Gastronomic Tours - Armenian Geographic - ArmGeo.am

Gastro Tour in Gyumri: the Famous Kyalla

armeniangeographic — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:51:15 +0000

Gyumri, which is rich in cultural heritage, also boasts interesting culinary traditions. Join us in our gastro tour in Gyumri to communicate with the locals and get acquainted with Armenian culture. This trip will give you nice memories, and you will forever have a small piece of Armenia in your heart.

Traditional dish ‘Kyalla’

We will start the tour in Yerevan and will drive to Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia which has preserved its unique architectural style. Originally called Kumayri, the place was renamed Alexandrapol after the construction of a fortress of the same name. During the Soviet period, the city was called Leninakan, while the present-day name Gyumri was adopted in 1990.

Church of the Holy Mother of God

In Gyumri, we will begin our tour in the Liberty Square and will reach Vardanants Square through some beautifully built streets. Two churches are built in this square, one of them being the church of the Holy Mother of God dating from the 19^th century. Practically, it is widely known as the Church of the Seven Wounds after an icon, Seven Wounds of St. Mary, which is kept here.

Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, Gyumri

It is also noteworthy that this church functioned even during the Soviet period when there were only 2 active churches in Soviet Armenia. At that time, it had 3 altars for the religious ceremonies of the local Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic and Russian Orthodox believers (the main altar was used by the Armenian Apostolics).

Holy Saviour Church

Next, we will visit the church of the Holy Saviour, which is similarly located in Vardanants Square.

Holy Saviour’s Church, Gyumri

Its architect, Tadevos Antikian, would travel to the city of Ani by carriage every day to carefully study the local cathedral as he wanted to build his church in the same style.

Dzitoghtsian Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life

Afterwards we will visit Dzitoghtsian Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life, a beautiful complex of orange tufa built in 1872 as the house of a wealthy merchant, Petros Dzitoghtsian.

Gyumri Urban Life Museum

Kyalla

For lunch, we will taste the famous local dish called kyalla, the cow head which is very common in Shirak Region and is considered to be a delicacy.

Traditional dish ‘Kyalla’

It is traditionally considered that in the past, kyalla was mostly used by the poor, like another typical Armenian dish called khash, a winter soup made of boiled cow parts: the rich would select the most juicy parts of beef or mutton, while the poor were able to skillfully cook and use all the parts of the animal. It is not very difficult to make kyalla: once the horns and hide have been removed, the animal head is cooked for about 6 or 8 hours in a tonir (tandoor), a traditional underground oven.

Aslamazian Sisters’ Art Gallery

After lunch, we will continue our tour in Gyumri and will have a nice walk in Kumayri Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, where we will see beautifully built structures of the 19th and 20th centuries. We will also visit Aslamazian Sisters’ Art Gallery, which boasts a rich collection of paintings as well as specimens of graphic arts and ceramics.

The Gallery of Mariam and Eranuhi Aslamazyan Sisters

The gallery which was founded in 1987 has about 620 works by the sisters Mariam and Yeranuhi Aslamazian. It is a unique colourful place that can inspire and motivate visitors.

Oldest Barber Shop in Armenia

Before finishing our programme, we will also visit Armenia’s oldest barber shop which opened in Gyumri in 1941. This is one of those special places in the city where you can enjoy an atmosphere of Old Gyumri as the interior and tools have remained almost unchanged since the 1940s.

Oldest Barber Shop in Armenia

In the evening we will return to Yerevan.

Tour Price:

Number of Participants	Price per group
2 – 3	135 000 AMD
4 – 6	155 000 AMD

The price includes:

Service of the guide
Transport
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Entrance tickets to the Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life of Gyumri
Entrance tickets to the Sisters Aslamazyan Museum
Lunch

The price does not include:

Alcoholic beverages

For booking as well as for all questions, please contact us.

