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Join us on a once-in-a-lifetime tour of Ukraine, Transnistria, and Moldova, a region historically known as Bessarabia, one of Europe’s most fascinating—and drastically underrated—regions. We’ll delve deep into local cultures and traditions, Soviet history, and contemporary politics, and journey into the incredible Exclusion Zone created in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Accompanied by a team of experienced guides, we’ll see beautiful Orthodox monasteries, underground tunnels, breathtaking monuments, and abandoned landscapes. Along the way, we’ll also find plenty of time to enjoy fantastic food and drink, good company, mischief, and mystery. Our adventures together will be breathtaking, surprising, and occasionally challenging, but always memorable.
Our tour kicks off in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. Arrive and settle into our group’s cozy apartments near the city center. In the evening, we’ll gather for dinner and drinks at a traditional restaurant nearby for a chance to get to know your guides and fellow travelers.
Boutique Apartments, Chișinău
Welcome Dinner
The Moldovan capital is an underrated gem, from the socialist-modernist state circus to the neoclassical cathedral and beyond. We’ll admire Brutalist housing blocks and visit the striking Victory Monument. We’ll learn about Chișinău’s Jewish heritage as we walk through the city’s former ghettos and visit the overgrown Jewish cemetery on its outskirts. We’ll finish with dinner and an overnight stay in the city.
Boutique Apartments, Chișinău
Breakfast, Dinner
Today we’ll cross the border into the unrecognized Republic of Transnistria. After the hour-long drive from Chișinău, we’ll get settled into our spacious apartment lodgings, then head out to explore the city of Tiraspol, which serves as the de facto capital of this breakaway state. Expect to see tanks, monuments, and teams of people busy making preparations for tomorrow’s festivities. After some free time to explore in the afternoon, we’ll gather back together for dinner, and prepare ourselves for the big day ahead.
Boutique Apartments, Tiraspol
Breakfast, Dinner
Prepare yourself for a street party like nothing you’ve ever seen. September 2 is Transnistrian Independence Day.* Expect Soviet-style military parades, marching bands, and pompous speeches from a podium decked in flags. The streets fill with crowds of spectators, while bands perform late into the night. Along the riverfront, we’ll find food stalls selling nothing but shashlik—huge grilled kebabs—and plastic cups of vodka. We’ll be going in deep today: mingling with the locals and getting lost in the noise and chaos of the parades. Later, we’ll gather for a big dinner and drinks, and to recap all that we’ve seen.
Boutique Apartments, Tiraspol
Breakfast, Dinner
*Please note that our May group will instead celebrate Victory Day, an annual public holiday commemorating the defeat of fascist forces in WWII.
Today we’ll leave Transnistria behind as we travel onwards into Ukraine, to the historic port city of Odessa in the south (two hours). On a walking tour of the city, we’ll take in highlights such as the legendary Potemkin Stairs to the beautiful Cathedral Square. Later in the afternoon, we’ll check into our Odessa hotel for a taste of Soviet-era luxury and mid-century modernism, before heading out for dinner.
Local Hotel, Odessa
Breakfast, Dinner
The Odessa Catacombs are the longest network of tunnels in the world, an estimated 1,553 miles in length. This morning, we’ll dive straight into the labyrinth, accompanied by an experienced local guide. Exploring the catacombs is hungry work, so we’ll return topside in time for lunch in the city. In the afternoon you’ll have some time to yourself; Odessa has a lot to offer, from its markets and church squares to famous Soviet-era monuments. We’ll give you a map and some free time to explore the city as you choose, before meeting later for an optional group dinner.
Local Hotel, Odessa
Breakfast
Today we’ll drive north almost 300 miles to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. There’s something very exciting to see along the way, so we’ll stop to explore this mystery destination and have lunch halfway before continuing on. We’ll arrive in Kyiv by evening, checking into our accommodation at the delightfully surreal Hotel Salyut, conveniently located just down the road from the deepest metro station in the world. After that it’s time for a welcome dinner in the capital, at a trendy grill and microbrewery nearby.
