Cycle Touring in Armenia
armeniaCycling Armenia
I spent a few weeks cycling around Armenia, so am not an expert, but I did a lot of research and planning of routes in the country. Here I would like to share some of what I have found in the hope that it can be of some use to other cycle tourists.
For more detailed information on routes and specific areas, you can also check out my 2024 tour to Georgia and Armenia. Or keep reading below for more general information about cycling here.
Cycling in Armenia
Armenia is a great cycling destintion if you like climbing! Pretty much the entire country is either mountains or valleys, with all the scenery and challenges that comes with that. Having said that, and despite being a small country, the landscape is quite diverse between the regions. The mountains of the north and south are greener with fertile valleys, the east is dominated by the vast Lake Sevan, while the central strip is arid and more desert like.
Most of the country is good for riding, although it's important to consider the political instability in some placas. Let's look at a few areas in more detail...
Northern Mountains
I really like Northern Armenia and have cycled more there than anywhere else in the country. The entire north from Gyumri across to Berd is full of high mountains and dramatic valleys. There are not too many good quality paved roads connecting them, and some of them like the M1 and M6 can carry quite a bit of traffic, so it's worth being prepared to go off-road.Fortunately there are a huge amount of trails and gravel roads that are suitable for riding. Around the Dilijan National Park these are very steep, but a little further north around the towns of Haghpat, Alaverdi and Stepanavan there is some beautiful mixed surface riding. I explored a lot of this area riding from Yerevan to Haghpat and then from Alaverdi into Georgia via Stepanavan. Highlights in this region include the spectacular Debed Canyon, as well as the monasteries at Haghpat and Sanahin. There is beautiful scenery everywhere here!
Further west, the area north of Gyumri has more nice off-road riding, including around Amasia and on the beautiful H31 road to Tashir. South of Gyumri the roads are busier and less scenic. I tried to plot a route from Gyumri to Yerevan but couldn't find anything that I was happy with and so ended up taking the train instead. The main route up to Mount Aragats is best ridden as an out and back route from the Yerevan side.
In the east, I don't know the area around Berd and Ijevan so well. The main highway from Dilijan to Ijevan is quite busy and not great for cycling, but beyond that there looks to be a network of beautiful mountain roads. Check up to date travel advisories here though, some roads pass through contested territory with Azerbaijan and there have been instances of soldiers firing at the road.
Lake Sevan
If you check out a map of Armenia, your eyes will probably instantly be drawn to Lake Sevan. Its a huge body of water east of Yerevan, situated an altitude of around 2,000m.There is a road running around the entirety of the lake (M10-M11-M14) which is pretty flat and looks tempting for cycling. However, I wouldn't really recommend this. Long sections of it are busy with traffic, in fact in places its a four lane motorway, and it can get a bit tedious.
The northern side of the lake is quieter and there is a nice loop from Shoghakat to Dilijan (via Aygut) and then back towards the lake at Sevan. The H52 climb is busy on weekends, so aim to start that early in day, but otherwise it's not too bad in terms of traffic. You can also get a train to the starting point at Shoghakat from Yerevan on certain days.
On the western side of the lake, popular attractions include Sevanahank and Hayravank monasteries. On this side there are small roads slightly further away from the lake than the busy M-10, which also have a bit more elevation so give you better views.
Yerevan & Surroundings
Yerevan itself is not a great city for cycling. It's by far the biggest city in Armenia and has the traffic to match! Drivers are quite aggressive (although nothing compared with Tbilisi!) and its also a hilly city which can be quite difficult to navigate.The best way out of the city to the north and towards Lake Sevan is following the quiet road along the Hrazdan River. Even better riding though is to the south of Yerevan. If you ride up to Garni there are some great gravel trails, and in fact you can even cross Azhdahak mountain and descend to Lake Sevan that way, although be warned that it is a tough ride. It's also well worth visiting Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery.
Next time I travel to Armenia I would like to explore the valleys south and east of Yerevan. There are some very interesting historic towns here, including Vagharshapat (a former capital) and the Khor Virap monastery complex. Because this region is flatter and more densely populated than much of Armenia there are plenty of trails and smaller roads heading through farmland. And I would highly recommend using these to stay off the main roads anywhere close to Yerevan.
The South
I have never been to the south of Armenia, but from my research it also looks like a great area for riding. The region is not super touristy, but the most popular destinations are the towns of Tatev, Goris and Meghri, so I think riding a circular route between the three would be a fantastic tour.The terrain here is mountainous and the roads look very quiet and beautiful. It's another area that I would really like to visit. As I mentioned above, be careful around the border areas with Azerbaijan, there is a lot of hotly disputed territory in this region.
