https://wikitravel.org/en/Dilijan
Dilijan is a resort town with mild climate, fresh air in the northeast of Yerevan. It is famous for its amazing surroundings, called the "Armenian Switzerland" by the locals, due to the densely forested valleys and mountains with alpine meadows around. It is an excellent center for walking. It has about 23,000 residents
Sharambeyan Street, Old Town Dilijan
Most visitors to Armenia spend all of their nights in Yerevan. Spending a night or two in Dilijan while exploring Tavush Marz is well worth it. There are plentiful accommodations in Dilijan, from the luxury of the Tufenkian Hotel to much more basic hotels or homes. From Dilijan you can explore up to the Georgian border and the remote Shamshadin region much more easily than from Yerevan, and then continue on to Lori Marz.
Get in
Taxi - a taxi from Yerevan will cost approximately 10,000 - 15,000 dram ($33) one way with a standard meter price. You can probably negotiate a better rate, especially for round trip.
Day tour - many companies offer day tours from Yerevan, which include Dilijan, Haghartsin and Goshavank. They can be cheaper than taking a taxi, and depart in the morning on fixed days of the week.
Get around
Within town, for the most part, walking is quite easy. The tourist information center also has a few bicycles for rent if you'd like to go a bit further. If you need to get to some of the regional monasteries, your best bet is negotiating a package deal with the taxis. You can have the tourist information office help you translate and negotiate, as most of the drivers will not speak English.
Local taxi drivers:
AQUA Taxi ☎ +374 98 209 009 (a taxi company based in Yerevan, preferably for Yerevan-Dilijan trips)
Armen ☎ +374 93 914 718 ( limited English)
Arsen ☎ +374 98 823 288 (limited English)
Artur ☎ +374 93 997 439 (English)
Gor ☎ +374 77 959 935 (English)
Grigor ☎ +374 99 339 090 (English)
GG (Mobile App), offers taxi and shuttle services, Yandex Taxi (Mobile App)
Get in
Taxi - a taxi from Yerevan will cost approximately 12,000 - 15,000 dram (30-38$) one way with a standard meter price. You can probably negotiate a better rate, especially for round trips.
Day tour - many companies offer day tours from Yerevan, which include Dilijan, Haghartsin, and Goshavank. They can be cheaper than taking a taxi, and departing in the morning on fixed days of the week.
Get around
Within the town, for the most part, walking is quite easy. The tourist information center also has a few bicycles for rent if you'd like to go a bit further. If you need to get to some of the regional monasteries, your best bet is negotiating a package deal with the taxis. You can have the tourist information office help you translate and negotiate, as most of the drivers will not speak English.
Local taxi drivers:
GG (Mobile App, local UBER)
Yandex Taxi (Mobile App)
AQUA Taxi ☎ +374 98 209 009 (a taxi company based in Yerevan, preferably for Yerevan-Dilijan trips)
Armen ☎ +374 93 914 718 ( limited English)
Arsen ☎ +374 98 823 288 (limited English)
Artur ☎ +374 93 997 439 (English)
Gor ☎ +374 77 959 935 (English)
Grigor ☎ +374 99 339 090 (English)
Haghartsin Monastery. One of Armenia's most popular monasteries, Haghartsin is nestled in lush forested mountains about a half-hour drive from Dilijan. The monastery is in good condition and has a resident priest who sometimes gives tours. There are a few different churches, a large gavit, a huge dining hall, khachkars and a massive hollow tree. A slightly sweet bread is often being baked in an old oven.
Goshavank Monastery, (40 minutes north of Dilijan). Goshavank monastery is surrounded by a traditional village, and has a groundskeeper who opens the main church building up for visitors, and can give a tour.
Jukhtak Vank Monastery. A nice little monastery just on the edge of Dilijan, a short 10 minute hike from the Dilijan Mineral Water plant. Huge iron bands hold one of the two churches together, preventing its collapse.
Matosavank Monastery, (Follow the marked trail from the water bottlers.). Matosavank is a 25 minute hike from the Dilijan Mineral Water plant. It is easy to miss, and not terribly interesting from the outside, but the inside is a cool, moist, green, mossy world unto itself.
Dilijan Reserve. Dilijan Reserve surrounding town has some marked hiking trails you can try out and discover some lesser-known monasteries, a lake, forests, springs and wildlife.
Aghavnavank Monastery. Aghavnavank Monastery (Armenian: Աղավնավանք, also Anapat St. Astvatsatsin, Aghnabat) is a 12th-13th century monastic complex located at Dilijan National Park on the outskirts of Aghavnavank village of the Tavush Province of Armenia. The forest – Aghnabat, surrounding the monastery, is famous for its Yew Grove Reservation. There is a picnic place with trees about 50 meters from the monastery, on the bank of a river. The church is a small structure with the dome in the center and its depositaries.
Parz Litsh (Clear Lake). Clear Lake is a dream or a miraculous vision one can ever imagine. It is located on the 9th km north-east from Dilijan, in the north-west of Areguni Mountain Chain, on a marvelously forested slope. The lake is of a landslide interdiction origin with outflow. Its altitude is 1350 m, the length – 300 m, the width – 70-80 m, and the depth – up to 10 m
Lake Tzrka. The Lake is a cozy corner in Dilijan mountains. The surface area of the lake is 2000 m2. The depth is 6-10 meters, and in parts more than 10 meters. This lake is a source of rock, located to the north of its bank.
Mantash Fortress (Ashot Yerkat Fortress, Kara-Kala). The fortress is located on top of a steep mountain, on the right bank of Aghstev River, about 25 km north-east from Dilijan. It was built under the Arab rule and was one of Armenian invulnerable fortresses.
