Weekend is short — this route is not. In two days you can sample landscapes that feel by turns Scottish, Iranian and Norwegian — all without leaving Armenia. Here’s a simple northbound circuit you can do with trains and marshrutkas (shared minibuses).
Rocky desert – the cinematic rail leg
Roll out across orange-coloured steppe and rocky desert, with long horizons and a few villages flickering by. It’s a surprisingly meditative ride and a gentle way to leave the city behind. See train timetable to Gyumri.
History – Gyumri’s tuff-stone elegance
Gyumri is an open-air gallery of 19th-century Armenian townhouses, their façades switching between black and apricot tuff. Look for carved scrollwork and iron balconies, then drop into a small private gallery, a house-museum or a quiet church on the newly restored streets of the old town.
Grassland – big skies between Gyumri and Vanadzor
Pastures open up into green valleys and low hills; herds of cattle set the pace. It’s everyday Armenia at 60 km/h — farms, roadside stalls, and long views. See minibus timetable from Gyumri to Vanadzor.
Forests – “Armenian Switzerland” around Dilijan
As you approach Dilijan National Park, pines and mountains take over. Summers are cooler here, trails weave between monasteries and meadows, with farmsteads tucked into folds of the hills. From central Dilijan, you can walk to Parz Lake and to the Jukhtak and Matosavank monasteries — all easy half-day outings. See minibus timetable from Vanadzor to Dilijan.
Lake – the Sevan switch of worlds
A long tunnel separates forest from water. On the far side lies Lake Sevan, a vast high-altitude lake at about 1,900 metres above sea level. Beaches, wind-ruffled shallows and the Sevanavank peninsula draw swimmers, sunbathers and picnickers all summer. The final stretch back to Yerevan is an 80 km downhill run with the lake glinting to your left. See timetable from Dilijan to Yerevan.
How to do the loop
- Yerevan → Gyumri: Train from Central Railway Station.
- Gyumri → Vanadzor: Marshrutka from the main bus stand.
- Vanadzor → Dilijan: Frequent marshrutkas (under 1 hour).
- Dilijan → Sevan → Yerevan: Marshrutka via the tunnel to Sevan, onward to Yerevan.