Kiev is one of the biggest cities in Europe. Its rich history, the number of places to visit and overall beauty has always attracted tourists from all over the World as much as Ukrainian women do. The biggest question that every tourist has is “Where to go first in Kiev?” Here is an example how you can spend a week in this exciting town.
Day 1 (upon arrival) Dnipro River cruise.
You have already arrived and found a place to stay (if you’re still searching – places to stay in Kiev). As the first part of the day was very intense and perhaps quite tiring, the second half needs to be relaxing and calm. The best remedy were one of two options:
- Spend the rest of the day exploring the area around your apartment;
- Take a nice cruise down the Dnipro river on a comfortable motor-ship (book a river cruise in Kiev). The Kiev River port can provide for you, with trips every day from 10.00 till 18.00 here.
Either choice will be interesting and very exciting, as Kiev at night is extremely attractive. Another nice thing, is you can order a meal while on your cruise and do not worry about finding a place to eat.
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Day 2 The most famous places
While creating a plan for Day 2 we will try to concentrate on the most attractive destinations. It will be hard work because of the number of such places, but we make the following recommendations:
- Kiev Golden Gate (The main part of the ancient high ground walls, which surrounded the old Ukrainian empire “Kievan Rus” and protected it from enemies in the XI century).
- House with Chimeras (A building, which has been cloaked in legends since the very beginning of its construction. It was designed by architect Gorodetskiy in 1903 and decorated with fantastic figures of sea monsters and exotic animals by the Italian sculptor Elio Sala).
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- Verkhovna Rada (The Parliament Building, located at the very heart of the Kiev. This was constructed by Volodymyr Zabolotny and built in 1939. The Declaration of Ukrainian Independence was accepted here on August 24, 1991).
- The Castle of Richard the Lionheart (Building №15 was constructed in 1903 by an unknown architect and with a history full of mystery and unexplainable facts).
Day 3 The most famous places
We will dedicate Day 3 to only one place, but it is truthfully worth it. The name of this place is Pirogovo. It is a small authentic Ukrainian village with its own infrastructure. Here you will find a large variety of native Ukrainian crafts and even try your hand at some of them. Horse riding, national dances, and lots of other attractions along with ancient houses will transport you back to the Ukrainian Past.
Day 4 Parks & Monuments
Just a few years ago Kyiv was known as the “Green Capital of Europe”. Now It still has hundreds of Parks and Monuments that are waiting for every visitor. According to our plan you have just one day to see all of them, so down below we will point out some of the most popular:
Central Botanical Garden (This Garden, belonging to the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, was founded in 1936 and has over 13,000 types of plants from all corners of the world. Known to locals as simply “the Botanical”, it covers 1.3 km2 and with it gorgeous collections of flowers is one of the most popular places among Kyiv residents).
Mariinskiy Park (One of the most beautiful and romantic places in Kiev. It was founded in 1874 and harbors extremely beautiful views of the whole city. The Park is designed in the English style and includes the Puppet Theatre and the Museum of water).
Arch of Friendship (A gigantic titanium Arch reminiscent of a rainbow. It was built in 1982 and dedicated to the unification of Ukraine, Russia and other countries from Former Soviet Union. You can easily find it while visiting Mariinskiy Park).
Monument to Founders of Kiev (Monument tothe three brothers Kyi, Schek and Khoryv, as well as to their sister Lybid. According to the “Primary Chronicle”, written by Nestor the Chronicler in the XI century, as well as other legends these three brothers together with their sister founded Kiev on a Dnipro slopes in the VI century. Since that time Kiev has borne the name of the youngest brother – Kyiv.
Day 5 Museums & Theatres
As every capital in the world, Kiev is rich in cultural places to visit. Theaters, art galleries, museums, and of course cinemas can be found everywhere in town. We will show you where to find them:
National Opera House (The City Theatre was constructed in 1856 by I.Shtrom and established in 1867 by Ferdinand Berger. The theatre was extremely successful before the catastrophic fire of 1896, which heavily damaged the building. Later, in the early 20th century, the City Council announced an international competition to redesign the building. Victor Schröter’s winning design was finished in 1900. The building is now in the Neo-Renaissance style and includes one of the largest stages in Europe). Map вул. Володимирська, 50
Kiev Conservatory (Founded in 1913 and spearheaded by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Glazunov, the Conservatory occupies the former building of the Hotel Continental, which was destroyed during World War II and then rebuilt in 1955 with a new concert hall). Map вул.Архiтектора Городецького 1-3/11
Chernobyl Museum (Almost everyone on the planet know about the nuclear disaster that occurred here in 1986 at the Chernobyl atomic station. There were hundreds of thousands victims and almost a million people were affected. A memorial was founded to commemorate all the victims of the disaster).
Chemist Museum (18th century pharmacy furniture, 18th-19th textbooks of medicine, fragments of manuscripts of the Kievan Rus period, and over 50,000 exhibits in total. Everything you could want to know from the history of medicine can be found here).
Day 6 Cathedrals
Capital of Ukraine is enormously rich in Cathedrals and Churches. You would need at least several weeks to visit all of them. In order to save time, we will suggest some of the more interesting and important of them for you visit.
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (This was founded in 1051 as the cave monastery and since that time holds the position of one of the most important centers of Eastern Orthodox Christianity). Map Ул. Лаврская, 15.
St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church (More than a hundred years old, this Church of two towers is 60 m. high with two towers constructed in the Gothic style. It has since been turned into the National House of Organ and Chamber Music of Ukraine. Every day you can hear gorgeous organ concerts and other types of classic music).
St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery (The Monastery was originally built by Sviatopolk II Iziaslavych in the Middle Ages. Since that time it has passed though a series of reconstructions. Now you can see it as a Monastery designed with elements that have evolved from styles prevalent during the Byzantine and Baroque periods).
Day 7(Departure) Secret places
The best way to spend the last day in Kiev is to visit some secret places which will take you off the beaten path. Be ready to search the way to get there.
Hidden Alley of lovers (This beautiful place has everything: comfort, privacy and a convenient location. To find it, follow the instructions! 1. Grab your nearest and dearest companion. 2. Go to St. Andrew’s descent and ask a native Ukrainian about the wooden staircase that leads to the so-called “Landscape Alley”. Here you’ll find a quiet alley with nice view of Kiev hills, romantic and delicate lanterns and not a single soul around).
An ancient staircase (Zamkova Hill is a very famous place among city walkers, but not all of them know that in addition to the official staircase from St. Andrew’s descent there is also an ancient one made from stone. Though partially destroyed it still can be found from the side of Frolovska street).
