One of the most popular spots to visit in Armenia is Lake Sevan.
This Yerevan to Lake Sevan guide will give you the low-down on how to go from the capital city to this natural, resort area.
If youʻre booking your trip to Yerevan last minute, we have you covered. Below are some of the top tours, hotels, and more!
🇦🇲 Top Experiences and Tours in/from Yerevan:
- Tsaghkadzor & Lake Sevan Guided Tour (wonderful nature tour from Yerevan!)
- Day Trip to Khorvirap, Noravank, and Areni Winery (top-rated day tour from Yerevan!)
- Garni Temple & Geghard Tour with Lavash Baking Day tour (also popular day tour!)
- Private Walking Food Tour with 6 Tastings (recommended food tour in Yerevan!)
🛌 Top Hotels in near Lake Sevan:
- Edem Sevan (Lakeside)
- Gagari Mot (Lakeside)
- Lavash Hotel (mid-range)
- Lake Sevan Hostel (budget)
🚗 Looking for the best way to get around Armenia? Click here to check rental car rates for Armenia!
We will detail five different options that will take you from Yerevan to Sevan.
Yerevan to Lake Sevan: Easy Options to Get From Yerevan to Sevan
Even though Armenia is a small country, the mountainous terrain can leave it sometimes a bit difficult for travelers to navigate around along with some areas lacking English signs and well-maintained infrastructure, it is advised to plan your Armenia trip so you can make sure you’re confident and prepared.
Like they say ‘all roads lead to Rome’… well, in Armenia, all roads lead to Yerevan. More or less, that is.
This guide will show you the best way to get from Yerevan to Lake Sevan. But, the ‘best way’ depends on your time, budget, and patience… so we are providing four unique options for getting from Yerevan to Sevan.
Now that Gyumri is starting to get in on the Europe flights’ action, we will eventually write a guide about how to get from Gyumri to Sevan, but for now, we hope this Yerevan – Sevan guide will answer all questions and concerns you have for getting to Lake Sevan.
Why Should You Visit Lake Sevan?
We will be rolling out articles over time about Lake Sevan here on the site, but for now, we highly encourage you to book a trip to Sevan. The massive blue lake is the biggest lake in the Caucasus region and it offers a unique biosphere and environment that you won’t find anywhere else in Armenia.
Megan and I have traveled to Lake Sevan in many different seasons and we have found appealing reasons to travel there during each of them.
During the Armenian winter, we get cozy at local cafes, in summer we enjoy the cooling waters of the lake, and in autumn we love nothing more than to prepare Armenian khorovats (BBQ) on a beach at Lake Sevan.
There are many reasons to go to Lake Sevan but this post is not about that… it is about how to get there!
Please let us know if you have any questions on how to get from Yerevan to Lake Sevan (and vice versa).
We are happy to answer emails or comments.
How to Get to Lake Sevan from Yerevan
Lake Sevan is located approximately 64 kilometers away from Yerevan and has an altitude of around 1,900 meters. The lake is around 1,240 kilometers squared and is considered to be the largest, drinkable lake in all of the Caucasus.
To get to Lake Sevan from Yerevan, you will need to take one of the five modes of transportation listed in this post. Your transportation choice will depend on your patience, budget, time, and desires.
Yerevan to Lake Sevan by Minibus (Marshrutka)
One of the most common choices for getting to Lake Sevan from Yerevan is taking a minibus (marshrutka).
The most comfortable and fastest option to get from Yerevan to Sevan City is to take minibusses which are departing from Yeritasardakan Metro station.
Address: Isahakyan 5/3
The minibuses are operating from 08:00 to 20:15 every day. The cost is 700 AMD ($ 2) per person.
You must get off in Sevan city and take a taxi to the lake or Sevan Peninsula. A taxi fare will be about 800-1000 AMD (about $3). You can take a taxi through the Yandex Taxi or GG app or use local taxis.
Another unpopular option: This is how many of the locals get to and from the region. To take the bus to Lake Sevan, you will need to get to the Northern Bus Station in Yerevan. This route is part of Yerevan to Dilijan.
It is located around thirty minutes from the Yerevan city center. This option is quite far unless you also want to visit Dilijan, but it will stop at Lake Sevan to drop you off.
Minibuses will be leaving hourly from 09:00 until 19:00 and the trip will take around 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how many stops you will make throughout the trip.
Price for a bus ticket to Lake Sevan: A bus ticket from Yerevan to Lake Sevan is around 500 AMD (around $1).
Good to know: The bus to Lake Sevan won’t take you to Sevan City but it take you straight to the lake.
Yerevan to Lake Sevan by Train
Another viable option for getting from Yerevan to Lake Sevan is to take the train.
While this is an ‘option’, it may not be the desired option for everyone. It will take the longest of any of the journeys.
Yet another option that is comparably longer than any other option is the train ride. The train to Sevan from Yerevan takes about three hours and you can see the lake from the window of the train for some of the ride.
The train leaves from the Almast Railway Station in Yerevan to Sevan and Shorzha. During the summers, this is a really enjoyable trip if you don’t mind being on a very old train.
The train to Lake Sevan goes on weekdays, except Wednesdays, to Sevan station near the Sevan Peninsula (you can actually walk to the peninsula from there pending you don’t have excessive baggage).
