Today, 35 years later, Chernobyl and the nearby town of Pripyat, attract thousands of tourists from all over the world.

But what are they touring, exactly? What is there to see and do in Pripyat?

Touring Chernobyl: How to Visit Pripyat

To visit Chernobyl, you’ll need access to the Exclusion Zone.

The Exclusion Zone is an an area of about 2,600 square kilometers (1,000 sq mi) in Ukraine that surrounds the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Can you visit Chernobyl without a guide?

You can only enter the exclusion zone with a licensed guide, meaning you’ll need to take one of the Chernobyl tours available.

You can get tours that range from one day, two days or three days.

The one days tours last about 12 hours, with four hours in transit from nearby Kiev. If you’re in a rush, the one day tours are a great way to get in and out quickly and they’re also your most affordable tour option.

You can also get private Chernobyl tours, which are especially good for photography as they let you take your time to take photos.

While it is possible to visit the area, there are areas in the exclusion zone that are still highly dangerous. A guide can help keep you safe and away from dangerous areas and situations. English guides are plentiful, and while tours include transportation, it’s important to know that you’ll need to go through multiple checkpoints while visiting.

So, what is there to see on a tour of Chernobyl?

Chernobyl is located around 62 miles, or 100 km, from Kiev, Ukraine. It’s about a two hour shuttle ride.

Chernobyl itself is home to the power plant, but the exclusion zone includes a large forest and other towns.

There are plenty of places to visit in the Chernobyl township, from an eerie abandoned kindergarten to forests surrounding the power plant itself.

Pripyat tours

Pripyat (which is also known as Pryp’yat’ or Prypyat) is a ghost city near the Ukraine–Belarus border. The town of Pripyat is about two kilometers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (ChNPP).

When the Chernobyl disaster occurred, the town of Pripyat was home to around 49,000 people. It was evacuated after the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in April, 1986 and many of its residents have never set foot in the town since.

While you can’t get too close to the plant or stay too long, there’s a lot to see in the town of Pripyat itself.

For instance, the Pripyat amusement park was set to have its grand opening on May 1st, 1986, less than a week before the explosion. However, it was never officially opened, and to this day it remains a symbol of the disaster in nearby Chernobyl.

There are three abandoned swimming pools in Pripyat, while the Swimming Pool Azure or Lazurny is the most well-known of these.

When’s the best time to visit Chernobyl?

You can visit Chernobyl any time of year.

The clearest weather is in the summer from June to August, but it can be hot, with temperatures often hovering near 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). Summer’s also the busiest season with tons of visitors and more expensive accommodations.

Fall and Spring are good times to visit, but the weather can be more variable.

Chernobyl is quietest in the winter, and the snow and gloom make for eerie and atmospheric photos however it can get cool with daytime highs around 0 C° (40 F°) and nights around -7 C° (20 F°).

Can you visit the Chernobyl Elephant’s Foot?

The Elephant’s Foot is a nickname for a large column formed underneath the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Its made of corium and other materials, and looks like black glass and bark.

Its wrinkly surface looks a lot like an elephant’s foot, thus the name. The Elephant’s Foot is in a maintenance corridor near the remains of the Chernobyl Reactor No. 4.

Because it’s still highly radioactive, it’s unfortunately not possible to walk up and see the Elephant’s Foot up close.

How safe is a Chernobyl tour?

Licensed Chernobyl tour operators have to follow strict guidelines set out by the governing body. The level of radiation in most areas tour operators are allowed to take you are minimal (less than you get in an airplane and 300x less than a typical xray) and most tours give you a respirator (though they’re not really needed) as well as your own Geiger-Muller dosimeter (Geiger counter) to make sure you stay within safe limits.

Where to stay on a Chernobyl stay?

While there are plenty of places to stay near the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the best hotels will be in Kiev proper. Most people who choose to stay for a one day tour will often stay in Kiev and have their tour operator pick them up directly from their hotel.

While it can make for a longer tour day, Kiev has a huge selection of great hotels to choose from.

If you’re planning a multiple day tour, oftentimes the tour operators will include accommodations or direct you to the hotels they often deal with. You’re best bet if you’re unsure is to talk to your tour operator before booking any tours to make sure your hotel will work for them and for you.

Are Chernobyl tours cancelled?

As of the time of writing this article, tours to Pripyat and Chernobyl are running, but check tour operators directly, as this can change.

In 2020, forest fires near Chernobyl damaged some of the tourist attractions however it didn’t damage the Main Reactor No. 4 so tours can still run.

We have family roots in Ukraine, so the country has always held a special allure. I learned how to decorate Ukrainian Easter eggs in elementary school, and Ukrainian foods like homemade perogies (pedehey or varenky) and cabbage rolls (holubtsi) are always on the menu when we visit family.

Unknown to most, Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe, second only to Russia in size. It’s a country with a long and complex, and often turbulent history.

Note: See the end of this article for a special word on travel safety for Ukraine.

Ukraine vs “the Ukraine”

Before you start asking where’s the “the” in front of Ukraine, since the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine in 1991, most newspapers and English speaking foreign governments refer to the country as Ukraine. The use of “the Ukraine” comes from the time before independence in 1991, when Ukraine was a republic of the Soviet Union.

Things to do in Ukraine

Now that that’s cleared up, here are our favorite things to do in Ukraine.

