It used to be that service was better for groups than individuals, but this hard and fast rule of the Soviet period reigns no more. Intourist is but a shadow of its former self, replaced by bus rentals and overworked agents at the airport. Taking its place are the myriad travel agents that dot the streets of Yerevan, and more than 100 worldwide which can book at least airfare.

Group Tour Benefits: Groups have the feeling of safety in numbers, their itinerary is set, and at least one meal is included in the package. You are met at the airport and taken to your hotel. Since most groups in Yerevan are booked into the the most expensive hotels, you are also given a decent (though peculiarly tacky) room with clean bathrooms. The meals will be filling, but not very exciting. You will get a basic tour of historic sites in and around Yerevan, and you will be given time to go off on your own. You will also be given transport back to the airport. If you are given a good guide, it can be a very rewarding experience.

By Yourself: The freedom of making your own choices is perhaps the greatest attraction to traveling on your own, or with a friend or two. There are no packaged tour schedules to follow, you can spend more (or less) time at an historic site or village; you are free to travel at your leisure, and to take the experiences of Armenia at your own pace.

Traveling by yourself can be either wonderful or frustrating. Staying in guest houses or in village homes is both cheaper and more intersting. The amenities may be rustic, but the hospitality will be heart-warming. Meals can be found either through cooking your own or visiting a restaurant to suit your budget and tastes (and so many are popping up it is hard to keep count). All major tourist sites are available either by public transport or by hiring a car and driver on your own (See Getting Around: Car and Driver). Many of them will have guides standing around offering to give tours (and sometimes it is more informative than the standard group excursion) for a fee. If you want to join a group excursion, travel agents in Yerevan can arrange it. Nothing is very far away in this country, so reaching even the furthest sites is rarely more than a half a day away.

Whether you travel by group or on your own, it is suggested you take the time to read up on the history, language and culture of Armenia, for it will be invaluable to you on your travels. This guide will be adding chapters on each of these areas, and individual tours will highlight information that the average tour guide may not have handy.

Group Excursions: Going in groups on excursions to historic sites should also include a guide who speaks your language, but be sure of this before you book. If it does, you get a basic run down on the who, what, where and when of the site you are visiting. But unless your group is especially organized by an historian or expert on the sites you visit, expect little else. With the collapse of Intourist, even the rudimentary standards they insured before no longer exist. That tour guide your agent assures you is qualified might be very knowledgeable indeed, or he or she might be the tour agent’s cousin filling in for the real thing. We have had both good tours and bad tours, and it is impossible to predict which one the new visitor will get. One of the best we ever took was with an Diaspora Armenian who organized a tour to Ani. His love for his subject illuminated and inspired us. Other rewarding guided tours were the personal ones arranged through local Armenians who happened to have an expertise. We point the way in this book towards alternatives for guides, and sites listed in this guide will have a short history attached.We have also found ourselves in the unenviable position of knowing more about a site than the "expert" hired for a tour, and ended up answering questions by both other tourists and the guide.

This can be frustrating for the group tourist. When you book a tour that includes sight-seeing, the tourist agency handling that tour should be able to tell you who will guide the group, what sights you will see, and the guide’s qualifications. This is not too much to ask. If they can’t tell you, or evade the question, consider using them only for flight reservations, hotels and transfers. Look up Travel Agents and Booking Offices for our recommendations for best guided tours. If you use our travel guide, you can plan your own excursions.

Group Travel
Tours normally start at home. Tours can last from a few days to a month or more, though we do not suggest anyone who wants to stay longer than a week or two to book beyond that time. In a week you will get the layout of the land, and after more than two weeks you will be very tired of the group effort. We know of very few originating from elsewhere in the CIS, though Intourist in Russia says it can book a tour to Armenia. This is doubtful, since Intourist only seems to be working in Russia, and then in fits and starts.

Plan at least a month ahead to arrange with your travel agent. Your options depend on the travel agent, the time of year, and the amount you wish to spend. Most include a stay in Yerevan with day trips to the surrounding area and sites within Yerevan itself. Sometimes they include visits to Lake Sevan, Dilijan, Tzaghkadzor and outer regional sites. Others can include Giumri, Spitak and Vanadzor. Very few organized tours go into the Southern regions, though it can be arranged. We suggest you read the regional chapters of this guide before making your plans.

Individual Travel
It can take as little as the time to book a flight to come to Armenia, but we suggest you take a little longer and read the rest of this guide! It is no longer restricted travel to come to Armenia, and tourist visas are available from an Armenian embassy in as little as a few days or when you arrive at the Airport in Yerevan. You are not required to book a hotel before coming, though you may want to for the first night or so. It is also possible to obtain an open return ticket, so if you want to stay longer than you originally intended, you can always extend or change your visa in Armenia, for an extra cost.

