All Over Ukraine 27-Day Tour to the Most Remarkable Places of Ukraine
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All over Ukraine 27-day tour to the most remarkable places of Ukraine All year round Would you mind spending the unforgettable time in one of the most interesting countries in the world with its great history, unique natural and architectural monuments? Visit the main cities of Ukraine and learn the fascinating Ukrainian traditions. Be captivated by the energetic life in Kyiv, the capital city, and explore its monumental architecture; wonder through the beautiful parks at the most impressive palace-park complexes; feel the spirit of the Cossacks times on Khortytsya island and make your own souvenir at the painting master-class. Explore the breathtaking beauty of Crimea, where sheer cliffs tower above a winding coast, visit the mysterious caves and cave towns. Take a chance to feel the neoclassical charm of seaside Odesa, have a boat-trip at the “Venice of Ukraine” Vylkove and enjoy the delicious Ukrainian wine. Make a journey to the enchanting Galician capital of Lviv and become a fairy-tale hero at the magnificent castles of the “Golden Horseshoe”. Make sure not to miss an opportunity of hiking on the marvelous Carpathian mountains, visiting the main cities of that region. Finally admire the absolutely stunning landscape of Kamyanets-Podilsky where the medieval Old Town perches atop a tall rock in the middle of a river loop and don’t forget to have a look at the mighty and extremely impressive Khotyn fortress. Day 1, Kyiv Meeting at the airport in Kyiv. Transfer to a hotel. Accommodation at the hotel. Welcome dinner. Meeting with a guide and a short presentation of a tour. Day 2, Kyiv Breakfast. Kyiv - a 3-hour bus tour around the historical districts of Kyiv: Golden Gate (the unique monument which reflects the art of fortification of Kievan Rus), a majestic St. Sophia’s Cathedral, St. Volodymyr’s and St. Michael’s Golden Domed Cathedrals, an exuberant St. Andrew’s Church. A walk along Andriyivsky Uzviz (Andrew’s Descent) – Kyiv’s “Monmartre” - where the peculiar Ukrainian souvenirs may be bought. Lunch (optionally). Excursion to the museum-reserve and monastery Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (an ancient Kyiv Cave Monastery). A walk along the historical district of Lypky: the House of Parliament, Mariyinsky palace (an official residence of the President of Ukraine for ceremonial purposes) and Mariyinsky park, the marvellous panoramic views over the Dnipro river; Khreshchatyk street (the main street of a city with its splendid architecture) and Maydan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). Dinner. Day 3, Kyiv - Kozelets – Chernihiv (165 km) Breakfast. Kozelets – the mid-18th-century Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Nativity built in the late Ukrainian Baroque style with the amazing 27m-high iconostasis, the Regimental Chancellery Building (the current Town Hall). Chernihiv – the historical places of the old part of a city – Boryso-Hlibsky Cathedral with the stunning silver Royal Doors, the Transfiguration Cathedral with its two distinctive bell towers, the Regimental Chancellery, the burial-mounds on the Boldyn hill, Troyitsky and Illinsky Trinity Monasteries, the impressive Antoniy caves with 315 m of passageways, galleries and chapels. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner. Day 4, Chernihiv - Nizhyn – Kachanivka – Poltava (440 km) Breakfast. Nizhyn – Pokrova Church, St. Michael’s Church of the Greek Community, the so-called Cossack Cathedral of St. Nicholas, a rare survival from the days of Nizhyn's Cossack glory; the Neoclassical complex of the famous Nizhyn Lyceum, the monument to Mykola Gogol. Kachanivka – a national historic-cultural reserve - the Tarnowski palace and park complex of the 18-19th centuries, the beautiful architectural and natural ensemble and the only Ukrainian homestead preserved as a complex. Journey to Poltava. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner. Day 5, Poltava – Dykanka - Opishnya – Petrykivka – Dnipropetrovsk (280 km) Breakfast. Poltava – a tour around a pretty and quaint city on the Vorskla river with the Iron Column of Glory, topped by a golden eagle, the Poltava Battle Museum, the early 18th-century Khrestovozdvyzhensky Monastery (Elevation of the Cross) and Spaska Church. Dykanka – the picturesque village and the former Kochubey’s county with four famous giant oaks, the Triumphal arch, St. Nicholas Church-Shrine of Kochubey, the beautiful St. Trinity Church and local parks. Opishnya – a „pottery capital” of Ukraine (the National museum-reserve of Ukrainian pottery). Lunch at Petrykivka (optionally). Petrykivka – the well-known centre of the Ukrainian national art and handicraft: master-classes in painting with the best Ukrainian masters. Journey to Dnipropetrovsk. