Visit Kiev, capital of Ukraine and review of Ukraine

In this article, I will give you my opinion on Ukraine, and provide some tips for visiting Kiev and other cities in this Eastern country.

What to do in Ukraine or in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine?

Places visited and number of travel days in Ukraine: I have been there several years and I still go back. Here are my 4 trips: 1 month in 2017 (Kiev), 1 month in spring 2018 (Lviv and Kiev), 2 months in autumn 2018 (Odessa and Kiev), and 2 months during 2019 (Kharkiv and Dnipro).

Learn a little more about Ukraine:

Kiev is the capital of the Republic of Ukraine with several million inhabitants; the languages mostly spoken in the country are Russian and Ukrainian.

A direct flight from France lasts a little over 3 hours; a Paris-Kiev flight takes 3h15 for example. Generally, I make a trip to Poland from France and then go to Ukraine.

Ukraine is not part of the Schengen area.

There is a part of the population where people speak Ukrainian in the western region, and in the eastern region, you mostly find people who speak Russian, because there is a very strong influence from Russia in this part.

There is a big contrast between the inhabitants of the city of Lviv near Poland, which is the quintessential Ukrainian city, and the inhabitants of Kharkiv, which is the Russian-speaking city with a strong Soviet Union influence, but in recent years, mentalities have changed a lot.

Place	Recommended duration	Entrance fee
Maidan Square	1h	Free
Cave Monastery	3h	~3€
Saint Sophia Cathedral	1h30	~4€
Andriivskyi Descent	2h	Free
Chernobyl (1-day excursion)	12h	~110€

For example, they changed all the street names, removed symbols such as statues, icons of the Soviet Union.

In Kiev, it is a mix of both populations but the population is much more influenced by Europe than in other cities in the country, there are not millions of Ukrainians who speak English in the city but most have some knowledge.

The major change of the last century in Ukraine was a change in stance regarding the politics of the former Soviet Union and Europe.

Ukrainians want to undergo the process of Westernization towards Europe instead of Russia. This is why in 2014, the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the independence crisis at Maidan followed.

There is also the war in the east of Ukraine in the Donbass region, led by state separatists who support the Russians.

The Donetsk People’s Republic proclaimed itself in 2014, it is one of the regions of Ukraine where there are few tourist visits like Crimea.

Following this, the Ukrainian currency, the Hryvnia, lost four times its value, unfortunately for the lives of Ukrainians who saw their purchasing power decrease.

The current president (2020) was a former comedian.

What to visit in Kiev, what tours to do?

For me, Kiev is one of the most beautiful European cities, it has good hotel infrastructure, and many tourist attractions with churches, cathedrals, museums to see with or without a tour guide.

Here are several important places to visit during the day and points of interest for your visit to Kiev:

• Wander around Maidan, the Independence Square:

It is a square located in the city center and is considered historic because it is where the Ukrainian revolution began, it is a place with Ukrainian symbols and has a shopping center.

There is the fountain show in the evening at Maidan where the fountains light up, it’s nice but nothing special. Maidan is also a nice place with many hotels, but it is the most expensive area in Ukraine.

• Discover Kreschatyk Avenue, the Champs-Élysées of Kiev:

It is a street near the center with many shops for shopping and there are shopping centers. It is the most famous street in Kiev.

On Sundays, the street is closed to cars, many artists and musicians come to perform. This can occupy part of your Sunday.

• Walk in the Podil (Podol) district:

It is a district located north of Kreschatyk, where many monuments are found and the center of Podil is the historic district of Kiev.

It is a nice district with lots of art where it is easy to walk and you can walk to the bridge to reach the other bank.

To live, the Podil district is quite nice, book a hotel for yourself if you like the district and then an apartment.

• Visit Saint Andrew’s Church and Saint Michael’s Monastery with the Golden Dome:

You have two choices to go from Kreschatyk to Podil either by passing the Orthodox church which is an uphill or downhill street that is very nice to visit, so I recommend going down via Saint Andrew’s Church because it is a place with a lot of art and art object sales. There are some spots where you can take nice photos.

Then, you can go back up by the funicular near the Poshtova Ploshcha station to return to Kreschatyk or to visit the cathedral.

• Visit Saint Sophia Cathedral:

Saint Sophia Cathedral is an Orthodox building, right opposite the monastery. The entrance is not expensive and you can then head towards the Golden Gate.

• Visit the Golden Gate:

It is a remnant of the fortress of the old city, you can climb it. It is part of Kiev’s history, almost one of the last remnants from the 11th century.

I like living in this district in a hotel or Airbnb because it is quite central and cheaper than Kreschatyk.

• The Kiev Opera:

You can then go to the opera which is a beautiful artistic building and there are some beautiful sunsets to photograph.

It is one of the easiest routes to walk, going from Kreschatyk to Podil and then towards Shevchenko University. No need for a tour guide, it is quite simple to do by looking at the map on Google Maps.

• The Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Cave Monastery):

It is a famous monastery founded in the 11th century with catacombs. There are nice gildings inside and beautiful architecture. There are nearby museums you can also see such as the Ukrainian Treasures Museum.

