Guide to Traveling in Ukraine
Ukraine is becoming increasingly popular travel destination for tourists all over the world. Ancient history, variety of architectural styles, beautiful nature, cosy and tourist-friendly cities, rich cuisine and, of course, hospitable people make the country so attractive for tourism.
Below you can find the overview of popular travel destinations and key tourist cities in Ukraine.
Kiev

Kiev is a capital of Ukraine and one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe. It was founded around V century and became the capital of powerful state Kyivan Rus – center of Slavic culture. Modern Kiev is a bright, green and cozy city with lots of historical buildings and picturesque landscapes. It is located on 7 hills that is very suitable for city observations. You can enjoy the beautiful views of banks of the Dnipro river and numerous bridges. The city is decorated with hundreds of chestnuts that are considered as the city symbol.
If you are planning your trip to Kiev, do not miss Top Must-visit Places:
Evening Kiev can offer you numerous cultural events. Theaters, opera houses and concert halls amuse visitors with interesting repertoire and exciting programs. Kiev nightlife is represented by a great variety of clubs (work till 6 a.m) and 24-hour open restaurants and bars that attract more and more tourists throughout the year. So Kiev never sleeps!
Being in the capital of Ukraine, try traditional Kiev dishes (Kiev chicken cutlets and Kiev cake), have an evening boat trip along the Dnipro river with glass of champagne (start point: near Poshtova square), walk in spacious and elegant central streets and you will fall in love with Kiev forever!
Lviv

Lviv is a city in the Western part of Ukraine founded in the 13th century and named in honor of Leo, the eldest son of Rus’ King Daniel of Galicia. There are more than four thousand lion sculptures in Lviv and therefore the city is also called the city of Lions. Each lion sculpture has its own history and symbolism.
In the Middle Ages, Lviv was the capital of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia and a famous trading center. During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, the city was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the Dissolution treaties in 1919-1920, it became a capital of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic. Lviv’s rich history is reflected in the rich architecture and authentic spirit of the city.
Lviv is a truly European city with winding cozy streets and a lot of places to visit. Get acquainted with the most interesting places in Lviv:
Due to numerous changes in regulations and borders in the Western part of Ukraine, local Ukrainian cuisine was flavored by classic Viennese, Polish and Hungarian (spices) cooking traditions. One of the most outstanding dishes is Banosh, prepared with corn flour and sour cream seasoned with bacon, mushrooms and farmer’s white cheese. It is worth trying local Borsch, Deruny, Kruchenyky, Golubtsi, Nalysnyky and many other Ukrainian dishes. There are many local breweries where you can try famous local beer. You will be pleasantly impressed by the great variety of choice and low prices in Lviv restaurants.
Lviv is the city of coffee. Numerous coffee shops and cafes offer this delicious beverage with hand-made chocolates and local sweets.
The touristic infrastructure is well-organized here: there are many hotels, cafes, restaurants, and free WI-Fi zones in the city center. Frequent festivals and cultural events, ancient architecture and unique atmosphere attract numerous Ukrainian and foreign tourists to Lviv every year.
Odessa

Odessa is known as a city of humor and is in the list of top Ukrainian travel destinations. Located on the Black Sea coast, it combines dynamic city life, seaside resort, international business and trade point.
Odessa was founded in the fifth–third centuries BC as a large Greek settlement called Odyssos. In the middle of the nineteenth century, Odessa became a free port. Now it is a modern city and also a huge transportation hub on the northwest coast of the Black Sea with its own seaport.
Odessa is the city of Humor and Jokes. April 1st, April Fool’s Day is traditionally a day-off for citizens of Odessa. It is accompanied by carnivals that gather thousands of tourists here year after year. The humor of Odessa is famous all over Ukraine and probably most Ukrainian humorists come from Odessa! Many comedy shows are organized in the city throughout the year, the most famous of them is the Quartal 95.
Here are Odessa’s top 5 attractions:
Kharkiv

Kharkiv is a big city in the north-east of Ukraine and lies in a large valley of 4 rivers – the Kharkiv, the Lopan, the Udy, and the Nemyshlya. The city has a large number of green parks with flowers, and old oak trees. Kharkiv’s streets and squares are spacious and green.
Kharkiv is also called the city of students because of its numerous universities. Lots of festivals and cultural events are organized in Kharkiv throughout the year.
Among the most popular attractions in Kharkiv:
Dnipro

