Private Professional Tour Guide in Armenia!
Premium & Luxury Private Customized Tours & Experiences in Armenia with a Professional Licensed Guide with 19 years of Experience
*For those travelers who prefer BETTER travel experiences to feel the REAL Armenia as a local, avoiding the tourist trap places
Speaking *English *Pусский *Español *Հայերեն
WHY TO CHOOSE ME AS YOUR GUIDE/TOUR DESIGNER
- Tour guiding and travel designing has been my passion since 2003!
- Are you looking for the “best in class” Armenia travel advisor and tour guide offering more creative itineraries?
- Are you looking for a unique, spiritual and a life-changing trip?
- Are you interested to do extra things and have unique experiences in Armenia besides seeing the main historic and cultural sites also going off-the-tourist-map places?
- Then I am the right travel designer and guide with who you should be embarking on that journey!
- Luxury is the customization of the interests, abilities during the trip that my clients usually desire. And luckily in Armenia the luxury is so affordable during these days as the country is still a bit unknown and there are no tourist crowds here yet! Grab the moment and visit Armenia now!
- I organize tours combined with over-the-top exclusive experiences such as savoring the flavors of real Armenia, eating like a local by tasting the authentic Armenian food, cooking classes in an 18th century heritage house in a remote mountain village of Armenia with an amazing grandma using a 300 year-old family cookbook, perusing the most amazing arts & crafts markets, private in-home dining experiences with breathtaking Mount Ararat view and Yerevan cityscape, private viewing of an art collection in a private home with the artist and the collector, dinner with a fashion designer in his extravagant house, dinner and wine tasting in a boutique winery together with a winemaker/winery founder producing some of the world’s most refined Armenian wines…
- If you are into active journeys, such as hiking, watching the wildlife, then I have a special tour itinerary for you. During the trip you will stay in the extraordinary remote lodges in the most unique landscapes of Armenia or in beautiful boutique hotels with a national character and traditional design, in quaint and charming towns and villages.
- I am a critic, and I always know which room in the hotel affords the best view that my clients would have liked, which table to book in the dining room.
- I am a curator always looking for the undiscovered, the unusual. I always travel strategically on my own to see new properties before they open, travel with an eye to every detail for my upscale traveler.
- I will organize the trip of a lifetime, you could have never booked on your own. I do much more than just help with the planning, I alleviate your stress by helping with the details. I provide the confidence that my client is getting the best trip possible and I give him/her the piece of mind knowing that I am there to help.
- These are intangible things that you could never get by booking on the internet.
About Myself
In order to understand the country that you visit, its culture, traditions, national character and mindset, you have to communicate with a LOCAL tour guide, the bearer of that culture.
I was born in Armenia, in Yerevan, the capital (when it was still a part of the USSR), and I have been living in Armenia all my life. My ancestors are Armenian from both sides.
I started my career as a tour guide at the age of 18 when I was still a student at Yerevan State University (where I used to study foreign languages (English, Spanish and Russian), linguistics and World Literature).
After a 3-month training program at Menua Tours, I could guide my first student group during the summer holidays. Then tour guiding became my weekend job as I used to guide the local schoolchildren until I graduated from the university.
After I got my university degree, I was qualified for applying for my government tourist guide license. I had to study for 4 years on my own at the reading-hall of the public library of Armenia reading all the necessary literature in order to be able to pass the government license.
I was 22 years-old and I already had the job of my dreams!
I was hired by a local budget tour company and I gained so much experience guiding their international tour groups practicing all the languages I had learnt at the university.
A year later I was already a freelance guide working with the Armenian DMCs guiding both budget and the VIP groups.
I was happy to do what I love, but at the same time I was angry at the inability of the local tour operators to design better itineraries, and use better hotels and restaurants.
It was shocking for me that many of these tour operators working behind the computer and planning traveler’s holidays had never traveled even to the main sites of Armenia and had no idea of the timing while covering the distances on those mountain roads. I was exhausted by traveling crazy long distances and showing my guests around dozens of churches in one day. I am not even talking about the poor standards of the guesthouses and hotels used by those big companies.
