A Complete Travel Guide on How to Visit Chernobyl, Ukraine - Here's How to Visit Chernobyl and Pripyat from Kyiv

A Complete Travel Guide on How to Visit Chernobyl, Ukraine

Here's How to Visit Chernobyl and Pripyat from Kyiv
A photo of Pete R.
By Pete R.,
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NOTE: Due to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, it is not advisable to visit Chernobyl at the moment. It is recommended to wait until the situation calms down. Please check the travel advisory on your country's Department of State's website for the latest information.

Whether you've just finished the hit mini-series "Chernobyl" by HBO or are simply interested in knowing what actually happened in Chernobyl and want to travel there to see first-hand what it is like to be at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, you are in the right place.

This travel guide will provide you with all the information you need to travel to Chernobyl – from choosing the right tour to preparing for your visit. Without further ado, let's start with a brief history of the events that took place at the Chernobyl power plant in 1986.

One Month Itinerary For UkraineOne Month Itinerary For Ukraine

Chernobyl Itinerary Map

Chernobyl Itinerary Map

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Chernobyl Tour Itinerary

Meetup at the Meeting Point in Kyiv

Kyiv is a beautiful city to spend a few days before going to Chernobyl. This is the Independence Square in Kyiv.

When you arrive in Kyiv and have your Chernobyl tour booked 3 days prior, you will receive an email with instructions on how to get to the pick-up location for the next day. Read carefully to find out where the location is and make sure to be there on time for your tour day.

Different tour companies have different pick-up locations, but all will eventually travel together to Chernobyl. For example, if you are with the Chernobyl Tour, the pick-up location is usually the KFC in front of Kyiv Central Train Station, and the pick-up time is around 7:30 AM.

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If you go with Soviet Wonders, the pick-up location will be at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (the big red building), and the pick-up time is from 7:30 AM to 7:45 AM.

Keep in mind that these pick-up locations and times are from my personal experience, and they might change for you. So, be sure to check with your tour company before leaving.

The process of registration is pretty simple. Your guide will ask to see your passport, and you can choose to sit wherever you like in the minivan. If you want a great seat, be sure to come earlier than the appointed time. They will drive by some really cool places like the Red Forest and the Bridge of Death without stopping, so if you want to see them, sit by the window.

The minivan is spacious and comes equipped with air-conditioning, which is a godsend in mid-summer Ukraine. After everyone arrives, you will then be driving to a gas station outside of Kyiv, where you can stock up on water and snacks for breakfast and throughout the day.

Depending on how hot it is outside, you will need at least 2 liters of water for the day. Keep in mind that many of the places you will be visiting are exposed to the sun, so if it is clear outside, be sure that you have enough water for the day.

After leaving the gas station, it will take around 1.5 hours to reach the first checkpoint in Chernobyl, where all tour buses will need to register and pass through.

Passing Through the Chernobyl Checkpoint

A lonely road to Chernobyl from Kyiv.

At the first checkpoint, you will have to get off the bus and wait until the guard comes to check your passport and scan your ticket, which should be given to you by your tour guide at the checkpoint. It usually takes around 15 minutes as they have to check your passport one by one for each tour running that day.

After checking your passport, you will have to walk through the barrier, and you will be given a radiation dose meter that will track how much radiation you accumulate throughout the day. You will be able to see the result at the end of the tour.

After the checkpoint, you will continue towards the town of Chernobyl.

Visiting Chernobyl City

The entrance sign to Chernobyl City.

Chernobyl town was one of the first cities to be evacuated during the 1986 nuclear disaster. More than 14,000 inhabitants of Chernobyl city were evacuated 30 hours after the explosion, which left the city abandoned until now.

Nowadays, the workers of the clean-up initiative and small numbers of locals have moved into Chernobyl city and are currently living there. This will also be the place where you would stay if you choose to do a multi-day Chernobyl tour.

When you arrive in Chernobyl City, you will still be able to see the remnants of its past, but you will also be able to see life thriving with locals living in their homes as if nothing happened. General stores are packed with supplies, and there are hotels for daring tourists.

The Monument of the Third Angel and the Star Wormwood memorial in Chernobyl City, Ukraine

Your tour will take you to the Monument of the Third Angel and the Star Wormwood memorial, which display all the towns around Chernobyl that have been wiped out and removed from the map due to the Chernobyl disaster.

