Tuesday 4th November – Krakow, Poland

• Arrive at your own leisure in Krakow – the second largest but considered the most beautiful city in Poland. Krakow is well-connected with many European countries, including Istanbul and Abu Dhabi. Self-transfer to our centrally located hotel, pre-tour accommodation can be arranged for your convenience (for a fee).
• A pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6:00 pm to discuss the tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travelers and YPT guide.
• We’ll make our way to Krakow’s old town to our favorite restaurant famous for serving pierogi – a delicious dumpling filled with meat or vegetables.
• Explore the old town and appreciate St. Mary’s Basilica in the evening before heading to our local bar for welcome drinks.
• Overnight stay in Krakow.

Wednesday 5th November – Krakow – Lviv, Ukraine

Morning

• Early morning start, we’ll check out and meet at the hotel lobby at 5:00 am before we head to Krakow Train Station locally known as Kraków Glowny.
• We’ll visit the supermarket where you can pick up supplies for the journey ahead before making our way to the platform for our 5:50 am departure (train times are subject to change).
• Transfer Przemysl – Lviv: 9:15 am – same station, just a change to the international platform and follow the immigration process.
• Arrival at Lviv Central Station at 12:40 pm. The station is one of the most iconic buildings in Lviv and was vital for Ukrainians fleeing the initial invasion. 
• We’ll take the tram to our centrally located hotel, which is a great way to see the city and gives you the opportunity to interact with the locals.

Afternoon

• Quick freshen up before we head out for lunch. As a bastion from the war, Lviv has had somewhat of a rejuvenation and currently has a vibrant restaurant scene.
• Explore the historical centre, seeing both the ancient historical parts of the city, as well as more contemporary sites, such as the recently bombed Secret Service building.
• You’ll have the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe. Here you can find the poet Ivan Franko and composer Volodymyr Ivasiuk. In recent times, a section of the cemetery is the final resting place for many young Ukrainian soldiers.
• Dinner followed by a few drinks, you’ll have the opportunity to talk with the local residents about their lives and the conflict.
• Overnight stay in Lviv.

Thursday 6th November – Lviv – Kyiv

Morning

• Early morning start, we’ll grab coffee on the go before heading to Lviv railway station.
• We’ll visit a supermarket to pick up supplies before heading to the platform for our 9:40 am departure.

Afternoon

• Picnic lunch on the train, you’ll have the opportunity to ask your YPT guide questions about Ukraine.
• Arrival in Kyiv at 4:00 pm, the capital of Ukraine and the cultural centre of Eastern Europe. Life continues here, as normal as possible despite the conflict. 
• We’ll head to the entrance and meet our local guides and drivers who will take us to our centrally located hotel.
• Check-in and freshen up before we head out. We’ll explore the city center, this is dependent on the security situation.
• Visit various contemporary relics of the war, such as abandoned tanks, and bombed parts of the city centre.
• For dinner, we’ll visit an iconic bar that has stayed open throughout the war and is owned by our host. We will eat here and get a chance to ask questions about life in Kyiv.
• Overnight stay in Kiev.

Friday 7th November – Kyiv

Morning

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• 8:30 am starts with visiting Kyiv Outskirts where we will see the remnants of the failed invasion of the country. Keep in mind that these are still heavily militarized areas.
• Along the way, we’ll stop at a tank graveyard. Here you’ll see Russian tanks and armoured vehicles that were destroyed by the Ukrainian military during the initial invasion.
• Borodyanka, we’ll explore the urban area which was devastated by Russian forces who entered Ukrainian sovereign territory from Belarus. Many apartment blocks still have residents living in them, despite the heavy damage to them.
• Continue to explore Bucha, where atrocities took place. Reports of war crimes and evidence of local residents being found in mass graves. We’ll visit the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints where the names of the victims are displayed on the memorial.
• Irpin, fierce battles took place here. Although there are ongoing contractions many residential buildings are still partly destroyed. Around this area, you’ll find a number of elusive graffiti artists, Banksy artwork including the iconic gymnast with a ribbon, and David & Goliath.

Afternoon

• We’ll take a rest stop at a service station for lunch.
• Car graveyard, as citizens evacuated and towards Kyiv, many vehicles were fired upon by Russian troops, even the vans and cars that had “children” written on them. You can still find families placing flowers and teddy bears on these cars.
• Irpin Bridge, to stop the Russian advancement into Kyiv, a difficult decision was made to destroy the bridge over the Irpin River. This is the very site where many civilians took shelter before slowly crossing beneath the destroyed bridge.
• We’ll head back to Kyiv stopping at the destroyed house of culture and stadium, despite the damage by weapons or war, children still play football here.
• On arrival in Kyiv, we’ll have a moment to take in the sites of the tour.
• Evening walk around Kyiv, we’ll visit the Arch of Friendship, which has changed drastically since the friendship ended.
• St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, the headquarters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The site is often where foreign leaders are seen walking during state visits to Ukraine.
• Dinner at a local restaurant in Old Town, followed by drinks and stories from the conflicts.
• Overnight stay in Kyiv. 

Saturday 8th November – Kyiv – Lviv

Morning

• A leisurely morning starts with breakfast at the hotel.
• We’ll head to the local flea market which has the cheapest Soviet antiques in Eastern Europe. It’s also perfect to see how Ukrainians continue with daily life.
• Continue to Maidan Nezalezhnosti commonly known as Independent Square, the focal point of the Orange Revolution. Here you can still see frequent memorial services for recent casualties of the war.
• We’ll take advantage of the metro system, not only for the fast and easy way to travel around the capital but also for its impressive Soviet-era interiors which reflect Ukrainian culture and heritage. We’ll head towards the deepest metro station in the world, then walk to the Park of Eternal Glory.
• The memorial complex, originally created for the Great Patriotic War, the complex now serves to highlight the Ukrainian people’s struggle. Here you’ll find the impressive 62-meter titanium statue of Mother Ukraine. You can climb up to the shield while we visit the exhibitions (tickets to the shield are not included).

Afternoon

• Lunch at a traditional Ukrainian restaurant, we recommend trying Solyanka.
• Journey back to Kyiv by metro passing by Soviet-era architecture and beautiful cathedrals along the way.
• Princess Olga Monument – considered one of the most vengeful leaders in European history and defeated Russian military vehicles is laid to rest here.
• You’ll have the opportunity to see the displayed Russian military vehicles which have been destroyed by Ukrainian forces.
• Farewell dinner, we’ll head to our favourite restaurant and bar. It’s also a perfect opportunity to discuss high and low points over a few drinks with your guides.
• Transfer to Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway and depart on the overnight sleeper train.
• Overnight on the sleeper train.

Sunday 9th November – Lviv – Krakow, Poland

Morning

• Arrive at Lviv Central Station at 6:00 am. We’ll head for breakfast near the station.
• We’ll take the bus towards the Polish border, your guide will handle immigration formalities. 

Afternoon

• Picnic lunch at a service station.  
• Arrival in Krakow at 3:10 pm, before we check into our hotel to relax and freshen up.
• Dinner followed by a debriefing of the tour, for those inclined a few drinks in Krakow’s old town.
• Overnight stay in Krakow.

Monday 10th November – Krakow

• The tour concludes, depart at your own convenience. YPT can arrange additional nights in Krakow and airport drop-off for a fee, we are more than happy to provide advice for ongoing flights.
• YPT can arrange tour extensions around Krakow or Auschwitz.

Read More