Carbon Neutral 100%
Destinations
Our most popular destinations in Europe
  • Tour Ideas
Holiday Ideas
  • Travel Style
  • Interests and Activities
  • Tour Ideas by Month
  • Continents and Regions
An update from Evaneos
Lake Sevan

Lake Sevan (Armenia)

Practical information about Lake Sevan

  • Beach / Seaside Resort
  • Hiking / Trekking
  • Mountain
  • Water Sports
  • Lake
  • Place or Religious Monument
  • Place or Historical Monument
  • Essential
4 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
A good hour from Yerevan by road
When to go
All year round, though it's more pleasant in summer
Minimum stay
2 to 3 days

Reviews of Lake Sevan

Timothée D. Travel writer
285 travel articles

Often referred to as the "Sea of Armenia", Lake Sevan has its place as part of the country's national heritage to the same extent that Yerevan and the monasteries do.

My suggestion:
If you visit the lake (and as with everywhere else in Armenia), consider going to see the celebrated monasteries, including that of Sevanavank, which sits on the end of a peninsula at the edge of the lake.
Summary:

Lake Sevan lies 1,900 metres above sea level and is 80 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, making it the largest body of water in the country. I remember the absolutely magical changing colours here, which, depending on the time of day, varied between deep blue, azure and turquoise, and, in combination with the surrounding volcanic mountains, lent the lake an incredibly picturesque appearance.

Lake Sevan is one of the most popular summer holiday destinations amongst the inhabitants of Yerevan and the Armenian people. But despite this popularity, its large size makes it very easy to find a more secluded, private spot and get away from the crowds. Outside the summer holiday season, however, the area is virtually deserted. All things considered, this is definitely one of the essential places to visit on a trip to Armenia.

View over Lake Sevan
Travel writer
75 travel articles

Lake Sevan is one of the world's largest high-altitude lakes and is very popular amongst the Armenians themselves as a summer holiday spot.

My suggestion:
To really get the most out of the joys of bathing in Lake Sevan, I recommend staying at an establishment with its own private beach. Properly equipped public bathing spots around the lake are few and far between, and the facilities that there are tend to be run down.  
Summary:

Lake Sevan lies just one hour by road from Yerevan and is a tempting place to come to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the capital in summer. At least that's what I thought when I went. I was in for a surprise when I first arrived: the beaches are truly wild and unspoilt here. If you want to go bathing, therefore, you have to make do with whatever you have to hand (which has its plus sides).

I arrived at Lake Sevan from the south. I therefore got to see some of the scenery around it, and I must admit it's quite magnificent. If you intend to spend several days exploring the the lake on your trip to Armenia, it's well worth doing a tour all around it.

One last thing you need to know: the weather here can be very changeable, even in summer. When I went bathing one day, for example, It was very sunny at first, but then all of a sudden the sky clouded over and there was violent storm over the lake. If you're travelling as a backpacker (as I was), you need to be aware of the possibility of this happening.

Lake Sevan