Internationale groepsreis Chernobyl & Kiev Long Weekend

This trip starts in Kiev, Ukraine's mighty and fast-evolving capital city. A sightseeing tour of Kiev will be offered on the last day of the trip before departure but those wishing to spend more time exploring this eclectic city and its many interesting heritage sites such as the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, may wish to extend the trip by a day or two. After check-in, we meet our local tour leader for a welcome briefing and group dinner. Overnight in Kiev. 

This morning we leave for Chernobyl and travel by comfortable private minibus for approximately 2 hours to Dytiatky, the main check point before entering official Exclusion Zone. After passing passport control and learning about some essential safety rules we start our comprehensive sightseeing tour by vehicle and on foot.On the way to the power plant we stop at  the almost fully buried Kopachi village, which was highly contaminated by the high-level of radioactive fallout after the nuclear blast and subsequently bulldozed. A macabre and desolated kindergarten and one other brick building are the only structures that remain standing. We continue towards the third stage of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, driving by the uncompleted reactors 5 and 6, the unfinished cooling towers, and reach the main disaster site, Reactor 4. It was right here that, on the on the fatal night of 26th April 1986, two large explosions took place following a failed safety test, releasing tons of radioactive substances into the air to an altitude of 1.5km. We will learn of the catastrophic consequences of the largest nuclear energy disaster in the history of mankind, while observing the mighty New Safe Confinement ('Arch') from a safe observation point at distance of 270 metres.Our tour continues with a special private visit inside the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station (Usually Unit 3). We will be provided with a special protective gown of an NPP employee, shoe covers and dosimeter and enjoy a 3-hour long tour of the still functional parts of the power plant. This once-in-a-lifetime experience includes a visit to the control room, where you have the chance to fill the shoes of those who once stood here during the tragic event. We also see the hydraulic pump system, the ‘golden corridor’, and finally the room enclosing the main circulation pumps. We may also meet and listen to fascinating explanations from the current employees of the Chernobyl NPP and enjoy lunch with the station workers at the main canteen (where ecological cleanliness of products is guaranteed). Later, we continue our exploration of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with a visit to one its most mysterious sites. In 1975 the grand construction of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant drew the attention of thousands but few would have known that a gigantic, top secret radar was also being erected a short distance away. This fascinating and complex defence system was built to protect Soviet citizens in case of nuclear war and the giant antennas, still visible today and known as Duga-1, were supposed to watch the launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. There is a lot of speculation around the history and purpose of this site, and we will hear some of the theories during our visit.Tonight, we enjoy the unique opportunity of staying in a basic but comfortable hotel within the Exclusion Zone end conclude our busy day with a warm traditional Ukrainian meal in a cafe near our accommodation.Please note that the order of activities and choice of buildings visited within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone may vary depending on weather, time available and local restrictions.

After breakfast we drive 20 minutes to Pripyat, the once lively town that was home to the Chernobyl workers and their families. Incredibly, the inhabitants were evacuated in just three hours on the day of the disaster. Over three decades later, this ghost town is now a freeze-frame of the Soviet Union in 1986. Communist propaganda still decorates the walls, personal belongings litter the streets and the abandoned buildings and toys are strewn around a schoolhouse where they were last dropped by children before escaping. All clocks are still frozen at 11:55, the moment the electricity was cut. We will walk by many derelict and desolated buildings, including a fish farm, the cinema, the music school and the athletic stadium, as well as some filming locations of the popular HBO TV series. After lunch we will also hopefully get the chance to meet one of the so-called self-settlers, the locals who went against the order issued by the governement and chose to return to their homes within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone soon after the tragic accident. This is a special opportunity to hear some interesting and touching stories of what life in Chernobyl was like before and after the explosion. In the afternoon, time permitting, we head to the Red Forest, the 10-square-kilometre area surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant that take its name from the ginger-brown colour of the pine trees that died following the absorption of high levels of radiation. To date, it remains one of the most contaminated areas in the world, but we will approach it from a safe distance. There will also be time to pay a visit to the Monument to the Chernobyl Liquidators, dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of firefighters, engineers, military troops, police, miners, cleaners and medical personnel who took part in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster and prevented apocalyptic consequences for Europe, sacrificing their lives or health for the sake of saving others. A we leave the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and make our way back to Kiev (approx. 2 hours) by private transport. Overnight in Kiev.

This morning we enjoy a walking tour of Kiev's main sights starting with the amazing view of two golden-domed monastery complexes while walking along Sophiiska and Mykhailivska Squares. We continue along Andrew Street and pass St Andrew Church before entering Arsenalna subway station, currently the deepest in the world at 105.5 metres. Travelling by metro, we head to the UNESCO Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery, founded in AD 1051, and visit the stunning interior and complex of caves housing mummified nuns. The tour usually ends early afternoon so to those not travelling on the group flight, we suggest booking a flight that departs Kiev not earlier than 6 pm in order to enjoy the full sightseeing tour. Alternatively, you may choose to fly back the following day and enjoy more time in Kiev for further independent sightseeing. Please note that we will check-out from the hotel in the morning but we will be able to leave our luggage safely stored during the included sightseeing tour.