Airports in Armenia: which one to fly into

Armenia has two airports with scheduled passenger flights. Zvartnots (EVN) serves Yerevan and carries almost all long-haul and connecting traffic. Shirak (LWN) sits outside Gyumri in the northwest and handles a small number of routes, mostly from Russia and a few seasonal services; schedules change, so confirm before you build a trip around it.

For a first trip, EVN is the default. The terminal is about 12 km west of central Yerevan, and the drive to Kentron takes 20–45 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis and ride-hailing apps (GG, Yandex Go) are the usual way in; the parent country notes airport pick-up zone rules, so order through the app rather than accepting a kerbside offer. Fares are cheap by Western standards, but treat any quoted figure as a 2026 estimate and confirm in the app.

LWN makes sense only if your itinerary is weighted to the north: Gyumri, Vanadzor, Stepanavan, Dilijan or Alaverdi. Even then, compare the total cost and time against flying to EVN and taking a marshrutka or train north. Yerevan–Gyumri by train is roughly 2 h 30 (check), and marshrutkas run frequently from Yerevan's stations.

Both airports are small and quick to clear outside peak arrival banks. If you land late, plan your first night in Yerevan or Gyumri rather than pushing straight on to a monastery town.

Book the airport transfer in the app before you exit the terminal. Kerbside drivers at EVN may quote higher than the app rate, and the pick-up zone has rules about where cars can wait.

Keep some Armenian dram for small purchases on arrival, but most Yerevan taxis and cafés take cards or app payment. ATMs at EVN are the easy first stop if you land without cash.

If you are heading north, price the whole journey — flight plus transfer — rather than the ticket alone. A cheap LWN fare can lose its advantage if connections are awkward or the schedule shifts.

Check your own government's travel advice before booking anything near the Azerbaijan border areas, and read the country safety page alongside your flight plans.

Buy travel insurance that covers the activities you actually plan, including any driving in Syunik or cable-car rides, and keep the policy number offline.