On weekends, the train goes to Shorzha.
The trains leave Almast Railway Station at 0830 and come back to Yerevan at 1700. It only moves once a day.
IMPORTANT: Almast Railway Station is Permanently closed.
Price for a train ticket to Lake Sevan: A ticket to Lake Sevan by train is 600 AMD if you’re getting off at Sevan and 1000 AMD if you’re disembarking at Shorzha.
Good to know: Another great thing about taking the train to Sevan is that you can take equipment, baggage, and bikes on there with ease. This is a great option for those planning to cycle around the lake.
Take a Taxi to Lake Sevan
One of the fastest and best options for getting to Lake Sevan from Yerevan is to take a taxi.
There are several online taxi apps, like GG, Yandex, and UTaxi that can get you from point A to point B.
Taking a taxi to Lake Sevan will give you the comfort that you may be missing with other transport options and it will take the shortest amount of time.
It will be less than an hour from the Yerevan city center to your hotel at Lake Sevan.
Price for a taxi to Lake Sevan: It will be about $18 one-way for a taxi to Lake Sevan.
Good to know: Taxis work in many places in Sevan, but not everywhere.
If you head out of Sevan city and the touristy areas to a place like Gavar, you may be unable to take a taxi with an app.
Drive to Lake Sevan with a Rental Car
Probably the best option for getting to.
This will give you the freedom of stopping wherever you want on the way (it’s a pretty drive!) It also will be quicker to get to Sevan if you don’t stop.
Good to know: If you rent a car and drive to Sevan, continue north a little bit and head to Dilijan.
The area around Sevan is a bit barren and there are not many trees.
As soon as you pass through a tunnel and are on the other side where Dilijan is, it is like another world! One with tons of trees, greenery, and forests.
It is definitely a great option for the day if you can squeeze it in.
>> Click here to rent a car in Armenia
Click here to rent a car in Armenia
Taking a Tour of Lake Sevan
The last and final option for getting to see Lake Sevan and the surrounding area is to book a tour to Lake Sevan.
This is definitely the best option for those who are pressed for time, want to see Sevan with an experienced guide, and more. It kind of takes the pain out of the entire process.
There are a few tours we recommend for getting to Lake Sevan.
We partner with Get Your Guide as we use their tours ourselves and have had nothing but exceptional experiences and they only choose quality partners for their tour providers.
Here are some of the top-rated Sevan tours we recommend from GYG:
- From Yerevan: Trip to Lake Sevan and Tsaghkadzor Resort
- From Tbilisi: Day trip to Lake Sevan
- Explore Lake Sevan, Dilijan, and Tsaghkadzor private tour
- Lake Sevan and Dilijan day tour from Yerevan
Where to Stay in Lake Sevan
There are many places to stay in and around Lake Sevan. Here are our top choices that will cover all budgets.
We particularly loved Lake Sevan Hostel, a family-run hostel in Sevan city that offered accommodation close to some great restaurants and the Bohem Teahouse- our favorite place in Sevan!
- Best Western Bohemian Resort Hotel (luxury resort)
- Lord XXL (luxury villas)
- Edem Sevan (lakeside)
- Gagari Mot (lakeside)
- Serik & Geora Guesthouse (mid-range)
- Lavash Hotel (lakeside)
- Lake Sevan Hostel (budget)
If you’re looking at traveling from Yerevan to Sevan, we hope that you find this short guide useful for planning your trip!
If you have questions about how to get from Yerevan to Lake Sevan, please send us a message or drop a comment below. Thanks!
Click here if you’re looking for things to do in Lake Sevan or things to do in Gavar.
As an American with little experience driving outside of the country, would you recommend renting a car? Sounds like the best option but it makes me a bit nervous and I do not read/speak Armenian. Thanks!
Hi Sam
We think you should rent a car it’s much easier.
Can I visit Sevan and return back to Yerevan in the same day by train ?
Hi!
Yes, you can. Ask about the schedule at the station in Yerevan.
Thank you for the sharing! I have interest on the train.
May I know if the train between Almast & Sevan operate the whole year ? Because I see someone mention it only operate in Summer time.
And only 1 train everyday ? May I know when is the departure times for Almast & Sevan? Does the ticket need to buy in advance ?
Hi! You need to go to Almast and buy it on the spot and ask about the time.
Hi, now the train should depart from the main railway station in Yerevan. It goes only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. One train there at 8:30 am and one back at 5pm. They start selling the tickets the day of the departure (about 30 minutes before the train leaves).
May I know the train is operate the whole year ? or only in Summer ? and only Fri/Sat/Sun ?
Because from the Armenia Railway website (only in Armenian/Russian), I didn’t find the relevant route. (Searched on Feb 2023)
Another thing is , is it possible to fishing in the lake Sevan ?
Almast stationis now abandoned. I spent hours today looking for it. Davit or something similatmaybe northern bus I don’t know. I’m exhausted. Trouble was all the locals kept sending me to almast which doesn’t look like it’s been used in years . Grass waist deep and tracks rusty. Xxsu
Hi! We are sorry for your experience Almast Railway Station is Permanently closed. We just updated the info. Sasuntsi Davit Station is what you need.