Customer Reviews

Hiking in Armenia was well organised by Nune at Cascade Travel and Hovik the guide was professional and always encouraging. Some challenging climbs to ancient buildings, hikes to waterfalls and lots of countryside to experience. Highly recommended!

Sep 15,2024

We had a wonderful tour to Armenia and Georgia with Cascade. Nune was communicative and helpful throughout, came to welcome us when we arrived and gave us fantastic tips about what to do, where to eat and drink etc. in our spare time in Yerevan. We were lucky that it was just us two on the tour which made it a great value private tour. Everything ran on time and so smoothly, and we were looked after completely from the moment we arrived.

Both of our local guides showed real care for us and drove us confidently in comfortable cars through difficult roads! I normally get car sick but didn’t with either of them.

In Armenia, our guide Arman went above and beyond in terms of the information and knowledge he shared with us. Had we gone to these sites alone we wouldn’t have realised the intricate details and meaning behind Armenia’s fantastic history. He shared lots of information about Armenia’s culture, and explained the nuances and subtext really well – something you couldn’t easily get from a book.

In Georgia, Salome made sure we had a good time and showed us where we could get the best of each food dish. She even booked our evening dinners for us after we selected places from her recommendations!

The accommodation was clean, very comfortable and within easy walking distance of lots of amenities. The tour doesn’t include much time seeing the cities, so it’s worth being prepared (or planning extra time) to support these.

We fell in love with both of these countries and highly recommend doing the tour with Cascade!

Our trip to Armenia was a lifetime trip. First of all, I want to mention Cascade Travel communication, which is just great. Nune addresses every single question and answers in every detail. We have read about what is “Armenian hospitality” but never could expect, that in the villages people can just invite us to their houses, and allow us to pick up fresh fruits from the trees. We felt so welcomed and safe here. Armenia really amazed us with its rich culture and architecture. Garni impressed us with unique pagan architecture, while Tatev amazed us with its gorgeous views overlooking the canyon. If you visit Tatev, the ride-on cable car is a must. If you come to Armenia, do yourself a favor and taste Armenian wine. We also had fun activities like cheese tasting on a small family cheese farm and a food masterclass. Overall this trip was worth every penny!

Jun 15, 2024

I recently went on the ‘Walking The Transcaucasian Trail Armenia’ tour and it was truly an unforgettable experience. The amazing landscapes and rich culture of Armenia were highlighted in this hiking adventure. Our guide Vahag, was knowledgeable and passionate about the country, which made the tour even more enjoyable. I took this tour with my friends and by the help of Vahag we shortened the tour duration into 5 days trying not to miss the most important places for hiking. The hikes were challenging but cool, offering stunning views of the mountains and valleys. I highly recommend this tour for anyone who loves hiking and wants to explore Armenia.
April 26, 2023

We had a wonderful wine tour in Armenia with Cascade Travel. Ani was incredibly communicative and helpful throughout our journey. She welcomed us upon arrival and provided fantastic tips on what to do, where to eat, and where to drink in our spare time in Yerevan.

The tour was multifaceted, allowing us to meet five winemakers who were engaging and shared intricate details about their craft. However, the highlight was winemaker Frunz and his unique Halde event. It was so interesting to see divers swimming under Lake Kari to take out wines that had aged underwater for a year. After pulling out the wine, they donated the first bottle back to the lake where it had aged. This was my first time seeing this process, and it was truly fascinating!

We also enjoyed a cooking masterclass with a chef in Tsaghkunq, where we prepared local fish. Additionally, at the Dilvados distillery, we tasted Armenian fruit distillers paired with various grilled meats.

Had we explored these sites alone, we would have missed the rich cultural nuances of Armenia. Our local guide enriched our experience by sharing valuable insights into the country’s culture and history.

The accommodations were clean, very comfortable, and centrally located in the city center.

We fell in love with Armenia and highly recommend this tour with Cascade Travel!

Aug 12, 2024

The way to know a small country like Armenia
This was my first trip after the pandemic, so I booked a tour to be in nature, out from buildings, museums etc, and I was not wrong. I travelled to Armenia in October 2022 and based on the reviews and thorough feedback, took a Hiking trip to Armenia. I booked a guaranteed date trip as I didn’t want to travel alone but rather be in a small group. I was happy to share a room with Cheryll from the UK. There were 5 of us from NZ, The Netherlands and The UK. A full itinerary, but a relaxing pace and beautiful hotels (don’t really think you need to upgrade unless you are terribly choosy!) A satisfying mix of history, culture, landscape and wildlife and we appreciated the hikes. If you feel comfortable in 18-23 degrees C, do book tour in fall as the sceneries look just amazing. Lastiver waterfall trail was the absolute highlight, as the hike goes through forest and trees are of hundred colours from green to yellow, orange, fair red, purple. Guide Arthur was friendly and funny with a lot of jokes. Kaghni Hotel in Dsegh village provides outstanding wild views. Thanks Cascade Travel, especially Nune for this amazing trip, always know you have a friend in NZ :).

