Market in Armenia
GUM Market Food Experience
An immersive guided tour of Yerevan's central GUM Market with a local expert who knows every vendor and seasonal product. Taste dried fruits, local cheeses (panir, lori), fresh lavash, basturma (cured beef), and local sweets. Learn to identify Armenian spices and the best produce buying strategies.
The GUM Market Food Experience centres on Yerevan's oldest and most atmospheric covered market, located on Mashtots Avenue in central Yerevan. The market — known formally as GUM (from the Soviet-era abbreviation for State Universal Store) — has operated in its current form since the Soviet period and remains the city's most vivid concentration of Armenian produce, dried goods, and artisanal food products.
A local market expert leads the two-hour session, spending time at the stalls of vendors they know personally. The guide introduces participants to the full breadth of GUM's food halls: towers of dried apricots, figs, and mulberries sourced from Ararat Valley farms; wheels of aged Lori cheese and fresh panir (a mild white cheese similar to feta); stacks of paper-thin lavash and the thicker, ring-shaped matnakash bread; basturma (air-dried beef crusted with spices) and sujuk (spiced sausage) hanging from hooks above busy deli counters. Participants taste at every stop, learning how to distinguish quality dried fruit from inferior imports and which cheese sellers source directly from village producers.
The session also covers Armenian spice culture — the guide names and samples dried herbs like blue fenugreek, tarragon, and the distinctive local thyme that sets Armenian cooking apart from neighbouring cuisines. A final stop at the market's small café provides strong Armenian coffee and a chance to reflect on what has been tasted.
Group sizes are small, typically four to eight people, which allows genuine engagement with stallholders in a space where vendor relationships matter. The tour wraps with a practical buying guide: the guide advises on which products travel well and which can be legally brought through customs. The $25–40 price includes all tastings and coffee; any market purchases are at participants' own expense. The experience suits independent travellers who want more than a self-guided wander — the guide's vendor relationships open up tastings and explanations that a solo visitor would not easily access.
What's included
- A
- l
- l
- t
- a
- s
- t
- i
- n
- g
- s
- a
- t
- m
- a
- r
- k
- e
- t
- ,
- e
- x
- p
- e
- r
- t
- g
- u
- i
- d
- e
- ,
- s
- h
- o
- p
- p
- i
- n
- g
- g
- u
- i
- d
- a
- n
- c
- e
- ,
- c
- o
- f
- f
- e
- e
- a
- t
- m
- a
- r
- k
- e
- t
- c
- a
- f
- e
Highlights
- Guided tastings of Armenian dried fruits, aged Lori cheese, basturma, and fresh lavash with an expert market guide
- Learn to distinguish quality Armenian dried apricots, figs, and mulberries from imported substitutes
- Access to spice stalls with explanations of blue fenugreek, tarragon, and Armenian thyme varieties
- Ends with Armenian coffee at the market café and practical advice on which products travel home well
Tips
- Arrive hungry — tastings are generous and span savoury, sweet, and cured items throughout the two hours
- Bring cash in Armenian drams for any market purchases; most stalls do not accept cards
- GUM Market is busiest on Saturday mornings — weekday visits offer quieter navigation and more vendor conversation time
- Some market aisles are narrow and have uneven floors; visitors using mobility aids may find certain corridors difficult to navigate
FAQ
Is GUM Market the same as the Vernissage market nearby?
No. GUM Market on Mashtots Avenue is a daily food and produce market. The Vernissage (Junk Market) operates on weekends and sells crafts, antiques, and souvenirs — it is a separate site a short walk away.
Can participants buy products to take home during the tour?
Yes. The guide advises on the best stalls and which products are good candidates for travel. Purchases are at participants' own expense and are not included in the tour price.
How physically demanding is the experience?
The session covers two hours mostly within the covered market halls. Walking distances are short, but aisles can be crowded and some areas have uneven floors or steps.
Are there any products that cannot be taken home by international visitors?
Some cured meats and dairy products face customs restrictions depending on the destination country. The guide offers general advice, but participants should check their home country's import regulations before purchasing.