Roads & Traffic
Armenia's roads can kind of be split into two categories. Around Yerevan they are generally in good condition and are busy with fast moving traffic. In the rest of the country the condition varies, but they are typically quiet.'M' classification roads are the main highways and are well paved, but best avoided if possible. If you have to ride a few kilometres on the M6 or M2 I wouldn't worry about it too much, but equally I wouldn't plan to ride most of the day on them. In particular, try to avoid 'M' and 'H' roads going directly from a provincial city to Yerevan.
Other classifications of roads really vary. Some minor roads are newly repaved, and others are very broken and rough.
If you come to Armenia, I would recommend going off-road at times. There is a huge amount of gravel roads and dirt trails that are suitable for riding. You have to put in some research, because some of them can be very steep (such as in the Dilijan National Park), but others are an absolute joy to ride. I found there to be very limited restricions on right of way, it seemed as though you could ride almost anywhere. Although, once again, be extra careful in border areas.
Away from Yerevan, traffic was typically light. I noticed that it was much busier on weekends, as you would expect, paritcularly around Lake Sevan and other touristy areas. The standard of driving is poor, but there isn't really any hostility towards cyclists. Drivers just don't like being held up by anything and are quite aggressive in overtaking.
A few times I had cars overtaking others when coming towards me, and I had to move off the road onto the shoulder to avoid them. Fortunately there was a shoulder on most busyish roads.
In general though, I didn't find the traffic too bad. I took off-road routes and side roads where possible, but even when I cycled on main roads, I wasn't overly concerned. Even Yerevan was nowhere near as bad as when I was cycling in Tbilisi or Istanbul.
Transport & Logistics
Perhaps a reason for Armenia's relative lack of popularity is that it's quite difficult to reach. Yerevan airport serves relatively few destinations, with far fewer low cost flights than to Turkey or Georgia.Once you are in the country it is not too bad to travel around. Firstly, it's small, so you can basically cycle to anywhere from Yerevan. Secondly, there is a train network that accepts bicycles. The most regular line runs between Yerevan and Gyumri, and there is also a weekend line from the capital to Lake Sevan. Finally, the overnight train heads north from Yerevan through Vanadzor and into Georgia. This in theory accepts bicycles, although you need to check in advance and may have to book a whole sleeping compartment to store it. You can check trains on Armenia Railways, but be warned that it is not the most user friendly website in the world!
Sim cards can easily and cheapily be purchased from phone stores which are in most towns, and they seemed to have good coverage. Russian, rather than English is the de-facto foreign language here, particularly in rural areas and among older people. In fact, there are sveral Molokan Russian communuities dotted around the country.
Safety
Armenia is ranked as one of countries with the lowest crime rate in the world.I don't really have much more to add to that - it certainly felt that way to me. As usual, the biggest danger to cyclists is on the road from cars.
There are quite a few stray dogs, but they seemed more friendly and less bothersome here than in Georgia - maybe because it is a bit hotter. There are wolves and bears in rural areas, and even some leopards in the far south - but you are very unlikely to encounter any of these.
History & Culture
Armenia has a very long and rich history, dating back thousands of years. Many Armenians are particularly proud that their country may have been the first state to formally adopt Christianity as an official religion. The cultural landscape of Armenia today is still very much dominated by religious buildings: monasteries, churches, cathedrals, hermitages.The monasteries in particular play an important role in Armenian history, and provide something of a constant in a region that for centuries bordered powerful Muslim states in Turkey and Persia.
I go into more detail about this in the route reviews around Yerevan and Haghpat.
In general though, there is enough to see off the bike to keep things interesting, even though perhaps many of the towns themselves are more modern and not as rich in history as those in Georgia or Turkey.
Overall Thoughts
I really enjoyed cycling in Armenia, both discovering the country and researching the different routes. I think it is an underrated destination and would definitely recommend including a visit here on any cycling trip to Georgia.Remember that the terrain is generally hilly and so progress can be quite slow, so even though it's a small country there is the potential to spend quite a long time exploring.
I hope this introduction do cycle touring in armenia has given you some insight into the country and given you some ideas to plan your own tour. Please bear in mind that these are my own personal experiences and so please don't take them as the final word!
For more specific routes and information, check out my trip overview to Georgia & Armenia as well as the detailed route reviews, starting with the riding around Gyumri & Yerevan.