Dnipro city (Formerly known as “Dnipropetrovsk” until May 19, 2016) is the fourth largest city in Ukraine with approximately one million residents. It began on the banks of the Dnipro River and as a result got such name. During the Russian Empire, the city was known as Ekaterinoslav and it was the Empire’s 3rd capital city, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Being one of the industrial centers of Soviet Ukraine, Dnipro was one of the key centers of the nuclear, arms and space industries for the Soviet Union. Because of its strong military industry, Dnipro was a closed city until the 1990’s.
At present, Dnipro is a major business and political center of Ukraine. It is a native city for many of the country’s important figures, such as Leonid Kuchma, Pavlo Lazarenko and Yuliya Tymoshenko whose careers started in Dnipro.
Old classical buildings, picturesque parks, and lots of high tech buildings represent the city nowadays. Top things to see and visit in Dnipro include:
Chernivtsi

Chernivtsi is a town, located in the Western Ukraine on the upper course of the River Prut. It is considered as one of the pearls in Ukraine architecture landmarks and together with Lviv is the cultural and educational center of Western Ukraine.
The history of Chernivtsi starts with a fortified settlement on the left shore of the Prut River which was built in the mid 1100s. For centuries the city was under the control of Moldavia, Austria, Romania, USSR and in 1991 became a part of Ukraine.
There are a lot of places to visit here. All of them link the beauty of different cultural styles of several epochs. See the most interesting places in Chernivtsi:
Kamianets-Podilskyi

Kamianets-Podilskyi is a town located in the western Ukrainian region Podillia. The city was first mentioned in XI century as a town of the Kievan Rus, which was important cultural and trade center. During different times the city was a part of Poland, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary. The modern town together with its architectural style reflects the history and culture of people who lived here during different times.
As the travel destination, Kamianets-Podilskyi is also famous for the numerous architectural attractions:
Every year Kamianets-Podilskyi carries out annual festivals, Cossack Games, car racing and open ballooning championship of Ukraine.
Chernihiv
Chernihiv is an ancient city in northern Ukraine, where it’s also the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast with population around 300,000 people. The history of Chernihiv starts in the VII-IX century from Eastern-Slavic tribes’ settlement. At the time of the Kievan Rus, Chernihiv was the second city of importance and wealth.
At present, Chernihiv’s architectural monuments reflect two the most outstanding historical periods in the city: the Kievan Rus period and the Cossack Hetmanate (late 17th and early 18th centuries). Top 5 landmarks of the city are the following:

The city will surprise you with its unique atmosphere and how far your hryvnia will go here. One of the city’s evening attractions worth visiting is the Fountain with Lights and Music show, located in the city center.
Uzhhorod

Uzhhorod is located on both banks of the Uzh river (hence the city name) and is an administrative, educational, commercial and scientific center of the Transcarpatian region. The main industries here are meat packing, wine production, manufacture of furniture and machine tools and tourism.
The city has a rich history and mixed historical heritage of different nations. It was founded in the XIX century and belonged to Kievan Rus in the X-XI centuries and then to Austria-Hungary Empire and Czecho-Slovak state.
Uzhhorod is famous for beautiful Catholic churches, old buildings, small cozy streets, bay and cafes. Below you can see the main places of interests in Uzhhorod:
Baturyn

Baturyn is a historic town in the Chernihiv Oblast located on the banks of the Seym River with about 3,000 population. It was founded in XVII century and is unique landmark of Cossack era, the cultural layer of which impresses by informativeness and have no peers in Ukraine.
There is a femp factory, milk plant, house of culture and two libraries in the city. In Baturyn you have a unique possibility to visit such historical places within National Historical and Cultural Museum “Hetman Capital Reserve” as:
Baturyn introduces all visitors to the historical complex of Cossack era where everyone can learn a lot about Ukrainian history and feel the spirit of courageous and freedom-loving Cossacks.
Vylkove