The Monument to the Chernobyl Liquidators dedicated to these heroic firefighters in Chernobyl City, Ukraine

If you remember the HBO mini-series' first episode with the firefighters bravely making their way to extinguish the fire, you will also get to visit the Fire Department there and see the Monument to the Chernobyl Liquidators, which is dedicated to these heroic firefighters on the day of the disaster.

Marvel at the Duga "Woodpecker" Radar

The terrifying and secretive Duga Radar of the USSR near Chernobyl.

After driving around Chernobyl, the tour will drive you into a forest and drop you off so that you can walk up to one of the largest secret constructions in Chernobyl: the Duga "Woodpecker" Radar.

The Duga Radar and its massive grid structure in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

The Duga Radar was a Soviet over-the-horizon radar that was part of the early-warning missile defense system built to detect a missile attack from the US. It was so secretive that tall trees were grown around the area to prevent people from spotting it from afar.

The Duga Radar towering everything else in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

This construction is so massive and uses so much power that they had to build the grid within the range of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

A closeup shot of the Duga Radar in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

The reason why they call it the "Woodpecker" radar is because of how sharp and repetitive the broadcasted radio wave was. It also appeared without warning and can be heard by many amateur radio operators, who then dubbed the signal as the "Russian Woodpecker".

You will be able to walk around the grid for 15 minutes while your guide explains how the Duga Radar works. After spending time exploring the Duga Radar, you will have to backtrack your way to the bus and continue on to the Chernobyl power plant.

Kopachi Town and an Abandoned Kindergarten

A terrifying reality of an abandoned kindergarten in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

On your way to the Chernobyl Power Plant, you will stop at Kopachi Town and its overgrown abandoned structure, once a kindergarten. This is where you will start to feel the true eeriness of Chernobyl.

Be careful where you walk around the Kopachi's kindergarten as some area are still very radioactive.

Within the abandoned structure, there are several areas on the ground that are still highly contaminated, so be careful where you walk around the area.

A doll left near the abandoned kindergarten in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Within the kindergarten, you will see all sorts of things left over from the evacuation, like creepy dolls, toys, and children's bed frames that remind you of how alive the city must have been before the disaster.

Visiting the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor #4

Along the road, on the way to the safe confinement of Chernobyl Reactor #4.

After stopping at the kindergarten, you will start to go towards Chernobyl Reactor #4 where your guide will stop and explain what the Soviets planned to build in the area.

An unfinished reactor nearby the explosion site of Chernobyl.

Apparently, they were planning to build 10 reactors to supply energy to the entire USSR. They were building the fifth one not too far from Reactor #4 before the disaster occurred.

You can also see the newly built confinement covering reactor #4 from the road. It is one of the largest mega projects in the country, with the help of many nations in Europe. The total cost of the confinement is estimated to be €2.15 billion (US$2.3 billion).

Have Lunch at Canteen 19

Canteen 19 in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

After 2 hours in Chernobyl, it's time for lunch. With all the tours I mentioned here, you'll be having lunch at Canteen 19, a canteen built for the workers of the clean-up of Chernobyl.

My lunch at the Canteen 19 in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

The food is actually really good, if you ask me, but some in my group didn't like it. It comes with chicken, borscht, rice, and strawberry juice, and it is often included in the tour. If not, you will have to pay somewhere around 10 USD for the meal.

People working at the Canteen 19 in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Another fun thing to do here is that you will have to go through a Soviet-style radiation detector where you will have to put your hands on both sides of the machine. It will tell you if your radioactivity level is in compliance with the law and will let you into the canteen.

A Close Look of Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor #4

A closer look at the Chernobyl Reactor #4 and its new safe confinement that was completed in 2018.

After lunch, you will continue towards Reactor #4, where you will stop at the entrance in front of a monument dedicated to Chernobyl victims. Here, you can take photos and listen to the story of how the old sarcophagus was built, as well as how the new safe confinement was rolled in to replace the concrete one.

Your guide will also show several photos of Reactor #4 after the explosion, which you can no longer see as it is under the new safe confinement. It is chilling to think that all the bodies of people who lost their lives in the reactor, including those from the crashed helicopter, are still in there, unretrievable for the next hundred years.

Explore the Abandoned City of Pripyat

Our guide letting us see what Pripyat looks like before the construction.

