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A surprise trip organised by Wizz Air ended, unexpectedly, on Armenian soil: passengers on the airline’s Let’s Get Lost weekend flight learned only on touchdown that their destination was Yerevan. The reveal followed cryptic boarding passes marked “unknown” and a pilot’s teasing remark as the plane lined up at London Luton.
A theatrical arrival
The cabin broke into cheers when the pilot announced, “I can now tell you that we’re in Yerevan, Armenia.” Around 100 people on board — including 30 competition winners and their guests — applauded the news.
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At the airport, welcoming musicians and dancers created an immediate sense of place. The procession featured the piercing zurna, said to mark joyous events, and the deeper-sounding duduk used for more mournful music, while drummers kept the rhythm for circle dances.
The city up close
Yerevan is compact and walkable despite busy traffic. A local guide, Sonya Abrahamyan, led the group through the old quarter and pointed out how little of the very earliest city fabric survives. “Because of earthquakes and Soviet urban planning,” she said, explaining the gaps in the historic streetscape.
The city is ancient — Sonya noted it will mark its 2,808th anniversary in October, when “the whole city turns into a stage.” Its location places it at a crossroads: geographically part of West Asia but, in many cultural ways, leaning towards Europe.
History and geopolitics
Armenia’s past includes centuries within the Persian sphere, later inclusion in Imperial Russia and absorption into the Soviet Union in the 1920s. Since independence, the country has sought closer ties with Europe while distancing itself from Russia; older generations tend to use Russian as a second language, younger people favour English.
Visitors should be aware of travel advice: the Foreign Office warns against visiting areas near the Azerbaijani border to the east because of recent conflict. Relations with neighbouring Turkey also remain tense, largely over a long-standing dispute about the events of 1915.
Landmarks and landscape
From viewpoints such as the Cascade Complex — a stepped sculpture theatre designed by Alexander Tamanyan — the city’s urban contours unfold beneath the dominating silhouette of Mount Ararat. The mountain’s twin peaks rise above 5,000 metres and are visible from many parts of Yerevan, though the summit itself lies across the Turkish border.
Religious sites illustrate Armenia’s deep spiritual history. The pre-Christian Garni Temple and the cliff-cut Geghard Monastery, partly carved into rock in the 13th century, attract both worshippers and tourists. Inside Geghard, visitors pass stalls selling sweets and musical instruments before entering a dim sanctuary to light narrow candles.
Food, wine and local flavours
Armenian cuisine leans towards Middle Eastern patterns: grilled meats, a wide array of salads, distinctive cheeses and fragrant fruit juices. Bread is central — lavash is still baked in traditional underground ovens, stretched thin and slapped onto the oven wall for a minute before being removed and eaten with cheese and herbs.
The region also claims one of the world’s oldest wine-making traditions. The Wine History Museum of Armenia presents evidence that people in the area have been producing wine for thousands of years. Distillation yields strong local brandies too; staff at a factory named after Mount Ararat said Winston Churchill enjoyed Armenian brandy after sampling it at the Yalta Conference and purportedly ordered annual shipments — a claim presented as their recollection.
Practical information
There are no direct flights from Ireland to Yerevan. Wizz Air will start regular services to Armenia from June 8, operating twice weekly on Fridays and Mondays, with fares from London advertised from £45.99. For more details see armenia.travel and the Tourism Committee of Armenia.
The Let’s Get Lost promotion was available only to competition winners.
Note: the Foreign Office advice about border areas and the recent conflicts in the region remain relevant; check official travel guidance before planning a visit. Drink responsibly.
