Backpacking in Ukraine: 3-week itinerary

By Joan Torres Leave a comment Last updated on April 9, 2024

From visiting fairy-tale castles to trekking in the Ukrainian Carpathians, exploring both historical and industrial cities and visiting dark tourist places, such as a former nuclear missile facility and the Chernobyl Exclusion zone, this is the ultimate and most complete Ukraine itinerary available on the internet.

What was supposed to be a three-week stay in the charming city of Lviv turned out to be a 2-month journey across what is, in my opinion, the most fascinating country in Europe, travel-wise.

I had always been interested in visiting Kyiv and, more recently, also Chernobyl but, other than that, Ukraine itself never actually called me, for the simple reason that I didn’t know much about it.

And this is the problem of Ukraine: from a tourism perspective, the rest of the country remains the largest unknown territory in Europe, even for other Europeans.

Nonetheless, as I got into the country and started to explore more deeply, I began to realize that the largest country in Europe, nestled (both geographically and politically) between the EU and Russia, must also have the biggest hidden touristic potential.

From partying in a real cosmopolitan city to exploring the remotest mountain villages; from visiting otherworldly baroque monasteries to trying to sneak into a tank factory; and from having an espresso in the refined Old Town of Lviv to having lunch in a Vietnamese neighborhood inhabited by Vietnamese refugees invited by the USSR as a favor to Ho Chi Min; what makes Ukraine a fascinating destination is that it is one of the few countries that will totally satisfy both the sightseeing lover and the urban, intrepid explorer willing to visit the darkest and most offbeat stuff.

This post is a 3-week itinerary containing all the places I visited in Ukraine (almost), which also includes tips such as transportation and accommodation, all combined with my personal experience.

For things like how to get a visa, budget, cultural facts, etc. you must check out my travel tips for Ukraine

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Ukraine is a far-flung country where visiting everything would imply a long time, perhaps several months.

However, Ukraine’s two most touristic cities – Kyiv and Lviv – are already a reason by themselves to visit Ukraine and, with a few more days, you can also get a real glimpse of what rural and Soviet Ukraine looks like.

Below is my recommendation of what places should you visit in Ukraine, based on the number of days you have. Of course, you can combine them, depending on your preference.

If you only have a few days for backpacking through in Ukraine, I recommend you stay in Kyiv, since the city is big enough to keep you busy for several days, plus you can do some great day trips to the infamous Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and Cherniviv.

Apart from visiting Kyiv and its amusing surroundings, you should take a train to the western city of Lviv, the Ukrainian cultural capital and a completely different world from Kyiv.

With one extra week for backpacking around Ukraine, I recommend you get into the Ukrainian mountains, the Carpathians, and do some proper sightseeing by visiting the castles and monasteries around Lviv and Kamianets Podilskyi.

If planning accordingly, in 3 weeks you can visit a fair amount of the country and, if interested in the Soviet Heritage and off the beaten track Ukraine (Against the Compass readers love it), I would first recommend you spare 1 or 2 extra days in both Lviv and Kyiv and, then, visit the city of Kharkiv and the former nuclear launch facility near Pervomaisk.

Travel insurance for Ukraine
I recommend IATI Insurance: COVID-19 coverage + 5% discount
Get your discount when buying through this link

Train is the way to go for backpacking in Ukraine, and you can book your tickets on this website

Lviv and Kyiv are the most obvious choices when choosing a starting point, for the simple reason that they have the largest number of international flight connections. Odessa has some international flights too. I actually flew out from Odessa to Minsk.

If you are backpacking around Europe, however, and enter Ukraine overland, you might start from a different city. For example, after 3 weeks of being in Ukraine, I traveled to Moldova from Odessa by train, and then re-entered Ukraine via Chernivtsi.

Check my Ukraine practical guide for all overlanding options.

Everybody knows about Kyiv.

Many people know about Lviv too, but not as many, especially in the most Western part of Europe.

Nonetheless, you might be surprised to know that this is, by far, the most touristic place to visit in all Ukraine, an elegant city composed of stately architecture featuring gothic, baroque and classic-style buildings, hence reflecting their 700 years of history when they were part of Poland and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

It is important to mention that, unlike the rest of Ukraine, Lviv wasn’t part of the USSR until the end of WWII, in 1945.

Culturally, politically and architectonically, Lviv and Ukrainians from Lviv share closer ties with Central Europe than Kyiv and other parts of eastern Ukraine.

Consequently, Lviv and all of Galicia Oblast is the region with the strongest Ukrainian national identity.

It is also the city best prepared for tourists, home to a European-style old town with all the narrow alleys, coffee places and fine-dining restaurants that you tend to find in an old European town of this kind.

