Jarwis Kosowan for New Pathway, Toronto.
Jarvis Group Travel ltd (phone 1-403-650-3332) are pleased to announce our 2016 Ukraine tour. This year we are starting in Krakow Poland and then going to Ukraine, specifically to Lviv, Odesa, Kyiv, Chernivtsi and area in Western Ukraine. We are using the train to travel overnight to eliminate some long day travel between major cities.
We leave Canada on August 15 and arrive in Krakow, Poland on August 16. Upon our arrival in Krakow, we will meet our tour guide. Check-in into the Kozak hotel where we will spend three nights in Krakow. Welcome gala dinner with Polish folk music at an “U babci Maliny” restaurant where we can meet our new friends in tour.
On August 17 (day 3), after breakfast, we will have a panoramic tour of Krakow: a ride along Blonia, cross the Vistula river and visit the district of Podgorze to see Podgorski Market Square which used to be the center of independent city of Podgorze until 1915. We will visit a surviving fragment of the Jewish Ghetto walls on Lwowska Street and the Jewish Quarter of Kazimerz. We will climb the Krak’s Mound to get a spectacular view of Krakow and listen to legend of Krak and Krakow named after it. After lunch in a city restaurant, we will visit Wawel Hill – Royal Castle and Cathedral – main residence, coronation and burial site for Polish kings. There will be free time in the evening to explore the city on your own, afterwards – a dinner at a local restaurant.
August 18 (day 4): after a breakfast buffet at the hotel, a tour of King’s way Old Town Barbican and Florian Gate (the remnants of the ancient city fortifications), Main Market Square (the largest medieval market square in Europe) with St. Mary’s Basilica and it’s marvelous 15th century altar carved in wood, Cloth Hall and Town Hall Tower Jagiellonian University district (the second oldest university of Central and Eastern Europe with such renown students as Nicolaus Copernicus and Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II), Franciscan church and famous “Papal window” at the Bishop’s Palace). In the afternoon, we are going to explore the sorrowful page of European history and visit Auschwitz-Birkenau (1941-1945), which was the largest of Nazi Germany's concentration camps and find out the history of three other nearby concentration camps. In the evening, we will have dinner at a local restaurant and free time to explore the city.
August 19 (day 5): after breakfast we will have an excursion into a salt mine of Wielichka – one of the world's oldest salt mines in the world. This is the only mining facility in the world functioning continuously since the Middle Ages, showing the evolution of mining technology in different historical periods. The salt mine forms an “underground town” with churches, lakes and passages all decorated with statues and figures carved from salt.
Afterwards, we will travel a distance of 350 km to reach Lviv, Ukraine. Lviv is a vibrant city of many nationalities and boasts a population of over 800,000. It is known as “The City of Lion” and is the heart and soul of Western Ukraine. The legend has it that Knyaz (prince) Danylo Halytsky built this city in 1256 and named it after his son Lev (“lion”). One can notice the prevalent lion adornments throughout the Renaissance architecture of city of 15th – 16th c.c. Lviv is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will possibly go to an Opera or Ballet in the evening. Hotel Accommodation: Rudolfo Hotel, 4 Virmenska str.
August 20 (day 6): We will have a walking City-tour of Old part of Lviv with all its highlights: Rynok Square, Dominican Cathedral, Black House, Italian Courtyard, King’s Jan Kazimir III residence, Latin Cathedral, Boims Chappel, the Assumption Church and Ensemble of Bernardine Monastary, Armenian Cathedral (one of the oldest in Lviv). We will also visit Famous Lviv Brewery for tour of beer museum and beer tasting after lunch. We will go on with a panoramic city tour of Lviv and visit Vysokyi Zamok (High Castle hill) with an unforgettable panorama of the entire city, as well as Shevchenkivskyi hai – an open area museum of old Ukrainian architecture, the University of Ivan-Franko and St. George’s Cathedral. After dinner at “Naidorozcha restauracia Galychyny” (“The most expensive restaurant of Galicia”) we will take a night train to Odesa.
August 21 (day 7): “Smile! You are in Odesa,” they say, and in a way it is true. Odesa is known as the capital of humor where the «Humoryna» festival is held annually on April 1. We will have breakfast at the Black Sea Hotel and then a city tour. The tour gives a chance to plunge into the history of Odesa and admire the variety of styles and monuments. We will see the largest Ukrainian port and a Monument of Duc de Richelieu – the first governor of Odesa, a Frenchman who wished to make his city more beautiful than Paris. After lunch at the city restaurant we will visit “Privoz” – famous Odesa's Old food market. Evening boat tour on the sea. Hotel Accommodation: Hotel Chorne More (Black Sea Hotel) 59 Richelyevska Street, Odesa.
