In Armenia, shopping areas are usually quite conveniently concentrated for the tourist. Let’s take a look at whole districts for buying souvenirs, as well as paying attention to markets and shopping centers.
- Shopping Districts
- Best Markets in Armenia
- Best Armenian Shopping Centers
- Frequently Asked Shopping Questions
Main Shopping Districts in Armenia
Yerevan
Let’s start in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, with Republic Square. The area covers 30,000 square meters. It is the main architectural complex and the central square of Yerevan. Republic Square is surrounded by five landmark buildings: the Central Post Office Building, the Government of Armenia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Transport and Communications, the Museum of History of Armenia, the National Art Gallery and the Marriott Armenia Hotel. The square is decorated with singing fountains and “Erebuni-Yerevan” fountains, the number of which corresponds to the age of the capital – 2,800 pieces. On the square you will find stalls with national dress, local jewelry, ceramic products, natural cosmetics and traditional sweets.
Gyumri
Let’s move to the city of Gyumri to Abovyan Street. The oldest pedestrian street starts behind Vardanants Square. The length of the street from south to north is 693 meters. On this artery are located the old “Gyumri” bathhouse, a French hotel, the house of “Cellar Vago”, ‘October’ movie theater, the art gallery of sisters Mariam and Yeranui Aslamazyan, the monument to the billionaire American of Armenian origin Kirk Kerkorian, the church of “Surb Nshan” (Holy Sign) of the middle of the XIX century. Abovyan Street is also notable for its houses built of red and black polished tuff, with intricate patterns on the facades. Once there, it is as if you are transported to the XIX century, after which the history, culture, architecture, traditions and crafts of the city will be heard from every building. Stores with essential oils, stores with spices, tents with pomegranates the size of your head, galleries with wooden art, salons with leather accessories – shopping is guaranteed. Especially interesting is the small B612 Art Gallery with non-trivial jewelry and ceramics. After shopping, stop by the cozy pastry shop “Donchik-Monchik”, the coffee shop “Aregak Bakery & Cafe”, the cafe ‘Ani’ or the favorite place of Yerevan progressive youth “GGH”, where you can drink beer or wine with snacks under the performance of the best jazz and rock musicians in the country.
Dilijan
Sharambeyan Street is considered to be the central street of Dilijan. It is the only tourist street in the city with a population of 16,600 people. Everything here is kept in a single architectural style with an abundance of wood and carvings, and therefore the mile refers somewhere to the turn of XIX and XX centuries. The basic building here is considered to be the hotel “Old Dilijan”, which is a part of the hotel chain “Tufenkian” with a pronounced national flavor. Sharambeyan Street is also called the street of artisans, and it is not surprising. As there are authentic workshops and souvenir shops with handmade goods at every step. We recommend visiting the excellent Haykanoush restaurant with a beautiful setting. The alley was created in 1970.
Ijevan
The Central Square of Ijevan is also inviting for shopping. On its territory are located: Christian basilica, historical-ethnographic and historical-geological museums, tourist center, medieval monastery “Makaravank”, the church of St. Nerses Shnorhali, house of culture. There is also a statue of “Armenian Woman” in the town square. Every weekend a large market is recreated here, where you can easily buy homemade wine, a colorful carpet, a bottle of famous mineral water such as “Bjni” and “Jemruk”, excellent ceramic dishes or rejuvenating cosmetics.
The best markets in Armenia
We go to the Armenian bazaars, which are full of pomegranates, churchkhela, talismans and evil eye charms like “Fatima’s eye”. The local markets are open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Ideal time to visit: at the opening, when there is still a choice and just before closing, when sellers give away leftovers for next to nothing.
Market “Vernissage”
Let’s start with the most famous bazaar of the country – Yerevan “Vernissage”. The open-air market is located here. The market functions in full force on Saturdays and Sundays, on weekdays not all shops are open.
It is a great place where traditional souvenirs are sold. Here you can find both wooden products and ceramic utensils, clothes – both ethnic and everyday, and pomegranates – from juicy to painted, and carpets – from bedside to large-scale, and pastries – from lavash to gata. Everyone will be interested here: locals, non-locals, collectors and those just looking for a gift for relatives and friends. Let’s go through the prices: windwoven carpets start from 70,000 Armenian drams, carved chess sets from 30,000 Armenian drams, and a kilogram box of “Grand Candy” is offered for 22,000 Armenian drams.