December 15, 2022

I was looking for a guaranteed group tour to Armenia and checked a couple of UK travel websites, which do not guarantee that the tour will be organised on all the dates they published on the website. As I wanted to travel in the second half of October I couldn’t find an appropriate company, so I started to check local ones and chose Cascade Travel based ont he recommendation rankings and reviews, too. We booked a small group tour to Armenia and then it turned out some people in our group would travel to Georgia the day we were close to the Georgian border. We started in a group of 10 and ended up 4. It was a lot of fun and very comfortable to travel in a group especially when the group members are good to hang out with in the evenings. Yeghevnut hotel in Goris has a nice terrace to sit in the evening. In Kaghni hotel we organised farewell dinner with all group members, those who would continue the next day tour to Georgia. There are a couple of small issues to mention, the cable car to Tatev Monastery was overcrowded and if you are not close to the window you are risking to see nothing when passing the canyon, which is impressive. Berlin Art Hotel in Gyumri is located very close to the hospital but it is still in the city centre, freshly renovated and has fine breakfast. We travelled in a 20 seater minibus but when some part of group continued to Georgia our car was changed to a smaller 6 seater one which was ok for 4 of us but we didn’t expect that. Overall no specific concerns we are satisfied with the tour. 

November 17, 2022

More than expected

We had a thoroughly enjoyable varied trip, every detail was well thought out and designed to give us a good insight of local culture, cuisine and beverages. We visited the wine factory Voskevaz which was impressive due to its architecture built in the old castle style. Ararat Brandy is a real pride for Armenia as the guide told Churchill was fond of Armenian Brandy produced in this factory. We had a couple of cooking classes, which we truly loved. The duduk play in an underground man made cave hall was touching, this is the sweetest and saddest musical instrument I have ever heard. Guys in Cascade travel did everything possible to make us comfortable, we were unsatisfied with the vehicle, the air conditioning was working bad and ended up broken on the third day when we had an overnight stay 150 km away from Yerevan. We connected to the office and unexpectedly they were responsive at 10 pm. Morning our car was changed to, so we continued the trip with an air conditioned car, otherwise it would be terrible as we travelled in August and in some regions we had almost 37 degrees C. Guys are real professionals in what they do and really work hard to get us satisfied. The thorough reviews stand for their hard work. 

November 16, 2022

We booked a family trip to Armenia and Georgia, my mother was with us and she was 83 and felt bad from long drives and elevation changes. I wish I could check the itinerary better to see such high altitudes and long drives. My agent from Cascade travel should have notified us. If we were without mom we would have a better time.

October 19, 2022

A well designed private tour Armenia and Georgia with very reasonable price

Cascade travel planned and organised a wonderful 10 day tour of Armenia and Georgia. We customised the tour to our preferences, to take out some monasteries and visit more nature related places. We discussed and came into the final program through a couple of emails. Nune did everything fast and price was very reasonable compared to a couple of other companies we communicated with. We really were impressed with the responsiveness and quickness of Nune, who didn’t miss any single detail in my emails. She surprised us with a birthday cake in a regional hotel. That day was my friend’s birthday and they organised a cake though guide Anna, who is a funny knowledgeable lady, University professor who freelanced as a guide. The Georgian part was organised with the same care but of course service level is different in Armenia and Georgia. Georgians are more relaxed and maybe less caring, they talk too loud and very often it feels like they fight but from the smile we understood that they just used to talk loudly. We would advise to travel to Armenia and Georgia for sure.

October 19, 2022

Wine and food of Caucasus

Our experience during the gastro tour was unusual with lots of good vibes. We travelled in September 2022. We tried lots of tasty traditional dishes like tolma, ghapama which is a pumpkin filled with rice, dry fruits, honey and nuts and of course Georgian dumplings called khinkali. We didn’t expect to taste such delicious local wines. There is a lot to see in both countries. The program was well balanced, we saw a lot and managed to enjoy local restaurants and cafes. I would definitely recommend Cascade Travel as the trip was like a visit to friends, everything was smoothly organised.

October 13, 2022

I did this tour in September 2022 and would highly recommend it. The reflected reviews were very supporting and helped to choose the correct agent. The agency organized it in a way that you will not be feeling overwhelmed with difficult trails, though the last days hike to Aragats Southern peak is not that easy. Anyway I liked it much. Its Northern peak is the highest point of country and though we hiked to the Southern still views were just breathtaking. Overall tour is well balanced and a good thing that all lunch boxes are cared for and no hustle with that. Diners we offered at the hotels quite cheap and tasty.