Old Dilijan Complex. "Old Dilijan" museum complex was initiated and formed in 1979 by artist Hovhannes Sharambeyan. The aim of the museum was to present the history of Dilijan, its lifestyle, and the interest of the people who live there.
Museum of Folk Art. Right at the center of Dilijan and near the river Agstev, the summer house of Princess Mariam Tumanyan was located. Now it is the Dilijan Branch of Yerevan State Museum of Folk Art. With the initiation of the last resident of the house, Hovhannes Sharamberyan, the building was turned into a museum of folk art. Contemporary folk masters and self-taught artists’ works are collected there. Museum includes significant ethnographic exhibits as it is well known, the folk art and ethnography are closely related to each other.
Other Sights
Molokan Villages - if you take the highway toward Vanadzor, a few of the villages you pass will be those of the Molokans. A Russian old believer sect, much like the Amish in Pennsylvania. They grow beards, shun technology and have their own religion.
Hotels
Best Western Plus Paradise Hotel Dilijan
DiliJazz Hotel & Restaurant
Dilijani Tun Hotel & Restaurant
Hotel Dilijan Resort
Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex
Hover Boutique Hotel
Im Toon
Ariana Family Hotel
Dilijan Park Resort & Villas
Green Wood
Casanova Inn
Balcony
Guest Houses
Toon Armeni
Ecokayan Dilijan Resort Hotel
Guest House Dilijan Orran
Chateau Village Dilijan
Chalet Dilijan Hotel&Restaurant
Kirov Tun
Daravand Guest House
Popock Dilijan 1
Petit Dilijan
Arevatun Dilijan
Cozy House
Cafe #2, 17/1, Maxim Gorky St, Dilijan, ☎ 060700805. 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Cafe #2 is a community student-run cafe that offers beautiful views of the lake, natural lighting, and amazing food and drinks. Serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee and drinks. It is a cozy place and it is located in the very center of the Dilijan. You can find it on the way from/to Yerevan or Tbilisi. It is a nice place where you can come with family and friends, have good food and spend a nice time. The Café #2 is the first creative cafe in Dilijan.
Carahunge, Kalinini Street, 25 (Main entrance Getapnya St) Dilijan 25, ☎ 043220003, 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Carahunge is a cozy, unique restaurant with an attic filled with books in both English and Armenian, locally made handicrafts, and beanbags.
Kchuch, Myasnikyan 37 Dilijan, ☎ 041886010. 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Kchuch is a local gem that has incredibly good food. Local favorites include their buffalo chicken pizza and peach cobbler, as well as their spins on Armenian classics such as dolma and khorovats (Armenian barbecue).
Papanino House, 104 Kalinini Street, Dilijan, ☎ 094 345365. 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Papanino House is one of Dilijan's newest culinary additions. The bottom floor is a bakery with delicious pastries, pies, cakes, and even macarons on some days. Upstairs, you'll find the restaurant itself which is a cozy, cabin-like eating area with a fireplace and a large wine selection. You can get meals ranging from steaks to pho to hamburgers.
Flying Ostrich by Dolmama, 6, Sayat Nova St, Dilijan, ☎ 060655080, 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Dolmama is a famous Armenian restaurant chain that serves many traditional Armenian dishes. Try their Khashlama or Easter Pilaf for authentic Armenian taste.
Tufenkian Restaurant, Sharambeyan Street. There is a Tufenkian Restaurant on Sharambeyan Street, with rustic modern Tufenkian furniture, and upscale Armenian menus and prices. $20.
Haghartsin restaurant-hotel-bar complex (http://www.haghartsin.com), Kamo street, 121 (the first building at the entrance of Dilijan town, to the right on the way from Yerevan, just after the last turn from the tunnel), ☎ +374 268 2 777 0, mobile: +374 77 636565, round-the-clock. It's a pleasant and quiet place near the road from Yerevan to Ijevan, with large guarded car and bus parking. Here You can taste national cuisine in a modern and stylish restaurant hall, banquet room, summer cafe or cozy gazebos among trees. Also there's a bar and a hotel (see Sleep). $10-$20.
Getap Restaurant. A few minutes north of Dilijan, along the river is the restaurant/hotel complex of Getap (meaning riverside). Great traditional wooden eating booths outdoors, some of them over the river serve as the perfect setting for fresh fish, meat or vegetable barbecues. Prices are pretty reasonable. $10.
Mimino cafe, 50 M. Gorki str., ☎ +37426822440. email: mimino-dilijan@mail.ru
The Irish Pub Dilijan, 28/5 Myasnikyan Street, Dilijan 3901, ☎ 043 751028, 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM. The Irish Pub Dilijan is a swanky, small pub with craft beers from Dargett among other drinks and foods. They've also got super cool fish tank tables you can sit at in the back!
Dilijan Old Winery (Hin Ginetun), 38 Myasnikyan Str, Dilijan 3901, Armenia ☎ 095 840041 12:00 AM - 11:00 PM A rustic, cosy place with a collection of local and imported wines and meat and seafood
Sovats Vozni Cafe&Garden Dilijan, Myasnikyan 37/2
Purchase handmade goods from at cafes throughout Dilijan such as Cafe #2 and Carahunge.
Crafts on Sharambeyan Street. The old town street has some little shops where artisans are busy hand making their craft. Visit Revik to see his wood working studio, with some great traditional designs for everything from Christmas tree decorations to cribs. The tourist information office has additional information on local crafts purchases and local painters you can visit.
Nrani souvenir shop at the Dilijan roundabout.
You can register on the website and order deliveries for the next day. The providers contact the person whose telephone number is given almost immediately after the order has been made.
Tripadvisor - Dilijan
https://www.tripadvisor.ie/LocalMaps-g1160895-Dilijan-Area.html