GUM Farmers’ Market
The next bazaar is also located in Yerevan at 35 Movses Khorenatsi Street. And it is a grocery market.
It is mostly crowded with locals – promoted chefs, caring housewives. And all because there is a huge choice of vegetable garden, greenhouse, farm-factory, garden and home-made food. There are a variety of fruits and vegetables, spices and herbs, sweets and pastries, dried fruits and jams, cheese and smoked meats, wine and stronger drinks.
Prices are high, and it is understandable, because it is the only indoor market of this scale in the country. For example, a kilogram of cheese costs AMD 1,750 on average, a kilogram of basturma will be yours for AMD 1,500. But “Ararat” cognac with five-year ageing costs AMD 6,150, ‘Ararat’ cognac with seven-year ageing costs AMD 12,200 and “Ararat” cognac with ten-year ageing costs AMD 17,200. We advise you to have a glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice at the entrance.
Central Market in Gyumri
Stalls, stores and market stalls stretch from the bus station to the very beginning of Freedom Square.
It is a comfortable and cozy place for shopping. Both local food and traditional souvenirs are presented in one place. Consider it come, see, buy everything. At the open bazaar you can buy anything from socks to churchkhela, from wine to building materials, from face cream to leather belt, from a bouquet of flowers to a presentable jacket, from a stick of sausage to backgammon. Comfortable? Or do you prefer to have everything separately?
Central Market in Ijevan “Ijevan Marketplace”
The marketplace is located in Ijevan at 23 Yerevanian Street.
Here, as in any central market of a small town, everything necessary and interesting for travelers is presented: from magnets to musical duduk, from fake leather bags to real carpets. There is also a department for food products – fruits and vegetables, meat and sausage, dairy and cheese, dried fruits and nuts, bread and pastries, seasonings and herbs. At the “Central Market” in Ijevan, prices are comparatively lower than in the capital’s bazaar. See for yourself: red tomatoes are offered for 790 Armenian drams per kilogram, cheese on weight costs from 2,000 to 3,500 Armenian drams per kilogram, and a bottle of good wine from Armenian grape varieties starts from 1,500 Armenian drams.
Central Market in Dilijan
The market has found its place in Dilijan at 35 Myasnikyan Street. The market works seven days a week.
Tunics, flared pants, skirts, shawls, T-shirts, windbreakers, belts, caps, beach accessories – if you buy clothes in shops and kibbits, it is here. Here they offer Armenian, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Uzbek things. Closet items start from 1,500 Armenian drams. At the “Central Market” in Dilijan you can have a snack or buy food to take with you.
“Vernisazh” flea market
Let’s return again to the capital, to the ”Vernisazh” market, to 1-3 Buzand St. Here is located antique shop.
Soviet paper money, tattered musical instruments, out of order televisions, old cameras, abandoned bicycles, paintings, painted ceramic utensils, carpets, carved backgammon and other handmade products of local artisans. Give these items a second life! True, it will not cost you cheap. The starting price of the most ordinary brass candlestick is 9,000 Armenian drams.
The best shopping centers in Armenia
We know where to find the most presentable leather bags, the most charming jewelry and the most authentic traditional carpets. Here are the top 6 shopping centers. As a rule, shopping malls in Armenian cities are open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Dalma Garden Mall
Shopping Mall is located in Yerevan on Tsitsernakaberd highway, 3. It is one of the most popular complexes in the country.
The two-story center occupies an area of 44,000 square meters. On this territory there are boutiques and stores with gold and silver, with household appliances and electronics, with carpets and home textiles, with natural cosmetics and perfumes, with ceramic dishes and wooden crafts, with clothes and shoes. The last point includes mass brands: Bershka, Zara, Oysho, Stradivarius, Mexx, Desigual, Top Shop, Gap, Pull & Bear, Mango.