October 13, 2022

Food and wine as a great way to experience countries

This is a fantastic way to experience and compare the cuisine, landscape and culture of 2 different countries in Caucasus. Wines were delicious both in Armenia and Georgia. Cooking classes were a lot of fun and the most enjoyable parts of the tour. We travelled in September and were lucky enough to participate in grape harvest randomly on the road in Areni village. We saw the vineyards and asked the driver to stop the car. When we got to the vineyards, we were invited to participate in the harvest process. Areni, the local endemic sort of grapes a lot of local wines are made from, is sour for eating. True enjoyable stop was Tsaghkunq Guesthouse, where chef Yura showed how he makes local fish from Lake Sevan. Another highlight of the trip is Alazani valley, Georgian wine region. We made Georgian dumplings Khinkali and Khachapuri (dough and cheese cookies) in Georgia. Just a thing, be prepared to gain a couple of kilos during this trip because it is not possible to eat the portion you used to do :). This was an amazing trip and the countries’ cuisine tell one more than a long history and sometimes boring museums.

October 5, 2022

This was our first time booking a tour with Cascade travel, and next year we plan to travel to Armenia with them again. It was quite simply outstanding – from start to finish. We took a guaranteed trip to Georgia September 2022. Kazbegi was the most wonderful day of this tour, the road was amazing. Prometheus cave was wonderful as well, Tbilisi is a nice city for walks and evening dining, drinking.

October 5, 2022

Great organization, no concerns. Just read the reviews before travelling. 

September 15, 2022

Our trip through Armenia and Georgia was organized with great care by Nune from Cascade Travel. We enjoyed the days and the diverse impressions very much and were taken care of very thoughtfully by our drivers in both countries, though Georgians drive like crazy, Irakli was calm and didn’t pay attention to other drivers tricks and fast driving. We can highly recommend Cascade travel without any reservations!

September 15, 2022

I would highly recommend booking your trip to Armenia and Georgia with Cascade Travel. The tour managers are really good with great customer care, Nune, the founder, personally was my contact person. My emails were responded quickly. I travelled with my wife who’s vegetarian, and all the restaurants had a note to have veggie food for her. When passing the border our driver drove us to the Georgian side, though there were some travelers passing the approximately 200 m bridge by foot. No kind of problem emerged during the tour and I just simply wondered if something more could be done for us.

September 13, 2022

More than expected

We had a thoroughly enjoyable varied trip, every detail was well thought out and designed to give us a good insight of local culture, cuisine and beverages. We visited the wine factory Voskevaz which was impressive due to its architecture built in the old castle style. Ararat Brandy is a real pride for Armenia as the guide told Churchill was fond of Armenian Brandy produced in this factory. We had a couple of cooking classes, which we truly loved. The duduk play in an underground man made cave hall was touching, this is the sweetest and saddest musical instrument I have ever heard. Guys in Cascade travel did everything possible to make us comfortable, we were unsatisfied with the vehicle, the air conditioning was working bad and ended up broken on the third day when we had an overnight stay 150 km away from Yerevan. We connected to the office and unexpectedly they were responsive at 10 pm. Morning our car was changed to, so we continued the trip with an air conditioned car, otherwise it would be terrible as we travelled in August and in some regions we had almost 37 degrees C. Guys are real professionals in what they do and really work hard to get us satisfied.

August 30, 2022

To say that we left Armenia satisfied to say nothing! Armenia is so small country but absolutely amazing and different. We did rock climbing, caving, kayaking, hiking. The terrain changes so quickly, just a couple of kilometers drive brought us to totally different place and views. Antuan our guide – driver was maybe the best guide we have every had during 10 years of traveling. Hotels were well chosen, Tufenkian at lake Sevan was just amazing with an open air heated pool. Make sure you have hat and sun protection cream as Lake Sevan where you do kayak ride is almost 2000 m above sea and it is very easy to get burnt, also Mount Aragats is almost 4000 m., long sleeve jacket is needed.
The trip was absolutely stunning thank you Cascade travel and especially Antuan.

August 25, 2022

Beautiful trekking! Geghama mountains are incredible, with lakes, age-old dragon stones, green meadows and absolute silence. The area is not crowded right when you start hiking from Sevaberd village to the route end. A few hikers can be met. All was organized well, make sure to take your own sleeping bag, the company provides other camping gear, tents, mats. Hot dinner and tea is provided in the evening. The logistics team takes everything, all you need to carry is a raincoat, water and warm jacket. Aragats mount is amazing, seeing the inside of the volcano crater and the other side of the mountain is fantastic. Thanks guys for organizing this trip.

July 20, 2022

Nice trip to unknown world

I first read about these countries on Lonely Planet and never would think they are this worth to see. I found a small group tour which I booked as they offered a discount and there was a possibility to find a travel mate and share a room with. Patrick from Canada was my roommate but we became good friends and decided to travel together further. Countries are really nice, the food is very tasty, and there are lost of excellent cafes, bars and pubs in both capitals. Pity this company organizes tours only in Armenia and Georgia otherwise I would use them again, so highly recommended.

