Find a Tour Operator
Planning a trip can be confusing and time consuming. A tour operator not only arranges air transportation; in Armenia they can also arrange car and driver; multi lingual guides, and may be able to save you money with early booking discounts, special fares, accommodation details and travel advisories.
Save Money – Strong working relationships with travel suppliers and the latest in travel technology enable tour operators to access the most up-to-date information on how to get you the best value.
Reliable – Most tour operators maintain a high standard in providing services; and pride themselves on outdoing their competitors with services that are reliable as well as comfortable. When working with a local provider who has relations with a provider in your home country, you are also assured of receiving the same services and guarantees you expect at home.
Convenience – many tour operators in Armenia maintain strong relations with operators throughout the world, most of which offer one-stop shopping for all travel arrangements.
Service – Tour operators are knowledgeable and active in the industry. The Armenian tourism industry provides education, training and resource materials to operators to equip them with the tools to offer the highest quality of service.
Operators go the extra mile – Operators work for you and will do everything they can to meet your travel needs. Some agents literally go that extra mile to help their clients.
For the Adventure/Nature Travelers who wants to explore the deepest parts of the country, a qualified adventure tour operator is a requirement; operators arrange all necessary permits, equipment and transportation on vehicles designed for the terrain you will explore, provide backup rescue aid, and expert guides.
Choosing a Tour Operator Use the Tour Operator Search to find an operator that best matched to your tour interests. In choosing a tour operator, match your needs: Group tour or independent travel? Do you want specialized Tours with expert guides or classical tours that give an overview of the country? What level of Comfort? Budget? Use this advice to help you in choosing a provider.
Budget, Mid-range or Luxury? Most organized tours follow similar routes, visiting established places and often in much the same order regardless of their price. This means that even on a budget tour you will see the same sights as those spending a small fortune.
No matter what price range you are in, you want a good and reliable level of service and quality and while in general Armenian tour operators are good on both, time spent reading the small print can be very well spent.
The main components of a tour where price makes a difference are:
• Quality of accommodation On extreme budget tours this can mean hostels. Most mid-priced tours use good, if sometimes characterless, hotels. At the high end accommodation in top quality hotels is the norm.
• Style of transport The budget tour may not use air conditioned buses or very comfortable seats, which can matter if you are on a long trip. In the mid range these things are often (though not always) standard. At the high end you should be able to expect air-conditioned, luxury buses with additional leg room or good performance vehicles on chauffeur driven tours. There is NO excuse at any level for substandard buses.
• Size of group Those traveling in larger groups tend to get better deals than people traveling alone, and, especially in high season, people traveling alone tend to pay extra for hotel accommodation. This does not mean independent travelers won’t find a great walk-in rate or that those who use home stays and camping won’t have the best deal.
Specialist or Generalist?
Some operators offer a large range of tours, from walking tours through self-drive or bus tours right up to luxury tours. Other specialize in one or two types—for example, tours for young travelers, tours built around a special interest like spiritual pilgrimages, weddings, Diaspora homeland tours, archeology or birding, or high-end tours. Which to go for?
With the larger generalist tour you can get the benefit of discounting and they often have good deals with accommodation providers. You also know that if anything goes wrong—for example a vehicle breaking down—there is a better chance of there being a replacement ready to take over.
However those specializing in a niche will have good knowledge of what their customers really want; a more personal service in general; and will be quicker to customize tours for small groups.
Should you Tour with a Group or Independently?
When you travel with a group you will generally be one of several tour groups visiting each location where you stop, and that can mean crowds and hassle, especially at high season. For many people this doesn't matter and the better operators are fairly skilled at making sure that you get to see everything you need in as comfortable a fashion as your budget allows.
If you really hate being one of a crowd, go for a customized or private tour or tour independently.
• Customized Tours A customized tour may not cost any more if your group is of a reasonable size - say 10-12 or more - since many operators are happy to offer fully guided tours for private groups.
• Private Tours If your group is smaller than that, consider hiring a van or a car with a driver/guide. It may cost more, but private travelers have considerable freedom in choosing where to go and when to go there.
• Tour Independently This isn't the right choice for everyone, especially those who really don't want to hike, or drive in Armenia. But it does give you total flexibility. There are companies who provide a sort of half-way tour, where you are self-guided but with a complete itinerary and all accommodation booked for you in advance.
Choosing the Right Company
While much of this choice will be dependent on your budget, there are some other factors to take into account when choosing who you will book your Armenian vacation with.
• How long is the company established? Check their track record. Being new does not mean they are unreliable; it may well mean they offer something fresh and will go the extra mile in giving you a great tour experience. At the same, being established means they have experience working with a variety of customers and can anticipate many needs.
• What Memberships/references do they have? There are several organizations (see below) for tour operators, but being a member (or not) is not necessarily as meaningful as it might seem. You should however see some references on the tour operator's website, and if you don't, ask for them.
• How secure is your payment? You will be handing over a lot of hard earned money even for a budget tour - make sure it is safe. Are bank, insurance or bonding references available? Armenia is still a developing tour market, and many local operators do not normally provide this information up front. This does not mean they are untrustworthy. You may not wish to follow up on this, but this information, if not available on a website, should be available to you if you ask.
• Are there testimonials from previous customers? Try to follow up on these and speak to previous customers if at all possible. It's not common practice, but it is possible for testimonials on a website to be, well, fictional.
• How is your initial contact handled? If the reply is efficient and friendly, the service is likely to be the same. If you are just replied to with standard or form responses, then it may be somewhat less personal. Do note that English is a second language in Armenia, and replies may not be in the grammatical form you are accustomed.
• Are there hidden extras? Make sure you are absolutely clear about what is included and what isn't. Meals, tips, 'optional' day trips and other such things can add considerably to the price of your vacation. A tour that does not include these, while initially seeming like good value, may work out a lot more expensive than an all-included one.
Accreditation
You are likely to see mention of one or more organizations on a tour operator’s website. How meaningful are these?
The answer is not simple. They do have some meaning, but there are tour companies who are members of a raft of organizations but which are just about average and others who are members of none but are excellent. While local tour guides and operators are required to be licensed by the government, this does not insure that each one will provide outstanding service. There is no single organization to point to and say "the operator should be a member here".
