How much does it cost to go backpacking in Armenia?

A detailed budget report about how much it costs to go backpacking in Armenia. Includes a city-by-city breakdown, average costs for common expenses, and recommendations for budget accommodations.

Below is a budget report based in three weeks traveling through Armenia, coming from Georgia and heading to Iran.

Exchange rate at time of writing: €1 = 530 AMD

Here’s how much it costs to go backpacking in Armenia 

Armenia is relatively cheap to travel in. Transport is affordable, there are cheap hostels and homestays, and plenty of places to stock up on inexpensive fare. Below is a breakdown of our expenses traveling in Armenia.

  • For two people: 466,015 AMD / €879.27 / $932
  • Per person: 233,008 AMD / €439.64 / $466

Average costs per person

  • Total per day: 12,264 AMD / €23.14 / $24.52
  • Food and drinks per day: 4,015 AMD / €7.60 / $8.05
  • Accommodation per day: 7,000 AMD / €13 / $13.78

Note: Prices for rooms in Armenia are often per person. Solo travelers will probably spend about the same, on average, as we did per person for a room.

  • Marshrutka between cities: 1,000 – 3,000 AMD / €2 – 6 / $2.12 – 6.50
  • Innercity marshrutka: 200 – 800 AMD / €0.40 – 1.50 / $0.42 – 1.60
  • Sim card and mobile data pack for a month: 3,000 – 4,000 AMD / €6 – €8 / $6.50 – 8.60

City-by-city breakdown of the cost of traveling in Armenia

Average amount spent per day in each city, for one person. Includes transport to the city. We found that booking accommodations online was usually cheaper than booking in person

Gyumri: 12,051 AMD / €22.74 / $24.10

Gyumri was the first town we visited after crossing the Georgia – Armenia border. Most the town’s charm lies in its historical buildings, most of which can be seen for free. There are also several monasteries in the surrounding area, which can be visited by using public transport or by hiring a taxi for half a day.

Marmashen/Vanadzor: 10,925 AMD / €20.61 / $21.85

Vanadzor is the closest large city to Gyumri. Most people go here to visit Marmashen Monastery. It’s possible to find cheap hotels in Vanadzor and to reach the monastery complex by public transport or by hitchhiking.

Alaverdi: 13,038 / €24.60 / $26.07

Alaverdi is the base from where to visit Haghpat and Sanahin Monastery. It’s a small village with little to do, but because of its popularity accommodation is more costly than you would expect. Luckily the attractions, such as the monasteries and the views, are free.

Dilijan: 12,413 AMD / €23.42 / $24.83

Dilijan is popular for hiking in the nearby Dilijan National Park. In the off-season, it’s possible to get good deals here, but in high-seasons prices go up considerably. Luckily there is plenty of competition, so it is still possible to find a place to stay within your budget range.

Yerevan: 13,643 AMD / €25.74 / $27.28

Armenia’s cosmopolitan capital has cheap public transport and plenty of budget restaurants. Accommodation is a bit more pricey than in other parts of the country, but it’s still affordable for a capital city. Things get more expensive if you go to upscale clubs and bars.

Yeghegnadzor: 12,015 AMD / €22.67 / $24

People visit Yeghegnadzor for its surroundings, not the town itself. Due to limited transport options, most travelers will opt for hiring a taxi for a day-trip or two. Try to find other travelers to split the cost of visiting the surrounding monasteries and wineries.

Goris: 11,110 AMD / €20.96 / $22.22

One of our favorite places in Armenia, due to its epic location. Your biggest expense here will be a visit to Tatev Monastery, especially if you want to ride the Wings of Tatev. However, it’s possible to hitchhike and hike to the monastery too, so a visit here doesn’t have to break the bank.

Kapan: 11,075 AMD / €20.90 / $22.15

If you’re in Kapan, it’s most likely because you’re heading south to Armenia. Unfortunately, there are only a few budget hotels.