Hotel Salyut, Kyiv
Breakfast, Dinner
This morning we’ll visit Mezhyhirya, the private residence of exiled former president Viktor Yanukovych. Marvel at the disgraced leader’s ostentatious display of wealth as you wander through his house and classic car collection. After lunch back in the capital, we’ll stop by the magnificent Pechersk Lavra monastery—one of Ukraine’s most important Orthodox sites—and then explore the system of catacombs beneath the church. We’ll then head over to the nearby Motherland Monument to experience sheer awe before this towering Soviet symbol, before learning about Ukraine’s role in World War II at the Great Patriotic War Museum. Finally, we’ll end the day with a banquet at a rustic home-style restaurant.
Hotel Salyut, Kyiv
Breakfast, Dinner
Leaving early from our hotel, we’ll travel by private bus to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. On our first day in Chernobyl we’ll visit the reactors themselves. We’ll see ground zero of the accident, admire the new containment structure installed in 2016, and explore some of the other facilities around the nuclear power plant. Take lunch in the Chernobyl workers’ canteen, surrounded by scientists and engineers currently stationed at the plant. After a long day of exploring, we’ll eat dinner at a restaurant in Chernobyl town. Our accommodation for the night is at a homestay nearby, in a village close to the Chernobyl checkpoint.
Homestay, Chernobyl
Breakfast, Dinner
At the time of the Chernobyl disaster, the workers’ city Pripyat had a population of almost 50,000. It was evacuated soon after the event, and today it survives as one of the world’s most famous ghost towns. Today we’ll get to know this empty city intimately. Walk the desolate streets of Pripyat and visit schools, hospitals, and theaters. We will see all of Pripyat’s main landmarks, including the fairground, Palace of Culture, swimming pools, and fabulous street murals. After lunch back at the Chernobyl canteen, we’ll visit one of the Exclusion Zone’s best-kept secrets: the Duga radar installation, or "Russian Woodpecker," which rises to a height of 500 feet at the heart of an abandoned Soviet military base. Late in the day we’ll return to the capital for one last night at our Kyiv hotel.
Hotel Salyut, Kyiv
Breakfast, Dinner
On our last day, we’ll enjoy one final breakfast together in Kyiv. If you’d like to extend your stay, your guides will be very happy to provide you with maps and various suggestions for more places to go. Kyiv is a big, bustling city rich with ancient history, so there’s no end of things to see and do. When you’ve had your fill, you’ll find the local Kyiv Airport is well connected for flights home or onto your next destination. Until next time!
Breakfast
The cost of this trip is $4,225, based on double occupancy.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room (subject to the latest Covid-19 guidelines): You'll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $725. When booking, please select the single room package option.
You should aim to arrive in Chișinău by 5 p.m. on August 30 and depart from Kyiv anytime on September 9. Chișinău International Airport (KIV) and Boryspil International Airport (KBP) are both well-connected flight hubs. If you'd like to extend your stay on either end, we’re happy to help in extending hotel nights and providing tips on additional things to see.
Some elements of this tour will be physically demanding. Our two-day exploration of Chernobyl involves no more than walking, but there will be a lot of that, and over rough ground, so be sure to bring proper walking boots or other outdoor footwear. Long sleeves and full-length pants are also required inside the Zone. Be aware that this tour also involves a good amount of driving time.
In a word: bureaucratic. You can never be sure how long it will take for our group to cross a certain border, or what the border security staff will request in order to grant us access. Be flexible, bring a book, and consider it all part of the adventure.
Chernobyl is very much safe to visit. The outer area, the 30km Zone, acts as more of a buffer space between the contaminated land and the rest of Ukraine. This area is more or less fine—people live there full-time, they grow crops, raise livestock, and so on. Radiation levels in the 30km Zone are lower than the standard background radiation in a typical developed city. The largest dose of radiation our travelers usually get is from their trans-Atlantic flights. Most important, as always, is following the site’s regulations. Chernobyl’s security team is really thorough, and last year alone it safely catered to 120,000+ visitors.