ADVENTURE TOUR

Welcome travellers and adventurers, to Lviv – the city of Lions and the picturesque western-capital of Ukraine.

Upon arrival to Lviv, we will meet you at the airport, and transfer you to your comfortable, character rich hotel. Take some time to rest from your journey, or take a stroll through the cobblestoned streets and get acquainted with this charming, historic city. Maybe stop for a beer on the way…

Citizens of Lviv believe that beer will bring long life to those who enjoy it from time to time… What better excuse? Lviv is famous for its wide range and variety of beer – if you want to really experience the beer of Lviv, we recommend you visit the Lviv Museum of Beer & Brewing, where you will be able to learn the history of brewing in Lviv, as well as try various beers!

In the evening, time for a delicious welcome dinner in one of the many restaurants in Lviv. Try traditional Ukrainian “borshch”, or dumplings “varenyky”!

In the morning, after breakfast, we will head to Shevchenkivsky Hai – an open-air museum of Ukrainian architecture. Step back in time and experience the life of ancient Ukrainians, spend the day wandering these ancient buildings, taste traditional dishes passed down through generations, explore the works of talented local blacksmiths, and for something adventurous – try your hand at Archery and or horseback riding! We don’t doubt you’ll get a true feel for traditional Ukrainian life from this experience…

After, we will return to the city centre, where you can take the evening to relax and explore – Lviv is just as beautiful by night! Find a patio to sit and watch the world go by, save some energy for the following day, because our adventures are just beginning!

Today we will set off for the beautiful Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains… Home to sweeping green forests, flowing rivers and breath-taking waterfalls – it’s hard not to feel at-one with nature when you breathe in the fresh mountain air…

On the way to the mountains, we will take a detour to the Ancient city of Galicia, the founding place of historic Galicia, and city of princes, castles, sieges and battles…. After a small break for lunch, we will head to the Carpathian village of Bukovets, where will settle down in our authentic, character rich accommodation, and relax after the journey.

In the evening, we will gather for a special dinner of traditional Hutsul food – your taste buds will be amazed!

Today we will venture up into the hills to “Pysanyj Kamin”, or “Painted Rock” – a geological site of local significance and a former place of pagan worship.

Starting with huge boulders of sandstone, with rocks 2-3 meters high, they stretch like an inclining path of about 80 meters long, transforming into massive monoliths up to 20 meters high. With specialised climbing equipment, we will be tackling this stunning geological masterpiece, and trust us, the view from the top will be worth it! So prepare yourself for a long hike/climb…

After, lunch in the open air with our friendly team, and surrounded by scenic nature will soon bring your strength back!

Once done, we will return to Bukovets, where you can take some time to rest and relax.

In the evening, some traditional local artists will delight you with fabulous singing and rhythmic dancing over dinner – prepare to be amazed!

Today is really a day for the adventurous – today we will be white water rafting on the Cheremosh River! The Cheremosh River is the only mountain river in the whole of Ukraine, where the level of the water is consistently high enough for rafting. In the past, Hutsul lumberjacks would drive logs down the river for processing. Now we take advantage of the spring run-off for some adventure..!

With the help of a team of professional rafting specialists, we will raft downstream through the picturesque mountain valleys to the village of Zelena.

After all the excitement, to reload our energy, we will have lunch in a valley close to the coast of Cheremosh River.

In the evening, we will return to the village of Bukovets, so you can relax, enjoy the view, and have the evening to yourself.

Today, we will be climbing the Mountain Pip Ivan, the third largest peak of the “Chornohora”.

After breakfast, we embark on an excursion along the mountain valley, where we will have the chance to meet some local shepherds, and see and how they make local “brynza” cheese. “Brynza” is made of sheep’s milk from the mountain sheep, has a white creamy appearance, and usually has a strong smell and quite peculiar taste. The cheese is very popular across the country, but especially in Hutsul cuisine.

Even better, the shepherds will be showing you how to cook “Kulish –  a traditional Cossack dish, which contains porridge, different kinds of meat, broth, onions, potatoes and carrots. This is an authentic Ukrainian dish, originating more than 500 years ago. We will eat Kulish for lunch, before continuing our journey.

We will then climb the mountain Pip Ivan. At the top, you’ll see the climb was worth it, as you gaze over the Karpaty, the view of the magical Smotrych Waterfall and the old Vuhatyy Stone…

In the evening, we head to the village of Bukovets, where you will be treated to a traditional Hutsul mountain dinner!

In the morning you’ll visit the famous Kosiv crafts bazaar, to admire the very best hand-made goods of this fantastic region, from local craftsmen and vendors – from Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter Eggs) to jewellery boxes, pottery and embroidery, leather goods and much more.  Hope there’s room in your suitcase for more than just fond memories!

Take the rest of the afternoon to rest, relax and shop, and get ready for the evening’s festivities…

In the evening, you are invited to a traditional festive evening, or “Vechornytsya”. Get ready to learn to dance and sing like a real Ukrainian! You can try some traditional Ukrainian dishes, such as “borshch”, “varenyky” dumplings, “galushky”, “banosh”, and sweet Ukrainian dumplings called “pampushky”. Believe us, this will be a party to remember!

In the morning, we will continue our tour. Our next stop is the city of Kamyanets-Podilskyy, whose castle is one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine!

Having arrived in this ancient city, we will settle in to the hotel, before some free time for lunch. We’ll then visit the local castle, located in the central part of the city. You’ll get to see how the local princes and rulers lived hundreds of years ago: the different types of people that lived in Kamianets-Podilsky each brought their own culture and architecture, meaning that this place is steeped in history and culture. Learn the city’s history on a tour through the ancient fortress, the cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the City Hall Building and numerous other fortifications.

In the evening, dinner and time to relax.

Today, take the morning to yourself to wander this ancient city and fortress, and step back in time as you wander its cobbled streets.

In the afternoon, we will take a river cruise down the Dnister River, to get another view of this impressive fortress, while slowly drifting past it’s medieval walls…

In the evening, dinner, and time to relax.

Did you know that in Ternopil area one can find one of the largest underground caving networks in all of Europe?  Well put on your coveralls and don your head lamp because we are going caving!

These ancient caves were not only home to ancient Trypillians from thousands of years ago, they also provided shelter to subjugated Jews during the Nazi occupation of Ukraine… Not only are these caves exciting, they have a fascinating history too!

The first is The “Optimistic” Cave – this cave was forgotten for nearly 30 years after records of it were destroyed, and its entrance became overgrown, but was rediscovered in 1965 by a group of Lviv speleologists. It is home to one of the largest gypsum labyrinths in existence! With 230km of passages, it is the longest cave in Eurasia, and the fifth-longest cave in the world…But don’t worry, we won’t be delving that far in! Only far enough for you to get a sense of “optimism” from these caves too!

After a stop for lunch, we will continue onto the second Cave of today – “Verteba”, another winding, maze-like collection of passageways, where one of the most famous artefacts from the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture was found, dating back to 3500 B.C.!

After all the excitement, we will head to Ternopil, an old but bustling city, where you can check into the hotel and take the evening to rest and relax.

After breakfast, we will head back to the stunning city of Lviv. Once back and checked in, take some time to have one last wander round its cobbles streets, pick up some last minute souvenirs and sit and relax over a few beers, before one last party…

In the evening, we invite you to one last Ukrainian “Zabava”; a gala dinner and live entertainment, where we can end our adventure tour together….

Sadly, your trip will come to an end here.  After breakfast, the car will be waiting to take you directly to the airport. Thank you for traveling with Next Stop Ukraine – we hope your trip was an enjoyable, memorable occasion, and we will see you again soon!