Gyumri: The 5 Best Tours of the Second City

1.Gyumri (Urban Life museum, Black fortress, old town), Harichavank

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 280 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $41Our pick

Review of Hyur Service’s Gyumri and Harichavank day tour from Yerevan, with pricing, stops, group-size advice, meals, and practical tips.

“I would not recommend this trip to other travellers. The company said that seats can’t be reserved so we took our seats on the bus and apparently the seat was reserved by someone with a half empty bottle of water, which we thought was rubbish. She was rude and aggressive to us. She then got a member of staff and she was rude and unhelpful saying find another seat, but by the time this woman came on the bus it was 2 mins before the trip was due to depart so there was no seats together and the member of staff wouldn’t ask any solo travellers to sit together for…”

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2.Museum of Illusions Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $12Best value

Explore Gyumri’s Museum of Illusions, with 60-plus exhibits, friendly guides, clever photo tricks, and hands-on science for all ages.

“It was a great experience, nice staff, funny experiments. I got smarter at the end:) It lasts around 40-50 min and it worths the money!”

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3.Private tour to Gyumri old town and Marmashen monastery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $161

Explore Gyumri’s old town and Marmashen Monastery on a private Yerevan day trip with hotel pickup, local insight, and flexible stops.

“Armen (driver) and Aref (guide) took great care of us. Gyumri has a very different vibe than Yerevan, and is a must-do for anyone who wants to get a fuller picture of Armenian culture and history. Aref is a wonderful guide. One of the absolute highlights for us of our visit was to experience her singing a hymn for us in an old Armenian church. We would warmly recommend Hyur's services to anyone wanting to set up tours within Armenia.”

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4.Paint Your Own Traditional Doll

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 2 hours · from $29

Paint a traditional Armenian doll in Gyumri with artist Narine, learn miniature painting, choose a taraz costume, and take home a personal souvenir.

“This activity in Gyumri is a wonderful opportunity : to meet a talented Armenian artist, she is well traveled, kind and open, to have a wonderful happy time with her, to eat typical sweet snacks, and to paint your own traditional Armenian doll. The result is amazing as you are patiently guided through every step, every pattern, every minute detail. You leave with your beautiful doll, the merriest memories and a very happy inner child.”

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5.3 Day Private Tour with an Exclusive Visit to Gyumri

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 3 days · from $247

Review the 3-day private Armenia tour covering Ararat, Areni wine, ancient caves, Garni, Sevan, and Gyumri for $247.

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