After visiting the explosion site itself, you will then be dropped off at Pripyat, the city that was hit the hardest in the 1986 disaster. This is where the most interesting part of the tour begins.

Pripyat town square and the abandoned apartment in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

You will be dropped off at the Pripyat town square, while your guide shows you what the square looked like before the evacuation, a chilling reminder of the catastrophe that befell the people living in Pripyat.

Pripyat abandoned supermarket in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

From the square, you will be exploring Pripyat on foot, where you will get to check out the abandoned supermarket, a restaurant, and the Palace of Culture Energetik. All of these locations are completely abandoned and left for nature to take over.

The Palace of Culture Energetik in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

From the Palace of Culture Energetik, you will continue behind the building into an opening where you will see the iconic Pripyat Ferris wheel and other amusement park machinery.

The iconic Ferris wheel in an abandoned amusement park in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

The amusement park was never actually open to the public, as it was supposed to open on the 1st of May 1986, only 4 days after the Chernobyl disaster. At the amusement park, you will see the iconic 26m high Ferris wheel, bumper cars, swing boats, and several shooting games, all of which are deteriorating and overgrown.

One of the most contaminated areas we've seen is a random spot under one of these cars of the Ferris wheel in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

One of the most contaminated areas in Chernobyl that we've seen is a random spot under one of these cars of the Ferris wheel. The Geiger counter reads 45 microsieverts or around 0.0045 roentgen, which is not great but not terrible 🤣.

Bumper cars in an abandoned amusement park in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

After visiting the amusement park, you will then walk to the Avanhard Football Stadium, an abandoned stadium in Pripyat. Nowadays, you can barely see the running track as the forest has grown in its place.

An abandoned football stadium in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

From the stadium, you will walk towards the Pripyat River that gave the name to the town. Along this river, there is an abandoned pier that was intended to connect Kyiv with Pripyat. The photo your guide will show will remind you of how significant Pripyat was back in the day.

The abandoned port in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

After the abandoned port, you will continue to another scary place: the abandoned infirmary (Hospital 126, as it was known in the USSR), where most of the initial victims of radiation were treated before they were sent to Moscow.

The infirmary in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine where one of the most radioactive places in the world is located.

Within this infirmary, there is a place in the basement where the nurses stored all the contaminated clothes of the firefighters right after the disaster.

No sign of life except all those things people left before they abandoned Pripyat.

It has become one of the most radioactive places on earth, so much so that your regular Geiger Counter will overload if you put the instrument in the room. Needless to say, I won't be going in there without proper gear.

A classroom in one of the schools in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Amidst all the abandoned structures in the overgrown forest of Pripyat, you will find an abandoned school where the building has collapsed, exposing one of the classrooms. Within these rooms, the student tables, chairs, and textbooks are still there, untouched by anyone since it was abandoned.

A toy left in an abandoned school in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Last but not least, you will be visiting an abandoned living quarter where you will be able to see what was abandoned and what was left after these homes were evacuated in 1968.

An abandoned kitchen in a living quarter in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

After exploring Pripyat, your tour will take you back through the checkpoints where you will have to go through another radiation detector machine to make sure you are not contaminated. Your guide will take your radiation dose monitor to calculate how much radiation you have accumulated that day.

Usually, the result will be around that of the radiation when you are on an airplane for 1 hour.

What's left at the abandoned school in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

After you go through the checkpoint, your tour will drive you back to Kyiv, which should take around 2 hours, depending on traffic, and they will drop you off at the same place where they picked you up.

More Chernobyl Activities

Is Visiting Chernobyl Worth It?

The iconic Ferris wheel in Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Totally. I have always been very interested in visiting Chernobyl to learn about the disaster firsthand years before the HBO mini-series came out. With the show raising awareness of the tragic event, you will definitely learn a lot more while visiting each location, knowing how it played out in the show.

If you are visiting Chernobyl to learn about the situation, you will definitely enjoy yourself. However, if you are just there looking for beautiful scenery, stunning photos of yourself, and a picturesque view, you will be thoroughly disappointed. After all, Chernobyl is not an amusement park; it's a disaster zone.

What Happened in Chernobyl in 1986?

A Brief History of Chernobyl Disaster

The Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor #4 from afar.