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner. Day 6, Dnipropetrovsk – Zaporizhzhya – Kamyana Mohyla – Simferopol (500 km) Breakfast. Zaporizhzhya (Khortytsya island) – the location of Zaporizhska Sich, the most important cradle of Ukrainian Cossackdom, visiting Historical Museum of Zaporizhsky Cossacks, the unique and extremely interesting “Mounted Cossacks” performance. Kamyana Mohyla – the national historic-archaeological reserve, an outstanding monument of the ancient culture in Ukraine (impressive caves and grottoes with the mysterious inscriptions and paintings). Journey to Simferopol. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner. Day 7, Simferopol – Bakhchysaray – Sevastopol (90 km) Breakfast. Simferopol – a short bus city-tour around the Crimean capital (the five-domed Three Saints Church, the restored 16th-century Kebi-Djami mosque). Bakhchysaray – one of the most amazing places in Ukraine - Khans’ Palace glorified by poets (the Ambassador’s Gate, the Divan Hall, the Golden Fountain and the Fountain of Tears, a small mosque, the Falcon Tower), the enigmatic cave-towns - Chufut-Kale (the long and bluff plateau houses, a honeycomb of caves and structures), cave Monastery of the Assumption (Uspensky Monastery), the picturesque natural scenery of the environs. Journey to Sevastopol. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner. Day 8, Sevastopol, Khersones (20 km) Breakfast. Sevastopol – a tour around this spick and span city with its whitewashed neoclassical buildings, stone forts and a cerulean bay (the Eagle Column, the Admiral Nakhimov monument, the painted panorama). Visiting the national preserve “Chersonesus Tavriysky” – the ruins of the ancient Greek city which are really captivating, with a row of marble columns from an early Christian Church, a few meters from the shore, and the magnificently restored Prince Volodymyr’s Cathedral. Free time. Dinner. Day 9, along the coast to Yalta/Alushta (one of the most scenic drive in Crimea) (150 km) Breakfast. Vorontsov Palace and Park in Alupka – Crimea’s most exotic palace-park complex, a bizarre combination of Scottish castle on its landward side with Arabic-Asian fantasy facing the sea; cableway to the peak of Ay-Petri – a truly dizzying ride across the foothills and up the mountain’s sheer face with the spectacular panoramic views; Yalta - the Swallow’s Nest (Lastochkyno Gnezdo) – the beautiful toy-town castle overhanging the cliff; Masandra winery - a tasting of delicious Crimean wines. Arrival to Alushta. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner. Day 10, Alushta - Crimean caves – Simferopol (65 km) Breakfast. Visiting Chatyr-Dag plateau, famous for the numerous caves that lie beneath it. The Marble cave - a long shallow cave full of strangely shaped stalactites and stalagmites resembling various animals, objects, fairy-tale characters and international buildings (1 hour 20 minutes excursion). The Emine-Ba’ir-Hosar cave - spirals down to 120m with jade-like stalagmites, crystal flowers and a lake (1 hour 40 minutes). The Red cave (Kizil-Koba) – a cave with its underground river, numerous lakes, crystal and stone flowers and labyrinthine galleries (approx. 1 hour). Journey to Simferopol. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner. Day 11, Simferopol – (Kherson – Mykolayiv) – Odesa (520 km) Breakfast. Journey from Simferopol to Odesa. Lunch at restaurant “Tamplier” (optionally). Accommodation at a hotel in Odesa. Dinner. Day 12, Odesa Breakfast. Odesa - a tour around the city considered to be straight from the literature – a lively and fabulous city (the main architectural monuments, the most popular beach Arkadia, French Boulevard, Pushkinska Street, the Naval Station, the tree-lined Prymorsky Boulevard; the pink and white colonnaded Odesa City Hall; a beautiful building of the well-known Opera and Ballet Theatre; the famous Potyomkin Stairs, sweeping down to the Black Sea; Derybasivska Street, Odesas’s main commercial street, jam-packed with restaurants and bars; the city garden where all manner of souvenirs are sold). Free time. Visiting museums or the Opera House (optionally). Dinner. Day 13, Odesa Breakfast. The whole day free. Dinner. Optionally Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky – an outstanding monument of the medieval military architecture, an impressive fortress - one of the most powerful structures of 13-15th centuries on the territory of Ukraine. Shabo – visiting the chic wine culture center "Shabo", learning about wine-making technologies and of course wine tasting. Lunch at the restaurant “Shabsky dvoryk” (optionally). Returning to Odesa. Day 14, Odesa – Vylkove – Odesa (500 km) Breakfast. Leaving for Vylkove. Vylkove – a walking tour around the old part of a town visiting the streets-channels of the Venice of Ukraine; a boat-tour through a delta visiting the symbolic “0 km”, learning about the nature peculiarities at delta, flora and fauna of a Danube Biosphere Reserve, traditions and everyday life of the local population. Lunch: leisure time