Kiev, Lviv tour of Ukraine - 6 days

You will visit Kiev-the capital of Ukraine and then travel by train to Lviv. Both cities offer fantastic architecture listed on Unesco world heritage list. You will visit Olesky castle, the folk Art Museum and enjoy the Western Ukraine for 5 nights.

 

Itinerary of the tour - 5 nights/ 6 days - TO BOOK/ENQUIRE

- £ 1400.00 GBP ( British Pounds) per person sharing a twin/double room on B&B basis in 3* central located hotels.

Time period available: All year

 

If you are from Europe, USA or Canada feel free and use the CURRENCY CONVERTER located on your right to calculate the costs of the tour accordingly. Thank you.

 

Please note: We organise this trip usually for group of two persons and more. Travel for one person can be organised on request.

DAY 1. KYIV

Arrival to Kyiv. Transfer to the hotel, check in.
Kiev is a gateway to Ukraine and is still the easiest city to travel to the country. As the capital and the largest city, it usually grants visitors their first impressions of Ukraine, The simple fact remains that there is an amazing amount to see and to do in this city. Without any exaggeration, it is one of the most majestic and greenest cities of Europe, Flowering chestnut trees cover the streets for summer period and during this time, no other city could seem so green and full of beauty.
Even more picturesque is Kiev simply geographically, built on a series of steep wooden hills that rise above the wide channel of the slow-moving Dnipro. The city spreads over 42 km from North to South along the banks of the mighty Dnipro RiverCity tour which includes: visit to St. Archangel Michael's Golden Domes Monastery built in 12th c.; Monument to Princess Olga; Golden Gates - the main triumphal entrance of ancient Kyiv. Its construction is mentioned in the chronicle of the year 1037. St. Vladimir Cathedral built in 19c. Cathedral is a unique monument of architecture and arts due to its murals executed by famous Russian artist of the 19thc: V. Vasnetsov, M. Nesterov, M. Vrubel and others. Journey along the main street of Kiev - Kreschatik Str., getting acquaintance with modern Kiev, the cultural center with the unique architecture and majestic monuments), the unique in Europe sheltered Bessarabsky market (1912). Such masterpieces of architecture and trade may be found only in Vienna and Ambassadors of foreign countries are frequent guests of the market.Visit to St. Sophia Cathedral - a unique landmark of ancient Rus architecture of 11c. Nowadays of great interest are ancient original frescoes and mosaics of the Cathedral to have preserved their original beauty till our days. Saint Sophia Cathedral is one of the chef-d'oeuvres of the world culture and it is on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Dinner on own. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 2. KYIV.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Tour to the National Kyiv-Pechersk Caves' Monastery Historical and Cultural Reserve. The cloister was founded by the monks Anthony and Theodosius who settled in the caves in 1051. The complex of churches that make up the lavra the masterpiece of architecture and the monastery is also the famous for its catacombs with relics of many saints. During the tour you will also visit the Museum of Historical Treasures (it has one the richest collections of golden articles in the FSU countries) and the Museum of Microminiature. This is one of life's treasures in the heart of Kyiv and if you haven't seen it yet then you must. A short queue outside then you are staring into a pair of large microscopic lenses that changes your world forever. Small is beautiful and the beauty of these creations is that they are works of art in miniature, created by the artist Nikolaj Syadristy. The works include a life-size mosquito made of gold; a girl with an umbrella sits on its proboscis. Like a watchmaker with the meticulous demands of his craft, Syadristy's technique combines the use of fine instruments with the imagination of the artist to create these masterpieces. A gold charioteer complete with chariot inside the eye of a needle, the parts of the image are 500 times smaller than that of a human hair, another piece shows a chessboard placed on a pin head. The actual chess moves are the ones made by Alexander Aliokhin represented by the black pieces on the chess board and his opponent, Raul Capablanca.

Lunch at a local restaurant (optional)
After lunch walking along the ancient part of Kiev - Podol, you`ll see the fountain "Samson" (18th c), Kiev-Mohyla Academy - the oldest University of Eastern Europe, a lot of monument to Cossacks & hetmans of Ukraine. Andriyivskiy descent , which is sometimes called Ukrainian Montmartre is the place where the city of Kiev was founded, nowadays it`s the most favourite place for different artists,art critics, collectors, the place where there are many art galleries, museums, theatres, cafes, restaurants ,it`s the best opportunity to buy souvenirs from Ukraine. And no doubts you will be greatly impressed by the pearl of Ukrainian barocco - St. Andrew's Church (18th c.), the work of the famous architect Rastrelli.

Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 3. KYIV.

Breakfast. Check out of the hotel followed by visit to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life situated in the picturesque suburb of Kiev Pirogovo. It is one of the largest museums under open air in the world that covers about 159 hectares and contains more than 300 unique buildings of folk architecture XVI - XX c. churches, houses, household constructions and workshops filled with household utensils,working instruments, clothes, works of folk art. The collection of the reserve amounts to 80,000 objects.Lunch at a local restaurant on the territory of the museum (optional).

Transfer back to the city center to visit Water - Information Center (Water Museum). Water museum is situated in Kreschatiy Park, on one of the marvelous hills that stretches along the Dnieper side. Main aim of the museum work is informing people about Earth hydrosphere and water resources of Ukraine, its vulnerability and necessity for life, technologies of making safe for health drinking water in the systems of central water-supply, sewage treatment, and rational water consumption. Water museum was opened in 2003 in the reconstructed building of old water-tower which is older than 130 years. Museum exposition is located underground - large aquariums, lift to the dungeon, working model of artesian well, gigantic W.C. pan, sewage collector and fairy grotto with waterfall and real thunder-storm, rain and lightning's. For children there is a playing ground with soap bubbles, river bed and fairy fishes.Before the train (if the clients want) it is possible to visit The Kiev in Miniatures exhibition at Hydropark (open-air museum). It offers you to see the most interesting places in Kiev only in miniatures. You will see Khreschayk, Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Square of Independence) with cars, people, trees and foundations. As well as Ukrainian Parliament, Moscow Bridge, Kievo-Pecherska Lavra, Railway Station, Golden Gate and more.

Transfer to the railway station.
Departure to Lviv.
Overnight in the train

DAY 4. LVIV

Early in the morning arrival to Lviv railway station. Meeting with the guide. Transfer to the hotel.

Breakfast.

Sightseeing tour: St. George's cathedral - center of Galician metropoly, High Castle - sightseeing of the city from the height of bird's flight, ancient Galician churches, located at Pidzamche, complex of Lviv universities, palace of Pototskyy family, Freedom avenue. The Pharmacy Museum holds rich collections of ancient medical and pharmacy equipment, prescription books and rare herbs. In the museum you'll be able to taste curative iron wine .
Lunch at a local restaurant (optional).
Visit to the Museum of Folk Art Museum. The museum funds number over 83 thousand material and spiritual culture monuments of the Ukrainian people. Dinner at a local restaurant (optional)
Transfer to the hotel.

DAY 5. LVIV.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Tour to ancient Olesko Castle. (appr. 8 hours)

For five hundred years (14th - 18th c.) Ukraine had been subjected to the continuous savage raids of the mounted Tatars. Now you have a good chance to go on a tour to the land of mysterious old castle and secluded abbeys (70 km to the East from Lviv). You will be able to appraise masterpieces of the "Olesky Castle" Museum-Preserve (14th - 18th c.c.), to learn a lot of interesting about the other strongholds of the Lviv Region. (The castle was founded as a fortress in the 14th century by one of Yuriy Levovych's sons, the Duke of Galych and Volyn. In the 15th century, it served as a residence for local nobility and was reconstructed into a splendid palace complex in the Italian renaissance style. The Polish King Yan Sobieski III and Mykhaylo Korybut Vyshnevetsky were born in that castle, and the Ukrainian Hetman, Bohdan Khmelnytsky grew up here. The Olesky Castle is now a museum, which houses valuable collections of 16th century icons, paintings, sculptures and furniture).
Dinner at the territory of the castle in at the local restaurant "Grydnytsa" with a performance called "Awaiting for the King". It is a dynamic show-dinner of the times of Kyiv-Rus. You'll watch a knights' tournament, laugh with a funny jester, taste food and drinks together with the Queen, get enchanted by the old ritual dances and sample 7 kinds of delicious liqueurs produced in accordance with ancient recipes. You'll be transferred into the other time and dimension. (Duration of the program - 2,5 hours.)

Transfer back to Lviv.
Overnight at the hotel

DAY 6. LVIV

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out
Transfer to the airport. Flight back home.

THE END OF THE TOUR

INCLUDED:

trip transport, accommodation in comfortable hotels ***- twin, double or single rooms with own bathroom and WC, B&B basis, guide service, info pack, entrance tickets, all taxes and fees, 1st class train tickets from Kiev to Lviv/ Lvov.

 

EXCLUDED:

dinner, lunch, flights

Total costs are in British Pounds: £ 1400.00 GBP pp based on 2 pax ,