On April 26, 1986, at exactly 1:23:40 AM local time, the Chernobyl power plant reactor #4 located in Ukraine, then part of the USSR, exploded. The accident happened during a safety test that was supposed to help develop a safety procedure during an electrical power outage.

Due to several factors, including the need to rush the test and the design flaws of the RBMK Nuclear Reactor (a common nuclear reactor used all over the USSR), an unexpected surge of energy occurred, causing the explosion and exposing the graphite moderator to the air.

Because of the explosion, a plume of highly radioactive dust was sent into the air, affecting millions of people all over Europe and the world.

The city that was hit the hardest was Pripyat, a modern Soviet town built to house the power plant workers and their families just north of the Chernobyl Power Plant.

36 hours after the explosion, the Soviets evacuated all 49,000 inhabitants of Pripyat away from the 10km zone, leaving behind all their belongings and abandoning the entire city.

The evacuation zone was then increased to 30 km as the plume and the radioactive fallout continued to be generated from the explosion. Another 60,000 inhabitants from the town of Chernobyl were also later evacuated.

Soon after the disaster, a gigantic concrete sarcophagus was built over the reactor #4 explosion site to confine the amount of radioactive contamination being released into the air.

Cause of the Chernobyl Disaster

There are several things that went wrong that day that caused the Chernobyl disaster, and it all boils down to the need to rush, breaching the protocols during a simulated power outage safety test that eventually destabilized the reactor, causing the power surge, and the flawed design of the control rods in the RBMK reactor.

In order to bring the reactor back under control, the workers at Chernobyl had to initiate the shutdown procedure by pressing the AZ-5 button to shut the reactor down. This method should have worked, but due to a flawed design in the RBMK reactor's control dos, it caused a power surge instead. This power surge ultimately led to the explosion and the exposure of the core, releasing radiation into the air and affecting millions of people.

When Did the Chernobyl Disaster Happened?

The Chernobyl explosion occurred on April 26, 1986, at precisely 1:23:40 AM local time. During that time, the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor #4 experienced a power surge due to a defective fail-safe procedure, resulting in an explosion that blew off the roof and dispersed significant amounts of radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere.

The people at the power plant during the explosion, and the firefighters that were called that night to put out the fire, were the first to be seen affected by the radioactivity, with some of the firefighters pronounced dead within 2 weeks after being exposed.

3 months later, the death toll climbed to 31 people, and more among the evacuees followed in the subsequent years due to cancer and heart failures.

How Many People Died in Chernobyl?

This is still a topic of debate as there are no actual records present, and the number of deaths from radioactive-related illnesses is hard to conclude due to the length of the deterioration process.

There are several estimates that ranged from 4,000 people, which were reported by the UN, to 200,000 people, reported by Greenpeace. It will take many more years to be able to conclusively say how many people died from the Chernobyl disaster.

What is conclusive is the number of deaths immediately after the disaster, which is 85 deaths: 31 from the initial blast and 54 from acute radiation syndrome.

Chernobyl Aftermath

After the disaster, a concrete sarcophagus was erected over the Chernobyl reactor #4 to contain the spread of radioactive contamination from the explosion.

The concrete sarcophagus, although not perfect, was built to last for only 30 years. As it deteriorated, a new safe confinement was constructed in 2017 with the help of several countries around the world, and then moved on top of reactor #4.

This is what you will see today if you travel to the Chernobyl disaster zone, not under an old concrete or a ruin left from the explosion.

Where is Chernobyl Located?

The Chernobyl entrance, north of Kyiv in Ukraine.

The Chernobyl Power Plant, the town with the same name, and Pripyat are all located within Ukraine, only 10 km away from Belarus. The power plant and its towns were built near the Pripyat river, which flows from Russia through Belarus, merging with the Dnieper river and eventually reaching the Black Sea.

If you want to visit Chernobyl, you will have to travel to Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, and go from there. From Kyiv, it is only a 2-hour drive to Chernobyl.

Can You Visit Chernobyl?

My Kiwi friends, in their nuclear-ready gear, looking very interested in these baby dolls found in the kindergarten in Chernobyl.

Shout out to my friends Josh and Shannon, thanks for the photos man. 😉

Yes, you can. If you get yourself to Kyiv, Ukraine, you can easily buy a tour to gain access to Chernobyl town, the front of the power plant, and the abandoned town of Pripyat.