Read more for further details․

Wine tours in Armenia

Wine Tasting Tour in Armenia

Roots of Armenian Wine

Wine Tour Accompanied with Cheese-making Traditions

Armenia: Land of Tastes and Secrets

armeniangeographic — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:21:47 +0000

Join us in this fascinating and incredibly “tasty” trip, a gastro tour in Armenia during which you will make a journey through the rich culinary traditions of the country.

During the trip, besides tasting dishes, you will also be encouraged to actively participate in their preparation. At master classes, the best chefs of Armenia will reveal the secrets of the making of Armenian national dishes.

Gastro tour to Armenia

GUM Market /GUM-i Shuka/

Our first stop will be at the GUM Market (GUM-i Shuka in Armenian), one of the most visited markets in the centre of Yerevan which is also a popular touristic site. It offers visitors a rich array of dried fruits and vegetables in a unique atmosphere enriched with a lot of tastes and aromas. The sellers keep inviting you to their stores to taste their products and enjoy the diversity of flavours.

GUM Market

Armenia boasts centuries-old traditions in the production of high-quality dried fruits, berries and vegetables which are commonly called chir in the Armenian language. Thanks to their natural sweetness, rich taste and delicate aroma, local fruits, berries and vegetables are just delicious when dried. Most fruits are sun dried, and this only adds to their quality and delicious taste.

Echmiatsin Cathedral

After the visit to the GUM Market, we will drive to Echmiatsin, which is the religious capital of Armenia, the heart of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the residence of the Catholicos, the Supreme Head of the Armenian Church.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral / Photographer Hovik Charkhchyan

Here we will see the magnificent cathedral of Echmiatsin, which is on UNESCO List of World Heritage.

Armenian Tolma (Dolma) / Master Class

Next, we are going to have a tolma making master class: you can either take part in all the stages of the preparation of this dish or just follow the process. There are a lot of varieties of the Armenian tolma which can be made of meat, fish, vegetables, etc. Also, the recipes vary from region to region, and the type of the tolma often depends on the season: thus, for instance, the summer tolma is made of eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. One of the traditional ways of making tolma is to wrap the ingredients in grape leaves.

Tolma making master class

The history of the tolma goes back to the depth of centuries: it is traditionally considered that Armenians started making it as early as the middle of the first millennium AD.

Zvartnots Church

On the way back to Yerevan, we will stop at the church of Zvartnots, which traces back to the 7th century. Like many other early medieval Armenian churches, it has not come down to our days as it was destroyed by a severe earthquake in the 10th century.

Zvartnots Cathedral

Although the church is in ruins nowadays, its magnificence and beauty still fascinate visitors.

In the evening we will return to Yerevan.

Tour details:

Number of Participants	Price per group
2 – 3	135 000 AMD
4 – 6	170 000 AMD

The price includes:

service of the guide
transport
hotel pickup and drop-off
tolma making master class
entrance tickets to Zvartnots Temple
lunch

The price does not include:

alcoholic beverages

For booking as well as for all questions, please contact us.

Read more for further details․

Wine tours in Armenia

Wine Tasting Tour in Armenia

Roots of Armenian Wine

Wine Tour Accompanied with Cheese-making Traditions

Journey through Flavours and Time

armeniangeographic — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:37:39 +0000

Join us in this interesting and “tasty” trip through flavours and time, a gastro tour in Armenia during which you will make a journey through the rich culinary traditions of the country, revealing the history of every national Armenian dish.

You will taste a wide variety of local delicacies, discovering aromatic spices and traditional recipes that pass from generation to generation.

Lavash baking master class

Arch of Charents

Our first stop will be at the Arch of Charents, from which you can enjoy breathtaking views of magnificent Ararat, the sacred biblical mountain.

Arch of Charents

The majesty of this mountain the peaks of which are topped with eternal snow is beyond any description.

Pagan Temple of Garni

We will continue our tour in Garni, where we are going to see the only pagan temple in Armenia built many centuries ago.

