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The domes of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra above the Dnipro, seen from the Great Bell Tower St Andrew’s Church lit at night above the houses of the Andriivskyi Descent

The city guide to Kyiv, Ukraine

Best of Kyiv

The golden domes of St Sophia’s and the Lavra above the Dnipro, the cobbles of the Andriivskyi Descent down to Podil, borshch and the Opera, and the night train from Poland: Kyiv, checked place by place, as it is today.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyPechersk, the Upper Town, Podil and the rules for foreign buyers

Kyiv, the city of golden domes on the Dnipro

Kyiv stands on the high right bank of the Dnipro. St Sophia’s Cathedral and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List; between them run the streets of the Upper Town, and below lies Podil, the old merchants’ town by the river. The city is at war: Ukraine’s airspace is closed, martial law is in force, and GOV.UK advises against all travel to Kyiv. This guide lists only places whose own sites show them operating in 2026, with the practical facts first: how to arrive by train, what to do in an air alert, and where to shelter.

The city of golden domes: reading Kyiv’s great sights

In depth

The city of golden domes

Kyiv·In depth

St Sophia’s and the Lavra on UNESCO’s list, the Golden Gate, St Michael’s and St Andrew’s, and the memorial at Babyn Yar: how to read Kyiv.

Read the story

Kyiv, neighbourhood by neighbourhood

Six neighbourhoods, each with its own guide: the Upper Town and its cathedrals, Podil by the river, the Lavra at Pechersk, Khreshchatyk and the parks on the hills, the Opera and the boulevards, and the Dnipro itself.

The Golden Gate, its brick gate tower and timber rampartsNeighbourhood guideThe Upper TownSt Sophia’s and the Golden GateThe cobbled Andriivskyi Descent in the evening lightNeighbourhood guidePodilThe town by the riverThe bell tower and golden domes of the Lavra on the wooded hills above the DniproNeighbourhood guidePecherskThe Lavra and the hillsKhreshchatyk, the main street of Kyiv, lined with treesNeighbourhood guideKhreshchatyk & the hillsThe main street and the parksThe yellow façade of St Volodymyr’s CathedralNeighbourhood guideThe Opera & the boulevardsOpera, museums, cathedral
  1. Neighbourhood guideThe Dnipro & the islandsThe river

Before you go

The official advice, the train in from Poland, air alerts and shelters, the curfew, and itineraries that fit a wartime day.

The main hall of Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway stationBefore you goKyiv essentialsAdvice, entry, alerts and the curfewThe vaulted hall of Zoloti Vorota metro station, with its chandeliersGetting aroundGetting to and around KyivThe train from Poland and the metroSt Sophia’s Cathedral with its green and golden domes, seen from the bell towerItineraryKyiv in two daysSt Sophia’s, Podil, the Lavra and the OperaAn avenue of trees on Volodymyrska HillItineraryThe old town in a dayFrom the Golden Gate to PodilSt Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery and its bell tower above Mykhailivska SquareLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addresses

Our advice

Know your shelter before you need it

Choose a hotel that names its shelter, keep the Air Alert app on your phone, and carry your passport, some hryvnia and a power bank. Kyiv essentials

Beyond Kyiv, by train

West by train to Lviv’s old town, and the rail gateways of Warsaw and Budapest, each with its own ULTIMATE guide.

The Lviv Theatre of Opera and BalletBeyond KyivLvivThe old town of the westThe old town of Przemyśl, the border station for trains to KyivBeyond KyivWarsaw by railThe gatewayThe Podil embankment at dawn, with the Fairmont Grand Hotel and St Andrew’s Church above the riverBeyond KyivBudapest by railTo the Danube

The ULTIMATE letter

Kyiv in your inbox

An occasional email with new places, events, neighbourhood guides and our latest in-depth articles. No spam, ever.

In depth: Kyiv’s back stories

The city of golden domes, the table from borshch to the Crimean Tatar kitchen, the theatres that never closed, the grand hotels, the train in and what a buyer should know: the stories behind Kyiv.

Borshch with sour cream and dill, served in a bread bowlThe back storyKyiv at the tableBorshch and the Crimean Tatar kitchenThe National Opera of Ukraine on Volodymyrska StreetThe back storyKyiv’s artsThe theatres that never closedThe façade of InterContinental KyivThe back storyWhere Kyiv sleepsThe river, the old town, the boulevards

At the table

Eat early: restaurants close before the night curfew, and lunch is when Kyiv’s kitchens are calmest.

