Popular Tour Itineraries Featuring Kyiv

We recommend 2-3 full days in Kyiv. You can stat with a combined walking and driving full day tour of central Kyiv, admiring the most important sites such as the Lavra Monastery complex, most major palaces, churches and monuments, and the main Holocaust memorial. The next day, you can continue with some more history and culture, choosing from a Jewish Heritage tour, the National Folk Village Museum, former president Yanukovych’s countryside palace, or a tour focused on WW2. In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxing Dniepr River cruise, or pick one of our many food and wine tours to experience the local cuisine. The third day could be a bit more adventurous, with a day trip to Chernobyl and the surrounding landmarks, like the ruined city of Pripyat, and the astounding "Russian Woodpecker" over-the-horizon radar at the secret Chernobyl-2 site.

One of Europe's largest cities, and a regional hub for over 1500 years, Kyiv has seemingly endless history and attractions. At the top of the list is the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Nearing its thousandth anniversary, this series of golden buildings is one of the centers of Orthodox Christianity. Be sure to visit the mummified saints in the catacombs beneath the complex, lit only by the candles of pilgrims. Nearly is a charming riverside park, home the Motherland Monument (one of Europe's largest statues, dwarfing the Statue of Liberty) and museums devoted to World War II and the more recent fighting in eastern Ukraine. Other superb examples of Orthodox architecture are the churches of Saint Sophia, Saint Andrew and Saint Michael. You might think visiting four distinct cathedrals is too much, but each is a distinct work of art. As the center of the most recent revolution, the Maiden Square and the memorials made by protestors are must-see, as are the Andriyivskyy Descent, a beautiful section full of art and architecture.