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Major city · Armenia

AshtarakԱշտարակ

Go for half a day from Yerevan: Karmravor church, the gorge and the 1664 bridge. Sleep in Yerevan, not here.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
AMD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb (cold, icy paths)
Airport
EVN
Nights
0–1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5The Armenia–Azerbaijan and Armenia–Türkiye land borders a…Georgia treats entry to Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Ru…Armenia's land borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey are clo…
  • Caucasus ↗The Armenia–Azerbaijan and Armenia–Türkiye land borders are closed; any route that crosses them is not a route, however short it looks.
  • Caucasus ↗Georgia treats entry to Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Russia as illegal; entering that way can mean arrest or a ban when you next reach Georgia proper.
  • Armenia ↗Armenia's land borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey are closed to ordinary travellers, and several governments advise against or restrict travel near the Azerbaijan border (parts of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Tavush). Read your own government's current advice before you book anything outside Yerevan and its day-trip ring.
  • Armenia ↗Check entry rules for your passport on the official Armenian foreign ministry pages; many nationalities enter visa-free and others use the e-visa, but only apply on the government portal.
  • Armenia ↗Cover shoulders and knees in churches and monasteries; men remove hats, and some women wear a scarf over the head.

Ashtarak is a small town 20 km northwest of Yerevan, at the fork where the roads to Gyumri and Yerevan split. It holds Karmravor, a 7th-century domed church preserved almost unchanged, plus four more old churches, a 1664 stone bridge and a river gorge. Two to four hours on foot covers the centre; most travellers come as a half-day trip from Yerevan, or fold it into a day with Echmiadzin or the monasteries north of the gorge.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ashtarak, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or espresso in the centre֏500–1,200
  • Street or quick mealAnti-café, per hour with drinks and snacks֏1,000–2,000
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week֏3,000–6,000
  • Budget bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomAMD 12,000
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomAMD 20,000
  • High-end bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomAMD 35,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget AMD 8,000 · Mid AMD 15,000 · High AMD 30,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Karmravor Church (7th century)Kasagh River gorge and the 1664 bridgeSurb Mariné and Surb Sarkis churchesCooking classes in old Ashtarak houses
Airports
EVN Zvartnots International (Yerevan) (About 40–50 min by car or taxi; no direct bus to Ashtarak from the airport)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ashtarak: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

2°C

−7°C

6 rd

Feb

4°C

−6°C

7 rd

Mar

11°C

−1°C

8 rd

Apr

18°C

5°C

10 rd

May

23°C

9°C

12 rd

Jun

28°C

13°C

8 rd

Jul

32°C

17°C

5 rd

Aug

32°C

17°C

4 rd

Sep

28°C

12°C

4 rd

Oct

21°C

6°C

7 rd

Nov

12°C

0°C

7 rd

Dec

5°C

−4°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is small enough to walk: Karmravor, Surb Mariné, the central square and the gorge are all within about 15 minutes on foot. Minibuses from Yerevan's Kilikia station (routes 502 and 503) stop at the main square if you ask; taxis from central Yerevan run about 2,200–2,500 dram. A car helps for the gorge monasteries and Oshakan.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Oshakan (Mesrop Mashtots grave)

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Minibus or taxi south along the Kasagh, about 10 min

Village church with the grave of the creator of the Armenian alphabet; pair it with Ashtarak.

Hovhannavank Monastery

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Car or taxi north to Ohanavan, about 20 min

Restored monastery on the gorge rim with a wide view toward Mount Ara.

Saghmosavank Monastery

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Car or taxi east to Artashavan, about 25 min

Same gorge views; a marked trail links it with Hovhannavank if you have 2–3 hours.

Echmiadzin (Vagharshapat)

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Bus from the Ashtarak bus station, about 30 min

Cathedral and treasury; easy to combine with Ashtarak in one day from Yerevan.

Yerevan

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Minibus 502 or 503 from the main square, or taxi

Last minibuses run in the early evening: check the time before you leave the city.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Ashtarak centre (Sisakyan and Abovyan streets)

One Soviet-era hotel and a few guesthouses; walkable to Karmravor and the square. Book ahead in summer.

Yerevan

The practical base: 30–40 min by minibus or taxi, dozens of hotels at every price.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
֏8,000–14,000 excl. bed
Mid
֏14,000–25,000 excl. bed
High
֏25,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse double room1 × 1 night × AMD 20,000AMD 20,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × AMD 15,000AMD 30,000
Minibus Yerevan ↔ Ashtarak, both ways2 × AMD 500AMD 1,000
Taxi Yerevan centre → Ashtarak, one way1 × AMD 2,400AMD 2,400
Cooking class (Old Ashtarak or Tatoents Qotuk)2 × AMD 15,000 · reserve 24–48 h aheadAMD 30,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × AMD 4,000AMD 8,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeAMD 9,140
Trip total≈ AMD 50,270 per person per day, bed includedAMD 100,540

2026 estimate in dram; most travellers visit as a day trip from Yerevan, so the bed line only applies if you sleep here. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or espresso in the centre֏500–1,200
Simple lunch (khorovats or a pastry)֏2,000–4,500
Minibus Yerevan → Ashtarak֏250–350
Taxi Yerevan centre → Ashtarak֏2,200–2,500
Anti-café, per hour with drinks and snacks֏1,000–2,000
eSIM or data SIM, about a week֏3,000–6,000

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A quiet town and generally safe by day. The real risks are unlit gorge paths, uneven church steps, stray dogs near the cemetery, and fast traffic on the M1; walk the gorge rim in daylight only.
  • Minibuses may drop you at the bus station, about 1 km from the square: ask for Ashtaraki Hraparak.
  • Some church interiors and the Perch Proshyan house museum keep limited hours: check before you go.
  • Gorge paths and church steps are uneven and unlit; wear shoes with grip and do not walk the rim after dark.
  • Buses to Vanadzor bypass the town to the north and do not stop in Ashtarak.

Emergency numbers

All emergencies (single number)
112
Police
102
Ambulance
103
Fire
101

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

AshtarakԱշտարակ

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Այս հասցեով, խնդրում եմTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies112
  • Police102
  • Ambulance103

Embassy

No embassies in Ashtarak; most are in Yerevan, about 30–40 min away.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Minibus Yerevan (Kilikia) → Ashtarak square: about ֏250–350, 30–40 min
  • Taxi Yerevan centre → Ashtarak: about ֏2,200–2,500
  • Bus Ashtarak → Echmiadzin: about 30 min from the bus station

Say or show

  • Բարև — Hello (barev)
  • Շնորհակալություն — Thank you (shnorhakalutyun)
  • Ինչ արժե — How much is it? (inch arzhe)
  • Խնդրում եմ կանգնեք գլխավոր հրապարակում — Please stop at the main square (khndrum em kangnek glkhav or hraparakum)
  • Որտեղ է եկեղեցին — Where is the church? (vortegh e yekeghetsin)
  • Կարո՞ղ եմ քարտով վճարել — Can I pay by card? (karoğ em qartov vcharel)

Carry small dram notes for minibuses and village shops; cards work in the larger cafés.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ashtarak. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb (cold, icy paths) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for EVN: taxi and shared-transfer bands to Ashtarak, last-return times from the square.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Karmravor and the cemetery, Surb Mariné and the square, the gorge churches, the bridge and riverbank.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Karmravor, Surb Mariné, Perch Proshyan house museum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Gorge-trail fixtures: distance, exposure and a wet-weather alternative.

Meanwhile

Back to Armenia

Sources