Is Chernobyl Safe?

My Kiwi friends found some sketchy-looking things while exploring an abandoned structure in Chernobyl.

My Kiwi friends found some sketchy-looking barrels while exploring an abandoned structure in Chernobyl.

Due to efforts to contain contamination, such as liquidating buildings, tearing down wooden structures, and removing topsoil from the area, most of the accessible area in Chernobyl is quite safe for a day visit.

While I was on the tour, we were given an instrument that kept track of how much radiation we had accumulated over the period we were in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and it came out to about 2-3 mSv, which is equivalent to a one-hour flight on a plane.

Not great, but not terrible (if you know what I mean 😂).

There were some areas where the Geiger counter was beeping, with radiation ranging from 5 mSv on some random ground to almost 50 mSv at one of the cars on the iconic Pripyat amusement park's Ferris wheel.

The dangerous things you should watch out for in Chernobyl are the crumbling buildings that may collapse at any moment. Be sure to step carefully when you are exploring Pripyat's crumbling structures.

Another dangerous part of Chernobyl is the unmarked forest area where the radiation remains high, so do not go stumbling around bushes and forests when you are in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Throughout Chernobyl, there are several radiation control checkpoints that you will have to go through on your way out. If you pass all those checkpoints, it means that you are safe and have not been exposed to radiation for too long.

To conclude, with all the precautions they are taking, it is safe to say that Chernobyl is safe to visit with a tour.

Ukraine Travel Video

When to Visit Chernobyl?

Chernobyl on a cloudy day in Ukraine.

Depending on what you want out of the trip, the best time to visit will vary from person to person. Chernobyl is great to visit all year round, but if you want clear weather, go in the summer from June to August. However, be prepared for the heat as it can be quite hot, with temperatures around 30°C.

If you want to see Chernobyl in a more colorful light and experience more manageable weather, visit during Spring or Autumn, when the trees turn orange and the weather is not too hot.

If you want to see Chernobyl in its eeriest time, visit Chernobyl in winter. The white snow on ruined buildings, dry trees, and the white foggy sky will make Chernobyl even eerier than it is.

How to Get to Ukraine?

Chernobyl is located in Ukraine, and one of the closest cities you can fly into is Kyiv (Kiev), the capital city of Ukraine. So, we must get there first. If you are coming from the US, there is a direct flight from New York to Kyiv via Ukrainian Airline that you can take directly to Ukraine. Alternatively, you can fly via several European airlines like KLM, Lufthansa, and Air France.

If you are in Europe, you can either fly with a low-cost airline like Ryanair or simply travel by train from any of the main European hubs like Berlin, etc. However, the time it takes to travel will increase considerably if you choose to use trains (24 hours from Berlin to Kyiv).

Last but not least, if you are in Asia, the simplest option is to fly directly from Bangkok to Kyiv via Ukrainian Airline. They are cheap and fly directly to Kyiv in 11 hours.

I often use a combination of Skyscanner and Expedia to search for cheap flights to Ukraine, so make sure to browse through their listings to find the best and cheapest flights that fit your itinerary.

For entering the country, if you hold an EU passport, you should be able to travel to Ukraine without having to get a visa. However, if you do not hold an EU passport, you might be eligible to get an electronic visa instead of having to apply for it yourself at the closest Ukrainian embassy.

Here is a Complete Guide on How to Apply for a Ukrainian E-VisaHere is a Complete Guide on How to Apply for a Ukrainian E-Visa

How to Get to Chernobyl?

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is located 2 hours north of Kyiv and can only be reached with an organized tour. Since the area is still highly radioactive and dangerous, the entire exclusion zone is closed off to the public and can only be accessed through one checkpoint. You will only be allowed to pass if you are with an organized tour, so don't even bother trying to get there independently.

To get to Chernobyl, you will have to book an organized tour either from abroad or when you are in Kyiv. In the next section, I will provide you with options for your Chernobyl tour.

Which Chernobyl Tours to Pick?

Our guide from Soviet Wonders gave us a glimpse of what Pripyat was like before the disaster.

