Kiev - Post Report Question and Answers
What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Any museum, tons of parks, and Georgian restaurants!! - May 2021
Cross-country skiing in winter (at Goloseevsky park), skiing in the Carpathians, riding a bike in Mezhihirie, and president Yanukovich's residence-turned national park. Hidden gems: Sobi-Club, just outside of Kyiv, is a kind of hotel, with a spa, swimming pools, barbeque areas, pine trees and absolutely fantastic banyas. - Jun 2018
Lots of day resorts near Kyiv in the summer where you can swim, eat, get a massage for very little. We loved Odesa, Lviv and Kaminets-Podilskiy. There are few international tourists, so the whole country is a hidden gem! - May 2017
There is so much to do in Kyiv. Some favorites:
-Visit St. Sophia's, which is truly stunning. But so are many smaller churches. St. Volodymyr's is amazing, and I always enjoyed the singing in St. Andrew's.
-Opera and ballet performances are super cheap. -Go to big cultural events and festivals in places like VDNK, a revitalized Soviet exhibition center, or Platforma, in old industrial space.
-Check out IZOLYATSIA, an art space in exile from Donetsk, in their new space, an old shipyard.
-Art openings at Art Arsenal, a stunning space.
-Organ concerts in St. Nicholas's
-Find a sauna on the outskirts of town that's in a real log cabin.
-Walk through the Maidan and see where history was made.
-Visit the surreal pleasure palace constructed by the last president at Mezhyhirya
- Nov 2016
Hutsul culture tour (we did it with KARPATY TRAVEL company) - I am not one for group travel, but you'll get to places that would be hard to access otherwise.
Chernobyl - I don't know if fun is the right word, but it's eerie and fascinating, and great for photographers. It's about two hours' drive from Kyiv but you have to visit in a group tour. - Jul 2016
Go to Lviv! Just do it! It's an hour's inexpensive flight away, and you can get some amazing food there, as well as climb to the top of city hall for a panoramic view of the whole city! There are always things to do in Kyiv as well, such as the botanical gardens, various parks, etc. - Nov 2015
Visit the world heritage sites, botanical gardens and restaurants. We recently discovered the Admiral Club, a really nice place to spend the day a few miles out of town. Three swimming pools, cafes and restaurants in a gorgeous wooded setting make the warm summer days feel like you are on vacation, even though you are only a few miles from Kyiv. - Jun 2015
Many families love to visit Lviv. In town, there are many parks but my favorites are definitely Marinksy Park and Mosaic Park. When the weather is nice, get a grounds-pass at Saint Sophia's and bring a blanket. It is definitely the cleanest and prettiest space of grass in the city. The playground near the Old Chancery is also nice. The best resource for families with little kids is a listserv called Kids in Kyiv. - Apr 2014
Parks, Shopping complexes, underground shopping, skiing, museums, restaurants & bars. - Apr 2013
There are many indoor water parks are here. Some are better than the outdoor ones in the US. Plenty of snow and ice sports. - Apr 2013
Many old churches and historic sites. There's a great indoor water-park. I recommend the Chernobyl tour. - Feb 2013
Many! Beautiful parks, opera and ballet for cheap, concerts come through frequently, restaurants abound. There's also the Hydropark in summer, and many beautiful nature getaways just outside the city. - Jul 2012
Lots of beaches on the river and lakes, beautiful churches and monastaries, parks, historical sites, monuments, nice indoor play areas, bowling alleys, the movie theater plays English movies once in a while. - Aug 2009
Great parks, the river is pretty, opera, ballets, circus, dreaming of springtime! - Apr 2008
Kyiv has lots of sights. Travel in country to Odessa, Western Ukraine - Carpathians, Lviv. We drove to Moldova and Romania with no problems. - Apr 2008
Being a former Soviet country there is a lot of cultural activity: opera, ballet, symphony, theater, circus, etc. There are a lot of movie theaters, but nearly everything is dubbed into Ukrainian or Russian. The center of the city is quite pretty and good for walking and sightseeing, with lots of parks to stroll about in (or sit on a bench and either drink or makeout with someone if you're Ukrainian.) The embassy organizes quite a few activities and we're often invited to Canadian and British events as well. - Feb 2008