Vylkove is a small town with about 8,570 population founded in XVIII century in the Danube Delta at South-West of Ukraine on the border with Romania. Historically, Vylkove became a shelter for Lipovans, who emigrated here because of religious repressions.
As the city is located in close proximity to various wetlands, grain farming is not possible here. Thus, the main activities in Vylkove are fishing, winegrowing and cultivation of strawberries.
Overall, Vylkove is a city of 3 churches, 7 islands and the endless channels. That’s why boating is the most popular transport mode here. There is a list of top places of interest throughout the city:
Ski tours to Ukraine in winter are becoming more and more popular. The season starts in December and lasts till March or April depending on the weather. There are developed ski trails with different levels of difficulty, winter sports competitions, a great tourism infrastructure and ability to rent ski equipment. There is a list of top 5 ski resorts in the Carpathian Mountains:
Visiting Vylkove you will enjoy unexplored wilderness with lots of plants and animals, try fishing, taste local wine together with the delicious kitchen of Lipovans and feel like in Ukrainian Venice.
Carpathian Mountains
Looking for exciting adventure – welcome to the Carpathians! It is all-year-round touristic and recreational complex for exciting outdoor activities. Fresh air, the great mountains, unique landscapes, beautiful national parks, a great variety of mineral and thermal waters make the Carpathian Mountains extremely popular tourist attraction.
Whether you are fond of horse riding, taking a spa treatment, traveling on scooters, bicycling, quadro cycling, fishing, rock climbing and hiking in mountains, the Carpathian Mountains is the right place for all of that! We would like to advise you the main ski, hiking and recreational resorts here.
Ski tourism (the Carpathians)
Ski tours to Ukraine in winter are becoming more and more popular. The season starts in December and lasts till March or April depending on the weather. There are developed ski trails with different levels of difficulty, winter sports competitions, a great tourism infrastructure and ability to rent ski equipment. There is a list of top 5 ski resorts in the Carpathian Mountains:

Hiking (the Carpathians)
Check top 5 highest mountains in the Carpathians below:
Above mentioned lake Brebeneskul is placed not far away.
Recreational tourism (the Carpathians)
Carpathian Mountains is incredibly rich in mineral waters region of the country that made it one of the most popular recreational area among tourists. Below you can see the list of the best health resorts in Ukraine:
These and many other spa, hiking and skiing resorts in the Carpathians create favorable conditions for good rest as well as treatment for all visitors.
Castles & Fortresses

The monuments of defensive architecture are in permanent importance of the rich historical and architectural heritage of Ukraine. For centuries they played the leading role in every town living. It may be said without exaggeration that the fate of Ukrainian settlements depended a lot on the level of establishing defenses.
Here we would like to mention the most popular castles and fortresses of Ukraine with a great historical background:
Here is addition list of castles in Ukraine:
Natural Wonders of Ukraine
Ukraine can surprise you with a wide variety of wonders that really worth seeing. Below you may the most exciting among them:

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Ukrainian Cuisine

Ukraine is also known for its traditional dishes that sink into hearts of many tourist. The country produces grains, meat, vegetables fruits and berries, dairy and eggs, nuts and oils. Black and Azov Sea regions supply Ukraine with fish products. So these are the key ingredients in the traditional Ukrainian food. See the list of top dishes and beverages the most popular among Ukrainians.
Dishes:
Borshch – beet soup with meat and vegetables.
Kapusniak – pork soup with cabbage, served with sour cream.
Varenyky – boiled dough with cheese, meet, cabbage or fruit.
Golubtsi – stuffed cabbage roll.
Mlyntsi – pancakes served with meat, cheese or fruit.
Pampushky – fried dough, similar to doughnuts.
Karavai – round loaf.
Baked potato with fat
Beverages:
Kvas – made from bread with a sweet-sour taste.
Uzvar – dried or fresh fruit drink.
Mead (medovukha) – an alcohol beverage made from honey, water and yeast.
Ukrainian-style cafeterias cook salads, soups, garnishes, meat dishes and desserts. Average bill cost – 150-200 UAH ( $6 or €5). International food becomes more and more popular nowadays. That’s why there are a lot of Japanese, Italian, Turkish, Indian and other restaurants you may find here.
Summary
Ukraine is becoming increasingly popular travel destination among tourists all over the world. Ancient history, rich culture, beautiful nature, tourist-friendly cities, delicious cuisine and hospitable people make it the attractive country to visit..
Foreign tourists will be pleased with cheap prices for accommodation, food, transport and entertainment in Ukraine. Due to recent economic crisis, the national currency Hryvna has devaluated more than in 3 times when prices remained more or less at the same level. You can easily have a lunch in one of the local restaurants for $ 5-10 or take 6 journeys on the metro only for 1 US Dollar!
Ukraine can offer travel routes for tourists with different interests: city sightseeing, green tourism, nature and historical places observations, hiking, romantic routes for couples, spa tours with health-giving effect and others. You will find a lot of wonders created by nature and developed by humans – canyons, waterfalls and even the biggest desert in all of Europe! The unique beauty of Ukraine is really impressive.
Being just in the beginning of its economic growth, Ukraine has lots of business opportunities. Therefore, the combination of business and leisure tours is really popular among tourist here.