Several intriguing destinations are about to get cheaper to fly to in 2026, and one has got the Metro Travel team particularly excited.
Wizz Air is launching six new routes from London Luton Airport, including a UK first to an ancient and fascinating city.
From summer 2026, a new flight will connect London to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It will be the only direct route from the UK.
And Yerevan, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, might well be Europe’s last best-kept secret.
Things to do in Yerevan
Way off the typical tourist trail, this city of just over one million people has a laid-back energy and authentic feel, probably because it hasn’t been overrun with travellers and Instagram-aesthetic cafes just yet.
It has old-school charm, spectacular architecture and layers upon layers of history, brilliantly laid out in its world-class museums.
Watched over by the otherworldly Mount Ararat, the city has a cinematic backdrop of towering mountains and fast-flowing rivers, which contrast dramatically with the Brutalist tower blocks left over from the Soviet era.
Armenia’s past is dark. The Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and Museum, a haunting museum just outside the city centre, details the horrors that took place during the two-year Armenian Genocide in 1915 and 1916.
The History Museum of Armenia, an elegant building that houses an extraordinary collection of Bronze Age artefacts, is also worth a visit.
Beyond its museums, Yerevan has all the trappings of a cool and cosmopolitan European capital.
There are trendy wine bars, excellent restaurants, ancient churches and striking pink stone buildings, from which it gets its nickname ‘The Pink City’.
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The place to spend most of your time is Cascade Complex, a five-terraced, 572-stepped open-air museum, art gallery and water feature in one, with sweeping views across the city and Mount Ararat in the background.
You may have seen its iconic sweeping staircase on TikTok.
In the summer, locals take to the streets at night, enjoying long meals on the city’s many outdoor terraces, strolling along its tree-lined boulevards and catching up with friends at the much-loved musical fountain in Republic Square.
Another local haunt is the Armenian Market (also known as the GUM market) on Movses Khorenatsi Street.
Here you’ll find stalls straining under the weight of pale green grapes and orange permissmons, as well as sujukh, an Armenian sweet made from walnuts dipped in thickened fruit juice and moulded into a sausage shape.
Yerevan is a great starting point for a twin-city break.
That’s because Armenia, which is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south, provides easy access to some of the Caucasus’ most beautiful places.
A good idea would be to take a marshrutka (local minivan) Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.
The journey takes around six hours and passes through surreal landscapes, including the shores of Lake Sevan.
How cheap is it to travel to Armenia?
Armenia is generally considered an affordable destination.
A one-week trip for two people, including accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing, is estimated to cost around £400, according to Budget Your Trip.
But despite its many draws, the country is largely overlooked by Brits.
Just 10,663 visited between January and September 2025, figures from Armenia’s Statistical Committee show.
When you compare that to the four or so million Brits that go to Greece each year, it’s scarcely a drop in the ocean.
But it won’t stay that way for long.
Lonely Planet describes Yerevan as ‘up-and-coming’, and with the arrival of the UK’s first-ever direct flight, its star can only continue to rise.
