from 4 reviews
8-9 hours
Daily Tour
Armenian, English, Russian
This private Gyumri city tour is a private sightseeing experience from Yerevan, taking you to the main historic and cultural attractions of Armenia’s second-largest city and lasts around 8 hours. Gyumri is the administrative center of the Shirak region and is located about a 1.5-hour drive from Yerevan.
1. The first stop is Vardanants Square, dedicated to the historic Battle of Avarayr in 451, when Armenia fought against the Persian Empire to preserve the Christian faith.
The next stop is the magnificent bronze statue of Mother Armenia, from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
2.Not far from the city center, we will visit the Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1886. Locals call it “Plplan Jam” (shining church), referring to its gleaming cupola that reflects the sunlight.
3.Sev Berd, or Black Fortress, is another architectural treasure of Gyumri. It was built during the Russo-Persian War (1828–29). The fortress stands atop a hill and is a 360-degree circular structure made of local black tuff stone, from which it gets its name.
4.The tour to Gyumri also includes a visit to the Gallery of Mariam and Eranuhi Aslamazyan Sisters, housed in a building that is itself a bright example of 19th-century Armenian architecture.
5.You’ll also enjoy a walking tour along Rustaveli Street, one of Gyumri’s central avenues, lined with elegant 19th-century buildings and cozy local cafés.
The walk continues into the narrow streets of the Kumayri Historic District, where black stone houses and ornate balconies tell the story of Gyumri’s rich architectural and cultural past.
This Gyumri sightseeing tour is the perfect way to discover the city’s charm and explore the best things to do in Gyumri, from historic landmarks to authentic local experiences.
All private tours can be changed upon request.
Your private driver and guide meet you at your hotel in Yerevan. Gyumri is 126 km from the capital - approximately 1.5 hours through the Aragats foothills and into the Shirak valley, one of the most open and dramatic landscapes in Armenia.
Arrive in Gyumri and begin with a walking tour of the Kumayri district - the protected historical quarter where 19th-century Alexandropol still breathes. The streets are lined with beautiful merchant mansions built from the distinctive dark red and black tuff stone of Shirak, with ornately carved wooden balconies, arched doorways and facades that survived the devastating 1988 earthquake. Your guide will explain the city's history, its culture of craftsmen and artists, and the famous Gyumri humor that the whole of Armenia knows and loves.
Visit the main square of Gyumri with its two landmark churches - the Church of the Holy Saviour and the Church of the Mother of God - both built from the same striking dark tuff stone. The Catholic Church of St. Nikolay is also here, the only Catholic church in Armenia.
Visit the remarkable Dzitoghtsyan Museum - housed in a magnificent 1872 merchant mansion built by wealthy textile merchant Petros Dzitoghtsyan from the famous red tuff of Shirak. The museum preserves the daily life, culture and history of Gyumri from the 19th century to the 1920s - furniture, household objects, clothing, photographs and documents that bring the city's golden age vividly to life.
Optional lunch at a traditional Gyumri restaurant. Can be added in Extras when booking.
Visit the Black Fortress - a vast Russian imperial military complex built in 1834, just 8 km from the Turkish border, in response to the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829. The fortress is built entirely from dark volcanic tuff, giving it an imposing, almost theatrical presence above the city. The complex includes the Alexandropol Fortress with three gates, the layout of the St. Alexandra church at its center, and the northern and southern fortresses. According to local legend, underground tunnels connected the Black Fortress to the Red Fortress and the Mother Armenia monument. Included in the list of intangible monuments of history and culture of Gyumri.
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