Your Stay in Yerevan
Three months in one of the world's safest capitals, arranged before you land: visas, flights, where you will recover, who looks after you, what the weeks look like, and how you get home.
A single-segment lengthening means 10 to 14 weeks in Yerevan. This page is the honest version of what those weeks are like and what we arrange before you arrive. Every block ends with the question most people ask; your coordinator answers the rest.
Before you fly
Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea enter Armenia visa-free for up to 180 days; citizens of China visa-free for 90 days; citizens of the European Union, Canada and Australia visa-free as well. We re-check the official list at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before every patient’s trip and tell you if anything has changed.
Yerevan’s airport, Zvartnots, has direct flights from Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Warsaw, Doha, Dubai and Istanbul, among others. From the Americas and East Asia the usual route is one connection through Doha, Dubai or Istanbul. Your coordinator checks the timing of your flights against your surgery date and sends a packing list written for someone who will live in loose trousers and slip-on shoes for three months.
Before you book, send the medical records on our checklist so the video consultation is useful and nothing waits until you arrive.
Arrival
A named driver meets you at arrivals with a card bearing your name and takes you to your apartment or hotel. In the car you receive a local SIM card. Your coordinator meets you that day or the next morning with the week’s plan, shows you the neighbourhood, and takes you to the hospital for the first consultation.
Where you will recover
Every property we use has an elevator or a step-free entrance, a step-free shower, grab rails, a proper bed, fibre internet and a desk, and is within a short drive of the hospital. Choose by budget and company:
| Tier | What it is | From | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery apartment | Furnished one-bedroom with an adjustable bed, step-free shower and grab rails, in an elevator building near the hospital; weekly cleaning and grocery delivery arranged | $[X] a month | The full 10 to 14 week stay |
| Partner hotel | A four-star hotel with step-free rooms and breakfast, a few minutes from the hospital | By the night | The first week after discharge, or companions |
| Serviced residence | A larger apartment with a second bedroom | By the month | Families, and longer consolidation stays |
Companions stay free in apartments. Photographs, floor plans and the exact distance to the hospital are sent with your treatment plan.
Your weekly rhythm during distraction
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Physiotherapy | Rest, stretching, work |
| Tuesday | Physiotherapy | Nurse visit for pin-site care |
| Wednesday | Physiotherapy | Short outing by taxi |
| Thursday | Physiotherapy | Nurse visit; every second week, X-ray and surgeon review with transport |
| Friday | Physiotherapy | Rest, stretching, work |
| Weekend | Stretching at home | Company, a cafe, a film; the coordinator is reachable |
The frame is turned four times a day, every day, at the times you choose. Most patients settle into the routine within a week.
Safety and support
Numbeo’s 2024 safety index placed Armenia seventh of 146 countries and Yerevan fifteenth of 329 cities. Violent crime against visitors is rare; the usual advice about valuables applies as anywhere. Your coordinator is reachable every day; the emergency number is 911; the nearest pharmacy and the hospital’s emergency department are marked on the map you receive on arrival. If something goes wrong with the surgery, it is managed by the same surgeon in the same hospital under the written policy.
Living on a walker in Yerevan
The city has stairs and uneven pavements. That is why every property we use has an elevator and a step-free entrance, why taxis are booked through an app for a door-to-door fare, and why outings in the first six weeks are short. By the second month most patients manage a cafe terrace, the Cascade’s escalators, the opera and a slow walk through the Vernissage market. Do not expect to explore on foot; expect to be driven.
Eating well for bone
New bone needs protein, calcium and vitamin D. Armenian food makes that easy: yogurt and cheese, lavash, grilled meats and fish, herbs, apricots and walnuts. Grocery delivery is arranged for the apartments; several restaurants near the hospital have step-free access. The surgeon’s dietary notes come with your treatment plan.
Things to do that do not need legs
- The Cafesjian Center of Art, inside the Cascade, reachable by escalators.
- The Opera and Philharmonic.
- Wine bars on Saryan Street.
- The Vernissage market at the weekend.
- After consolidation, day trips by accessible van to Garni, Geghard and Lake Sevan.
Working from Yerevan
Every property has fibre internet and a desk. Yerevan is three to four hours ahead of London and five hours behind Seoul, which gives a working overlap with both. Power is 230 V with type C and F sockets.
Bringing someone
We recommend a companion for at least the first two weeks. Companions stay free in apartments, are welcome at every appointment, and receive their own short guide to the city.
Going home
After the frame is removed the surgeon confirms you are fit to fly. We book airport wheelchair assistance, advise on seat selection, and give you the X-ray schedule and the physiotherapy programme for home. Video reviews with the surgeon follow at three, six and twelve months.
Begin with a conversation.
No commitment, no pressure. Send your questions and, if you have them, your X-rays. You will hear back from a person within one working day.
Book a private consultation