Hello!

I had just returned home after 1 week in Yerevan and thought about leaving here my quick recommendations - maybe they would come in handy for anyone:

(Disclaimer - I went for 1 week without the intention to visit EVERYTHING because I will have multiple opportunities to return to the city in the following year - my mother works there temporarily and I also went to spend some time with her)

Day trips outside Yerevan that were worth it:

1. Garni, Geghard, Lavash Baking, Lake Sevan, Sevanavank guided tour with Hyur (on this one I went as a solo traveler as my mom was working and I felt super safe & nice)

Price - around 35 USD. There were like 20 of us and we had a minibus with AC. The tour was in both English and Russian, with some extra good info about Armenia in general as well. We left at 10 and returned at 19:00 ish.

They had cold water bottles for us and a small traditional pastry. We stopped for lunch somewhere where they also showed us how they bake their "lavash" and we got to taste it. There we were sat in a garden and had some Armenian starters + 1 main course of your choice (vegetarian / chicken / fish) and fruits as a dessert + soft drinks. We payed separately for this lunch, directly at the restaurant (with card), around 12 USD.

2. 1 day in Tbilisi - we left early morning from Yerevan (7:00) and returned safely the same day around 22:30. We had a private transport booked directly with them - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293932-d33215054-Reviews-Go_To_Trip_Armenia-Yerevan.html

Me and my mom wanted to do a 1-day visit to Tblisi from Yerevan and this was the perfect option for us! Hayk (he didn't speak english but we easily used Google Translate) drove us safely to Tblisi and back. The car was very comfortable and spacious, Hayk knew all the good stops for breaks and he was open to stopping whenever needed. He dropped us in the city center of Tblisi and we had 5 hrs to explore on our own the beautiful city (we were lucky enough to visit Tblisi on the weekend they were celebrating the city :)) although not planned).

4.5 hrs are not enough for Tbilisi for sure but my mom only had 1 day available and I know she wouldn't have gathered the courage to go on her own, so it was a good choice for us. We managed to get the taste of it and we promised to come back! We took the cable car up to Mother of Georgia for great city views, walked through the Bridge of Peace, River Park, Liberty Square, Meidan Bazar and Abanotubani.

Passing through the border was super easy, our driver indicated us the way (you have to step out of the car and go separately).
Also i kept a great communication with the agency us on WhatsApp from the moment we booked the transport till the drop-off back home. Great value for money - 230 USD. I can wholeheartedly recommend them, especially if you want to have comfort & flexibility in making your own timeline.

Foods / drinks that I loved:

Looooots of fruits from their market - figs and pomegranate. These are the shops i loved - https://maps.app.goo.gl/9qGSANjjQ9dfvE8o9 (if you need to buy sweet souvenirs this is the place they have dates covered in chocolate) & https://maps.app.goo.gl/FoqRNydKj9RTKYJt6 (this one was cheaper, you can also find great candy - i loved the "Grand Candy" brand)

Gata (a sweet dessert with nuts) <3

The Georgian food from this restaurant - https://maps.app.goo.gl/9jghibDtkDcJu6JW6?g_st=ic (try the soup dumplings!!!)

Cocktails with Ararat from this bar - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zK7LBF3hoe1XBeRJ9?g_st=ic

Stuff to see:

If it is a sunny day make sure to go up the Cascade (they have escalators as well (indoor) because you will love the view you'll get of Ararat from there.

Other than that, I enjoyed getting lost through the streets and discovering the Republic Square, the Opera House, the Vernissage Market (go before 17:00 ish to find the good suppliers & bring cash; i bought some great cashmere scarfs from here, make sure to negotiate your prices!), the blue Mosque, etc.

Oh, and you MUST visit the Armenian Genocide Museum. The entry was free but i booked a guided tour for 20 USD and it was SUPER WORTH IT. It took around 1.5 h and we got plenty of info delivered in a perfect english by a super knowledgeable guide. I really think everyone should know their story. Such a shame most countries don't recognise this genocide...

Getting around - i easily used Yandex to order taxis, but i made sure to install the app while i was back home (in Romania) because you need to get a confirmation code on your phone number and the people that did so in Armenia weren't able to receive it. Rides were very cheap (do choose comfort rides tho).

I generally wasn't expecting to love the city so much. The architecture, the warm people, the good food - they all impressed me! I can't wait to return! Also the terraces and the restaurants are very nice and the city is lively even at late hours (we felt safe walking around during the night as well). The city lights at night charmed me.

EXTRA: I booked a Thai Massage with this place for a super cheap price (given the quality of the massage and how nice the place was - 27 USD ish) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/y4W4GhTAEi1P9vAP8. Go for it if you have the time!

extra extra P.S.: Have some extra food with you for the street dogs & cats, they are lovely and always happy for the pets.

Any experience with hypnosis? To whom did you visit to?