The province is home to many ancient landmarks and tourist attractions in Armenia including the 8th-century Tanahat Monastery, the 10th-century Smbataberd fortress, and the 13th-century Noravank monastery. Vayots Dzor is also home to the spa-town of Jermuk. ARENI CAVE The world's oldest known wine-making facility has been discovered in southern Armenia, dating back more than 6,000 years (the beginning of the 4th Millennium BC. The excavations occurred between 2007 and 2014 by a team of Armenian, American and Irish archaeologists. The findings include numerous large storage vessels, wine-storage jars, associated pottery and metal implements. The remains of grape seeds found in the jars morphologically were close to domesticated grapevines providing evidence of vine cultivation. Wine storage clay jars combined with the chemical analyses of the organic residues by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) showed the presence of tartaric acid and the red pigment anthocyanin malvidin, left no doubt that the jars had contained red wine. THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN VAYOTS DZOR • Hiking Tours at Arpa protected landscape • Jeep Tours above Noravank, Jermuk hot water springs • Camping at Artavan (VR / AR) • Cycling and Horseback riding • Wildlife Observation (bears) in Shatin and Chiva • Wildlife Observation (Bezoar Goats) in Noravank area • Rock climbing and Rope jumping at Noravank Canyon • Bird Watching at Orbelian's Caravanserai, Gnishik, Smbataberd (April, May, September) •Areni Wine Fest (October) •Ecotourism festival (July) • Gata festival (September)

The origins of Maran date back to 1828-30 whem Sargis and his wife Maran repatriated from Persia to the Armenian province of Vayots Dzor. Sargis's son expanded the vineyard his parents had planted and called it Marani as a tribute to his mother. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the descendants of the family revitalized the traditions, launching the first commercial wines under Maran brand. The company nowadays owns 5 ha of vineyards in the Vayots Dzor province, which applied for organic certification in 2019. The wine brands include "Noravank", "Bagratuni" and the newest one, "Malahi"

An Armenian feast is a special atmosphere, heartfelt toasts, and...an extra plate for an unexpected guest who in Armenia is considered to be the messenger of God. The Armenian feast is an abundance of dishes tested for thousands of years and a significant reason to visit Armenia, because no one will stay at a party if they don't like the food. The local cuisine harmoniously fits into the fashionable concept of healthy nutrition - there are always a lot of fresh vegetables and greens on the table, the meat and fish are served with low-calorie side dishes, and. desserts are made from honey and nuts. Armenian cuisine is not only tasty, nourishing and healthy, it is a good seasoning for warm communication and a worthy companion to the local wines. Yerevan Food Fest gastronomic festival, presents the wines that will emphasize the taste of the traditional dishes from three large terroirs in the country - Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Ararat valley.

Tatev Monastery is a 9th-century historical monument. It is one of the oldest and most famous monastery complexes in Armenia. During medieval times Tatev Monastery was a vital scholastic, enlightenment and spiritual center and played a singular role in the country’s history.