This is just a small summary, but, for more information, read my Lviv 3-day itinerary

Discover Lviv on an organized tour!
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL AVAILABLE TOURS IN LVIV

• Wandering around the Old City – A fantastic place to wander and get lost, and the main reason travelers come here.
• Coffee Mining Manufacture – Lviv also claims to be the first city to ever roast and brew the coffee bean and this is one of the first places to ever do so. It’s a regular café too.
• Masoch café – A masochist-themed pub in honor of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Lviv-born and the creator of masochism concept
• Jewish sites – Prior to WWII, Lviv had one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe.
• Soviet Heritage – Besides delicate architecture, the outskirts of Lviv are filled with Communist buildings, murals and monuments. In my Lviv travel guide you can find out everything about them!

History says that, when the Mongols invaded Kyiv in the 13th century, today’s Pochaiv was found by a group of refugee monks who had fled Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv.

Those devoted monks somehow felt Pochaiv had some divine atmosphere, so they settled down and founded a monastery which, at first, was nothing more than a set of isolated caves but, over the centuries, it evolved into a stunning baroque complex.

Today, Pochaiv is the second holiest place in the country for Ukrainian Orthodox, after Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.

It is the second holiest place, yes, but the most remarkable in my opinion, and not only because it is architecturally more impressive, but because there are no tourists and it’s located in rural Ukraine, only surrounded by misty forest, hence providing a unique spiritual and purely Ukrainian atmosphere.

Visiting the huge Orthodox complex was great and then, in my guesthouse, there was a young monk who had been there for weeks and I don’t know, he was just so funny and hyperactive like no monk I have met before. Great time in Pochaiv.

By the way, for either lunch or dinner, the restaurant’s monastery is great and cheap. It’s one of those Soviet-style cafés with plenty of choices.

Alternatively, inside the monastery there is a hotel, and a Ukrainian pilgrim I met on the bus told me that they also have a budget dorm exclusively for pilgrims, but you will need to figure it out by yourself once you get there.

You can go by bus or train but, either way, you will have to stop in Ternopil.

There are several trains a day connecting Lviv with Ternopil and then, once in Ternopil, you need to take a marshrutka to Pochaiv.

The whole journey takes the entire morning.

I went to Ternopil by coach from Lviv, don’t ask me why, but I think it was because I really wanted to check out Stryiska Bus Station, which is built in a peculiar Soviet modernist building. It wasn’t a smart choice, as I remember waiting at the bus station for almost 3 hours for the bus to depart.

The advantage of going by bus, however, is that it drops you at the same bus station with buses going to Pochaiv, which is around 2km walk from the main train station.

Going to Pochaiv on day trip by public transportation isn’t convenient. By car it might be.

The mountain region south of Ivano-Frankivsk resisted Soviet occupation until 1960 so, in an attempt to alleviate Ukrainian nationalism, the Soviets decided to rename the city after the famous Ukrainian poet Ivano-Frankivsk; its previous name was Stanislaw.

That region had been the epicenter of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

Ivano-Frankivsk is the main gateway to Ukrainian Carpathians, so most travelers coming from Lviv tend to stop here only to get off the train and get in a marshrutka, but I recommend you spend one night here, as Ivano-Frankivsk is a Polish-like city composed of a sophisticated downtown, pedestrian boulevards and a student atmosphere.

Besides strolling down the streets, you should climb the tower located in Rynok Square to get a panoramic view of the city.

For good coffee and food, go to Fabbrica.

The Carpathians is a mountain range that stretches across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and, of course, Ukraine.

It is the third longest mountain range in Europe after the Urals and the Scandinavian Mountains.

I don’t know what the Carpathians are like in other European countries but in Ukraine, this is an isolated region home to traditional mountain villages mostly inhabited by a distinct ethnic group named the Hutsuls, a group of people who speak a different dialect and wear colorful woolen clothes.

They also have their own traditional folk dancing and a curious fact you might be interested in is that the Eurovision winner from 2004 was a Ukrainian lady who performed a Hutsul dance.

Traveling to the Carpathians feels like traveling back in time to pastoralist, ancient Europe.

Moreover, adventure travelers should know that this mountain range also offers plenty of trekking opportunities, the main reason people come here.

The Carpathians are the top backpacking adventure in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Carpathians is a big region that would require a separate travel guide, so in this Ukraine travel itinerary, will give you a summary, and then you can do your own research.

Where did we go?

We went to a small village named Kosiv, 100km south of Ivano-Frankivsk, where we spent 3 days.