August 22 (day 8): after breakfast, we drive to the south of Odesa Region to see one of the Wonders of Ukraine – Belhorod-Dnistrovsky fortress Аkkerman – contemporary of Athenes and Damascus, Rome and Beirut. We will see 2,500 years old towers, bastions and listen to the stories of these places. Following this, we will have an opportunity to view the excavation site of the ancient Greek colony of Tira, founded in the 6th century BC. We will get acquainted with the 1,000 year long history of this antique settlement and walk through the ruins, including the old Greek temple and a Roman tower. Free time at the seaside – time to swim and have a rest. We will also visit one of the best winery places: Shabo – a famous resort and spa area. Here lay the harmoniously boundless sea surface of the Black Sea and the waters of the Dnister estuary. We will tour Wine Making Museum and participate in wine-tasting. Upon returning to Odesa we will have dinner at the hotel restaurant and have free time to tour the city. In the evening, we will depart for Kyiv with night train.
August 23 (day 9): after buffet breakfast at the Rus Hotel in Kyiv we will have Grand city-tour of the city: St. Sofia cathedral, Golden Gates, Kyiv National University, Verkhovna Rada, Volodymyrskyi Cathedral, and much more. Lunch at “Opanas” Ukrainian restaurant, and a walking tour on the main Khreschatyk Street, visit a Kyiv underground subway station. After dinner we will go on a boat ride on the Dnipro River. Hotel Accommodation: Rus Hotel, 4 Hospitalna str.
August 24 (day 10): a big holiday, Ukraine Independence Day. You will have a chance to celebrate the 25th anniversary with Ukrainians at the main square of Ukraine!!! We will start from Buffet Breakfast at the Rus Hotel and then tour the city. We will visit Pecherska Lavra Monastery with its Baroque churches and tour around the territory of the former Pechersk fortress, visit the Holodomor Victims Memorial and museum and Museum of History of WW2. We will also visit St. Andrew’s Church and Andriivskyi Uzviz (this is a chance to pick up authentic Ukrainian Souvenirs). Free time in the city to take part in Independence Days Celebrations, do some shopping on the world famous Khreschatyk Street. After dinner we will depart for Chernivtsi with night train.
August 25 (day 11): we arrive early at Chernivtsi and after breakfast we have a City tour of Chernivtsi, the regional capital of Bukovyna. The city was founded in the 12th century, as a fortress to protect the Halych-Volyn principality from the nomadic tribes. It has a very rich history closely connected with the history of neighboring Romania and Moldavia. Today it is an administrative, cultural and economic center of Northern Bukovina – the land of the beech woods picturesquely covering the Carpathian Mountains. The population is over 260,000. We will tour the beautiful University of Chernivtsi and the Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora. Hotel Accomodation: Bukovyna Hotel, 124B Holovna Street.
August 26 (day 12): after breakfast we drive to the Ivano-Frankivsk region and to Carpathian Mountains. The Ukrainian Carpathians make only a central part of the vast mountain chain which stretches for 1 500 km. On the way we will stop in Kolomyia to see Gutsulian Museum and have a lunch at “U Tarasa” – at the little farm – of Canadian family which lives in Ukraine. After that we drive through golden ring route of the famous Carpathian Villages with all their beautiful and famous places: Kosiv (craft market), Kryvorivnia (Gutzul fortress Hata Grazda), Verkhovyna (visit ethnic museum of Roman Kumlyk with its big collection of old music instrument), where we will enjoy traditional Gutsul Dinner with samohonka “Hutsulski Vechornytsi”. Entertainment will be provided with folk musicians and dance. The balance of the day will be at leisure to relax. Hotel: Koruna Hotel, Tatariv.
August 27 (day 13): Breakfast in a hotel and some free time to swim in the pool and enjoy the amazing panoramic mountain views. Today we will drive today to Yaremche (population of 10,000), (Ukraine’s comparable of Canada’s Jasper area) that is in the Hutsyl area of Ukraine. We will visit the Huk waterfall and the Craft market with many souvenirs shops. we will check into Verbizh hotel and take our best clothes because we will take part in Real Gutsul wedding. Hotel Accommodations: Verbiz Hotel in Verhniy Verbiz.
August 28 (day 14): on our way to Lviv we will stop in Ivano-Frankivsk for short city tour. We will have lunch at “Desiatka” beer club where we will enjoy “Oksamytowe” beer with our lunch. Drive to Lviv for our last night in Ukraine. A farewell group dinner to say good-bye to all new friends and a farewell to Ukraine is planned for this memorable final evening. Dinner with music and dancing at a “Hutsulskyi Dvir” open area restaurant. Hotel Accommodations: Rudolfo Hotel, 4 Virmenska str.
August 29 (day 15): breakfast at the Hotel in Lviv. Since this is our last day in Ukraine, the balance of day is at leisure. Last chance to buy authentic embroidery and gifts from Lviv at the “Vernisage” crafts Market. After lunch at Panska Charka restaurant we will be transported to the Lviv International Airport, where we will board our plane to Vienna. In Vienna we will check in to the hotel and have dinner.
August 30 (day 16): breakfast at the hotel in Vienna and depart for Toronto.Jarvis Group Travel ltd invites all to join in this year's tour. $5,200 from Toronto All inclusive. Available from western Canada all Inclusive also: Vancouver $5,500, Alberta/Saskatchewan $5,400, Winnipeg $5,300.
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