This is a fantastic trip which packs a lot into a week and visits two lesser known but... Hannah Marder, 2017 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all Day 1 Fly to Chisinau. Fly to Chisinau, transfer to hotel.Klassik Hotel or similar Day 2 Walking tour of Chisinau. Visit Ohrei Monastery. This morning we set out on foot from our hotel for a walking tour of the Moldovan capital. Although the city dates back to 1420, a huge earthquake in 1940 destroyed most of the historic centre, while WWII finished the job off. Chisinau was then rebuilt in a Soviet-style, leaving a city dominated by brutalist buildings, but there are some real quirky gems including the now abandoned Winter Circus, Triumphal Arch and the bell tower of the Nativity Cathedral. The central market is another highlight, first opened in 1825 it has been the centre of life in the city ever since. It's worth braving the crowds for lovely fresh fruit, nuts and wine. Heading out of the city we stop for a traditional home-cooked lunch in a small farmstead. From here we visit the beautiful, isolated hilltop Orhei Monastery dating back to the 14th century. Our final stop before returning to Chisinau is the Milestii Mici Winery, home to the largest wine cellar in the world! Here we will drive down into the cellar in the tour bus, past hundreds of barrels of the ‘holy drink’ as it’s known locally. We will try several varieties of wine and learn about the fascinating history of oenology in this unknown corner of Europe.Klassik Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 3 Full day excursion to Transnistria; transfer to Odessa. Our destination for today is one of Eastern Europe's strangest. Transnistria is a self-declared republic occupying a narrow strip of land in the east of Moldova. A microstate, officially only recognised by the people who live there, no one else! Yet they have their own currency, postal service and border force. The region harks back to the days of the USSR and is staunchly pro-Russian, although it gets little financial support in return. There are photo-worthy busts of Lenin all over the city. No trip to Moldova is complete without seeing Transnistria.In the late afternoon to transfer to Odessa on Ukraine's Black Sea Coast. Journey time is about 2 hours, however, the border cross between Moldova and Ukraine may take some time. Hotel Alexandrovsky or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Full day in Odessa; morning city tour. This morning we wake up in Odessa, Ukraine’s third largest city, on the Black Sea coast. A warm water port, Odessa has had a short but turbulent history. When founded in the 18th century Russia's Catherine the Great invited immigrants from across Europe to come and make their fortune in Odessa, thus creating a thriving multicultural city of Jews, Turks, Armenians, Italians, Germans and Poles, with the outbreak of WWII this population diversity would sadly be its downfall. In more recent times the city has had its problems especially during the 2014 revolution, but now, largely because Crimea is off-limits for most Ukrainian holidaymakers, the city is booming once more. It beautiful tree-lined avenues and seaside boulevards are a perfect place to relax and see a different side to Ukraine. The ornate opera house and Potemkin Steps are architectural must-sees. After a city tour, we enjoy free time, before boarding the overnight sleeper train to Lviv. Sleeper train Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Arrive Lviv, guided walking tour. We arrive early into Ukraine's cultural capital Lviv, stopping for breakfast at our hotel and storing our luggage, we will try and obtain a couple of day rooms so you can freshen up, but please note this is not always possible. We then head out for a morning walking tour of this beautiful city, before enjoying free time in the afternoon. We recommend climbing the clock tower of the town hall for a panoramic view of the old town. Lviv's UNESCO listed old town easily competes with the likes of Krakow and Vilnius in the charm and history stakes! It's full of colourful townhouses, fine churches, cobbled streets and cosy cafes. Ukrainian cultural identity is stronger here than anywhere else in the country, but with a wonderful mix of Polish, Jewish, Hungarian and even Armenian history thrown into the mix. Lviv really is a delight and surprisingly untouched by mass tourism. Modern Art Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Transfer to Kyiv by train; free evening. This morning we board the train to Kyiv (journey time 8hrs approx.), Ukraine's mighty capital city and home to over 2.5 million people. The Ukrainian capital seems to have hardly left the news in recent years, sadly for all the wrong reasons, but its citizens are made of strong stuff and are keen to show their beautiful city to the world. There will be some free time in the evening to enjoy the city or take dinner on the capitals most famous street, Khreshchatyk. Ukraine Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Morning tour of Kyiv; free time in the afternoon. This morning we enjoy a walking tour of Kyiv's main sights, including Maiden Square, the site of the revolutions of 2004 and 2013. As well as St. Sofia Cathedral and the Monastery of St. Michael Archangel. The afternoon is free for you to enjoy this fascinating city at your leisure. You may choose to visit the Pechersk Lavra Monastery with its complex of caves housing creepy, mummified nuns. While the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War gives you a Soviet perspective. The museum also offers great views of the city. Ukraine Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Fly London / Optional day tour to Chernobyl Those on the group flight will transfer back to Kyiv Airport. Alternatively, you may choose to stay another day for a guided tour of Chernobyl and the abandoned town of Pripyat. One of the most well-known events in Soviet history occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, 130km north of Kyiv in April 1986. Here reactor No.4 exploded, spreading lethal radiation, first over the town of Pripyat and later large swathes of Europe. Many see this event as the beginning of the end of support for the USSR in Ukraine. This tour takes you to the heart of the exclusion zone; you will see the power station and the abandoned town of Pripyat, frozen in time, like a scene from an apocalyptic future. Our expert guide will lead you safely through the area and tell the story of one of recent history’s most notorious disasters. This is a long day leaving the hotel at about 08:30 and returning to Kyiv at about 20:30, but certainly worth staying in Ukraine another day for. (Details and prices are in the Money Matters section of the trip notes). Ukraine Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast
Moldova UK passport holders do not need visas for this trip. Other nationalities should check with the relevant embassies.