In “Dalma Garden Mall” apart from the shopping area, there is a recreation area with bowling, Cinema Star movie theater, children’s playground, beauty salon. And you can have lunch in one of the cafes on the second floor. Thus, an inexpensive lunch for one in a good cafe will cost AMD 3,500, and a dinner for two with alcohol in a good restaurant will cost AMD 11,000.
World of Gold
Yerevan department store selling gold (and silver) jewelry is located 400 meters away from the Republic Square.
The concern, founded in 1995, is considered the leading company in the production and sale of gold jewelry. In this department store you will find jewelry for every taste and purse. And both silver jewelry and original costume jewelry. For example, one gram of gold of 585 standard in Armenia costs 17,614 Armenian drams, and one gram of silver of 985 standard costs 390 Armenian drams.
Shirak Mall Gyumri
The shopping and entertainment center is located in Gyumri, Armenia’s second most populous city, at 77/1 Proshyan Street.
Its area is 60,000 square meters. The shopping center is divided into thematic sections: one section sells clothes, footwear, textiles, carpets, leather goods, another sells tableware, accessories, home décor, small electronics, the third cosmetics and oriental incense, there is even a special section for sports and children’s goods. As for prices, they are optimal. For example, earrings made of wood and painted after an Armenian fairy tale will cost AMD 2,000, a stylish backpack made of rough textured leather can be found for AMD 10,000, and a jug with pomegranate ornaments will be yours for AMD 15,000.
Ijevan City
This mall is considered the center of shopping in Ijevan City, right over there on the map.
The shopping complex offers a good assortment of clothes, a selection of foodstuffs and Armenian brandy, as well as a collection of carpet, ceramics, cosmetics, gold, silver, wood and leather goods. Absolutely any tourist will find their perfect souvenir and gift for mom here.
Artashat Plaza
The shopping center is located in the city of Artashat on Augusta Street, 23.
It may seem incredible to you, but this mall also carries the latest collections of famous world brands: “H&M”, “Adidas”, “Nike”, “Levi’s”, “Mexx”, “Zara”, ‘Mango’, “Sisley”. So you’re welcome! You’ll also find beach, resort, professional, street and formal wear. There are also jewelry stores, alkomarkets, furniture stores, antique outlets, wood, ceramic and copper décor workshops. To have a snack, change the baby’s clothes, fix your hair, repair your heels – “Artashat Plaza” will not let you down. The most ordinary haircut for women will cost you AMD 3,400, for men – AMD 1,800.
La Galleria Outlet
We also share the coordinates of the local outlet. La Galleria Outlet” has found its place in the capital on Northern Avenue, 3.
The arcade exhibits collections of luxury firms. There are Dolce & Gabbana, Corneliani, Christian Dior, Emporio Armani, Brioni, Philipp Plein, Billionaire, Lanvin, Ermanno Scervino, Steffano Ricci, and Etro, and Stella McCartney, and Burberry, and Saint Laurent Paris, and Polo Ralph Lauren, and Fendi, and Gucci, and Alexander McQueen, and Tod’s, and others. You remember what an outlet is, don’t you? The lines of world-famous fashion houses lost their relevance last year, so they are now sold in specialized department stores at nice prices – with discounts of up to 70 percent.
Frequently asked questions about shopping in Armenia
Where to find ATMs in Armenia?
ATMs work without breaks and weekends, and in addition, they are located in tourist areas. For example, in Yerevan ATMs are concentrated on Republic Square, in Gyumri – on Abovyan Street, in Dilijan – on Sharambeyan Street, and in Ijevan – on Central Square.
Is there a commission for withdrawal?
ATMs usually charge about two percent for cash withdrawals. You can also pay for purchases with your Visa or Mastercard, in which case there will be no commission. But in some places only cash is accepted.
Where to change money in Armenia?
If you have cash, the most favorable option is local banks (“Akba Bank”, “VTB Armenia”, “Ararat Bank”, ‘Rosselkhozbank’, “Byblos Bank Armenia”, “Prometheus Bank” or any other). They are usually open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. At the bank you will be asked for your passport. Standard exchange offices are found in stores or near big hotels.
We wish you a good shopping experience, great souvenirs and accommodating salesmen!