From Kosiv, we did a 1-day trek through green-rolling landscapes and Hutsul villages.

The reason we went there was because I was contacted by a local and Against the Compass reader (@yaro_traveler), who hosted and took us around for our whole stay.

If you are not sure where to go, Kosiv is relatively easy to reach, is on the way to the next destination and its surroundings are beautiful.

Yaremche – This is the most developed town in the Carpathians and the most ready to host tourists. There is a tourist office where you can get information and plan your treks, either independently or with a guided tour.

Mount Hoverla – Hoverla is the tallest mountain in Ukraine (2061m). You can can climb up and down it in one day and there is a guesthouse right at the beginning of the trail. Otherwise, Vorokhta is the largest closest town and the official base.

Bukovel – Best ski resort in Ukraine.

Yasinya and Rakhiv – The area located on the other side of Mount Hoverla is actual off the beaten track Carpathians, where you will find the remotest and most traditional villages.

Kolomiya – The largest town close to Kosiv, and an unavoidable stop for continuing to Chernivtsi. The town itself is pretty and it has a famous market selling all types of Hutsul handicrafts.

Pretty much any village can be reached by marshrutka. Otherwise, hitchhiking is also a common option among locals, but expect to pay a small fee, which tends to be equal to a marshrutka ride.

There is also a train running from Yaremche to Vorokhta, which then continues west towards the area on the other side of Mount Hoverla. For continuing east towards Chernivtsi, you must take a marshrutka.

Podillya is a historic region in Central Europe and there was a time in which Kamianets Podilski acted as its capital.

Today a UNESCO World Heritage site, the old city of Kamianets Podilski is great to stroll down, the highlight being a massive canyon that totally encircles the city’s jaw-dropping castle or fortress.

If you are looking for something offbeat, more alternative, perhaps you should skip this fairy town but we all have to admit that Kamianets might be the prettiest city in the country.

Kamianets was our first actual stop in our Ukraine itinerary after re-entering Ukraine from Moldova. We enjoyed our time here as we needed some good rest, so we spent our time wandering around the town, chilling out and eating our way through fine-dining restaurants.

I visited Odessa twice. On the first time, I was there in transit on my way to Transnistria and Moldova. Then we spent our last 5 days here before flying out to Belarus.

To be very honest, since it was my last stop after spending 2 months backpacking in Ukraine and seeing so many cities, I was not impressed at all.

Sure, Odessa has nice restaurants, cafés and bars – a great place to hang out – and the architecture is monumental, but most city landmarks weren’t very exciting.

Moreover, Odessa is the beach-resort capital of Ukraine, one of the reasons it became so famous, but lying down on the shore of the Black Sea was not why I was backpacking in Ukraine.

Then, should you include Odessa in your Ukraine itinerary?

For some reason, travelers always tend to include Odessa in their Ukraine itinerary, even those backpacking in the country just for a week.

Perhaps, if Odessa had been the first place in my Ukraine itinerary, I would change my mind but, in my opinion, it has nothing remarkable to offer and places like Kharkiv or the Carpathians are far more interesting, for the simple reason that they offer something more unique.

Traveling is very subjective, however, and maybe you will go there and have the best time of your life, who knows, but if you like the traveling style of this blog, we may share a similar opinion.

By the way, from Odessa you can travel to Georgia (Batumi) by boat.

• Deribasivska street – Main pedestrian street in Odessa with many bars, restaurants and shops.
• Potemkin Stairs – Very long staircase with great views whose top has great views of the harbor.
• Odessa Lighthouse – The city’s lighthouse

There isn’t a direct train, and you have 2 options:

• Take a train to Zhmerynka and then a second train to Odessa
• Go through Moldova to Chisinau and then Odessa

Read my Moldova travel guide & Transnistria travel guide

This is so bloody awesome: an actual nuclear missile launch facility, no kidding.

After the dissolution of the USSR, Ukraine held approximately 30% of the total Soviet nuclear arsenal, including 40 underground silos (missile launch facilities) in Mykolaiv Oblast.

In 1994, however, after Ukraine joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, they agreed to destroy all of them, turning one of the 40 silos into an open-air museum that showcases tens of missiles, weapons, tanks and allows you get down into the silo, to the actual control room from where missiles were launched.

The museum is 30km north of the city of Pervomaisk, 224km north of Odessa and 319 south of Kyiv.

From Odessa, you can catch a direct bus or marshrutka (go early in the morning) and once in Pervomaisk, you need to either catch a taxi or a second marshrutka heading north towards Kyiv. For that, we just stood at the main road going into that direction.

