Do’s and Don’ts When Visiting Armenia

Travelling to Armenia can really be one of the greatest experiences of your life. Armenia is a unique country with a unique people, which makes it a great place to learn and open your mind to new cultures and different history. This should be an exciting experience, and should be taken advantage of fully with the time you have. It could also be a bit intimidating or uncomfortable, since the culture is unique and therefore probably quite different from yours. In order for you to have the best time you can in Armenia, here are some “do’s” and “don’ts” during your visit.

Do’s:

Do go outside the cities.

There is a whole country outside of Yerevan with many beautiful places, historic and cultural monuments, and villages and small towns to see. Travel not just to the nearby places like Khor Virap or Garni Temple; go far north and see the city of Gyumri or the park of Dilijan. Go south and visit Syunik Region, the town of Meghri, and also the beautiful Artsakh. Visit a village and see what life is like way out in the country.

Do talk to people.

Ask about their lives, the country’s history, their views on your home country, their family, etc. You might be surprised how warmly you are accepted in Armenia. There is so much to know about Armenian culture, and the people will be delighted that you are interested in learning it.

Do learn Armenian words and phrases.

The Armenian language is a beautiful and unique one, and is one of the oldest languages in the world that is still spoken. Use your time in Armenia as a chance to acquire a little bit of speaking knowledge. Say “barev dzez” to say hello to people, or say thanks with “shnorhakalutyun”.

Do have a night out in Yerevan.

The night-life in Yerevan is quite active. The city is full of pubs and other venues which stay open late, and are filled with music. It is also quite a beautiful city at night, so walk around, go up Northern Avenue, go up to the opera house, and watch the fountain in Republic Square, which is carefully choreographed to music playing.

Do participate.

Give a toast when they are, dance with them in the circle, greet them the way they greet you, do as others do.

Being in a different culture could make you uncomfortable, but why not make it a learning experience instead? There are customs and traditions, arts and activities, that are unique to Armenia. At a meal with a group of Armenians, they might give toasts (“kenats”), and in this case, you should too. It is customary that everyone give a “kenats” if you are enjoying drinks together. If you have the opportunity to do Armenian dance, do it. It is terrific fun once you learn it. Armenians gather in a circle, arms or hands linked, and do a unified dance to music with traditional instruments.

Don’ts:

Don’t be closed-minded

Armenia is a unique culture, possibly very different from yours. Don’t be too surprised if people behave strangely, or if they see your actions as rude (although they will probably be forgiving since you are not from there). Don’t get into arguments about social issues and other topics in Armenia, it is a different mindset and there may be a lot of opposition to your views. None of this is necessarily bad; it is an opportunity for you to become familiar with a real country with unique people.

Don’t be empty-handed when visiting someone’s house

Everybody knows about Armenian hospitality and visiting someone’s house with some sweets or a little gift is one of the “rules” of Armenian hospitality. The owner of the house usually prepares very long and offers his best to his guest. So if you go to their house empty-handed it means you haven’t cared much about their invitation. It’s very common to take some sweets , a little toy for a kid or just flowers for a hostess. It isn’t a trouble that you show up empty handed you will be treated warmly anyway, but if you take with you a little gift it means that you respect what their hospitality and it’s a sign of gratefulness.

Don’t confuse “rabiz” music with Armenian national music

While walking in the streets of Yerevan you will hear the sounds of unknown so called “Armenian music”  which is usually confused with national Armenian music by tourist and sometimes even by locals. Unfortunately you can hear them everywhere, in the shops, in the cars or even  in restaurants. It’s usually called Armenian music, but it’s far away from real Armenian national music, it’s just a foreign music with Armenians words. If you want to listen pure national Armenian music you just have to get acquainted with the works of Komitas, Aram Khachatryan, Tigran Hamasyan. And if you search something modern there are also a lot of modern groups who suggest you the alternative variants of Armeniean national music. So everyone, no matter what musical taste they have, will find their alternative of Armenian national music.

Don’t get lost.

Yerevan is a pretty navigable city, and you can find your way around easily enough. However, without knowing Armenian or Russian, if you get lost, it might be difficult to ask for directions. Taxi and other drivers usually don’t know English, and you might not encounter strangers who know enough English. This is especially a problem outside Yerevan, or if you do not yet have phone service to call someone who can speak to the driver. Get specific addresses, and make sure the driver knows where you are going before you start.

Don’t be shy.

This point kind of goes along with the “do participate” advice. Sure, there are a lot of amazing things to see in Armenia, nature to explore, monuments to visit. But a full Armenian traveling experience, in my opinion, is incomplete without interaction with locals, and familiarization with customs and culture. Also, people are happy to help strangers, and even if you can’t communicate well, they will try.

With these tips, hopefully you can have an even better time in Armenia. You won’t miss out completely if you don’t do all the “do’s”, and you won’t get in trouble for doing a “don’t”. However, by keeping these things in mind, you can explore Armenia to a greater potential.

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