Activities

Cultural

Christmas Markets Visit in Yerevan

Yerevan

Yerevan has run a European-style outdoor Christmas and New Year fair since at least 2012, when the first market opened on Northern Avenue with 16 wooden stalls, founded by French-Armenian repatriate brothers Pierre and Tigran Baghdanyan. By 2017 it had grown to 40 pavilions, co-organized with Yerevan Municipality. The event has since expanded and partly relocated: alongside Northern Avenue’s “Creative Christmas Trees” display, the city’s largest market is now centered on Republic Square and the adjoining Shahumyan Park, where a Christmas tree has stood almost every December since 1950, plus newer satellite markets at Yeraz Park and the Karen Demirchyan Complex. What people can do there: Visitors can shop for handmade decorations, honey, toys, and crafts; eat festive food and drink mulled wine and hot chocolate; see the lighting of the main Christmas tree at an evening ceremony; attend concerts and performances; meet Santa Claus; pose at holiday photo spots; and combine a visit with nearby ice skating at Swan Lake or Yeraz Park

Adventure

Ice-Skating in Winter Park

Yerevan

Winter Park is billed as Yerevan’s largest open-air ice rink, set inside Yeraz Park on the Tbilisi Highway. Opening day featured Santa Claus arriving by sleigh, the lighting of the park’s main Christmas tree with fireworks, and a musical show. What people can do there: Visitors can skate (with rental available), browse the surrounding winter village — including an ice bar, café, Santa’s Post Office, ice slides, and other themed attractions — and take in seasonal shows and lighting events.

Hiking

Skiing at Myler Mountain Resort

Aragatsotn

Myler Mountain Resort is a large, all-season mountain resort on the eastern slopes of the Aragats massif, near Yeghipatrush village in the Aparan community of Aragatsotn Province, about an hour from Zvartnots International Airport. Reported elevations range from about 1,880–1,950 meters at the base to roughly 2,825–2,850 meters at the summit. At full planned build-out, targeted for the early-to-mid 2030s, the resort aims for over 100 km of slopes and 16–17 lifts. What people can do there: Visitors can downhill ski and snowboard, cross-country ski, snowshoe, or try ski touring and snow kiting on the resort’s slopes, with a beginner area served by moving-carpet lifts and gondola access to the summit. On-mountain dining is available at named spots serving warm drinks, food, and restaurant meals with mountain views. The resort has also hosted international winter-sports events.

Hiking

Mount Aragats Hike

Aragatsotn

Mount Aragats is an extinct stratovolcano and the highest point in Armenia, rising to 4,090 meters at its northern peak, with three further summits around a central crater: western (about 3,995–4,000 m), eastern (about 3,908–3,916 m), and southern (about 3,879–3,888 m). Built up over roughly 2.5 to 0.45 million years, the massif holds Kari Lake (“Stone Lake”) at 3,185 meters in its crater area, the main staging point for most ascents. What people can do there: Hikers can climb any of the four peaks — the southern peak is the easiest and most popular (a well-marked 4–5 hour round trip), the western and eastern peaks are progressively more demanding (scree, crater crossing, stream fords), and the northern (true summit) peak is for experienced climbers only, sometimes requiring rope on its final stretch.

Cultural

Goris Vagharsh Vagharshyan State Drama Theatre

Syunik

The theatre traces its roots to amateur performances in 1888, followed by an amateur troupe in the early 1920s. It became a state theatre in 1936. On April 20, 1944, it was named after the actor Vagharsh Vagharshyan, who had close ties to it. It operated until 1960, closed, and reopened in 1985. Directors such as Amo Kharazyan and Tigran Shamirkhanyan staged plays here, and Vahram Papazyan and Hrachya Nersisyan performed here. In 2004, at Sos Sargsyan’s request, a Goris branch of the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography opened, and the company is now made up mainly of its graduates. The repertoire includes Sundukyan’s “Another Victim,” Muratsan’s “Ruzan,” Shirvanzade’s “Namus” and Vagharshyan’s “The Ring.” The theatre has also taken part in the “Navruz” international festival in Dushanbe, where its production “Mirhav” won a diploma.

Cultural

Kapan Alexander Shirvanzade State Drama Theatre

Syunik

Theatre in Kapan started among miners. In the late 19th century, the Tbilisi newspaper “Mshak” reported a miners’ theatre at the Kapan and Ghatar mines, and in 1907 actors from it were among the striking miners. The professional theatre was officially founded in September 1935 as the Zangezur Interregional Theatre and opened with Shirvanzade’s “Evil Spirit.” Its best-known productions include “For Honour,” “Namus,” “Othello” and “Pepo.” In 2025 the theatre celebrated its 90th anniversary. Kapan hosted the 24th Artavazd national theatre awards, and the local museum opened an exhibition of about 300 items on the theatre’s history. Its director is Tigran Atayan and its artistic director is Andranik Khachatryan.

Cultural

Artashat Amo Kharazyan State Drama Theatre

Aragatsotn

The theatre links itself to ancient Artashat, where, according to its own history, King Artavazd staged Euripides’ “The Bacchae” in 53 BC, the first theatrical production in Armenian history. The modern theatre has had state status since 1933 and is named after the actor Amo Kharazyan. With no building at first, it performed in the Artashat courthouse; construction to Alexander Tamanyan’s design began in 1937. The actor Kajazun Gyurjyan worked here from 1941 to 1972. It is in its 93rd season, and its October 2026 programme includes “Artashes and Satenik,” “The King of Cilicia,” “Barekendan” and children’s shows such as “Little Red Riding Hood.”

Cultural

Gavar Levon Kalantar State Drama Theatre

Gegharkunik

The theatre was organized in 1931 from a local folk theatre. It opened with Raffi’s five-act historical tragedy “Samvel” and was named after the director Levon Kalantar in 1959. Its past company included Vaghinak and Varduhi Dovlatyan, A. Ghazanchyan and G. Talyan, with directors such as A. Matevosyan (Ash-Mat). Its repertoire has included Shirvanzade’s “For Honour,” Sundukyan’s “Another Victim,” Muratsan’s “Ruzan” and Schiller’s “Love and Fraud”.