There are several companies that run the tour, all of which are based in Kyiv. They run pretty much the same way, with a Duga Radar visit, Chernobyl Reactor #4, Chernobyl town, and Pripyat all costing the same or in a similar range. Here are a few of the Chernobyl tour companies that run every day:

Chernobyl Tour is the original tour company that has been running the tour for years. They even have their own souvenir shop with items bearing their name right at the checkpoint into Chernobyl.

Their tour groups are a bit more crowded than most, but you will get a few more perks like more hours at the exclusion zone, a visit to the open-air exhibition of robots used in the clean-up, etc.

A one-day trip with Chernobyl Tour costs from 99 - 149 USD, depending on how many days in advance you book the tour. If you want the cheapest price, book it at least 4 days prior. This goes for all the tours listed here as well.

You can book the Chernobyl Tour here: Book a 1-Day Chernobyl Tour.

There are several other tours like Go2Chernobyl, GAMMA Travel, Chernobyl Exclusive Tours, Solo East, and Soviet Wonders that are great options if you are looking for a tour that is not too crowded. I went with Soviet Wonders, and there were only 14 of us in a group. The itinerary for both is pretty much the same, and the prices are both at 99 USD if you booked 4 days prior or 149 USD if you booked last minute.

There are several other Chernobyl tours you can choose from here: Browse Chernobyl Tours.

How Many Days Should I Spend in Chernobyl?

Don't worry, you won't be sleeping here if you want to spend more nights in Chernobyl. This is an abandoned kindergarten in Chernobyl.

After picking a tour company, you will have to choose how long you want your tour to be. Most of the travelers I met in Kyiv, including me, go with the one-day tour that leaves Kyiv at 7:30 AM and arrives back at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. This is the cheapest option, leaves the most often (every day), and does not require a minimum number of people to be met before going.

If you want a more unique experience, you can go with a multi-day Chernobyl tour instead. With a 2-day Chernobyl tour, you will be spending one night in a dorm in Chernobyl town while covering more areas in the exclusion zone. For 3+ days, it's the same as the 2-day tour, but you will also have radiation survival training while covering even more places in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

How much does the Chernobyl Tour Costs?

Depending on how far in advance you book your Chernobyl tour and how many days you want to spend in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the cost of the tour will range from 99 USD to 319 USD.

If you book your Chernobyl tour 4 days prior, it will cost you 99 USD per person. However, if you book your tour last minute, it will cost you 129 USD per person.

For 2-day and 3-day tours, it will cost you 249 USD and 319 USD per person, respectively.

These prices include everything from lunch at the worker's canteen to all transportation. For multi-day tours, accommodation and other meals are also included.

What to Pack and Things to Prepare Before You Visit Chernobyl?

You can buy a Geiger Counter for 10 USD with any tour companies you are in Chernobyl with but you do not need it.

Since you will be passing through military checkpoints and spending one full day at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, there are several things you need to prepare for the trip:

  • Passports: Please make sure you bring your real passport (not your ID or a copied version) with you, as you will NOT be allowed to enter at the checkpoint if you do not have your real passport.
  • Long Sleeve Shirts and Trousers: You will need to wear a long-sleeved shirt or a jacket and trousers to protect yourself from minor radiation when visiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The guard won't let you in unless you are wearing proper clothes.
  • Wear Covered Shoes: The same goes for shoes. Since you will be walking around abandoned buildings, you will need to wear proper covered shoes to avoid accidents and radiation. These Timberland Shoes are my go-to hiking boots in most situations.
  • Pickup Location: Make sure you know where your tour pick-up location is. Each tour company has its own pick-up location, and they will not wait if you are late. They often send the location via email or, otherwise, they should tell you exactly where when you book it.
  • Water and Snacks: You will be walking mostly in the sun all day, so you will need to prepare enough water to last you the whole day. Also, if you tend to get hungry easily, be sure to have some snacks with you as there is only one shop at the checkpoint, and you will be in the Chernobyl exclusion zone for 2 - 3 hours until lunch. Most of the tours will stop at a gas station outside of Kyiv when going to Chernobyl, so you can buy some from there.
  • A Daypack: You will need a daypack to carry all your gear with you when you are out and about. During this trip, I use the classic Herschel Supply's Little America Backpack to carry everything with me. It is lightweight with good capacity and stylish as hell.

Further Reading for Ukraine

Looking for more information for your trip to Ukraine? Here are a collection of articles about Ukraine that might help you with your trip planning:

Categories DestinationsUkraine

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