24 hours in Gyumri

Once you’ve gotten to Gyumri, it’s time to make the most of your day! Begin with a visit to Aregak cafe for a coffee & croissant. Aregak is not just a regular cafe, it’s run by the Emili Aregak Centre NGO and employs youth & mothers of youth with disabilities to work at the cafe. It’s an incredible place not just because of their inclusive employment practices, but also because of the quality of their food & coffee! 

After your coffee, head to my favourite gallery in Gyumri celebrating two incredible Armenian women artists of the Soviet era, Mariam and Eranuhi Aslamazyan. The Aslamazyan sisters broke so many boundaries in the male-dominated art world, and their paintings are so incredible, each with a distinct style and use of colour. 

From the gallery, head to Vardanants square (you’re practically already there) and you’ll see 2 beautiful churches that you can visit: the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God & the Cathedral of Saint All Saviours. Both beautiful from the outside in and worth a visit. Gyumri is actually home to 6 or 7 churches, so if you’re a lover you can try an visit them all.

It’s time for lunch! Depending on if you’re staying the night or not, there are two must visit restaurants that I would recommend for your first visit to Gyumri. The first is called Gwoog, and serves up traditional food not just from Armenia, but specific to the city of Gyumri. I would recommend trying the Vana Kalagosh, Panra Khash & Dolma. The second restaurant is Cherkezi Dzor, Gyumri’s most famous restaurant known for its fish! 

In the afternoon, make your way over to Gyumri’s Mother Armenia statue (they have one too)! 

In Gyumri, the statue is situated within a beautiful park however up a few steps to get to the top. There is also a nearby lake that you can peddle boats on, perfect on a sunny day and a fun (wholesome) way to spend the afternoon. 

If you’re staying the night, there is plenty more to see, eat & do in Gyumri… visit one of their endless house museums, grab a meal at Kumkuma, tea at Herbs & Honey, a drink at Tol, or a donut at Ponchik Monchik. For a hotel recommendation, I would go with BarBar, a newly opened, beautifully designed hotel right in the city center. 

  • Before we get into how to have the best 24 hours in Gyumri (or less if we’re talking day trip), first I want to help you get to Armenia’s 2nd largest city. Your 3 best transport options are:

    #1: The train!

    Trains run between Yerevan and Gyumri every day! Depending on when you’re planning your visit, there is a new faster train option (2hrs) or an older soviet train (3hrs), but both do the job.

    Visit this website (and only this website) to check out times (and buy tickets): https://www.railway.am/eng/forpassaj

    Usually, the fast trains only run on the weekends (once a day in each direction) and leave Yerevan at 9:15am, arriving in Gyumri around 11:30! If you’re planning on catching this train though, make sure you buy your ticket online or get there at least 30-60 mins early to grab a ticket. Otherwise, the slow trains run 3 times a day and are a little less crowded.

    The fast train leaves Gyumri at 5:55pm and gets you back to Yerevan at around 8pm.

    Cost: Around 1400 dram for the slow train & 2500 dram for the fast train (between $3.50 - $6 USD)

    #2: Shared shuttle/car

    Your second option which is much more flexible on timing is to catch a “shuttle” (essentially just a 6-8 seater car) from Yerevan to Gyumri. I would recommend two options here, the first is to book through the GG taxi app, and the second is through the app YevYev.

    Both options have shuttles running pretty regularly (every hour or so), and the booking process is really simple! Pick-up for both options is near the Barekamutyn metro station, so make sure you leave time to get there before your scheduled pick-up. When you book, you’ll receive information about the number plate of the car you’re looking for around the pick-up time. If you don’t speak Armenian, GG is a safer option as it shows on the map where your pick-up is located, however with Yevyev you’re going to need to talk to your driver (and chances they speak English are not high…).

    Cost: 1500 dram on Yevyev and 1650 dram on GG (around $4 USD)

    Option 3: Taxi

    If you’re looking for the most private/comfortable option & you’re not thinking about cost, you can order a taxi from Yerevan to Gyumri just like usual via Yandex or GG apps. They will pick you up from wherever you are and you won’t need to worry about timing, pick-up location, or communicating in Armenian (usually).

    Cost: Depending on demand, around 12-16,000 for the most basic car option, up to 25,000 for a more comfortable car ($30-60 USD).