“Enough is enough” I said to myself. And I started my own company where I could professionally designing the best itineraries using my knowledge and experience after having explored almost every “inch” of Armenia.
In 2020 I proudly represented Armenia and the region of the South Caucasus at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show by having both a booth (for my company tours) and a 40-minute presentation with pictures and maps.
As the whole world especially the workers of the tourism industry were so badly affected by COVID-19 and everyone was traveling local, I started on my own another small company which organizes weekend hiking tours and experiences. During the past 2 years we have been actively traveling and discovering the most remote, unpolluted corners of Armenia which has never seen any tourists before… We have been exploring the most beautiful and exotic villages of Armenia completely frozen in time. We have walked along the Silk Road. We have been having amazing feasts with chefs in different regions enchanting our taste buds…
MY HOBBIES
Besides being a gym addict I like swimming, hiking, nature, watching the wildlife, professional photography.
My “oxygen” of soul is a hike a week to somewhere I haven’t been.
I LOVE to travel. I have been to so many countries but my favorite ones will always remain Greece, Montenegro, Syria, Russia and the USA.
I study spirituality, esoteric teachings, places of power, reincarnation and photography. I like taking pictures of my clients and make sure after your trip to Armenia you will have the best pictures of you ever 😉
TYPES OF TOURS THAT I OFFER
- Cultural, historical
- Yerevan city walk to explore the hidden gems off-the-tourist-radar to experience the city as a local
- Hiking, trekking and light nature walks in the most beautiful National Parks, Nature Reserves of Armenia
- Foodie tours, cooking classes
- Premium wine tour, “Food & Wine Tours”
- Photography tours and photo tours
- Arts & crafts tours – pottery and jewelry making, painting
- Shopping assistance & tours
- Body-mind-soul healing tours
TYPES OF TRAVELERS I CATER FOR
- Family tours (with children at any age)
- Solo travelers
- Couples on a romantic tour, honeymoon tours
- LGBT travelers
- Hikers & lovers of active journeys
- Foodies
- Wine lovers
- Village lovers
- Photography & photo tours
Why Armenia?!
Any luxury traveler with a sense of urgency prefers to visit the countries before they gain popularity.
Armenia has to be your top choice because it is a real hidden gem and it’s is still quite off-the-tourist radar. The country offers a stunning combination of dramatic mountain landscape which will take your breath away, the oldest and the most beautiful monasteries on earth in fascinating natural settings, very rich and diverse national cuisine, some of the world’s most refined wines, friendly locals – yet not spoilt by seeing massive tourism!
Besides Armenia is a very safe country to travel with very low crime level. Yerevan, the capital is a dynamic European city, extremely safe even for night walks.
Send to me an email and we will plan the most amazing and colorful trip of your life!
“A guest is the messenger of God”, an Armenian proverb…In Armenia you feel as if you are God because everywhere you are pampered if you are a guest.
I will help you to feel the authentic spirit and see the rich pallette of colors of Armenia with all the contrasts.
I’m very passionate about what I do. Simply IN LOVE with my job. I’m full of energy, enthusiasm and have a good sense of humor. There will be a lot of fun, jokes, adventures… simply a trip you will never forget! The most important thing for me is to see your happy faces and your smile!
Services & Tours I offer
- I am one of the rare guides in Armenia who has a Tour Guide License after passing an exam
- I have the most modern high-end cars in Armenia for you during my tours
- I don’t drive but work with a professional driver so I can focus on guiding and delivering a more unique travel experience
- I offer the most refined itineraries including only the best attractions/restaurants/local homes/hotels
- For almost 16 years I have been guiding in Armenia full time in a constant search of the most perfect of everything to be included in my tours for you
- Every meal I organize for you is rich in healthy ingredients and you sample only the best traditional Armenian dishes
- Everything is pre-booked and organized for you in advance! No waiting lines at the attractions or museums!
