8-days-tour
Western Ukraine – former Galicia – is home to a large number of various attractions: natural, historic, architectural and cultural. Despite its small territory, the region has just about everything that will attract a curious traveller. The landscape is picturesque and majestic, embracing the mystical cliffs of the Carpathian Mountains, rapid rivers and crystal clear lakes, clean air tinged with the fragrance of the forest, rejuvenating springs, fairytale caves and waterfalls. You will also find several impressive architectural and historical landmarks: medieval cathedrals, ancient castles, and hundred-year-old fortifications, as well as beautiful wooden churches and wooden houses. – In spring and summer you can enjoy the sight of storks almost everywhere in the countryside and the hay-drying racks.
After having been a part of Poland, Lithuania, Austria-Hungary, Prussia and the USSR, western Ukraine is now a part of independent Ukraine.
Day 1. Flight to Lviv.
Flight to Lviv and transfer to hotel Panorama/Astoria**** in the heart of the old city centre for 2 nights.
Day 2. Lviv sightseeing.
Lviv – the heart of Western Ukraine, a specific frontier between east and west, between the orthodox and catholic. We are starting off with a walking tour that includes Rynok Square and the main historical sites of the old town. In the afternoon we will visit a hill called Vysoky Zamok (High Castle), which offers breathtaking views of the city. Optional Opera House in the evening.
Day 3. Lviv – Yaremcha, Carpathian mountains.
Departure to Yaremcha – one of the most popular resorts of Ukraine. On our walking-tour around Yaremcha we will see a market with traditional handicrafts and a small waterfall, followed by a mountain tour to the nearest villages. We will also go to the village of Bukovel and take a lift to the top of a hill to see the mountains. Transfer to Vodospad hotel***, which is situated in a recreation area in Yaremcha.
Day 4. Yaremcha – Chernivtci.
Morning drive to Chernivtsi where sightseeing will include the Byzantine-style red-bricked university and the twisted cupolas of St Nicholas. The city of Chernivtsi is located in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, on the banks of the Prut River. The town is an old outpost of the Habsburg Empire and once had a large Armenian, Jewish and German population. This, combined with the wide variety of architectural styles, gives the city a more relaxed and southern atmosphere than other Ukrainian cities. Check-in at Bukovyna hotel**** in the city centre for 1 night.
Day 5. Hotyn and Kamianets-Podilsky medieval castles.
In the morning we will go the town Hotyn and the sightseeing will include the picturesque medieval castle on the Dnister river. Then we will continue to the town of Kamianets-Podilsky, one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, which is situated on the territory of the national park Podillia, and approx. 25km north of the point where Moldova and Romania meet at the Ukrainian border. Since at least the 11th century, this old town has been situated on a sheer-walled rock island, carved out of the steppe by a sharp loop in the Smotrych River. In Kamianets- Podilsky the sightseeing includes the castle, the Armenian quarter and the Cathedral of Peter and Paul. In the afternoon we will go to the town of Ternopil, and check-in at the Ternopil hotel***which is situated in the centre, close to the Ternopil lake, for 1 night.
Day 6. Ternopil – Lviv.
This day will include an excursion to the impressive Pochaiv Monastery (Orthodox), which is the biggest such complex in Western Ukraine and includes several churches with onion cupolas. After that we will continue to Olesko Castle. It is a monument of 14th -17th centuries and contains a rich collection of paintings, sculpture and furniture from the 16th – 19th centuries. In the afternoon we arrive in Lviv and check-in at hotel Panorama**** in the heart of the old city centre for 2 nights.
Day 7. Free day.
Free time or optional excursions.
Day 8. Flight home.
Free time in morning and transfer to airport.