Garni Temple

A symbol of pre-Christian Armenia and a true pearl of architecture, the temple was once part of a royal residence and the only place of pagan worship that was not destroyed during Armenia’s conversion to Christianity. Later it was ruined by an earthquake, but fortunately, it was restored afterwards.

Lavash

Indeed, our trip will be marked not only with visits to cultural sites but also with a fascinating and “tasty” experience, namely lavash baking master class. You can take part in the baking process, meanwhile also enjoying the lovely scent of the freshly baked bread and tasting it directly from the tonir, the underground oven.

Lavash

Bread is of great importance in Armenian culture. Among a wide variety of breads, particularly noteworthy is lavash, which is very popular among Armenians. It is a type of unleavened bread of a special taste and texture. The lavash making process begins with carefully rolling out the dough using a rolling pin on a traditional low table, which can be round or rectangular. The thinly rolled dough is then gently stretched onto a special “pillow” and carefully applied to the heated inner walls of the tonir (tandoor), the traditional Armenian oven.

The “Symphony of Stones” or the “Basalt Organ”

Next, we will head to ‘Symphony of Stones. The “Symphony of Stones” which resembles an organ is a unique natural monument that arouses fascination and admiration at the creating power of nature.

Symphony of Stones

It presents numerous basaltic formations at a height of more than 50 metres that strike visitors with their magnificence.

The Rock-Cut Monastery

Continuing our tour, we will reach Geghard, a Christian monastic complex founded in the 4^th century. This is a unique place where we will get acquainted with the history of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity and the religious heritage of the country. The monastery is included in UNESCO List of World Heritage, which speaks of its special significance and value.

Geghard Monastery

During this visit, you will feel the spiritual energy and power that have enriched the monastery for centuries.

After completing the journey, we return to Yerevan.

The price includes:

Service of the guide
Transport
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Lavash baking master class
Entrance tickets to Garni
Entrance tickets to Symphony of Stones
Lunch

The price does not include:

Alcoholic beverages

For booking as well as for all questions, please contact us.

Read more for further details․

Wine tours in Armenia

Wine Tasting Tour in Armenia

Roots of Armenian Wine

Wine Tour Accompanied with Cheese-making Traditions

The Richness of Tastes and Culinary Traditions of Armenia

armeniangeographic — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:08:06 +0000

Join us in this interesting and “tasty” experience, a gastro tour in Armenia which will leave a lasting impression on you.

Gastro tour in Armenia

Amberd Fortress

We will meet in Yerevan to start an incredibly interesting tour to the fortress of Amberd, which is located at an altitude of more than 3,000 metres and traces back to the 7^th century.

Amberd Fortress

You will reveal the history of the place, at the same time also enjoying breathtaking views from the height of the fortress.

Mount Aragats / Lake Kari

Continuing our tour on Aragats, the highest mountain in Armenia, we will also see the beautiful lake Kari (Stone Lake) situated at an altitude of 3,200 metres.

Kari Lake

In an atmosphere of peacefulness and harmony with nature, we will enjoy the picturesque scenery, and particularly, the amazing view of snow shining on the peaks of the mountain.

Ghapama

On the way back to Yerevan, we will have a special stop for a ghapama making master class. You can, indeed, take part in the preparation of this traditional Armenian dish.

Ghapama

Ghapama is made of baked pumpkin stuffed with rice, dried fruits, nuts, apples, plums, dates, and what is most important, aromatic spices. The natural sweetness of the dish is complemented by honey. This interesting dish should be tasted by both vegetarians and those liking sweets.

Tour Price:

Number of Participants	Price per group
2 – 3	145 000 AMD
4 – 6	160 000 AMD

The price includes:

Service of the guide
Transport
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Master class on making ghapama
Entrance tickets to the Amberd Fortress
Lunch

The price does not include:

Alcoholic beverages

For booking as well as for all questions, please contact us.

Read more for further details․