Things to Do

Your guide to the best places to visit in Kyiv

Pechersk Lavra

The Monastery of the Caves, a working monastery and UNESCO site above the Dnipro. The Lower Lavra is free, and the caves underneath still hold the mummified monks who dug them.

Independence Square

Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the centre of Kyiv and the site of four political rallies since 1990. Free, always open, and impossible to miss.

Chernobyl Tour/Pripyat

A day trip into the exclusion zone to see Reactor 4, the Red Forest and the abandoned city of Pripyat. You can only go on an organised tour.

Khreshchatyk Street

Kyiv's main street, 1.2km from European Square down to Bessarabska. Closed to traffic at weekends, and one of the 20 most expensive shopping streets in Europe.

The Ukrainian State Museum Of The Great Patriotic War

18 galleries of Second World War history in the hillside directly under the Motherland Monument, with tanks and aircraft outside. Closed on Mondays.

Dnipro River Cruise

What could be better than a boat trip on the river Dnipro in the warm summer weather?

Kyiv Funicular

Take this 3 minute trip for amazing views over the Dnipro river and surrounding area.

Olympic Stadium

Ukraine's national stadium and the venue for the Euro 2012 final. You can go inside on a guided tour, but only on certain days and only if you book ahead.

Park Kyyivsʹka Rusʹ

A full-scale reconstruction of ancient Kyiv out in Kopachiv village, with horse stunt shows, archery and combat festivals. Bus 15 goes direct from Vydubychi.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument

The Cossack hetman on his horse, on the square in front of St Sophia's. One of the oldest monuments in Kyiv and the backdrop to the city's Christmas market.

TSUM Central Department Store

Kyiv's original department store, still on Khreshchatyk after 80 years. Eight floors of brands, a food hall and a roof terrace with a view over the main street.

Ocean Plaza

Kyiv's second biggest shopping mall, with 400 shops, 30 restaurants, a cinema and the largest aquarium in Eastern Europe. Free to walk around.