in Turkey, we deliberately skipped SOUTHERN ARMENIA, where there are a lot of other attractions. I had two more world-famous MONASTERIES marked on the map, NORAVANK and TATEV and some other points.
GEGHARD MONASTERY | interesting Unesco complex
So we started the day early and shortly before 7am we were already driving towards the nearby GEGHARD MONASTERY. This was the last attraction near our campsite and of course we didn’t want to miss it. We got there first and had a peaceful look around, then sped off in the opposite direction, towards Yerevan, along the same road.
The monastery, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, stands among the mighty rock walls and cliffs of the beautiful AZAT VALLEY. This unique example of medieval architecture consists of several churches, chapels and other buildings. There is a large parking lot under the complex, and the road ends here. I definitely recommend visiting as early as possible, when it is not crowded, as this is one of the popular spots for a day trip from the capital.
YEREVAN | capital city of Armenia
After visiting the monastery, we planned a quick visit to the CAPITAL OF ARMENIA. After surviving a more chaotic entry into the city during the morning rush hour, somewhere in the center, while searching for a parking space, we started hearing an unusual sound which was definitely coming from our Defender. A strange sound from such an old car may not immediately mean disaster, but we still didn’t like it at all. After thinking it over, we decided to head back out of the city and return to the campsite, where we could check where the problem was. We postponed our visit to Yerevan to the next day, but unfortunately things took a completely different turn later on and in the end, our visit to the capital was completely canceled.
YEREVAN is one of the oldest cities in the world and its most famous landmark is the CASCADE COMPLEX – a huge limestone staircase with fountains, from which there are beautiful views of the city, with the mighty MOUNT ARARAT in the background. Then there are a bunch of MUSEUMS, GALLERIES and MONUMENTS, as well as numerous abandoned buildings from the Soviet era, SQUARES and MARKETS, wonderful CAFES and RESTAURANTS with a touch of the past and more.
BACK TO CAMPING 3 GS | car problems and change of plans
Let’s go back to the point where we decide to return to the campsite. While driving through the city, the sound miraculously disappears and we decide to change our plans again. Forget about the campsite, forget about Yerevan. We turn onto the highway towards the next attraction we wanted to visit, about an hour’s drive away. But after a few kilometers of driving fast, the sound reappears. We turn around again and head to the campsite. The main reason for this decision was the fact that we really felt at home there, we knew there were a lot of other overlanders which could maybe help us find out the cause of the malfunction more easily, besides there is a swimming pool for the kids, and Yerevan is also relatively close, in case we needed anything.
For the next 5 days, yes 5 days, we tried to figure out what it could be. Of course, we also went to several mechanics. The first one said “no problem my friend!”. Because, you know, if the car still drives, then there is no problem. But we still had over 3000 kilometers to go home. And of course, none of us wanted this problem to escalate somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where the repair would be even more difficult or practically impossible. We also went to the OFFICIAL LAND ROVER SERVICE in Yerevan. Without success, the car is too old, none of the otherwise friendly employees wanted to start investigating in more detail. I know, I know, some of you will now say that we should change to a Toyota. But we won’t 🙂
THEN A MIRACLE HAPPENED, which unfortunately didn’t solve the primary problem in the end, but still. As usual, I shared our trip on this blog’s IG and FB profiles, and as soon as I mentioned that we had a problem with the car, two Slovenian girls, Sara and Romana, contacted me and offered to help. By some incredible coincidence, they both had plane tickets for the next day from Venice to Yerevan. Let me emphasize, they didn’t know each other. On top of that, Romana’s first accommodation in Armenia was just 3 kilometers away from us! I mean, this can’t be a coincidence, right? I think my mom is watching over us from above. We were in touch with various people during this time, including our mechanic in Slovenia, but of course it’s very difficult to diagnose things from such a distance.