  • We recommend Darist Hotel for both budget and mid-range travelers –

Meghri: 13,285 AMD / €25.07 / $26.57

Meghri is the last town before the Armenia – Iran border. Not too many tourists make it here, and it shows in the availability of accommodation. To save some money, try hitchhiking to the border instead of taking a taxi.

  • We recommend Arevik B&B, but make sure to call or email ahead of time
Easter in Yerevan, Armenia - Lost With Purpose

Celebrating Easter in Yerevan

How you could spend even less

  • Eat pastries/fast food for dinner as well. We typically went out to (cheap) restaurants for dinner. Gotta have something that isn’t breaded every once in a while…
  • Don’t drink so much coffee. We’re kind of addicted to caffeine.
  • Completely sacrifice your need for quality. Sometimes, there was a marginally cheaper option for sleeping, with terrible reviews. In those cases, we chose the slightly more expensive (but still cheap) option that had good reviews. It was worth it! We had a lot of great times with people/families running guesthouses.
Chilling with a friendly Armenian man in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia - Lost With Purpose

Sharing some homemade bread, spreads, and fruit with a friendly local in Yeghegnadzor

Context/how we roll

We’re your typical wanderin’ backpacker duo:

  • Always walk or take public transport… unless there is none. (Or we’re reeeally lost…)
  • Usually eat cheap meals and fast food for at least 2 meals a day
  • Drink beers every couple of days
  • Sleep in the cheapest accommodation we can find that isn’t crawling with bedbugs or covered with old vomit. Usually opt for a private double rather than dorms.
  • We don’t like museums.

 

A detailed budget report for backpacking in Armenia. Includes total costs for several weeks of backpacking, a city-by-city breakdown of costs, average prices for common items, and more. Super handy for anyone planning to backpack through Armenia!

 

Yay transparency! There are affiliate links in this post. If you buy something stay after clicking on one of the links, we get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We haven’t sold our soul to booking.com or anything–we honestly found booking rooms through their website to be the cheapest option throughout Armenia. We stayed in all budget places ourselves, and base our mid-range options on recommendations from others. This is how we manage to keep this blog running. It takes a lot of time and effort, after all! If you’ve found our content helpful, we’d love it if you’d do us a solid and book through one of these links 🙂 Cheers!

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Alex Reynolds

American by birth, British by passport, Filipina by appearance. Addicted to ice cream. Enjoys climbing trees, dislikes falling out. Has great fondness for goats which is usually not reciprocated.

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10 thoughts on “How much does it cost to go backpacking in Armenia?

    ZORO says:

    Hi…i wna know about the visa requirements for armenia…
    M indian passport holder and uae resident with valid visa and passport.
    Tnx in advance.
    t4tushar22@gmail.com

    Hi Zoro,

    As an Indian passport holder, you’ll need a visa, though not a letter of invitation. You can apply for the visa at any Armenian consulate or embassy near you. You can find more information on visas on the Armenian Ministry of Foreign affairs website: http://www.mfa.am/en/visa/

    Good luck!

    Arty Om says:

    Hello Zoro,

    According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, since 2017, if you have a residence permit in the United Arab Emirates, you can get Armenian visa upon arrival at the airport in Yerevan.

    Cheers,
    Arty

    Sebastiaan says:

    Hi there, and thanks for letting us know. Useful info!

    P.S. I’ve deleted your link, as we provide the same info on this blog.

    Tom & Katherine says:

    This so helpful, thanks guys! We are heading to Armenia next week so your recommendations on where to stay are great. Happy to see it still seems like a fairly cheap destination too. We will be hiring a car and then driving onwards to Georgia, can’t wait!

    Hi Tom & Katherine,

    We’re glad to hear this is helpful. Armenia and Georgia are great, we’re sure you’ll have a good time. We have a section in Georgia too, make sure to check it out. Don’t hesitate if you guys have any questions. Enjoy!

    Roshan says:

    Hai,
    Hope you’re going good.
    We are planning to heading Armenia next week.
    So could you please suggest something interesting about Armenia.

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