Excursions in Kyiv region
We organize individual tours around Kyiv and the region. We conduct out-of-town excursions to such popular places as Mezhyhiria, Pyrohovo, Kyiv Rus Park, etc. In addition, we offer excursions to the cities in Kyiv region: Bila Tserkva, Pereyaslav, Bohuslav, Buky and others. Particular attention of tourists is attracted by Chornobyl – the exclusion zone, known throughout the world. You can get to Chornobyl from Kyiv by booking a one-day tour to the Chornobyl zone.
KYIV REGION MAP
In Kyiv region, Kyiv is the main tourist destination. However, in the metropolitan area you will find many attractions that are often not even known by locals. There are hundreds of architectural and historical monuments, as well as monuments of sculpture and landscape gardening art. The list of historical settlements of Ukraine that have preserved their natural habitat with objects of cultural heritage includes such cities of Kyiv region as: Bila Tserkva, Bohuslav, Vasylkiv, Vyshhorod, Pereyaslav, Rzhyshchiv, Fastiv, Yagotyn.
Pereyaslav is one of the oldest cities, which is considered to be a museum city. In this small settlement with 30 thousand inhabitants, 25 museums have been opened (!). The Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Middle Dnieper Region deserves special attention, as it reflects architecture (XVII-XIX centuries), culture and ceremonies of the region. Thousands of works of folk art, tools, household items of the forest-steppe of Ukraine are collected on 30 hectares of the open-air museum.
It is impossible to ignore the unique object stored in the Archaeological Museum of Pereyaslav – these are the foundations and the remains of the walls of the tomb cathedral (XI-XIII centuries) with fragments of stone sarcophagi. Archaeological excavations of the church were carried out by the expedition of M. Karger in 1953. The cathedral was located in the courtyard of one of the monasteries and served as a tomb for the clergy and representatives of the nobility. It is interesting that the museum pavilion was built on the spot where an ancient temple stood.
Vyshhorod is the second significant city of Kyiv Rus after the capital, where princes Borys and Glib were buried. First mentioned in 946 as “Olzhin grad”, it served as a residence of the Kyiv princes. An ancient settlement of Vyshhorod (X-XIII centuries) has historical value. Here the foundations of the Borisoglibsky cathedral were found (XII century), as well as remains of ramparts and ditches for the defense of the citadel were preserved. Outside the city you will encounter “Oaks of Princess Olga” – seven oaks aged over 400 years.
The highlight of Vyshhorod is the embankment of the Kyiv Sea, formed as a result of the construction of the Dnieper cascade hydroelectric station. The reservoir has an area of 922 square km and reaches the borders of Belarus. In warm season, vacationers, fishermen and surf lovers come to the sea.
Bohuslav is a picturesque place where a granite 10-12 m high canyon is located. Rocks of gray and red granite, like a magnet, attract crowds of tourists. Not far from Boguslav you will see a 600-years old (!) Medvin oak. The natural monument is considered to be especially old (height – 25 m, coverage – 6.1 m). There is a belief that leaning against a centuries-old tree, a person is filled with strength and positive energy.
The main highlight of Bila Tserkva is the Alexandria Arboretum, which is one of the largest in Europe. Beautiful landscapes, ponds and sculptures are organically combined with the constructions of the Rotunda and Colonnade, filling the park with romance. There is also Palieva Gora, where in 1702-1704 a Cossack detachment of Semen Paliy was located (the remains of earthworks preserved). It is believed that the mountain has an underground passage that once led to the Ros River.
Zmiiv shafts of Kyiv region is the biggest mystery of the area, shrouded in secrets and legends. These are artificially created earthen ramparts of different heights and lengths. The largest fortification system in Ukraine was located mainly in the Ukrainian steppe on the right bank of the Dnieper (along the banks of the river tributaries, south of Kyiv). Their total length reached 2 thousand km. A grandiose structure comparable to the Great Wall of China is amazing. The surviving plots can mainly be seen in the forests. The scientific world is still studying this phenomenon. According to one version, ramparts appeared in the 11th century, and according to another one, – at the dawn of an era. Researchers have not yet come to a consensus in the chronology of its occurrence.
Kyiv region has got about 200 objects of the nature reserve fund (total area of 340.4 thousand hectares). The “Kagarlytsky” park, founded by Count Y. Tarnovsky (XVIII century) and the arboretum “Zgurovsky”, founded by the Kochubeys in the 1830-1860s, have survived to our days. Along with the old, the modern Buksky landscape park (1996) is also popular among tourists.
In the vicinity of Rzhyshchiv (Gusintsy tract) on a tiny island, there stands a white stone church with a bell tower above the water surface. The flooded church is bewitching in its unique way. You can get here by boat after ordering a tour (see the program here).
Chornobyl is located not far from Kyiv. It is known all over the world due to the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, which led to a global catastrophe. Today, the Chernobyl exclusion zone is experiencing a tourist boom. In order to feel the scale of the tragedy that left its mark on the history of mankind, we invite you to a one-day tour to Chernobyl.
We named the most amazing and unusual places near Kyiv, which are worth seeing at least once in a lifetime. Each of them has got something original, spectacular or mystical. We offer you to get acquainted with the treasures of our region and join us for fascinating excursions in Kyiv region.
Choornobyl – has been a closed exclusion zone since 1986 (140 km from Kyiv). A city with a long history is known all over the world because of the global catastrophe that happened here. In the early 1970s, construction of the first nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the Chornobyl NPP, began 10 km from the city. In 1986, an explosion occurred at the 4th power unit, causing a major accident. Today, Chornobyl is among the ten most polluted cities in the world. In 2010-2011 a memorial complex was erected here in memory of the Chornobyl accident. In 2019, the British-American mini-series Chornobyl was released, dedicated to the events that happened at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. After the release of the series, the Chornobyl zone became mega popular among tourists from different countries. You can get into the exclusion zone from Kyiv.
