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Old Dilijan: Sharambeyan Street

Old Dilijan: stone houses with carved wooden balconies on cobbled Sharambeyan Street, green mountains behind
Photo: Սէրուժ Ուրիշեան (Serouj Ourishian), CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free — it's a public street
Hours
The street is open 24/7; workshops, museum and restaurant keep their own daytime hours
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
45 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Time needed
30–45 min; 1.5–2 h with the museum and lunch
Craft shops
Daytime; each keeps its own hours
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
House museum
Paid; unofficial prices differ — check on the spot
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Restaurant
Old Dilijan Restaurant and Bakery — Western Armenian cuisine
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Address
Sharambeyan St, Dilijan, Tavush Province
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
40.73950, 44.86900YesGo MapGoogleApple
Getting there
≈ 5 min walk from the Mimino statue in the centre
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Payment
Visa and Mastercard at the hotel and restaurant; cash dram for small shops and minibuses
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.

Key facts

Freeto walk the street — no ticket, no gate
2 sourcesTufenkian Old Dilijan official websiteOpenStreetMap — public street
19th centurythe look of the houses: two storeys, tiled roofs, carved wooden balconies
2 sourcesTufenkian Old Dilijan official websitearmland.am
2004the Tufenkian Foundation began restoring the Sharambeyan Street quarter
2 sourcesTufenkian Old Dilijan official websiteArmenian Explorer
≈ 5 minon foot from the Mimino statue in central Dilijan
SourceYesGo measurement on OpenStreetMap
≈ 200 mlength of the restored stretch of street
SourceYesGo measurement on OpenStreetMap
Hovhannes Sharambeyanthe artist the street is named after
2 sourcesarmland.amWikivoyage
1979Sharambeyan founded a Dilijan branch of the Museum of Folk Art
2 sourcesPanArmenianArmenia.travel
18 roomsin the Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex hotel on the street
2 sourcesTufenkian Old Dilijan official websiteArmenian Explorer
≈ 100 kmfrom Yerevan on the M-4 via Lake Sevan
3 sourcesarmland.amTripster (96 km)English Wikipedia — M-4 motorway

Is Old Dilijan worth visiting?

Yes, if you are already in Dilijan — it is five minutes from the centre and the most photogenic spot in town. No, if you are thinking of a day trip from Yerevan just for this street. It is one lane of about 200 metres, carefully restored and partly rebuilt, so it feels more like a tidy showpiece than a lived-in old town.

The real draw of Dilijan is the forest, the mountains and the monasteries around it. Treat Sharambeyan Street as a pleasant half-hour at the start or end of a day spent at Haghartsin, Goshavank or Lake Parz.

Things to do on Sharambeyan Street

  • Look up at the balconies — the carved wooden fretwork on stone houses is the whole point, best seen from mid-street.
  • Browse the craft workshops — woodwork, ceramics and jewellery; some makers will set up a short class if you ask.
  • Step into the small house museum — a 19th-century home with period furniture, carpets and crockery.
  • Have coffee or lunch at Old Dilijan Restaurant and Bakery, which serves Western Armenian dishes.
  • Take photos — the cobbles, old-style shop signs and tiled roofs make an easy backdrop.
  • Watch the hills above the rooftops — in autumn the forested slopes turn gold.

What is Old Dilijan?

In the 1800s Dilijan was a mountain resort for well-off holidaymakers from across the region, and its merchants built two-storey stone houses with fine woodwork. Sharambeyan Street preserves that look: mansard roofs, red tiles and carved wooden balconies.

The street is named after Hovhannes Sharambeyan, an Armenian artist and folk-art collector. It was first laid out as a showcase in Soviet times — sources give both 1970 and 1979, so we leave the year open. In 2004 the Tufenkian Foundation began restoring the quarter, and today it holds workshops, a small museum, an 18-room hotel and a restaurant with a bakery.

How to get to Old Dilijan

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on footdestinationStreet view

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On foot

More tips

  1. Start at the Mimino statue on the central roundabout — this is where minibuses from Yerevan drop off and taxis wait.
  2. Walk east along Myasnikyan Street, gently downhill, for about 300 metres.
  3. Turn into cobbled Sharambeyan Street — you'll spot it by the wooden balconies. The whole walk takes about 5 minutes.
  4. Stroll to the far end and back; it's short and impossible to get lost.
  5. Then head back towards the centre and on to the Dilijan local history museum on Myasnikyan Street.

Getting from Yerevan to Dilijan

Dilijan is about 100 km from Yerevan on the M-4, via Lake Sevan. Minibuses (marshrutkas) leave from Yerevan's Northern Bus Station several times a day and take about 1.5–2 hours; unofficially the fare is around 1,000 dram, paid in cash. They stop at the Mimino roundabout, five minutes' walk from Sharambeyan Street.

A taxi or hire car takes about an hour and a half — stop at Sevanavank on the lake on the way. The GG and Yandex Go ride-hailing apps work in Armenia and show the fare upfront.

