8–10 hours
Armenian Wine Experience in Areni
The cave where archaeologists found a 6,000-year-old winery, a tasting in Armenia's best-known wine village and Noravank in its red-rock gorge.
View tour →Price on request
Experience · 6–7 hours
Armenian Food & Culture Experience
Dried apricots and sujukh at Yerevan's GUM market, lavash slapped onto the wall of a tonir oven and a long village lunch, with a cooking class on request.
Overview
Armenian food is best understood where it is bought and baked. This day starts at the GUM market (Gum Shuka) on Movses Khorenatsi Street in central Yerevan, where stalls are piled with dried fruit, nuts, spices, herbs, cheese and sujukh, walnuts threaded on a string and dipped in thickened grape juice.
From there you drive about 45 minutes to the village of Garni to watch lavash being made. In 2014 UNESCO inscribed the preparation, meaning and appearance of lavash in Armenia on its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The day ends with a long lunch of regional dishes. A hands-on cooking workshop, a brandy tasting or a visit to Garni Temple can be added on request. Lavash demonstrations and workshops are subject to availability.
Highlights
- Tastings at the GUM market in Yerevan: dried apricots, sujukh, cheeses, herbs and spices
- Lavash baking in a tonir oven in Garni village (UNESCO intangible heritage since 2014), subject to availability
- A long lunch of Armenian dishes such as khorovats, dolma, salads and fresh herbs
- Optional hands-on cooking workshop: dolma, gata or zhingyalov hats, on request
- Stories behind Armenian food: fasting dishes, feast tables and the tradition of the toast
Suggested itinerary · arranged on request
Suggested itinerary
10:00
Pick-up and the GUM market
Your guide meets you in central Yerevan and walks with you through the GUM market, next to St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. Stallholders usually offer tastes of dried fruit, nuts, sujukh and pickles. It is a good place to buy edible souvenirs, priced by weight.
11:30
Drive to Garni
About 45 minutes east across the Kotayk plateau, with a short stop at the Charents Arch if the sky is clear and Ararat is visible.
12:30
Lavash baking
Watch how lavash dough is rolled out thin, stretched over a cushion and pressed onto the hot wall of a tonir, a clay oven set into the ground. If you want, you can try it yourself. This is arranged with a local family or bakery in advance, subject to availability.
13:30
Village lunch
A long lunch with freshly baked lavash, cheese, herbs, salads and grilled khorovats, with vegetarian dishes available on request. Your guide explains the customs of the Armenian table, from fasting dishes to toasts.
15:30
Return to Yerevan or a cooking workshop
Drive back to Yerevan. If you have requested a cooking workshop or a brandy tasting, it takes place in the afternoon instead, which makes the day about 8 hours.
Timings are indicative. The order, pace and stops are agreed with you.
Route
- 1Yerevan
- 2GUM Market (Gum Shuka)
- 3Garni village
Ways to take this tour
Yerevan only
GUM market, a cooking workshop in Yerevan and a lunch of what you have cooked, about 4–5 hours, subject to availability.
Food and Garni Temple
Adds Garni Temple and, time permitting, Geghard Monastery to the lavash and lunch day, about 7–8 hours.
Main attractions
- GUM market (Gum Shuka), Movses Khorenatsi Street, Yerevan
- Garni village and its tonir ovens
- Charents Arch viewpoint (weather permitting)
- Garni Temple (optional)
Optional experiences
- Hands-on cooking workshop: dolma, gata (sweet bread) or zhingyalov hats (herb flatbread), on request
- Brandy tasting at the Yerevan Brandy Company, home of Ararat brandy (on request, subject to availability)
- Visit to Garni Temple, a few minutes from the village
- Evening at a Yerevan restaurant with live traditional music (on request)
Practical notes
- Market hours vary by stall. Most stalls are open by late morning and many close in the late afternoon, so the visit is planned for the first half of the day.
- Carry some cash in drams for market purchases. Many small stalls don't take cards.
- Lavash demonstrations and cooking workshops are arranged with local hosts and are confirmed in your written quote, subject to availability.
- Let us know about allergies and diets when you request your quote. Walnuts, dairy and wheat are common in Armenian cooking.
- Garni Temple has an entrance fee if you add it. Current fees are confirmed with your quote.
What's included
Inclusions such as vehicle, guide, entrance tickets and meals are agreed with you and confirmed in your written quote before anything is booked.
Who it suits
Easy for almost everyone, including families with children and older travellers. Tell us about allergies, vegetarian or other diets in advance so the lunch and tastings can be planned around them.
Best season
All year. Late summer and autumn bring the widest choice of fresh fruit and vegetables at the market, and ghapama (stuffed pumpkin) appears in autumn and winter.
Frequently asked questions
What is the GUM market?
The GUM market, also called Gum Shuka, is a covered food market on Movses Khorenatsi Street in central Yerevan, near St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. It is best known for dried fruit, nuts, sujukh, spices, cheese and fresh produce.
Is lavash really on the UNESCO list?
Yes. In 2014 UNESCO inscribed 'Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia' on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Can I bake lavash myself?
Usually yes. Most hosts are happy to let visitors try rolling and slapping the dough onto the oven wall. Demonstrations are arranged in advance and are subject to availability.
Is there vegetarian food in Armenia?
Yes. Armenian cooking has many meat-free dishes, partly because of the church's fasting traditions: bean and lentil dishes, vegetable dolma, herbs, cheese and salads. Tell us your diet in advance.
Is this experience good for children?
Yes. Children usually enjoy the market tastings and watching the lavash puff up in the tonir. The driving is short.
Request a Quote
Request This Tour: Armenian Food & Culture Experience
Every tour is tailored to your dates, group size and preferences. Send a request and we will reply with an itinerary and a written quote.
Sending a request is free and does not commit you to anything.
Thank you, your request has been sent.
We will reply by email, usually within one to two working days. Nothing is booked or charged until you approve a written quote.
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