Kiev

Kiev (also known as Kyev), the capital and largest city of Ukraine, is a unique mix of Soviet and European culture and architecture. This green city is full of gorgeous trees and parks and memories of World War II are well preserved in the war memorial museum located at the foot of Rodina-Mat or in the 102 m high Mother of Motherland statue.

In addition to beautiful churches and cathedrals like St. Andrews Church, St. Sophia’s Cathedral and Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), Kiev is home to the deepest train station in the world – Arsenalna. The city also boasts the Kiev Opera House and if you’re in town, be sure to take a walk on the streets of beautiful Maidan (city center).

One of the tastiest experiences to have in Kiev is a stop by Lvivska Maysternya Shokoladu. Lvivska maysternya shokoladu means “Lviv Handmade Chocolate”, and it’s one of Kiev’s oldest and best chocolate cafes. Lviv is a city in western Ukraine, that’s well known for a tradition of excellent chocolate. You can grab coffee, tea and deserts to eat in house, or buy coffee and chocolate to go in the shop.

If you’re there when it’s held once a month, be sure to visit the large and colorful Kurazh Bazar. You can find opening times on their Facebook page here.

Lviv

Lviv, near the Polish border, is more European than Soviet in its architecture and culture. The unique confluence of artistic traditions of Ukraine and architecture of central Europe has made Lviv a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The historic city center (old town), is the perfect place to visit pubs and breweries among the cobblestone roads and Renaissance era buildings. Lviv Chocolate Factory is a must-visit for chocolate lovers, and blogger Karolina Patryk recommends Kumpel restaurant for homemade beer and authentic Ukrainian food.

The St. George’s cathedral houses the replica of Shroud of Turin making it a very popular tourist attraction. The Lychakiv cemetery houses more than 400,000 graves, each one popular and unique in their own way.

Chernobyl

The site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, Chernobyl has become an unlikely tourist spot. While you can’t visit the Chernobyl site itself, there are tours to the nearby ghost town on Pripyat. Before the nuclear disaster, Pripyat had almost 50,000 residents.

Want to find out more about tours in Chernobyl? Click here to see TripAdvisor reviews and information.

Pripyat was evacuated in two days in the aftermath of the disaster and, remains as it was on the fateful day in 1986. Pripyat is a must-include visit in your Ukraine travel planner.

Full day tours run from Kiev, approximately 100 km away.

If you haven’t see HBO’s fantastic Chernobyl show, check it out now. It’s well worth a watch.

Get Season 1 on Amazon here.

Odessa

A port city on the Black Sea, Odessa is a popular summer beach town that attracts people from all over Europe.

The blue sea, opera, ballet, theatre, the beautiful Dniester Delta National Park, the famous Mother-in-Law Bridge and the world’s largest network of underground catacombs make a visit to Odessa a must.

Carpathian Mountains and Yaremche

Often known as the green pearl of Ukraine, the Carpathian Mountains are a blend of beautiful meadows, peaks, dense forests, rough rivers and mountain lakes.

The Carpathian Mountains are an ideal place to enjoy cycling, riding, trekking, rafting or simply the fresh and pure air of the mountains. Heather and John from Roaming Around the World used Yaremche as a gateway to outdoor pursuits like hiking in the Carpathian Mountains.

Chernivtsi

While it’s the city’s rich history that got Chernivtsi on the UNESCO World Heritage List, most visitors love the vibe of the city. Kami from My Wanderlust calls Chernivtsi one of her favorite finds of 2015 for its pastel buildings, numerous cafes, and leafy trees that make the city welcoming.

Actress Mila Kunis was born and lived in Chernivtsi for much of her childhood.

Kamianets-Podilskyi

The ancient fortress is the major attraction in the town of Kamianets-Podilskyi. It’s the historic Capital of Podolia.

The fortress was first built to watch over the River Smotrych. There’s even evidence to suggest that a settlement has existed on this rock outcropping for close to 2,000 years.

Khotyn Fortress

If you take the time to visit the castle in Kamianets-Podilskyi, stop by to visit the nearby Khotyn Fortress. It’s located on the bank of the Dniester River in Khotyn. The fortress was built in 1325.

Uman

The main draw in the central Ukrainian city of Uman is the famous Sofiyivka park. The park is both a botanical garden and a scientific research institute.

Strategic Missile Forces Museum

The Strategic Missile Forces Museum offers a unique look into Cold War Soviet era Ukraine. It housed nuclear weapons, underground passages and silos, and is located about 300 km from Kiev.

Ukraine has some of the most beautiful and scenic landscapes as well as some of the most unique architecture in Europe, making it a country every itinerary planner should have on their list.

Is it safe to visit Ukraine?

There is an ongoing territorial dispute with Russia over the Crimean peninsula. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. There is also ongoing fighting between rebels and Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

On Jan 23, 2022, the US Department of State issued a Do Not Travel advisory for Ukraine, authorizing “the voluntary departure of U.S. direct hire employees (USDH) and ordered the departure of eligible family members (EFM) from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action. U.S. citizens in Ukraine should consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options. There are reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine… U.S. citizens in Ukraine should be aware that Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine would severely impact the U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide consular services, including assistance to U.S. citizens in departing Ukraine.”

As of February 8, 2022: The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel to Donetsk oblast, Lugansk oblast and Crimea, and “The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Ukraine.”