Money and payment

Visa and Mastercard are accepted at the hotel and the restaurant, but outside Yerevan Armenia runs largely on cash. Carry Armenian dram in small notes for the craft stalls, the museum and minibus fares. There are ATMs in town.

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Old Dilijan, the museum or the Mimino statue?

Old Dilijanyou are hereStreet of 19th-century-style housesSharambeyan StreetFreeAny time; shops by day
Local history museumMuseum and art gallery28 Myasnikyan StreetPaid, own ticketDaytime, own hours
Mimino statueSculpture of the film's heroesCentral roundaboutFreeAny time

All three are within a 5–10 minute walk of each other. With time for only one, choose Sharambeyan Street.

Historic sights in Dilijan compared

Every historic sight in and around Dilijan rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Mimino statue4515 minFree5 min walk
Old Dilijan (Sharambeyan Street)you are here4445 minFree—
Jukhtakvank Monastery3845 minFree5.9 km
Matosavank Monastery381 hFree5.6 km
Dilijan Local Lore Museum and Art Gallery381 h4,000 AMD; one section 2,000 AMD4 min walk
Haghartsin Monastery371 hFree7.2 km
Goshavank3145 minFree10.9 km
Sevanavank291 hFree22.9 km

Central Dilijan and Haghartsin in half a day

The Mimino statue, the old street, the local museum, then the monastery in the forest. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Mimino statue15 min · Free
  2. 5 min walk from the previous stopOld Dilijan (Sharambeyan Street)you are here45 min · Free
  3. 4 min walk from the previous stopDilijan Local Lore Museum and Art Gallery1 h · 4,000 AMD; one section 2,000 AMD
  4. 127 min walk from the previous stopHaghartsin Monastery1 h · Free

4 places · about 5 h 16 min with walks · 136 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Mimino statue

Dilijan, Armenia

15 min · Free · 5 min walk

How to do it right

  • Walk the street early, before day-trip groups from Yerevan arrive.
  • Buy wood and ceramic souvenirs straight from the makers in their workshops.
  • Afterwards, walk up to the Mimino statue — there's a drinking fountain beside it.
  • Save the afternoon for Haghartsin or Lake Parz — forests and monasteries are why people come to Dilijan.
  • The cobbles are uneven and slippery after rain; keep a pushchair to the edge of the lane.

Questions

What is Old Dilijan?

A restored lane — Sharambeyan Street — in central Dilijan, with stone houses, tiled roofs and carved wooden balconies in 19th-century style, plus craft workshops, a small museum, a hotel and a restaurant.

Is Old Dilijan worth visiting?

Worth half an hour if you're already in Dilijan. Not worth a trip from Yerevan on its own — it's a single short street.

Is there an entrance fee for Sharambeyan Street?

No. The street is free and always open; you pay only for the museum, classes, souvenirs and food.

How long do you need in Old Dilijan?

30–45 minutes for the street and workshops; 1.5–2 hours with the museum and lunch.

Where is Old Dilijan?

In the centre of town, on Sharambeyan Street — about a 5-minute walk east of the Mimino statue on the roundabout.

How do I get from Yerevan to Dilijan?

By minibus from Yerevan's Northern Bus Station, about 1.5–2 hours, or by taxi in about an hour and a half. It's around 100 km via Lake Sevan.

Who was Sharambeyan?

Hovhannes Sharambeyan was an Armenian artist and folk-art collector. In 1979 he founded a Dilijan branch of the Museum of Folk Art.

Can I pay by card in Old Dilijan?

At the hotel and restaurant, yes. Bring cash dram for the craft stalls, the museum and minibuses.

What else is there to do near Old Dilijan?

The local history museum and the Mimino statue are a few minutes away; Haghartsin, Goshavank and Lake Parz are short drives into the hills.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex official website (Tufenkian Heritage Hotels): history of the quarter, address, Old Dilijan Restaurant and Bakery, 18 rooms, 30.10.2026
  • Armenian Explorer: Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex
  • armland.am: Top 10 must-see places in Dilijan
  • Wikivoyage: Dilijan — the street, workshops, museum, minibuses from Yerevan
  • Tripster: What to see in Dilijan
  • English Wikipedia: Dilijan
  • PanArmenian (February 2026) and Armenia.travel — the Sharambeyan Museum of Folk Art in Dilijan
  • Backpack Moments: Money in Armenia — cards in Yerevan, cash in the regions
  • OpenStreetMap — coordinates of Sharambeyan Street and the Mimino statue
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThe address, restoration history and restaurant come from the official Tufenkian Old Dilijan website. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. Sources disagree on when the street was first laid out in Soviet times (1970 or 1979), so we give no year. The restoration date also differs: Tufenkian and Armenian Explorer say 2004, Wikivoyage 2005 (when the site was leased); we show 2004 from the official site. Two guides quote different prices for the house museum, so we give none. YesGo measured the street length and the walk from the Mimino statue on OpenStreetMap coordinates. The minibus fare and payment details are unofficial and marked “verifying”.

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