If coming from Kyiv, you will need to figure it out, but I am pretty sure that there are direct buses to Pervomaisk, and it should be more convenient because the museum is on the way.

We actually came from the eastern city of Kharkiv (517km) and since there weren’t any connections, it was a very long 2-day journey – Kharkiv-Kremenchuk-Kropuvnyysky-Pervomaisk – combining both trains and marshrutkas.

Pervomaisk is a shit hole of a town and we stayed in one of the few hotels you find in the city’s main square. We paid 450UAH for a basic double room.

If you could only visit one place in Ukraine, it should be Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

It is far less touristic and manageable than Lviv, but I definitely prefer Kyiv.

Kyiv is in fact one of my favorite cities in the world, along with Tbilisi, and while Lviv is so cute and has a town feel, Kyiv is an extremely lively, vibrant and beautiful capital with so much going on.

There are soooo many things to do here, from visiting baroque-style buildings and epic cathedrals to a large WWII heritage, loads of Soviet things to see, a great bar scene and, basically, something going on in almost every corner.

This is just a small summary, but I have written a very comprehensive guide about the city:

How to visit Kyiv in 4 days + day trips

Discover Kyiv on an organized tour!
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL AVAILABLE TOURS IN KYIV

• Maidan Nezalezhnosti or Independence Square – Where the famous Ukrainian protests took place.
• Saint Sophia Cathedral – One of the prettiest Christian buildings in town
• Hydro Park Island – An island on Dnipro river with great views of Kyiv’s Lavra
• Pechersk Lavra – A massive Christian Complex and the headquarters for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
• Great Patriotic War Museum and Motherland Monument – Soviets refer to WWII as the Great Patriotic War because it was a struggle to protect their motherland
• Kyiv Old Town – A set of narrow alleys full of art galleries that reminded me more of Paris than an Eastern European city.

For more information, including more offbeat places, check my Kyiv travel guide.

In 1986, a reactor from the nuclear plant located in the city of Pripyat suffered a massive explosion that provoked the release of tonnes of radioactive material into the sky.

It was an unprecedented accident that took the lives thousands and thousands of people and caused hundreds of thousands to be evacuated, plus all the social, economic and natural repercussions, whose consequences are still being suffered today.

There are several trains a day running between Kyiv and Cherniviv

Kharkiv is an eastern city located less than 30km from the Russian border and my second favorite city in Ukraine after Kyiv.

Many travelers might not find Kharkiv a particularly amusing destination, however, as Kharkiv’s main attractive lies on its high abundance of Soviet legacy, so if you are aiming at savoring an espresso in a cheesy café while admiring some boring churches, Kharkiv might not be your destination of choice.

Nevertheless, Kharkiv isn’t the average Soviet city filled with ugly concrete and brutalist buildings but, with its affluence of imposing Stalinist architecture, the city also manifests an elegant feel and sophisticated atmosphere, the reason why this is claimed to be the most aesthetically attractive industrial city in the continent.

We actually visited Kharkiv on the day of my birthday, and I couldn’t had been happier with the place we chose to celebrate it: we visited a tank factory, ate Vietnamese food with Vietnamese people in the Vietnamese district of Kharkiv, and partied in a local rock & roll bar until late.

Don’t miss Kharkiv in your Ukraine travel itinerary.

These are just some of the many highlights.

• Derzhprom – Located in Freedom Square, this Soviet building was built by the time Kharkiv was the capital of the Ukrainian SSR, and is seen as one of the greatest examples of post-war Soviet architecture.
• Tank Factory – Kharkiv is the place where worldwide famous T-34 tank was produced and its factory is still fully functional. You can’t get in but you can climb the wall and check out a pretty big tank graveyard.
• Kharkiv’s metro system – Stunning, beautiful stations many of them featuring Lenins and other Soviet symbols and propaganda.
• Stalinist architecture – The city center has the most exquisite Stalinist buildings. It reminds me of Minsk.
• Vietnamese Market – In Kharkiv, there is one of the largest Vietnamese populations in Europe. Many of them decided to stay in the country after their contracts as guest workers expired after the dissolution of the USSR. Inside Barasbahova market, there is a Vietnamese section with a few very authentic Vietnamese restaurants.

Trains to Kiev run all day long.

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

• Travel Guide to Chernobyl
• Kiev Travel Guide
• Lviv Travel Guide
• Ukraine Travel Guide

• Azerbaijan Itinerary
• Belarus Itinerary
• Travel Guide to Tajikistan
• Georgia Itinerary
• Travel Guide to Moldova
• Kyrgyzstan Itinerary
• Uzbekistan Itinerary
• Kazakhstan Itinerary