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Uncovering Kiev & Chernobyl

5 days1 city
Ukraine1 country
Tour rating: 4.95 / 5, Based on 4 Reviews
Private tour to Ukraine

Explore the amazing Ukrainian capital and unveil the mystery of Chernobyl. Visit all the major highlights of beautiful Kiev, such as St. Sophia Cathedral and the 11th-century Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery, and find out what has actually happened on April 26, 1986 during the tour devoted to Chernobyl, including a visit to the almost fully buried Kopachi village and a photo stop near the main closed object of the zone!

5 days1 city
Ukraine1 country
From
 $1,599 
Kiev, Ukraine
5
days
Ukraine

The capital of Ukraine, Kiev is one of the most visited spots in Eastern Europe. There is certainly a lot to see in this ancient town as it features remnants from over 15 centuries ago which blend in beautifully with the city's thriving new culture.

Day by day
Hotel
Day-by-day program
1
day
Arrival to Kiev

Welcome to the capital of Ukraine - Kiev! Upon arrival, you are met by your private driver who transfers you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to relax after the trip or begin exploring the city center on your own.

No meals included.

2
day
Kiev City Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, you meet with your private guide and driver and start your sightseeing tour of Kiev highlights. Kiev is one of the oldest surviving cities of ancient Russ. The kingdom of Kievan Russ, from which Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus descended, was established between the 9th and 11th centuries and was one of the most advanced principalities in Europe before it was finally destroyed by the Mongols. The Mongols were particularly keen on burning Kiev, so much so that they raided it every few years to ensure that it never recovered its power and influence. It was in the shadow of this titanic struggle that the small principality of Moscow began building in power.

Your city tour includes the major highlights of the city including the Bessarabska Square, the Friendship Arch/Park Bridge, the Ukrainian House, the Independence (Maidan) and European Squares, the St. Sophia Cathedral, and the Kiev University.

After a break for lunch, you continue to Michael's Golden Dome Monastery, the Central (Brodsky) Synagogue, and St. Andrew's Church.

After the tour, you are taken to your hotel and have the evening at leisure.

Breakfast is included.

3
day
Ukrainian National Chornobyl Museum Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, you meet with your private guide and driver and proceed to the Ukrainian National Chornobyl Museum for a guided tour. The present-day exhibition of the museum comprises three showrooms with more than 7000 exhibits. All the exhibited items attract visitors' attention to the problems and consequences caused by the disaster, first and foremost the ecological and social ones.

Numerous exhibits demonstrate the heroism of the brave liquidators who sacrificed their health and even lives to save the world from the catastrophe. The exhibits of the museum allow for a better understanding of the Chernobyl catastrophe as a global tragedy, not only a local one. The collection of the museum is a testimony that Chernobyl is the final warning for mankind and a final call for nuclear disarmament and a mutual fight for the ecological cleanness of our planet.

Visitors also have a chance to experience the participation effect at the diorama dedicated to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant before, during and after the accident.

After touring the museum, you are taken to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.

Breakfast is included.

4
day
Full Day Chernobyl Tour

After breakfast, you meet your private driver at the hotel lobby for a transfer to Chernobyl where you meet a local guide at the Dityatki block post. Your guide gives you safety instructions and your thrilling tour of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, an area of 30 km (19 mi) radius from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, begins.

On the way to the town of Chernobyl, you see a small abandoned village Cherevach and the largest village of the Chernobyl area, Zalissya. Upon arrival to Chernobyl, you have an introductory briefing on the Exclusion Zone administrative division and regulations. During the tour of Chernobyl, you see the Wormwood Star memorial, the memorial "To Those who Saved the World", dedicated to the firefighters who died putting out the fire at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

You have lunch at the Chernobyl canteen (don't worry, all ingredients are brought from the outside and are ecologically clean). On the way to the Power Plant, you make a stop at the almost fully buried Kopachi village and visit its kindergarten.

You have a photo stop near the new sarcophagus of the 4th reactor of the station, just steps away from the main closed object of the zone! Finally, you arrive at the "ghost city" of Pripyat. You see the town that was left by its 50 thousand inhabitants within 24 hours. The spirit of Soviet times is very vivid here. You can take pictures of National Emblem of the Soviet Union and of Soviet Ukraine, slogans "Peace, Labor, and May", and other objects that were symbols of the 80-s in the Soviet Union.

You also have a chance to see the remnants of the once top-secret military object "Duga-1", the so-called "Russian Woodpecker", a huge radar that was supposed to watch the launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles as the Cold War was in full swing. This engineering marvel created by brilliant Soviet engineers was almost completely destroyed. Today you have a unique opportunity to see the last remaining giant receiving antennas since the only array preserved to our times is located on the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone territory.

Before returning to Kiev, you pass through the Dytyatki checkpoint and undergo compulsory radiation control. Once out of the Zone, you are transferred to your hotel in Kiev.

  • Please note: Please have your passports with you on this day, they are obligatory to enter the Zone. All the visitors should be covered as much as possible: no slippers, no shorts, no T-shirts. The minimum age allowing to participate in the tour is 18.

Breakfast and lunch are included.

5
day
Departure

This is the final day of your Ukraine tour. After breakfast and check-out, your driver takes you to the airport for your flight back home. We hope you enjoyed your tour and wish you a safe flight!

Breakfast is included.

Your choice of hotels

We carefully select hotels to ensure your amazing stay. We will recommend the best available properties for your travel dates.

4-star hotel

Enhance your travel with staying in a remarkable 4-star property. As always, the location near all top landmarks, excellent quality service, and top-notch amenities are an indispensable part of your stay. The gallery demonstrates the examples of 4-star hotels we offer to our guests.

What's included

  • Accommodation at a remarkable downtown hotel in Kiev;
  • Breakfasts at the hotel, other meals as per itinerary;
  • Airport transfers and all transportation according to the itinerary;
  • Breathtaking sightseeing tours according to the itinerary with professional English-speaking guides;
  • Support line during the trip.

Note: the hotels availability is subject to change. In case current hotels are booked out we will provide alternative hotels of an equal value for you.

Note: we include 1 vehicle for your arrival and departure transfers. If multiple vehicles are required additional transfer costs will apply.

Not included: international flights, multiple arrival/departure transfers, other meals not mentioned in the program, optional tours and services, all personal expenses.

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Tour Highlights

  • Fully tailor-made program according to your interest;
  • Your own professional local guides;
  • Full flexibility of hotel options;
  • Exploring the centuries-old Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Monastery in Kiev;
  • Seeing the mighty Rodina Mat Monument;
  • Guided sightseeing tour of Chernobyl.

What To Know

  • It's always best to bring some cash in local currency for your trip. You will need Ukrainian hryvnias for your time in Ukraine
  • You will be walking quite a bit during your sightseeing tours, so make sure to bring comfortable shoes
  • USA, Canada, and EU citizens and passport holders do not need a visa to enter Ukraine, whereas Australia and New Zealand citizens do. The visa must be obtained in the official consulate prior to the trip, otherwise, it is possible to get a single-entry visa for up to 15 days upon arrival to Kiev International Airport, provided you have all the required documents, the visa fee is around 100 USD.