https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/ The honest Armenia planner — blog updates on monasteries, mountains, wine, and Caucasus travel. en Sun, 17 May 2026 05:52:47 GMT https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-road-trip-10-days-rental-car/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-road-trip-10-days-rental-car/ Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 10-day Armenia road trip guide: day-by-day self-drive route, rental car tips, road conditions, fuel stops, police, parking, and overnight hotels. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-june-vs-september-comparison/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-june-vs-september-comparison/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Detailed comparison of June and September in Armenia — weather, crowds, prices, hiking, wine, and which month wins for each traveller type. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-restaurant-scene-2026-update/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-restaurant-scene-2026-update/ Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Updated May 2026: new restaurants in Yerevan, notable closures, pricing reality, reservation culture changes, and the hidden gems still worth seeking out. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/april-24-genocide-remembrance-2026/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/april-24-genocide-remembrance-2026/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT A preview for April 24, 2026: what to expect at Tsitsernakaberd, crowd sizes, the procession, candlelight vigils, and quieter visit alternatives. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/wings-of-tatev-15-anniversary/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/wings-of-tatev-15-anniversary/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Wings of Tatev cable car turns 15 in October 2025. A visit report, current fares, anniversary events, and everything you need to plan your crossing. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-2026-travel-prediction/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-2026-travel-prediction/ Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT February 2026 opinion piece: new direct flights, visa trends, Wings of Tatev anniversary tourism, and what this year might mean for visitors to Armenia. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-best-restaurants-2026-changes/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-best-restaurants-2026-changes/ Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT An October 2025 dispatch on Yerevan's shifting dining scene: new openings, lamented closures, and the trends reshaping how the city eats. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/transcaucasian-trail-progress-2025/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/transcaucasian-trail-progress-2025/ Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT A June 2025 update on the TCT in Armenia. About 830 km are now marked. What's open, what's coming, and how to plan your section hike. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-women-changing-tourism/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-women-changing-tourism/ Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT On International Women's Day 2025, a profile of the women — guides, chefs, winemakers, guesthouse owners — redefining how Armenia is visited. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-new-year-celebration/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-new-year-celebration/ Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT What New Year looks like in Yerevan: Republic Square fireworks, family traditions, the meal, what to expect January 1-7, and tips for visitors. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/vendanges-vayots-dzor-areni/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/vendanges-vayots-dzor-areni/ Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT A late September 2024 dispatch from the Areni wine harvest: Hin Areni winery, Trinity Canyon, grape stomping, lavash, and brandy poured by the host. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/khndzoresk-swinging-bridge-2024/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/khndzoresk-swinging-bridge-2024/ Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT A July 2024 visit to Khndzoresk's 160-metre swinging bridge, the cave village below, and the 1.5-hour drive from Goris. Honest and practical. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-coffee-shops-rise/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/yerevan-coffee-shops-rise/ Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT Yerevan's specialty coffee scene has grown rapidly. In April 2024 we visited the best cafes — Lumen, Calumet, Achajour, Bekon and others. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-brandy-five-must-tries/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-brandy-five-must-tries/ Sun, 28 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT From Ararat 3-star to rare aged expressions, here are five Armenian brandies that show the depth of a tradition going back to 1887. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-after-2023-what-changed/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-after-2023-what-changed/ Sat, 04 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT A November 2023 assessment. After September's Karabakh exodus, what has practically changed for tourists visiting Armenia? Less than you might think. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/lake-sevan-trout-ishkhan-where-to-eat/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/lake-sevan-trout-ishkhan-where-to-eat/ Sat, 19 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT A 2023 dispatch on ishkhan, the prized Sevan trout. It's endangered, officially banned from fishing — yet served everywhere. Here's what to know. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/aragats-southern-summit-day-hike/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/aragats-southern-summit-day-hike/ Tue, 09 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT A May 2023 day hike to the southern peak of Mount Aragats (3,879 m), starting from Lake Kari. Route, timing, weather window, and what to expect. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/tsaghkadzor-ski-2023-season/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/tsaghkadzor-ski-2023-season/ Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT A February 2023 report from Tsaghkadzor ski resort: snow conditions, lift status, day-pass prices, and an honest look at the facilities. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/gyumri-comeback-cultural-capital/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/gyumri-comeback-cultural-capital/ Thu, 14 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT On Gyumri's quiet revival — the 1988 earthquake's long shadow, the Black Fortress, new cafés, local designers, and why it's worth more than a day trip. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-georgia-combo-train-experience/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-georgia-combo-train-experience/ Tue, 22 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT A first-person account of the overnight train from Yerevan to Tbilisi in 2022 — the couchette, the 2am border crossing, and what arrives on the other side. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/areni-wine-festival-2021/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/areni-wine-festival-2021/ Fri, 08 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT Dispatch from the Areni wine festival, October 2021 — grape stomping, Hin Areni and Trinity Canyon tastings, lavash baking, and duduk at dusk. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/dilijan-summer-stroll/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/dilijan-summer-stroll/ Thu, 10 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT A slow summer walk through Dilijan — the restored old town, forest paths to Lake Parz, and the question of whether the Swiss comparison actually holds up. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-genocide-commemoration-2021/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-genocide-commemoration-2021/ Sun, 25 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT The April 24 Genocide commemoration in Yerevan — the walk to Tsitsernakaberd, the eternal flame, and what it means to be a visitor there. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/noravank-autumn-red-cliffs/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/noravank-autumn-red-cliffs/ Sun, 15 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT A November visit to Noravank in Vayots Dzor — the red tuff cliffs, the double-stairway church, and the gorge when the tourists have gone. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-reopens-2020-pandemic/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenia-reopens-2020-pandemic/ Sun, 30 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT A clear-eyed dispatch from Armenia in August 2020, after the country reopened. PCR tests, empty monasteries, good hotel rates, and a strange quiet. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/khor-virap-mt-ararat-snow/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/khor-virap-mt-ararat-snow/ Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Khor Virap in February 2020 — snow on the Ararat plain, the mountain in perfect winter clarity, and the pit where Gregory was imprisoned. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-christmas-january-6-explained/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/armenian-christmas-january-6-explained/ Fri, 20 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT Armenian Christmas falls on January 6, not December 25. Here's why the Armenian Apostolic Church kept the original date — and what the celebration looks like. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/vernissage-flea-market-finds/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/vernissage-flea-market-finds/ Thu, 05 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT An honest account of five purchases at Yerevan's Vernissage market — a Soviet enamel pin, a rug runner, a brass coffee pot, wine, and a hand-forged knife. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/lake-sevan-summer-2019/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/lake-sevan-summer-2019/ Tue, 18 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT A few days on the shore of Lake Sevan in June 2019 — the blue that photographs can't quite capture, ishkhan trout, and the monastery above the water. https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/garni-pagan-temple-survives/ https://www.armenia-spirit.com/blog/garni-pagan-temple-survives/ Tue, 12 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT The Hellenistic temple at Garni is the only pre-Christian structure still standing in Armenia. Here's the history of how it got here and why it survived.