- I am very fit, energetic, enthusiastic and fun to travel with
- You can learn more about tours with me reading more than 150 travel reviews on TripAdvisor, world’s largest traveler’s website which awards Mariam Ghazarian – Private Tours with a Certificate of Excellence every year
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Reviews on TripAdvisor
Seza A
2020-03-27
"Best of Armenia and Artsakh" My daughter and I had the best experience with Mariam Ghazarian as our tour guide recently. She was very professional, knowledgeable with a fascinating sharp memory of the ancient history of Armenia to it's Kingdoms and today's modern Armenia. She had a strong communication skills and was personable. Mariam was very accommodating to our needs, the first day she came to pick us up in a very comfortable, large sports car, she had us continue our tour in an SUV when she noticed I was suffering with fibromyalgia pain, so I could recline my chair and be more comfortable. The restaurants Mariam took us all had delicious food with great atmosphere. She was fluent in English language which was necessary for my daughter to understand. Thank you Mariam and Caucasus Tour for the wonderful and happiest experience in our Motherland.
Thestovemonkey
2020-03-05
Best of Armenia The review text Mariam is one of the best guides I've ever experienced. She replied to emails promptly, picked us up at our hotel on time and is very knowledgeable on all the historical sites we visited. Made our trip to Yerevan extra special. A-Star guide and host. Malcolm and Friends (Singapore)
efikri
2019-10-27
Best of Armenia and Artsakh This was one of our best holidays for some time, as our five days were in the careful hands of Mariam, who tried her utmost to fulfil our days with the highlights of Artsakh. All hotels, wineries and restaurants chosen were excellent picks and we enjoyed the wine and the exquisite Armenian food with some extra kilos in our waist🇦🇲😊. Mariam is a gem and the right person to discover ARMENIA with.
Andrew M
2019-09-03
Wonderful Tour of Armenian Cultural History My wife and I recently completed a wonderful week touring Yerevan and the southern Caucus mountain region with Mariam Ghazaryan as our guide. As an American born son of West-Armenian (i.e. from Turkey) parents, I was interested in better understanding my cultural heritage. Mariam did that beyond my expectations giving us a full account of every historical site visited. She attended to every detail, such as complaining to our hotel in Yerevan when we arrived to a room with 2 beds rather than a king-sized bed, which was corrected with apologies, to planning and ordering lunches before we arrived at the wonderful restaurants that she selected so we would not waste time waiting for the food to be prepared, to our driver Levon making a wooden step to ease my wife’s climbing into the van when he observed her difficulty, to modifying our itinerary as necessary, to recommending wonderful restaurants in Yerevan for our dinners on our own. As we drove to the sites, and along the way, Mariam was a fountain of knowledge regarding the history of Armenia, developing a story going from ancient pre-Armenia to the development of the kingdom and modern state that it now is. We have been on many tours and independent activities on all 7 continents. Our tour with Mariam Ghazaryan was among our best.
Joann P
2019-08-18
Amazing & Unforgettable Experience!!! We (family of 4) just returned from a week long vacation in Armenia. Mariam created a diverse itinerary for us to experience all that Armenia has to offer. During every excursion Mariam shared her deep knowledge of Armenian history and culture. She gave us great suggestions for dinner and coffee spots. She went above and beyond each day making us her special coffee to have along the way. We celebrated my son's 18th birthday while we were there and she surprised him with a cake at lunch! We loved spending each day with her and had a number of laughs along the way! We were so sad to say good-bye and look forward to keeping in touch with her.
She is the simply the best!
RitaG
2019-07-17
Perfect Vacation We met Mariam 13 years ago with a big group & every since then I have been dreaming to go back with my younger children. When we were finally ready to of course we called her again for our private tour. Mariam was excellent, explained everything from history & tradition in English to us. She had a clean big van for us with air conditioning with a wonderful driver. She took care of all of our decision making & made it amazing. From hotels, to the day trips, to the overnight, food & best times to go to each of our destinations. What a wonderful experience we all had with her, she made sure that our lunch stops were in magical & beautiful places with views & the people were excellent. She loves her job & you can tell because she is very passionate about it. We were on a tour with her for 17 days.