So our biggest problem the whole time was that we DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM EXACTLY WAS. We could only guess, so we tried to rule out different scenarios. The worst thing would be the gearbox. Here in Armenia, the wait for LR spare parts is about 3 weeks, but we did not have that much time. We even thought about flying home and leaving the car there, returning in the spring with the spare parts and doing another longer road trip through those parts of the world. Of course, this would be the absolute last choice, but still. We really considered all possible options. Because when you travel with children, you really don’t want to get stuck just anywhere. So, with the help of our mechanic, my aunt, my dad, Romana and Sara, we managed to deliver a certain spare part from Ljubljana to our camping in Armenia in less than 24 hours. We then replaced this part immediately and our Defender drove much better, so this was definitely something to replace, but unfortunately we still heard that weird sound. Well, we tried and thanks to this action, we spent a few pleasant hours in our campsite with Romana, Sara and her family and had a mini Slovenian reunion.
While we were fixing the car, swam in the pool, ate really good and played with all the animals in the campsite our time was running out and it was clear we now HAD TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION. We’ve been on the same spot for so long, people were coming and going and we were still there. We unanimously decided to go home by the shortest route, without major detours and whatever happens will happen. Unfortunately, it was clear at that moment that Cappadocia was out, and a whole bunch of locations in Armenia were out as well. But we’ll do all of that another time. We also got in touch with the Land Rover community in Turkey and, with the help of connections and acquaintances, came across a contact for a special mechanic for Defenders. In Istanbul. So we had about 1700 km to get there and two border crossings. Everything will be OK. Everything will be OK. It has to be. Inhale. Exhale. And off we were.
FROM ARMENIA TO GEORGIA | Bavra – Ninotsminda border crossing
It was the last day of our Armenian car insurance and the date we should have been back home was approaching fast so it was a good moment to leave. So we had about 6 HOURS OF DRIVING ahead of us, plus crossing the border, which also takes some time. The morning start was therefore early again and this time we waved goodbye to the campsite, which had become our home away from home in eight days well before 7 am.
First, along the well-known winding road to the eastern part of Yerevan, then towards the NW of the country. My heart ached a little at the turnoff for LAKE KARI, because I really wanted to visit it, but now we had no other choice but to leave it out. Every 50 km we heard that annoying whistling sound while driving, followed by few minutes of pure silence while we wondered, will we make it or not? We glanced at that vast, otherwise extremely beautiful, hilly landscape through the windshield and hoped everything keeps running until we reach Turkey, at least. We arrived to GYUMRI, a larger city where numerous car repair shops caught our eye. This reassured us a little bit, I guess we would have found a solution even if we broke down somewhere on the way to the border.
After a few hours of driving, everything seemed okay except for the noise, and when we finally reached the BAVRA – NINOTSMINDA BORDER CROSSING, we were able to breathe a little easier. As I mentioned, Armenia has closed land borders with Turkey, so we first had to go back to Georgia, from where we crossed the border into Turkey the next day. Luckily, our Georgian car insurance was still valid, we still had a few Georgian lari left in our wallets, and some internet data left on our eSIM card too. So we didn’t have to do anything special at the border. I had to go out with the kids again and go through the controls on foot, but due to the fact that this is a smaller border crossing, everything went pretty quickly.
I can say that despite all the unexpected complications, changes in plans and the fact that we didn’t see everything we wanted to, Armenia still completely impressed us. It seemed surprisingly different to Georgia, even though they are so close geographically and historically. I would say that Armenia is a little wilder and undeveloped, a little less visited by tourists. The only thing we missed a here a little bit, are really high mountain chains with countless trekking opportunities which is abundant in Georgia.
We are glad that we decided to visit Armenia, if you have enough time on your trip to the Caucasus, I recommend that you include it in your itinerary as well. There are also good public transport connections between Yerevan and Tbilisi. Currently (winter 2025) it is still not possible to cross the border by car to Azerbaijan, so if you would like to visit this country too, be sure to check the connection options before departure. I am sure that we will return to Armenia one day. We already have something planned, but I will keep it a secret for now not to jinx it.
Coming soon is the very last blog post about our journey through the Caucasus, where I briefly describe our entire journey from Slovenia via the Turkish Black Sea coast to Georgia and Armenia and back home. Stay tuned!
