Day 1 Arrival in Kiev
We will meet at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. The flight from Helsinki to Kiev departs at 16.10. We arrive at 18.15, where the group will be met by a driver and bus.
Accommodation in Hotel Dnipro ***+, very well located in the centre of Kiev. Kiev is an absolutely amazing destination. It surprises first-timers completely and makes you fall genuinely in love with the city and its laid-back vibe. As our hotel is located next to the main street and Maidan Square, there are dinner restaurants and nightclubs to suit all tastes.
Day 2 Pervomajski Guided Museum/Base
After breakfast at the hotel, we take a bus to Pervomaisk, 320 km south of Kiev. The Museum of Strategic Missile Troops is rated as the “coolest” museum by lonely Planet, and for good reason. After 2-3 hours we arrive at the silo, where we are met by a guide who served in the Soviet army, who leads us on a descent to a depth of 40 metres. We get to hear the full story of the Strategic Missile Base, the technical facts about the nuclear warheads and secret information about the site. Everything is still as it was when the base was closed and the systems were still working. We get answers as to why those who worked on the missiles only lived to be 20-25 years old, why the missile silos were covered in wax and how the officers in the control centre would survive 45 days after a nuclear attack.
We get to sit in the Commander’s seat in the launch room and sense the stress level of the Officers, because everyone knew what the “red button” of a world-class disaster would be.
In addition to the underground shaft, outside the museum is an exhibition of large missiles, the most famous of which is the SS-18 Sata intercontinental ballistic missile. This contained a single 20 megaton charge and had a range of over 12 000 km. This destructive power, combined with the slow launch mechanism from the silo, meant that several missiles could be launched from the silo in a series of tubes. In addition to the missiles, there are also large vehicles for transporting the missiles, pallets, and a lot of other military equipment outside.
Inside is a museum with scale models of the base itself, exhibits on the devastation caused by the atomic bombs in Japan, and military material from the Second World War.
We continue our journey towards Odessa, where we will stay at the charming Hotel Alexandrovsky, ****+, located in the old town.
Known as the pearl of the Black Sea, the multinational port city of more than a million inhabitants captivates tourists with its laid-back atmosphere. The clear structure of the city centre makes it very easy for first-timers to navigate the shopping, restaurants and cultural offerings. All within walking distance.
The city is clean, with countless restaurants and cafés. Although Ukrainian cuisine is heavily meat-centric, vegetarians will find it easy to eat out, including vegan options.
Day 3 Odessa and the Catacombs
After breakfast, we set off on an interesting half-day sightseeing tour of Odessa.
Odessa is a relaxed, traditional tourist town with a cultural offer, a mild climate and beautiful sandy beaches. There are also spa resorts in the vicinity that attract tourists. Not only food lovers but also art and culture lovers will enjoy the city. The locals are very humorous and hospitable.
We’ll explore sites such as the historic city centre and the famous Odessa Potyomkin Stairs, made world famous by Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein in the film Battleship Potyomkin, about the crew of the Taurian battleship Potyomkin, which mutinied in 1905. A crowd scene was filmed on the stairs, in which soldiers sent to put down the mutiny shoot at civilians. The stairs are twice as wide at the bottom as at the top and 142 metres long. The seaport, the Opera House and the French Boulevard, the City Hall, the Boulevard of Arts, etc., where time permits.
In the afternoon we will visit our second main destination, the catacombs of Odessa, excavated in the 19th century. During the Second World War, Soviet guerrillas moved along them. In the catacombs, you have to walk with respect and leave everything as it was when you entered: the locals believe that the corridors are guarded by a deity who takes revenge on the robbers of goods.
Day 4 Free day!
Breakfast and a day off. For the relaxed, there are numerous spas and Odessa offers good shopping, with prices that are very affordable, even cheap, for Finns. In the evening transfer to the train station, where we take the night train to Kiev.
Day 5 Kiev
We arrive at Kiev railway station at 07.10, where a bus and driver are waiting for us. We go to the Hotel Dnipro for an extra breakfast.
Free programme.
On your own, for example, you can visit the interesting Chernobyl Memorial Museum, with all kinds of Chernobyl-related artefacts, videos, vehicles, protective clothing and road signs. There are also photographs of mutant animals, for example.
The city’s main street is Khreschatyk, where tourists and locals alike flock on weekends to have fun and enjoy the atmosphere and incredible shows. Another beautiful if somewhat quieter pedestrian street is Andriyivsky uzviz. The metro is a convenient way to get around Kiev from around 6am to midnight. Tokens are very cheap and can be bought at the ticket counter or from vending machines. The three-line metro has three stations in the city centre around Independence Square, where you can change from one line to another.
Ukraine is dominated by a mainly temperate and continental climate, where summers are warm but winters can be quite cold. Fortunately, the area around Independence Square has a wide variety of restaurants where you can enjoy anything hot to drink and eat.
Under Independence Square, as well as at the other end of Khreshtshatyk Street, there are huge underground shopping and restaurant areas. The department stores are open on weekdays from around 8 am to 7 pm, on Saturdays from 8 am to 6 pm and some stores are open on Sundays.
The most popular souvenirs include traditional handicrafts and woodwork, chocolate and a variety of Ukrainian drinks, such as spiced hot vodka.
Day 6 Places
After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport, where the direct flight to Helsinki leaves at 09.25 and we arrive in Helsinki at 11.30.
