How to get to Dilijan from Yerevan (and Vanadzor)

Updated April 2024, How to get to Dilijan from Yerevan (and Vanadzor) was originally published in May 2023

Famed as the Armenian Switzerland, Dilijan was one of my favorite stops on my most recent return to Armenia. 

I usually try to travel cheaply and use public transport when I can, so I pulled up a marshrutka “schedule” (they loosely run on it- it is Armenia after all) and figured out how to get to Dilijan from Yerevan. 

So, if you find yourself planning a trip out to explore Armenia’s beautiful Dilijan National Park, in this guide you’ll learn how to get from Yerevan to Dilijan by marshrutka, taxi, or rental car. 

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Yerevan-Dilijan Table Of Contents

1. Yerevan-Dilijan by Marshrutka
2. Yerevan-Dilijan by Taxi
3. Renting a Car and Self-Driving from Yerevan to Dilijan
4. How to get from Vanadzor to Dilijan (Useful if Coming from Georgia)
5. How to Get From Dilijan to Yerevan 
6. Where to Stay in Dilijan

Yerevan-Dilijan by Marshrutka

Getting to Dilijan from Yerevan by marshrutka is your cheapest option. 

If you’re not sure what a marshrutka is, it’s a minibus that is commonplace throughout the former Soviet Union. 

In some places, they run on a schedule, but it’s most common for them to depart when full, which is usually the case even if you’re on a route that has a schedule. 

To get the marshrutka to Dilijan from Yerevan you’ll need to head to the Northern Bus Terminal located about 10 kilometers north of the city center. 

Getting to the Yerevan Northern Bus Terminal by Taxi

The easiest way to get to the Northern Bus Terminal is by taxi. You can order a Yandex Taxi from the app for 1000-1500 AMD depending on traffic/time of day. If you’re catching the 9 am morning marshrutka expect closer to 1000 AMD. 

Getting to the Yerevan Northern Bus Terminal by Bus

The cheaper way to get to Yerevan’s Northern Bus Terminal is by public bus #46. The fare is 100 AMD and is payable directly to the driver as you step on board or as you get off the bus. 

The bus departs from Yeritasardikan Bus Stop A, near the corner of Avetik Isahakyan Street and Abovyan Street, on the opposite corner from Yeritasardikan Metro Station roughly every few minutes from 07:00-23:00. Check the bus #46 schedule on T-Armenia. 

Which Marshrutka to take to Dilijan at Yerevan Northern Bus Terminal 

Marshrutka leave from the front parking lot of Yerevan’s Northern Bus Terminal. 

You’ll need to go inside the bus terminal to buy your ticket at the kassa. Tickets cost 1500 AMD per seat. 

Marshrutka #654, #656, #651, and #655 ply the route between Yerevan and Dilijan. 

The first marshrutka of the day leaves at 9:00 am and they seem to leave when full so sometimes this could mean before the departure time or after it. Check the schedule for Yerevan to Dilijan marshrutkas on T-Armenia. 

I took the 09:00 marshrutka #654 on a Wednesday morning and we left by 08:45 as we were already full. 

The ride from Yerevan Northern Terminal to Dilijan takes about 90 minutes. 

Yerevan-Dilijan by Taxi

If you don’t want to mess around with marshrutkas and buses (or driving) and want to freedom to make scenic stops as you please en route to Dilijan then hiring a taxi for the route will be ideal. 

A taxi from Yerevan to Dilijan will cost you 10000 to 13000 AMD for the entire car depending on your haggling skills, or if you don’t want to be bothered with that just order a Yandex. 

You can fit 4 passengers in a taxi so if you’re traveling as a group this is still a pretty economical option that won’t cost much more than the cost of a taxi to the terminal plus the marshrutka altogether. 

Renting a Car and Self-Driving from Yerevan to Dilijan

If ultimate freedom is what you’re after, renting a car for your Armenia trip is your best bet. 

I did this with a random group of strangers (one of which I met on the Tbilisi-Yerevan marshrutka a few years back) and it was one of my favorite trips I’ve ever been on as we camped our way across Southern Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). 

To get to Dilijan with your own wheels you’ll need to take M4/AH83 north from Yerevan and this will bring you right into Dilijan’s city center. 

How to get from Vanadzor to Dilijan (Useful if Coming from Georgia)

If you’re headed down from Tbilisi you can go to Dilijan pretty easily without having to go to Yerevan first. 

Let your marshrutka driver in Tbilisi know that you want to go to Vanadzor which is a city just west of Dilijan that you’ll be passing through going from Tbilisi to Yerevan. 

From Vanadzor you’ll want to take marshrutka #427, #669, #320, or #665. They leave frequently and take about an hour to reach Dilijan. 

The marshrutka from Vanadzor to Dilijan should cost around 500 AMD. 

How to Get From Dilijan to Yerevan 

Getting back to Yerevan from Dilijan by marshrutka is easy. 

Head to the Dilijan Bus Station on the M4 across the road from Cafe #2 (just to the southwest of the roundabout). 

Pay your 1000 AMD fare (not sure why the price is cheaper going back to Yerevan) at the kassa window and hop on the marshrutka likely waiting there in the parking lot (#651, #654, #655, #656). 

You will also find taxi drivers in this same lot if you want to go to Yerevan by taxi rather than marshrutka. 

Where to Stay in Dilijan

There are an array of options for places to stay in Dilijan. 

Myself, I stayed at Rossi Rest House by the River as it was the most budget-friendly option when I visited in March. It’s located right behind the bus station, so it is well-located and run by a kind and helpful man named Vlad. 

Another highly recommended budget option is the Guesthouse Dilijan Orran.

Those looking for a more luxurious experience and a more secluded feel should check out the Ecokayan Dilijan Resort Hotel.

Have any questions about getting from Yerevan to Dilijan?

Ask in the comments section below. 

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