Guided Chernobyl Holidays

Best Pripyat Experience

Pripyat Ukraine tours start in Kyiv and travel north, heading toward the Exclusion Zone that surrounds Pripyat, Chernobyl, and the Nuclear Power Plant. On your trip, you’ll walk through the streets and see how the buildings have decayed and nature has flourished in this abandoned city. First flying to Kyiv, our guided tours take care of everything you need to visit Pripyat. With a tour booked and your passport in hand, you can pass through the checkpoints and see the nuclear disaster area with your own eyes. Named after the nearby river, this city was once home to almost 50,000 people, living and working just 2km away from Chernobyl Power Plant. Today, it is completely vacant. Points of interest within the city that our excursion unveils include:

The iconic Ferris wheel in the amusement park,
Towering concrete blocks that are beginning to crumble,
Stores and shops with items still littered across shelves,
Abandoned nurseries with toys and children’s drawings,
Vast plazas and courtyards that nature has begun to reclaim.

There is so much to see and photograph on the tour.

Visiting Abandoned Buildings

As time goes by, and after damage caused during the war, many of the buildings are decaying and crumbling before our eyes.

On our tour, you’ll be able to see these buildings for yourself. Nature has begun to reclaim the area and the entire city becomes something of a jungle in the warm spring and summer months. In autumn and winter, however, the atmosphere is significantly more eerie as the leaves decay alongside the buildings.

Our experienced tour guides know which buildings are still safe to enter, so you can examine and photograph the everyday items that the inhabitants were forced to leave over 30 years ago.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is it from Kyiv to Pripyat and how long will it take?

There are approximately 136km between Kyiv and the city. The travel time is usually around 2 hours and is included in our tour. Between Chernobyl, the Nuclear Power Plant, and the city of Pripyat there is about 2km. Our tour will visit Pripyat and Chernobyl together.

Is it possible to spend the night in Pripyat?

You cannot spend the night in the Pripyat. Our Pripyat tour takes you back to Kyiv, where most visitors book accommodation. Also you can stay in Chernobyl city`s hotel.

Are there any residents in Pripyat?

There are no residents in the ghost town of Pripyat. Guided tours are the only visitors to the abandoned area. Due to radiation, the area is uninhabitable.

Are people allowed in Pripyat?

Only adults over 18, guided by a certified tour guide, can enter Pripyat. You must book a tour and take your passport to enter the Exclusion Zone.

Tour Safety

The tour routes through and around the city are approved and safe. Radioactivity is minimal, and so long as you do not pick up anything, you’ll pass through the radiation check on your way out. There are radiation checks at every checkpoint. Most visitors receive a radiation dose equivalent to a short plane journey, even after spending the entire day in the Exclusion Zone. You can use an individual dosimeter to measure your exposure on the tour. Moving swiftly past radioactive hot spots, your tour guide will put the sights you are seeing into context. You are free to photograph and video any of the sites in Pripyat, with photography restrictions only in place for the officers and nuclear power plant itself. Taking aerial photos and videos is an amazing way to capture the atmosphere of the ghost town. If you wish to use a drone, you must get approval and permits before you visit.

What To Take On A Pripyat Tour

When you visit Pripyat, it’s important that you don’t touch anything – but you can photograph to your heart’s content!

Alongside your camera, you are welcome to bring food or a drink with you on the tour. You can only consume food and drink inside the tour bus or in the canteen at Chernobyl, however.

For the tour, you should wear:

A top with long sleeves,
A thick jacket or coat if you are visiting in the winter,
Full-length trousers,
Boots or shoes that are comfortable for walking.

The tour outing is conducted at a leisurely pace; however, you will be on your feet for the majority of your time in Pripyat. Comfortable footwear will help.