Ukraine Full Itinerary

9-DAY UKRAINE DISCOVERY TOUR
(Current as at 15 May 2014)

Day 1: Arrive in Odessa
On arrival, we will be met by our local bilingual tour guide, transfer to our hotel and check in. Individuals arriving separately will be met by a driver and transferred to the hotel by car. The afternoon is free to rest and recover from your long flight as the case may be. You may go for a walk to familiarize yourself with this vibrant and historic city.
In the evening, we will have welcome drinks (a glass wine or a shot of vodka) followed by dinner at our hotel. (D)

Overnight in a comfortable hotel in Odessa

Day 2: In Odessa
After breakfast, we go on a city tour covering Primorsky Boulevard where we see statues of Alexander Pushkin and Duc de Richelieu (the city’s founder and governor). We also see the famous Potemkin Stairway and the Panorama of Sea Port. After lunch, we visit the Archeological Museum and the Cathedral of theAssumption.
Rest of the day is free. to do as you please.

In the evening, you will have the opportunity to attend a performance at Odessa Opera House. We will advise program details before the tour starts. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe and is ranked the 2nd most beautiful opera house in Europe, after the Opera House in Vienna. (B/L)

Overnight in a comfortable hotel in Odessa

Day 3: In Odessa
The morning is free to do as you please. After lunch at a local restaurant, we take an excursion to “Odessa Catacombs”, a maze of 2,500 kilometers of underground tunnels, exits and caves created nearly 200 years ago during mining of building materials that were used to build the city. We also see the “Museum of Partisan Glory" housed in a section of the Catacombs. In the afternoon, after lunch at a local restaurant, we go to see the popular and interesting Arcadia Beach, the main Odessa beach on the Black Sea coast. We then drive along the French and Italian Boulevards to the monument to the unknown sailor. After this it will be time to transfer to Odessa Railway station for our overnight journey in first class compartments to Lviv. (B/L)

Overnight on board the train to Lviv.
(Train 24. Karpathy Dept 19:00, Arr 07:10)

Day 4: In Lviv
On arrival in Lviv, we will be met by our local bilingual guide and transfer to our hotel for breakfast. We then go on a city familiarization tour. We see the Independence Square, Shevchenko’s Statue, the St Anrew’s Cathedral and the unique Pharmacy Museum before stopping for a coffee break in a charming old city cafe. We then visit the Lviv History Museum, the Italian Court Yard, the Roman Catholic and the Dominican Cathedrals. After lunch at a local restaurant, we go to the Castle Hill for sweeping views of the city before returning to our hotel.

The rest of the day and evening are free. You may visit the local open-air markets for traditional handicrafts and ‘souvenirs’ from the Soviet era; go up the Town Hall tower for sweeping views of the city; explore the architecture of the old city, or just relax in a café sipping famous Lviv coffee. Dinner is at our hotel. (B/L/D).

Overnight in a central Lviv Hotel

Day 5: In Lviv
In the morning, we go on a picturesque drive that takes us to the Lviv Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life. Located to the north-east of Lviv and covering 58 hectares, this open-air museum contains 120 monuments of folk architecture including village houses, several wooden churches, a village school and many more. We then return to Lviv for lunch at a local restaurant.

The rest of the day and evening are free. This evening you have an opportunity to try the local cuisine as dinner is not included. (B/L)

Overnight in a comfortable Lviv Hotel

Day 6: Lviv - Kiev
After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to the airport for our morning flight to Kiev (VV4044 10:00), the national capital and a very European city. It is located on the picturesque banks of the Dnipro River. On arrival, we take a city orientation tour to see some of Kiev’s notable sights including the Golden Gate, the historic gateway to the ancient city, St. Vladimir Cathedral, the oldest surviving church that was built in 1037 by Prince Yaroslav, the Wise. The rest of the day is free. In the evening, we have a Gala Dinner to savour Ukrainian cuisine at the nationally renowned restaurant "Shynok". (B/L/D)

Day 7: In Kiev
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we go on a sightseeing tour of the city visiting the Mikhaylovskaya Square with its Monument to Princess Olga, finally St Sophia Cathedral, the majestic 13-domed church that makes a huge impression on visitors with its rich frescoes and mosaics many of which are still intact. It is a national shrine and is under the protection of UNESCO. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the Chernobyl Museum, a chilling reminder of the worst nuclear accident in history. The rest of the day and evening are free.

Overnight in a comfortable Kiev Hotel

Day 8: In Kiev
This morning we go on a tour of Kyiv-Pechersk National Preserve (also known as Lavra Cave Monastery. This functioning monastery widely regarded as the best attraction Kiev has to offer to both Ukrainian and international visitors was founded by monks in 1051. It is situated on a picturesque hillside overlooking the Dnipro River. We then have a well earned lunch at a local restaurant.

The rest of the day and evening are free to do as you please. You may explore some of the attractions not covered by the tour, see a show at the magnificent Opera House or go on a cruise on the Dnipro River. Another pleasant way to fill in the time is to take a stroll along the Khreshchatyk, the Champs Elysees of Kiev or just rest in many cafes and restaurants in central Kiev close to your hotel. (B/L).

Overnight in Kiev

Day 9: In Kiev
After breakfast at hotel, the tour ends. We transfer to Kiev Airport to connect with flights to Istanbul or other destinations. Those doing the combined Ukraine Discovery and Best of Russia tour will fly to Simferopol in Crimea and transfer to Yalta the famous Black Sea resort town .(B).