Flights into and out of Armenia can be booked by travel agents or directly from ticket offices located around the world(See Getting In and Out: Air). Aeroflot International allows you to book directly through their sales representatives, other carriers work through travel agents. At sales representatives you won’t get the hard pitch to book excursions or expensive hotels.

For All Travelers:
Using a travel agent can be the quickest way to book air tickets and make embassy visa arrangements, but the cost is greater than doing it on your own. Since all flights to/from Armenia on the National Carrier have just begun being listed on the SITA computer reservation system, you may have to get your agent to use the number of the air carrier to make arrangements (See Getting In and Out: Flights) Choose your travel agent carefully. For group tours ask if they have experience in booking tours to Armenia, and how many non-Armenian tourists they have booked in the past. This is no slur: there are qualified agents who book group tours, but it is often for Armenian-speaking Diaspora visiting their homeland. It can be a wonderful experience, but if you don't speak the language, it can leave you more out than in.. Others may say they specialize in the USSR or Russia, but that has little to do with Armenia. They may book you with Intourist, in which case you are basically on your own. The same is true of those who are experienced in booking for Armenia offering to help with Russia. Two different countries, two completely different tourist systems. Be forewarned.

Note: With the exception of Aeroflot International, flights into Armenia are not always listed on all travel flight computers, and may be considered charter. The classification is purely technical, for all flights listed in this tour guide are regularly scheduled flights throughout the year. If your travel agent cannot find a flight mentioned in this guide, refer them to one of the booking offices listed in Getting In and Out: Flights, or have them look up the carrier and flight number listed in the same section.

What About Refunds?: Depends on the travel agent. It is difficult to get a refund based on poor service at a village guest house or because you skipped a few meals on your group tour. Travel agents in the West (especially those accredited by National or Internatinal Tourist Boards), must offer a refund policy with each ticket or tour package. Check with your travel agent for the exact terms and read your agreement carefully before you pay. If you didn’t read the fine print and want to get a refund later, you are at the mercy of those little words at the bottom/top/side of the page.

Specialized Tours In-Country:
For the traveler who wants to both see a unique part of Armenia and help support the local economy, no option is better than to visit the one of the Orgainzations in Yerevan and ask to engage a guide. Specialists of history, archeology and art are more informed than any professional guide you could hire from a travel agent, and they are more up date on the facts. Their energy and pleasure at showing you their country will often be as wonderful as the tour you receive. Note that you may also have to engage a translator if you do not speak Armenian or Russian.

Guide fees are negotiable, but a typical one day tour (regardless of number in the group) should cost $20-50; up to $350 for a one-week nature tour (transport, rustic lodging/camping and meals included). Compare this with the $1000-$2000 the agents charge. The more time you spend with your guide, the less it costs per day.

· The Armenian Speleological Society ( (374-2) 58-22-54, 62-02-48, Contact: Smbad Davtian), can arrange expert guided hikes, spelunking and mountain expeditions. Nature excursions can be arranged for 1 day to a month in length, from easy hiking to the most rugged terrain, and they cover the most spectacular scenery in Armenia. These are the experts who mapped the country. Want to go inside of a volcano and swim in a lake? Want to see springs where hot and cold water pour from the same source on alternating hours? Crest the summits? These are your guys. Have all the equipment (including tents for overnight camping), provide Soviet-Jeep transportation and food.

· Avarayr ( (374-2) 56-36-81, fax: (374-2) 151-934), 1, Pavstos Biusand St., Yerevan 375010, also arranges hiking and climbing tours within their excursion offerings for the tender-footed. A young, ambitious company that talks no bull, this agency was chosen by the Swiss Institute for Technology in Zurich to arrange their in-country study of Medieval Armenian architectural monuments. Expert guides, real historical information, and pleasant people.

· The Writer’s Union (( 56-45-70), 4, Marshal Baghramian St., is an excellent place to go and ask for a specialized tour about Armenian Literature. Apkar Apirian is the contact for arranging specialized writer’s tours. You will need a translator in addition to the guide. Fees vary.

· The Matenadaran (58-32-92), 111 M. Mashtots Ave. has free guides to the manuscripts at the museum, as well as information for guides to Mashtot’s home village. They don’t book tours, though, but you might be able to get one of them to help you when not working.

· The Artist’s Union (56-45-53) 16 Abovian St. is a good starting point for guides for art tours. Go upstairs and ask for the director. Or visit the Art Institute at 36 Isahakian St. Probably need a translator.

· The Yerevan Institute for Architecture (58-01-77) can arrange tours about architecture and urban design. They are justly proud of the design work they have made, very little of which ever made it off the drawing boards. And inspiration for the future.

For those who want to help an English student and engage a translator, visit the American University of Armenia (( 27-10-94) at 40, Marshal Baghramian Street, or the Yerevan Institute for Foreign Languages ((25-37-82) at 123 H. Emin St. (at Sarian St.) and visit the English Department. One of the professors can lead you to an eager student who speaks English and can help with your guide needs.