Till now my family & I are still speaking about her & our experience with her. Nobody else to call when you thinking of going to Armenia but Mariam. She will take care of every little detail for you & then some.
Jet110078
2019-07-02
Fantastic all around Where do I begin? My extended family and I travel every few years (13 people this time) and this time we were fortunate enough to visit Armenia (a land full of history, culture and wonderful people) and spend nearly two weeks seeing the different parts. We were doubly fortunate to have Mariam as our guide, an extremely nice, knowledgeable and resourceful guide who helped us in every aspect of this trip. She was always pleasant, prompt and kind. She became part of the family and went out of her way to make us feel at home. If you’re traveling to Armenia, look no further, you have found the best guide!
RPMPhilly
2019-06-12
Superb Tour Guide of Armenia - Historic, Scenic Sites We are thrilled that our three day tour of Armenia's historic, scenic sites were led by Mariam, along with her safe, astute driver. She was superb. She holds an encyclopedic knowledge about every site we saw and passed on our journey. She had a sense of humor and most impressive command of English. We loved her descriptions about each historic and scenic site, which included many places of political and religious significance. She has a genuine interest in making sure we learned as much as we could in the short three days we had with her and for that we are most appreciative. She was flexible, intuitive, exceptionally thoughtful, and helpful. I would hire her again in less than a heartbeat for our next trip to Armenia. You should, too!
smarttravelor123
2019-06-08
Touring Armenia with Mariam Ghazarian After researching tour guides to Armenia on Trip Advisor we decided that Mariam was the one for us. We sent Mariam a list of “must sees” and she put together a fabulous 14 day tour. Mariam is very knowledgeable about Armenia and her love for the country was evident during the whole tour. Mariam was punctual, and everyday’s agenda was educational and different. We ate gourmet Armenian lunches in beautiful settings and had cooking classes in making dolma, katah and soojuk (walnuts dipped in cherry juice) in private homes. Watching the women make lavash was fascinating as well. Our tour of Armenia was an emotional one which made us even more proud to be of Armenian decent. The Armenian people have endured terrible hardships over the centuries, but have always thrived because they are a hard working, intelligent and a proud race. We didn't want to say goodbye when the tour ended and will miss the beauty of the Armenian people and the exquisite countryside villages. This was a trip of a lifetime! Thank you Mariam for a wonderful tour of Armenia. Stephanie and Beverly
Ginny M
2019-05-29
Trip to Armenia My husband and I just returned yesterday from a 10 day tour with Mariam in Armenia. Without a doubt, this was one of the most memorable trips we have made.
Mariam went above and beyond the call of duty to make us feel welcome , and she took care of our every need.
She is a very remarkable and intelligent young woman, with boundless energy. Her knowledge of the history, art, architecture, culture,and topography of Armenia is impressive. We saw and experienced more than we ever thought possible! She took us to amazing restaurants every day, and we tried new dishes at each one.
We had wine and cognac tastings as well as cooking classes! What an incredible adventure!
We had a wonderful driver as well, who was so patient and kind. We never once had to wait for him! He was always one step ahead!
We loved our time with Mariam so much that we didn’t want to leave, and it was very sad to say goodbye. We are planning to go back again! There is still so much to see and do in this beautiful country. With Mariam as our guide, I am confident that not only will we see everything imaginable, but it will be fun and exciting as well! We can’t wait to return!
Why To Book with Me
- Bespoke cultural tours throughout Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh) Republic by a luxury transportation with a driver
- Premium Food & Wine Tours
- Gourmet Tours accompanied by master classes of old traditional Armenian dishes
- Tours for Wine Lovers & Professionals
- Hotel/apartment booking in Yerevan downtown with special rates
- Transportation rental with a driver
- Airport pick up & drop off services
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Happy Tourists
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5 stars on TripAdvisor
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Years of Experience
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