• Motherland statue:

It is one of the largest statues in the world and is surrounded by a lovely park with exhibitions nearby within walking distance, definitely worth a visit.

There is also the Museum of the History of Ukraine during the Second World War.

I recommend taking a tour during the day visiting these different monuments: the Cave Monastery, the Motherland statue, then going to the Hydropark. If it helps you, you can take the metro, the price is inexpensive.

There are also boat excursions from Podil on the river.

Around Kiev, visits to do:

• Visit to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant: it is north of Kiev and not all areas of the accident are open to the public, but you can take guided day trips to Chernobyl for about 100 dollars.

Kiev is really a beautiful city to visit, there are even beaches on the river in summer. There are tourists from all over the world. You will need more than a weekend to appreciate the city.

There are also visits to museums, cathedrals (Saint Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kiev) and smaller churches to do like the Chernobyl Museum in Podil, or the Taras Shevchenko National Museum which I recommend if you have the time.

Other cities in Ukraine: opinions on Lviv, Odessa, Kharkiv and Dnipro?

• Lviv is also called Lvov:

Lviv has a strong European influence, as it is the largest city in western Ukraine.

There is a mix of Polish and Ukrainian culture, many Ukrainians have Polish family here because Lviv was part of Poland for a time. It is a city with a lot of art and a good quality of life. The size is medium which allows for quick movement.

There is a rather funny tourist attraction here, which is the sadomasochistic bar.

The main language is Ukrainian. Ukrainian is very close to Polish according to Ukrainians.

• Odessa:

It is the Saint-Tropez of Ukraine and the most popular seaside resort in Ukraine before the annexation of Crimea.

Even though I really liked Odessa, I prefer the Bulgarian beaches; I recommend it for partying, but not for seeing beautiful beaches. There is also a nudist beach for those interested.

For opera lovers 😀

It is better to go there in summer and stay in hotels near Arcadia where there is lively entertainment with bars and nightclubs.

• Kharkiv or also Kharkov:

On the map of Ukraine, it is located in the east of the country between Kiev and the Donetsk region; it is the third largest city in the country with just over one million inhabitants.

Kharkiv is gradually modernizing, losing the Soviet Union look.

It has changed the names of its streets and also removed all representations, monuments, and statues of the Soviet Union.

There is a water park, pretty parks for walking with Orthodox churches and cathedrals.

Kharkiv is very walkable even though there is a metro, and I recommend staying in one of the hotels near Shevchenko Park.

It is a place where you can live a nice life if you want to learn Russian and stay there because prices are much more reasonable than in Kiev.

I took private lessons there with a teacher to improve my Russian language skills for a price of 300 UAH per hour.

• Dnipro (Dnipropetrovsk) or Dniepr:

There are several activities near the river, and you can take a tour on the island where there are several beaches along the river.

I didn’t really like Dnipro much; the city of Dnipro is a version of Kharkiv but much worse, park, building, public transport, cathedral, museum, and church.

On the other hand, you can run along the Dnieper River and there are always passersby. Prices are also very reasonable here.

You can also go to the mountainous region of Ukraine, the Carpathians.

One of the tours I recommend is a little trip to Lviv, Kiev, and Odessa during the summer with an option in the mountains.

Additional information about Ukraine

Going out at night in Kiev, my nightlife experience in Kiev

Nightlife in Ukraine is not like that in Paris; here there is more of an “Eastern country” culture where you take a table with a hookah or a bottle in nightclubs.

It is often upper-middle-class people, and you are there to show that you have money and that you don’t hold back! It’s the complete opposite of Paris where you want to spend as little as possible and have a good time.

However, the bar experience is different and much closer to Europe.

You need to take some precautions at night because there are some dangers, as there are many girls who are professionals working in nightclubs if you go to well-known places.

If you are preparing your departure, take a look at our guide on most beautiful cities which complements the topic well. The feedback around European capitals reviews also provides useful benchmarks to avoid unpleasant surprises. And for further inspiration, the article on why not visit Rome is worth a detour.

Precautions to take and my opinion on safety.

Honestly, the country is very safe although you have to be careful of dangers; there can be a risk of pickpocketing. There are some scams near Kreschatyk; you should immediately be suspicious when someone speaks to you in English.

There is the scam of the guy who finds money on the ground, for example.

My opinion on Ukraine and why visit Kiev:

The capital of Ukraine, Kiev, is a place to wander around for 3 nights / 4 days. It is also a good place in Europe to live cheaply if you want to have better purchasing power.

During my first trip, I was surprised by the Slavic or Eastern country type service (no smile or quite dry) but after a few days, you get used to it.

I had apprehension during my first trip here, but the doubts disappeared once I saw the city. The only danger is missing out on discovering a new culture and city.

It is a city where Russian-speaking people have more power; some Ukrainians prefer to speak Russian, for example.

The Ukrainian language is very nice and Ukrainians are cold at first glance but helpful if needed. They generally speak both languages (Russian and Ukrainian).

Kiev is part of my top 5 cities to visit in Europe, if you want to see this ranking here.

And you? What did you think of Ukraine?