Prypiyat – a ghost town. After the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant it is located in the exclusion zone (180 km from Kyiv). It was founded in 1970 for the Chernobyl NPP personnel, which was launched in 1984. In 1986, the largest technological accident in history occurred at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, which resulted in radiation pollution of the territories. A protective sarcophagus was built over the destroyed power unit. In Prypiat, there are several objects, including Checkpoint at the entrance to the city. Today it is a deserted city with abandoned buildings of the Soviet period. Nowadays, Prypiat is a popular place among stalkers and industrial tourism lovers. Organized excursions will take you here from Kyiv.
Buky – a small village in the Kyiv region (115 km from Kyiv), which became famous due to the landscape park, founded here in 1996. It was created on the initiative and on the funds of businessman I.Suslov. Buky landscape park is interesting due to its unusual design: sculptures, fountains, arbours, a church with a chapel, and even a mini-zoo where live bear cubs, deer, ponies, etc. You can also see the famous fountain- roulette in Kyiv, which was located at the Independence Square till reconstruction of the main square of the capital. The trademark of the landscape park became the “Glade of Fairy Tales” with figures of fairy-tale heroes. On the territory of the park there is also the estate of businessman I.Suslov. So, walking in the park, you can see the very founder of this unique landscape park. The park is open for visitors during the warm season, the entrance to the park is free. Here also conduct excursions.
Bohuslav – a small regional town in 120 km from Kyiv, located on the rocky banks of the river Ros. It was founded in 1032 by Prince of Kyiv Yaroslav the Wise, although the first mention occurs in 1195 in the annals as a fortress of the Poros line of Bohuslavl, built to protect the southern outskirts of Kyivan Rus. Throughout its history, the city was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland, and from 1796 became the centre of the Bohuslavsky county of the Kyiv province. With this city are connected not only historical events, but also famous personalities. Here the Olympic champion A. Tymoshenko was born, the actress N. Cherednichenko, the American politician Herman Tol. In due time M. Gogol, T. Shevchenko, Sholom-Aleichem visited Bohuslav. This picturesque region attracts tourists and nature lovers, because it is here that such a wonder of nature is located – Bohuslavsky granite outcrop.
Bohuslavsky granite outcrop – a geological monument of nature from granite rocks up to 10-12 m in height and up to 1.5 km long (120 km from Kyiv). The canyon, formed from red and gray granite, is popularly called a place of power. It is believed that red granite charges a person with positive energy and helps with various diseases. Ancient Bohuslav preserved for us some historical buildings, the oldest of which is the so-called “Kamenytsia” – a two-storied building of the XVIII century, built for the Jewish religious school. It is noteworthy that the thickness of the walls of this building reaches 1.2 m, and inside it there are deep cellars. Also in the city there are museums devoted to cultural figures – namely, the house-museum of the artist Soshenko and the estate-museum of Ukrainian writer Marco Vovchok. In 30 km from Bohuslav in the village of Medvyn is another place of power – the Mount Totokha, comparable in energy to Tibet. Explore the mound and “recharge” come from all corners of Ukraine and from abroad.
Pereyaslav (The Museum of Falk Architecture and Life) – the ancient city of Kyivan Rus, called Pereyaslavl, which means “took over the glory.” The city was first mentioned in 907, becoming from the XI century the capital of the Pereyaslavl principality. In 1943 the city was renamed Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky. Current name the city bears since 2019 and is part of the Kyiv region (90 km from Kyiv). In due time there lived Taras Shevchenko, Hryhorii Skovoroda, Sholom-Aleikhem, etc. Pereyaslav entices tourists not only with ancient history. This is the only city in Ukraine, declared a city-museum. Here today amounts 27 museums (!). The main attraction of the city is the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Middle Dnieper.
The Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Middle Dnieper – an open-air museum (area – 30 hectares), which represents Ukrainian life from the times of Kyivan Rus to the turn of the XIX-XX centuries (Pereyaslav, 90 km from Kyiv). Here you can see dwellings, tools and household items of settlements of the Ukrainian steppe. Here are also represented houses of a peasant, a priest, a potter and even the house of a sorcerer. In addition, there are 13 thematic museums at the territory.
Rzhyshchiv – a city in Kyiv region (76 km from Kyiv). The first settlements on the site of the current city date back to the VI-III millennium BC. Written mentions of the area were first encountered in 1151. The main attraction of Rzhyshchiv is the archaeological finds of the Trypillia culture period. The city founded Trypillia Park, which became the symbol of Rzhyshchiv. The ethno-festival Trypillia Circle is annually held here. Also a historical site has got an ancient Rus settlement on Ivan Mountain, where household items of the 12th-13th centuries were found. Among the architectural monuments, the Trinity Church, the House of the Priest (the former building of the Order of the Trinitarians), and the Transfiguration Monastery (1626, one of the oldest ones in Ukraine) also preserved. Near Rzhyshchiv, in the Gusintsy tract, there is a unique Transfiguration Church (1812), partially flooded due to the construction of the Kanevsky reservoir. The church is located on an island with a bridge leading from the shore. In summer, you can get here by boat.
Bila Tserkva – is a city in 90 km from Kyiv, founded by Yaroslav the Wise as a fortress for protection from nomads. The main attraction of the city is the arboretum “Alexandria” – a landscape park arrangement of plants, architectural structures, sculptures and ponds. It is one of the largest parks in Eastern Europe. The park was founded in the late 18th century by Alexandra Engelhardt, wife of the Polish hetman Franciszek Branicki and the niece of Prince Potemkin, and named after her. The author of the development plan is the French architect Myuffo. Trees from Europe and the world were brought here to equip the park.