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Sip Happens: The Armenia Edition

9 days

Easy

Nine days of ancient monasteries, epic mountains, endless wine, cheese dreams, brandy-fuelled mornings and locals who can out-toast anyone. Expect history, hedonism and hilarity - Armenia proves sip really does happen.

So, you fancy drinking wine where it was actually invented? (Sorry, France. Sorry, Italy. Armenia did it first, 6,000 years ago). Join Tipple Tours for a week-long grape-fuelled adventure, where you’ll sip in caves older than your nan, snack by lakes bluer than your Monday morning mood and make friends with locals who treat wine like holy water (and, honestly, it basically is).

From the neon-lit jazz bars of Yerevan to the monk-haunted monasteries carved into mountains, this trip blends history, hedonism, and a heroic amount of wine.


Why Armenia?

  • The Cradle of Winemaking: Visit the world’s oldest winery in Areni Cave. Yes, it’s older than most empires, IKEA and definitely your liver’s tolerance.
  • Stunning Landscapes: Mount Ararat, Lake Sevan…basically your Instagram will explode.
  • Unique Wines: Over 30 wines at 12 wineries. (Warning: you may start speaking fluent Armenian after tasting No. 28).
  • Ancient History: Pagan temples, monasteries, UNESCO sites. You’ll get cultured and cultured.
  • Warm Hospitality: Armenians never let you leave hungry. Or sober.

Tour Highlights

  • Free bottle of wine daily (because hydration is overrated).
  • Yerevan Nights: Wine bars, jazz clubs, cheeky pub crawls.
  • Winery Wonderland: Boutique vineyards, grand estates and even a grape spa (yes, you can literally bathe in wine).
  • Lake Sevan: Cheese + wine + brandy = happiness.
  • Garni & Geghard: A pagan temple, a mountain monastery, and fresh lavash bread stuffed with cheese. Michelin-starred sandwiches, Armenian style.
  • Farewell Feast: Go out with a bang (and possibly a bangin’ headache).
What's included?
    • Accommodation: beds, pillows etc but no sleeping in wine barrels unless you ask nicely
    • Transportation in our comfy A/C vehicles which are perfect for wine naps
    • Professional English-speaking guides who are also fluent in Wine Sign Language
    • All winery visits and tastings (yes, that’s a lot of tastings!)
    • Entry tickets and fees: History Museum, Zvartnots, Echmiadzin, Cheese Farm, Garni, Lavash baking.
    • Breakfasts at hotels as eating before wine tasting is highly recommended!
    • 1 bottle of wine per person, per day. Armenian hospitality = dangerous generosity!
    Exclusions
      • International flights: Tipple Tours can’t book flights as we don’t have a license but we can point you in the right direction
      • Travel insurance to protect both you and your wine purchases
      • Lunches and dinners (so you’re free to feast wherever tempts you)
      • Optional visits like the Grape Spa if you fancy marinating yourself in merlot
      • Anything not mentioned
      Please note
        • You will be tasting. A lot. If you think “just tasting” means spitting, you may be on the wrong tour.
        • Breakfast is included. And yes, you should eat it — wine at 10am is a lot easier on a full stomach.
        • Stretchy trousers recommended. Between the cheese, bread, and banquets, your jeans will file for early retirement.
        • You will get a workout. Monasteries and temples usually come with stairs.
        • Hospitality is no joke. Armenians will insist on refilling your glass, whether you’ve finished it or not. Resistance is futile.
        • It’s not just about wine. Expect jaw-dropping mountains, ancient monasteries and history older than most countries. (But yes, mostly wine.)
        • You’ll leave with more than souvenirs. New friends, a head full of toasts, and probably an overweight suitcase full of bottles.
        What to bring
          • Stretchy trousers – Armenian food portions + daily wine tastings = buttons will suffer.
          • A liver of steel – not sold on Amazon (yet), but you’ll wish it was.
          • Portable breath mints – because nothing says romance like “I had brandy for breakfast.”
          • Extra suitcase space – you’ll tell yourself you won’t buy wine bottles…you will.
          • Camera/phone with extra storage – monasteries, mountains and selfies with your new Armenian “uncle” require evidence.
          • Sensible shoes – monasteries = stairs, caves = uneven ground, wine bars = dancing.
          • A phrasebook (or just the word Genats! ) – it means “cheers,” and you’ll use it more than “hello.”
          • Mild hangover remedies – hydration tablets, paracetamol, or sheer determination.
          • An adventurous appetite – wine-soaked cheese, brandy-soaked cheese, probably dreams soaked in cheese.
          • A sense of humour – essential for group toasts, questionable karaoke and unexpected goat encounters.