July 6, 2022

We booked this tour private for our family to Armenia with some changes. We were traveling with kids who would get bored with sightseeing only. So we added a zipline, river rafting and paddle-boarding activities in the tour. The last one paddle-boarding was just amazing. we rode boards in Azat reservoir, very close to Garni temple, it was evening time and sunset was astonishing, all surrounding hills and rocks where red as the water itself. Karen, the instructor is very skillful and sweet guy, we simply enjoyed a couple of hours ride. This was definitely the highlight of the tour.

July 6, 2022

The week was absolutely amazing and perfect from start to finish. We had a great group mixed from US, Australia and Canada. Every day hike was absolutely different from each other, from red rock canyon to a forest lake and waterfall, terrain was absolutely amazing and thanks to its difference we didn’t get tired as every day we were amazed by fantastic landscape. The accommodation was chosen thoroughly, we stayed in a family run guesthouse in Yegeghnadzor, the owner was also a winemaker, who joined us for the dinner. We tasted a couple of wines and enjoyed an evening chat with Armen. Our guide Arthur was very knowledgeable not only in hiking trails but also told us a lot about the country. We were especially interested in how the country lives nowadays, taxes, labour market etc. I would definitely recommend Cascade travel as we had the most hustle free travel in the last 10 years.

June 9, 2022

A young but promising company

When I started the research of an agency to travel to Armenia and Georgia I came up with the Cascade travel website. Everything was clear and well described but I couldn’t find any information online besides their web page. When I went into details I saw the founder Nune led another agency for 8 years so understood she is professional in her job and the communication with her showed that. I chose this agency and was not mistaken. I booked Armenia Georgia tour for May. Both countries are very beautiful, nature was just blooming in flowers and we even experienced snow in Stepantsminda when travelling to Gergeti Trinity Church. Tour itinerary is balanced, drives are not too long, around 3 hours with stops and it doesn’t feel that long as the views are amazing. Every day we asked about several photo stops and were not refused. Sites are interesting, landscapes leave speechless, food is amazing. What I saw exceeded my expectations, these small countries are worth seeing.

June 7, 2022

A true Armenian experience!
This trip was an outstanding experience as well as a great value. For me it was the perfect combination of engaging conversations, historic and cultural background and endless mountains cascading in the horizon. We did and saw a lot, but had time to explore on our own as well as just relax. The variety of the itinerary was also a plus – visiting age-old monasteries, small towns and remote rural areas. I was surprised to see a small cheese farm, producing delicate cheeses aged in wine and brandy. Hikes were moderate and each day was absolutely different from the previous. We walked along the water reservoir and saw the monastery which is half a year old and covered with water. Aragats southern peak was also an impressive hike. Clean, comfortable, and cosy hotels definitely added value to our trip. Staff everywhere was very friendly, true Armenian style. I read a lot about Armenian hospitality before travelling but never thought people would be this open. Overall Armenia is a heaven for hikers and we were happy enough to choose a right travel agency, to really enjoy and not worry about anything. Cascade travel is highly recommended.

May 31, 2022

Everything was well organized, thank you guys for that quick and simple booking process and meeting me and my girlfriend with flowers at the airport as I wrote our arrival day was her birthday. That was a nice surprise.

May 31, 2022

Good organised private tour to Georgia

I found the Cascade Travel website and along with other companies contacted them for a private tour to Georgia in early May 2022. It was an easy and clear booking process with quick response and information from the staff. I did very little prepayment 100 EUR per person, and full amount we paid on the spot, which made us feel comfortable, besides they guarantee refund of prepayment if something happens and we refuse to travel. On the day, it was a perfect start with an airport meeting with a polite driver and clean comfortable car. We met Keti, our guide. She was very knowledgeable, polite and helpful. This trip was good organised.

May 20, 2022

I am happy to be the first to write a customer review for this agency. Whether this trip is outstanding or usually good depends on your expectations. You will definitely not see the Eiffel Tower or BigBen but there are lots of historical and cultural sites along with absolutely breathtaking landscapes. Georgian Military Highway was an amazing drive on the edge of a deep bottomless canyon. We were lucky enough to see Mount Kazbek, which left us speechless. Armenia amazed us as well. Selim pass is very impressive, one of the highest in the region, Lake Sevan. Both capitals are lovely and very different, Yerevan with more canonical streets, with pink buildings, Tbilisi is in the opposite, colourful buildings are scattered on the hills along the river Kura. Both local guides were kind and knowledgeable, we experienced truly local homemade food, met winemakers, lavash bread bakers and farmers. The trip was absolutely flawless thanks to our local tour operator Cascade Travel.

May 20, 2022