Do you think it’s possible to enjoy the landscapes of the Armenian highlands, walk along hiking trails, and get to know the country’s culture all in a single day? In this article, we’ll tell you about several unique opportunities to do just that in different regions of Armenia: alongside the country’s annual festivals, we’ll present hiking trails or lists of sights, so that after walking them or visiting them you can also take part in nearby Armenian cultural celebrations.
This combination of nature, culture, and culinary traditions is a chance to get to know the complete picture of Armenia and experience a living connection with it.
Yerevan Wine Days is Armenia’s largest open-air wine festival, held in the first days of June in the heart of Yerevan, on Saryan, Tumanyan, and Moskovyan streets. It brings together hundreds of winemakers and thousands of wine and gastronomy lovers around Armenian wine culture.
As part of the festival, you can take part in wine tastings, craft and art masterclasses and cultural activities, get acquainted with Armenian cuisine, and enjoy live music without pause.
The «Gutan» National Song and Dance Festival will take place this year on August 22, at 7:00 PM, in the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden (Cascade).
The festival’s main goal is to preserve and spread traditional Armenian song and dance. It offers the chance to revisit the national songs and dances of all of Armenia’s historical-geographical regions, presented to the audience from the stage, accompanied by national instruments and theatrical ritual performances.
«TARAZ Fest» will be held this year in two cities of Armenia — Yerevan and Meghri.
As part of the Yerevan festival, which will take place on August 16 at 8:00 PM in Yeraz Park, there will be masterclasses and a bread-making ritual, exhibitions of national costumes and ethno collections, and a concert performance by the Ethno Colors band.
If you’d like to witness the meeting point of Armenian heritage and contemporary creativity, join this celebration in the final days of summer.
You might ask which hiking trail to visit before heading to the Yerevan festivals mentioned above? The Yerevan Botanical Garden Trail is a wonderful option for a pleasant, relaxing walk in nature and getting acquainted with biodiversity. Especially in this summer heat, if you’re looking for an easy route close by, the Botanical Garden trail is just right for you.
The Meghri edition of «TARAZ Fest» will take place September 2–7; the festival will feature exhibitions of national and contemporary costumes, masterclasses and creative workshops, exhibitions, and music and dance performances.
There are still no marked hiking trails in Meghri, on the Armenian-Iranian border (at least until the Armenian National Trail reaches Meghri), but this town, with its distinctive architectural character, quietly invites every visitor to walk its narrow streets and courtyards, to visit the Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Mets Tagh and the Surb Hovhannes Church in Pokr Tagh, the Meghri Fortress, and to admire the unmatched view of the Araks Valley.
The Annual Barbecue Festival has, since this year, been held in the town of Stepanavan, Lori Province. After all, what would Armenia be without barbecue? Get ready for the most surprising flavor ideas built around this traditional Armenian dish. Alongside the food stalls, there are also stalls selling local farm produce and handmade crafts. And, of course, this all-Armenian celebration around barbecue is accompanied by live traditional Armenian music.
You can enjoy the mood of the festival after walking the Amoj–Odzun or Odzun–Kobayr sections of the Armenian National Trail.
The Goris Mulberry Festival is an annual event usually held in early July in the town of Goris, Syunik Province. Its goal is to promote local crafts, the process of distilling mulberry vodka and making mulberry molasses, to offer treats made from mulberries, to showcase Armenian national song and dance, and, of course, the well-known mulberry-shaking ceremony.
Before the festival or during the day, you can visit the cave town of Old Goris or hike the Khot–Halidzor trail.
The «Navasard» Armenian-Iranian Cultural and Culinary Festival will be held on August 10 and 11 in the town of Sisian, Syunik Province. It is dedicated to Navasard, the first month of the Armenian calendar, and the New Year, and aims to develop cultural and tourism ties between the two countries.
During the festival, participating Armenian and Iranian teams will compete, preparing and presenting the diversity and history of the two countries’ national cuisines in their pavilions, while the cultural and music zones will showcase the culture, art, and crafts of both countries. The evening of August 10 will close with a live concert by Forsh, and on August 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 AM, you can visit the «Zorats Karer (Karahunj) Settlement» historical-cultural reserve for stargazing and to watch the rise of the Hayk (Orion) constellation.
There are no marked hiking trails near Sisian, but you can visit the region’s Shaki Waterfall, Tolors Reservoir, and Melik Tangi Bridge with the help of tourist guides.
«Berd AgroFest» is one of Tavush’s most beloved agricultural and community festivals. This year it will take place at the crossroads of the villages of Verin Karmiraghbyur and Norashen, on August 15, starting at 1:00 PM.
The festival is a unique opportunity to discover the nature and flavors of Berd, its culture, and the hospitality of the border communities. The program includes an exhibition and sale of farm produce and handmade goods, tastings, culinary masterclasses, national dances, and music. Before the festival begins, you can hike one of two different routes near Kaptavank, one of the region’s gems.
The Annual Arts and Crafts Festival is held in the town of Dilijan, Tavush Province. This year it will take place on September 3, in the town’s central park. In a single day, in a single place, you’ll be able to discover exceptional examples of crafts and arts from every region of Armenia: carpet weaving, woodworking, ceramics and pottery, macramé, national costumes, and other branches of decorative and applied art await you, along with masterclasses, dishes from urban and rural communities’ cuisines, and national song and music.
To take in the scent of Dilijan’s dense green forests and enjoy the silence, choose one of the routes of the Armenian National Trail: Dilijan to Gosh village, or Haghartsin Monastery to Dilijan.
Beloved by many, the Areni Wine Festival has made the culturally significant community of Areni known on the international tourism scene. The festival presents Areni as the birthplace of winemaking and an important part of the international wine route. This year it will take place on October 3 and will feature homemade and commercial wine zones, where you can taste and buy hundreds of wines, get acquainted with traditional and contemporary Armenian cuisine, take part in workshops, and enjoy national music and dance.
The Gata Festival is held in the village of Khachik, Vayots Dzor Province, in September or October. The festival’s goal is to promote national cuisine, especially Armenian gata, whose most amazing varieties, with unexpected combinations, you can try on the day of the celebration in Khachik.
During the celebration, the people of Khachik bake a record-length gata (in recent years reaching up to 4 meters 48 centimeters) and treat the festival’s guests to it. National dishes, masterclasses, national song and dance — it’s safe to say that the people of Khachik manage to bring all their guests together under one roof.
A wonderful addition to the celebration can also be a visit to the «Arastamugh» Museum, which presents the village’s way of life and rounds out the picture of Khachik and its people.
The neighboring communities of Areni and Khachik in Vayots Dzor are rich not only in their cuisine and wines, but also in colorful landscapes and biodiversity, which you can get to know by hiking the Bezoar Goat Trail, Gnishik to Noravank, or the Noravank Trail.
Nature teaches humility, cuisine teaches the joy of connection, and crafts teach respect. Discover Armenia in all its forms — choose the festival and trail that interest you, take part in community life and rituals, and connect with the locals.