  1. The back storyGetting to KyivThe train from Poland

Our advice

Give the Lavra a whole morning

Come early, dress for the churches, with shoulders and knees covered and a headscarf for women, and climb the Great Bell Tower for the river. The Lavra

Europe with the ULTIMATE guides

Kyiv joins the ULTIMATE guides of Europe: west by rail to Warsaw and Budapest, south to Bucharest, and the great railway journeys.

The Old Town Market Place in WarsawULTIMATE WarsawWarsawThe rail gatewayThe Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeULTIMATE BudapestBudapestThe Danube by trainThe Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenULTIMATE BucharestBucharestThe Little Paris of the East

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

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Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

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HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Kyiv, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    This week's pick

    Down the Andriivskyi Descent

    Podil·Walk

    From St Andrew’s Church the cobbles wind down to Kontraktova Square and Podil. Walk it downhill in the late morning, look into the galleries on the way, and ride the funicular back up from Poshtova Square.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    Inside the Symbolic Synagogue at the Babyn Yar memorialItineraryA day of remembranceOne dayAutumn leaves in the Fomin Botanical GardenItineraryA property viewing day: Pechersk, the Upper Town and PodilOne day

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Kyiv at the table: borshch, the Crimean Tatar kitchen and the grand dining roomsKyiv · In depth
    2. 2Ukrainian FoodKyiv · In depth: food
    3. 3100 Rokiv Tomu VperedUpper Town · Restaurant
    See all 5

    Cafés

    1. 1One Love CoffeeKyiv · Roaster
    2. 2Svit KavyKyiv · Café
    3. 3Lviv CroissantsKyiv · Bakery
    See all 5

    Bars

    1. 1b-hush lounge barUpper Town · Bar
    2. 2Vintage Cocktail BarPodil · Bar
    3. 3The Hyatt rooftop barUpper Town · Bar
    See all 5

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Kyiv sleeps: the river, the old town and the boulevardsKyiv · In depth
    2. 2InterContinental KyivUpper Town · Grand hotel
    3. 3Hyatt Regency KyivUpper Town · Grand hotel
    See all 6

    Sights

    1. 1The city of golden domes: reading Kyiv’s great sightsKyiv · In depth
    2. 2Kyiv-Pechersk LavraPechersk · Monastery and preserve
    3. 3St Sophia’s CathedralUpper Town · Cathedral and preserve
    See all 14

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Kyiv’s arts: the Opera, the Arsenal and the theatres that never closedKyiv · In depth
    2. 2Khanenko MuseumCity centre · Art museum
    3. 3Mystetskyi ArsenalPechersk · Arts centre
    See all 12

    Parks

    1. 1Volodymyrska HillUpper Town · Park
    2. 2Khreshchatyi Park and the glass bridgeCity centre · Park
    3. 3Mariinskyi ParkPechersk · Park
    See all 6

    Walks

    1. 1The Golden Gate to St Michael’sUpper Town · Walk
    2. 2Down the Andriivskyi DescentPodil · Walk
    3. 3The Dnipro hillsCity centre · Walk
    See all 5

    Shopping

    1. 1TSUM KyivCity centre · Department store
    2. 2BevzaKyiv · Fashion
    3. 3FrolovKyiv · Fashion
    See all 7

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 112Kyiv · Emergency number
    2. 2Air alerts and sheltersKyiv · Safety
    3. 3Power cuts and connectivityKyiv · Practical
    See all 9

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Kyiv: what a foreign buyer should know firstKyiv · In depth
    2. 2Foreigners may buy homesUkraine · Rule
    3. 3Agricultural land is closed to foreignersUkraine · Rule
    See all 5

    Developments

    1. 1Ukraine’s airspaceUkraine · Air travel
    2. 2Boryspil International AirportBoryspil · Airport
    3. 3International trainsKyiv · Railway
    See all 6

    Taxis & rules

    1. 1UklonKyiv · Taxi app
    2. 2BoltKyiv · Taxi app
    3. 3The night curfewKyiv · Rule
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Getting to and around Kyiv: the train from Poland, the metro and the appsKyiv · In depth
    2. 2Ukrzaliznytsia: trains to KyivKyiv · Railway
    3. 3PKP Intercity to PrzemyślPoland · Railway
    See all 6