STATE TOURISM COMMITTEE Ministry of Economic Development and Investments Republic of Armenia

The Feel of Extreme and Magnificent Nature Want to feel the extreme and experience the power of nature? This trip will take you to the northern part of Armenia. Starting from Yerevan you will travel to the well known ski resort town Tsakhkadzor. After a city walk and the Kecharis Monastery visit, you will then travel to the Lake Sevan, one of the largest high altitude lakes in the world. Take a break and try the local cuisine admiring the breathtaking nature. Continue your trip to Dilijan, a 16 century town on the outskirts of the large National park in central Armenia. Get introduced to the Haghartsin, the Monastery of the "Dance of the Eagles". Take a coffee break and head to the Apaga Resort and take a night stay. Good morning or Bari luys! Adventures and fun are waiting for you at the Yell Extreme Park!

TRANSPORTATION

Armenia has a reliable and affordable public transportation system. In addition to buses, vans (referred to as marshrutkas) and train you can always rent a car or take the trip by taxi.

Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia. Yerevan The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century Start time 10:00 BC, with the founding of the fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC by king Argishti I at the western extreme of the Ararat plain.

Tsaghkadzor Tsaghkadzor is a city located in Kotayk Region, 5 km north-east of the province center of Hrazdan. Tsaghkadzor received its city status in 1984. In Armenian Tsaghkadzor means “the Gorge of Flowers". ??This small town is surrounded by alpine meadows and enjoys a cool summer climate. Located on the southeastern slope of the Teghenis Mountains, at a height of 1841 metres Tzaghkadzor boasts the nest ski slopes in Armenia and was earlier developed as a winter sports based for the then Soviet Olymp

Kecharis Monastery Kecharis is the name of a beautiful monastery in the the famed ski town of Tsaghkadzor. Dating to the 11th-13th centuries, Kecharis is the name of a beautiful monastery in the the famed ski town of Tsaghkadzor. The main church of St. Gregory dates to 1003, with a gavit added in the 12th century. The four-column gavit was the first of its kind, and was quickly adopted in Armenian architecture. The small domed church of Harutyun, built in 1220, lies nearby with its own original gavit. One of t

Lake Sevan Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region. With an altitude of 1,900 meters above sea level, it’s one of the highest lakes in the world. The name Sevan is of Urartian origin, and is derived of Siuna, meaning county of lakes.

WHERE TO EAT Lake Sevan

Noy Land Resort

Take a break and taste the local cuisine.

Dilijan Mountainous Dilijan region, known as the “Little Armenian Switzerland”, is one of the most picturesque and pleasant parts of Armenia.

WHERE TO EAT Dilijan

Kchuch

Take a break and drink coffee admiring the majestic views of Dilijan town.

Haghartsin Monastery Hidden in a verdant valley 13 km northeast of Dilijan, Haghartsin ('Dance of the Eagles') was built between the 10th and 13th centuries.

Yell Extreme Park is located in Yenoqavan village, Yell Extreme Park Tavush region. As the first extreme amusement park in Armenia, it gives an opportunity to do extreme sports without being a professional. CLIMATE AND SEASONS

Armenia packs the true range of the four seasons; hot and sunny summers, cold and icy winters, and the beautiful flora of spring and fall. Armenia has an astounding array of landscapes within its borders, including seven geographic zones, from deserts and semi-deserts to alpine and subalpine meadows. The largely volcanic mountains and the tectonic activity they once promoted has pushed Armenia up above the clouds, stimulating the true range of the four seasons; hot and sunny summers, cold and icy winters, and the beautiful flora of spring and fall. Average summer temperatures exceed 25ºC; while in the winter, the average temperature is -5ºC, although in places it is known to go as low as -36ºC! The best time to visit the country is from April to October when it is not too cold, the snow has melted, and the fields are ripe with fruits and flowers.

TIME ZONES AND DAYLIGHT SAVING

Local time in Armenia is four hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT + 4), eight hours ahead of Eastern Time (EST +8) and eleven hours ahead of Pacific Time (PST +11). There is no daylight saving time in Armenia.

CURRENCY

Armenia’s national currency is the Armenian Dram (AMD). Coins are available in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 dram and notes are available in denominations of 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 dram. Exchange rates vary, but in general float around 480 AMD to 1 USD, or 520 AMD to 1 EUR. You can exchange most common currencies in banks, supermarkets and exchange shops throughout the city any day of the week and at any time. Many establishments accept credit cards.

CUSTOMS AND REGULATIONS

Customs at Zvartnots International Airport is a quick and easy process. If you have goods to declare, you go to the designated “red section.” If you have no declarations, go to the “green section.” For more detailed information, follow the links below.

Zvartnots International Airport / www.zvartnots.aero/en/customs Customs / www.customs.am/Content.aspx?itn=csCITouristsInform...

EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES

Embassies / www.mfa.am/en/by-countries Consulates / www.mfa.am/en/consulates International Organizations / www.mfa.am/en/in-organizations

POSTAL SERVICE

You can send and receive anything from postcards to large packages to and from anywhere in the world viaHayPost, the Armenian post office. There are also logistics companies available.

The following are the mostwidely used providers:

EMS Armenia Express Mail Service / www.haypost.am UPS express / www.ups.com/us/en/global.page DHL Worldwide Express / www.dhl.com/en.html Federal Express / www.fedex.com/am TNT Express Worldwide / www.tnt.com/express/en_au/site/home.html Garant Tour / www.garanttour.am/en/page/post

COMMUNICATION

Cellular network carriers in Armenia include: Vivacell, Beeline, U!com, and Rostelecom.

To get a prepaid SIM card, visit one of the above carriers with your passport, and sign up; it should take about five minutes and cost 500 AMD. Most major international carriers also provide roaming services, which you should activate prior to arrival. Internet and Wi-Fi is widely available throughout Yerevan, especially in cafes and hotels. Many parks also offer free Wi- Fi! Availability of Wi-Fi outside Yerevan is limited, but available at most major hotels.

INSURANCE

Even though Armenia is one of the safest countries to travel to, boasting one of the lowest crime rates worldwide,and ranking eighth on this year’s Gallup Poll on how safe people feel, taking out a travel insurance policythat covers theft, loss, accidents and medical problems is highly recommended. If you plan to do any adventureor extreme sports such as scuba diving, bungee jumping, motorcycling, skiing and even hiking, check thatyour policy fully covers you.More information on local insurance packages is available at:

Ingo Armenia / www.ingoarmenia.am Nairi Insurance / www.nairi-insurance.am Sil Insurance / www.silinsurance.am Rosgosstrakh Armenia / www.rgs.am Armenia Insurance / www.armeniainsurance.am Reso Insurance/ www.reso.am

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

101 / Fire Department

102 / Police

103 / Ambulance

104 / Gas Emergency Service

911, 101 / Emergency Situations Crisis Management Center

108 / Municipality of Yerevan Hotline

118 / Ombudsman (Human Rights Defender) of Armenia Hotline