Ukraine UK passport holders do not need visas for this trip. Other nationalities should check with the relevant embassies.
Hotels & sleeper train 2 nights comfortable 3-star hotel, 4 nights standard hotel all with en suite bathrooms and 1 night sleeper train. All accommodation is based on twin-share. Wi-Fi is now free in all hotels but is sometimes unreliable. We use 2nd class compartments (4 berths) on the overnight sleeper train. Linen is provided. Please note that there may be other passengers, not with Exodus, travelling in the compartment with you. 1st class compartments (2 berths) can be requested up to 4 weeks before departure yet these are expensive and generally do not offer any extra comfort. Single supplement from £190 not including the night on the train.
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Reviewed August 2017 Hannah Marder Trip: Europe's Frontier: Moldova & Ukraine Excellent trip This is a fantastic trip which packs a lot into a week and visits two lesser known but fascinating countries. The itinerary works well, and you are kept busy without being too rushed. The group I travelled with were a pleasure to be with and we had a great time. Our tour leader was excellent. The hotels and transport were a very high standard. I couldn't have asked for a better holiday. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Kiev was the highlight, a stunning city full of beautiful monuments. The hotel is located overlooking Independence Square. If you visit in August you might see preparations for the independence day on 24th August, which we were lucky enough to. I particularly loved St Michael's Church of the Golden Domes, which is beautiful inside and out, and Landscape Alley which is a Gaudi-esque children's playground. Pechersk Lavra monastery is also well worth a visit. I also really enjoyed the winery tour in Moldova even though I don't like wine much! What did you think of your group leader? Our tour leader, Agata, was exceptional and one of the best I've ever travelled with. She always went the extra mile, and was really caring and looked after us very well without being overpowering. She was good fun, and good at spending time with everyone in the group and looking after us all equally. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Transnistria has its own currency, but you don't need to change very much as prices are low and its completely closed so you can't change it back. Your leader will advise you. But bear this in mind when budgeting for your days in Moldova - you only need cash for the first evening and one full day. Moldova has high quality and unbelievably cheap wine so if you enjoy wine, make sure you have space in your suitcase to bring back a bottle or two. That said, I strongly advise travelling light - I travelled hand luggage only and was very grateful. There's a lot of getting on and off trains and moving around stations that don't have lifts, so a medium backpack is the best thing to bring. You don't really need lots of stuff as it's a short trip with no special equipment. Bring good shoes as there's a lot of walking in cities and on cobblestones. The group flights depart very early from Heathrow, if that's likely to be a problem for you, book on the phone so you can discuss flight options and decide if you want to book your own. It's possible to fly direct, although it may cost more. Remember to bring a scarf for the churches (women). Don't be put off by the train journeys, it's a busy trip and the time to just sit is welcome, they're also nice trains. If you visit Chernobyl, you will only get an evening and few hours in the morning in Kiev (if you're on the group flights) and Kiev is amazing, so do consider carefully which you'd prefer to do or think about staying longer. Is there anything else you would like to add? This is a new trip (I travelled on the second departure) and I hope it becomes a regular Exodus offering so others can enjoy it too. I hope that when travellers catch on to what nice things there are to see and do in these countries - as good or better than many other well known European destinations, but without the crowds - they will want to come too.
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