While once largely overlooked by travelers from outside the region due to the country’s small size and dearth of flight connections outside of several cities with a large diaspora, the South Caucasus nation of Armenia just hit a tourism record with one million international arrivals in the first half of 2026.Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air made one of the year’s biggest commitments to Armenia by launching two new routes to Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) in Yerevan from London and the Greek island of Rhodes at the start of the summer while also choosing the Armenian capital for its annual Let’s Get Lost campaign in which travelers won a chance to board a plane for a trip to an unknown mystery destination.Often called the crossroads of West and East due to its location between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Armenia is known for many things that will be attractive for all kinds of different travelers: an ancient history (Yerevan’s founding in 783 BC predates Rome while, in 301 AD, the country became the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity), a remarkable natural landscape that stuns in the diversity of going from semidesert to mountain forest to alpine, and a bustling modern capital full of stylish cafes and winding streets to spends days getting lost.
The Yerevan Cascade is a Soviet-era monument leading up to panoramic views of the city from above and holding a modern art museum on the inside.Getty
Yerevan is a trending travel destination: what to see, do and eatParticularly unique experiences include a stay at the Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel, where both the main space and each room is adorned with the intricate hand-woven carpets for which Armenia is also known, and a wander both above and inside the Cascade Complex: a multi-level staircase structure in the Soviet Monumentalist style that takes climbers through multiple levels of terraces, waterfalls and flower beds for a panoramic view of the city and the towering Mount Ararat at the top.Inside, the Cafesjian Center for the Arts puts on both rotating and permanent exhibits highlighting both ancient and modern Armenian culture. By riding the escalators between the exhibition halls on each level, visitors will also see a range of colorful modern sculptures.Related: A low-cost airline is going all in on this travel destinationArmenian cuisine, which despite the country being landlocked feels Mediterranean due to the dominance of fresh herbs and signature lavash bread, can be experienced in modern iterations at the Lavash Restaurant and Urban Gastro Wine Bar in Yerevan.The MOV Restaurant that opened in 2021 in a 19th-century building that once housed the city’s parliament, also just might be the best place to try Armenia’s signature tolma stuffed grape leaf dish in both classic and creative iterations such as kimchi and shrimp.The Bar Phoenix is the flagship bar for the famous Armenian brandy ArArAt both through flights and 12 cocktails that give a spirit brand that has been produced since 1887 various modern twists.
Yerevan is often the entry point and gateway to further travels through Armenia.Getty
Staying for longer? Put these Armenian cities and destinations on your travel listYerevan is also known for an endless stream of festivals taking place throughout the year: Wine Days in June, Golden Apricot International Film Festival in July as well as the Vardavar summer festival meant to mark the Christian Feast of the Transfiguration 98 days following Easter in which people all over the city splash each other with water throughout the day and one can get soaked at any (and what will almost surely be many!) time of day.While the abundance of things to do in Yerevan means that first-time visitors to Armenia usually stay only in the capital, other must-visit destinations include the mountain spa town of Dilijan in the northern Tavush province and the Tatev, Khor Virap and Noravank monasteries spread throughout completely different landscapes but all offering a glimpse into how Christianity shaped centuries of Armenian history.More Travel News:Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in the BahamasUnexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri LankaLake Sevan, a massive high-altitude freshwater lake that is one of the largest in Eurasia with a width of 480 square miles and depth of nearly 80 meters, is located an hour’s drive from Yerevan and with its crystalline water is the source of endless legends and spiritual significance to Armenians.One can visit the area both as a day trip to eat at one of the countless roadside seafood restaurants overlooking the lake — Yasaman’s is particularly well-recognized internationally for specialties like crayfish kebab and whitefish cooked over an open fire — or through a stay at spa hotels such as the Best Western Bohemian Resort, the Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel or the Comuna Sevan for beach glamping.Related: Why luxury hotels are betting big on Scotland travel