Dnipro River Cruise

Perfect for a summer’s evening with the breeze in your hair and the sun setting in the background are the Dnipro river cruises. Throughout the summer months, the boats set sail throughout the day and on evenings and weekends.

There are various boat trips available, but the best one is the 1 and a half hour Kyiv Panorama cruise which takes you under the pedestrian bridge, past Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the Motherland Monument whilst seeing the beaches of Trukhaniv Island and Hyrdropark. On the left you’ll also see Kyiv’s floating hotel Bakkara which has romantic views of the river.

There isn’t a guide on board, so just sit back and enjoy the views and you can buy snacks and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks form the on-board bar.

Later in the evenings and more commonly on weekends for a small extra charge there are disco ships with music and lights. These follow the same route as the Panorama rive cruise.

Other trips include a 3-and-a-half-hour trip to Kyiv Sea (Reservoir) and back, sailing close to Mezhyhirya Residence, the estate of the former president, Yanukovych. It’s a long way and there’s not much to see on the way except some apartment blocks, some greenery and a trip through a lock, so you are probably best sticking with the Kyiv Panorama tour if you have limited time.

There is also another longer boat trip to the estuary of the Desna River which includes a barbeque lunch and sporting activities on the island.  There is a minimum number of 60 persons required and you have to book in advance by phone.

The Kyiv Panorama tour usually departs hourly from 11am, but this could vary depending on demand (they have a 20 passenger minimum).  In the evening and weekends, departures will be more frequent as they are more popular times for taking a cruise. The price at the time of writing is 150 UAH for adults and half price for children.