I was in Ukraine in 2013 during my first big backpacking and hitchhiking trip and in 2021 when I returned as a digital nomad. The first time, I entered overland from Slovakia to Uzhgorod, visited Lviv, Kyiv, then took marshrutkas and eventually switched to hitchhiking to go to Simferopol, Yalta, and a short stop in Sevastopol before hitchhiking out of Crimea to Odesa. This was all before the war and before Crimea came under Russian control.
The second time, ahem now, is in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. Jonas and I flew from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Kyiv in Ukraine. It was Jonas’ first time in Ukraine and we intend to stay here the full 90 days that our entry stamps allow. Because it was my second visit, I knew much better all the things I wanted to do in this country than before. Though I’m currently in this country, there are some things I won’t be able to do on this trip because the country is huge.
Next Time in Ukraine:
- Take Kyiv Funicular. Though I probably took it in 2013, I don’t really remember it. In 2021, I wanted to take it but it was under maintenance. Very tragic! I love funiculars…
- Go kayaking more. It’s a country with so many rivers that can be paddled…
- Hitchhike even more! ✅
- Really learn the difference between Russian and Ukrainian ✅. To me it’s so far (2021) the same difference as between Spanish and Portuguese when I started learning Spanish for the first time in 2011; I can’t hear it easily
- Maybe go ice skating or skiing? I think it will be time for a visit to Ukraine in winter if I dare
- Find the absolute BEST vegetarian vareniki (or any other dumplings). I am having trouble in 2021 finding vegetarian ones that aren’t just potato filling, which is my least favorite
- Go to Zhytomyr to visit the Sergei Pavlovich Korolyov Museum of Cosmonautics
- Revisit some cool places?
- If I don’t do it this time, next time I’d like to hike up Mount Hoverla (2061masl) in the Carpathians, but only when there’s no snow!
If you know cool places and things to do in Ukraine, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return! Tips especially welcome if you are Ukrainian or lived there for a while
Are you a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Ukraine? Drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
Ukraine to Turkey by Boat: Booking a Black Sea Ferry from Chornomorsk to Karasu
26 February 2022 update: originally published on the 19th of October, 2021. I moved this post to 2022 so this info about the Black Sea ferry from Chornomorsk shows up on the homepage of my blog. Do I recommend taking this boat from Odesa, Ukraine to anywhere else right now? No, I wouldn’t want to be on a ship that says UKRFERRY on the side right now. As far as I know, the ships named Greifswald (link leads to current location of ship), Kaunas, and Vilnius aren’t leaving the port of Chornomorsk at all right now. You can follow theContinue reading
Apps in Ukraine: 10 Apps to Download Before Your Trip
We spent 89 days in Ukraine in 2021. These are the apps that proved most useful in Ukraine and helped us navigate the country. Click here to read which and how to get a SIM card in Ukraine. Contents1 1. Google Translate with Downloaded Ukrainian + Russian2 2. Open Street Maps (OSM)3 Communication Apps in Ukraine: 3. Telegram + 4. WhatsApp4 Taxi Apps in Ukraine: 5. Uklon + 6. Bolt (and Maybe Uber)5 7. Food Delivery Apps in Ukraine: Glovo, not Bolt!6 Accommodation Apps in Ukraine: 8. Airbnb + 9. Booking7 10. A VPN (Such as ExpressVPN)8 App Screenshots9 BonusContinue reading
Odesa Cable Car: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Experience a Bit of Horror” (Ukraine)
When joining a beer sampling in Kharkiv with Eugene and his friends, we mentioned we’re also going to Odesa during our trip through Ukraine. He opened his phone to show photos from beautiful spots in Odesa, such as the swamp tram (video link) that goes to Khadzhibey Estuary. We’d shared our experiences in the Kharkiv cable car with him. We thought it was hilariously unsafe for something that’s painted in primary colors. He then mentioned there’s another such cable car in Odesa, and oh boy, that one hasn’t seen a renovation. Eugene showed some pictures from inside the cable carContinue reading
Biryuchiy to Heniches’k: A Hitchhiking Detour to the Watermelon State (Ukraine)
After seven days on Biryuchiy Island (actually a peninsula), we left for Heniches’k. Both of these towns are in Kherson Oblast, but to get from one to the other, one must travel through Zaporizhzhia Oblast around the Utlyutsky estuary. The whole route is quite a detour as you can see on the map below. This happened on Thursday the 30th of September, 2021. Contents1 Preparations to Travel to Heniches’k2 The Neighbor Drives us from Biryuchiy Kyrylivka3 Kyrylivka to the Deer Statue4 This Never Rarely Happens5 Tire Change6 The Last Ride to Heniches’k7 Heading into Heniches’k8 Thanks for reading! A share meansContinue reading
Chernihiv to Kharkiv via Sumy by Thumb (Ukraine)
These events happened on the 19th and 20th of August, 2021. We were hitchhiking in Ukraine. The first day, we hitchhiked from Chernihiv to Sumy. On the second day, we finished our trip from Sumy to Kharkiv. Contents1 The Plan2 Day 1: Hitchhiking from Chernihiv to Sumy2.1 Departure to the hitchhiking spot2.2 The angry lady2.3 Hitchhiking to Kulykivka (Sasha)2.4 Kulykivka to M02/E101 intersection at Nizhyn (Vladimir)2.5 Intersection to Bilopillya (Sergei + Valery)2.6 Bilopillya to Sumy (Pyotr)2.7 Exploring Sumy (until it rained)3 Day 2: Sumy to Kharkiv3.1 Packing up, again. Uklon to the hitchhiking spot, again3.2 To Kharkiv? No, butContinue reading
My First Time Shooting Guns: Glock 19, AK-47, Sniper Rifle, and Shotgun (Kyiv, Ukraine)
These events happened on Tuesday, the 3rd of August, 2021. We had booked a shooting guns activity at a shooting range outside of Kyiv. This is what to expect from this activity and the four different guns we fired. Note that this was my first time shooting guns and that I do not know the correct terminology for a lot of actions/gun parts. If you have corrections/mansplanations, please drop them in the comments! Booking the Activity After booking our trip to Chornobyl, Jonas found out that you can also shoot Kalashnikovs in Kyiv. This is something he has wanted toContinue reading
How (Not) to Get a SIM Card in Ukraine (Kyiv)
When traveling to Ukraine, it’s a great idea to get a SIM card for independent travel. Though we arrived at Boryspil International Airport (KBP), we didn’t buy one there because the shop was closed. Mobile data is neither expensive nor cheap in Ukraine. Here are our learnings from getting a SIM card in Ukraine on our first day in Kyiv, so you can avoid the mistakes we made. And ooh boy, we made a lot of mistakes! FYI, the country code for Ukraine is +380 Contents1 Our Experience Buying a SIM Card in Ukraine2 FAQ SIM Card in Ukraine +Continue reading
Well Hello, Kyiv?! Uzbekistan to Ukraine (Semi-Live Blog)
These events happened on Sunday, the 25th and Monday the 26th of July, 2021. We hoped to fly from Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), Uzbekistan to Boryspil International Airport (KBP) nearby Kyiv, Ukraine. I’m trying to update this blog as a sort of semi-live blog while on the move. Quick update because I need to sleep. We arrived well in Kyiv but the long wait for check-in to our apartment was excruciating. Peace out I’m gonna catch some zzz’s before finishing this Contents1 Monday, 26th of July: Shattered in Kyiv1.1 Train to Kyiv, killing time1.2 Arriving at Kyiv Boryspil1.3Continue reading
Transnistria: A Time Capsule of Soviet Nostalgia between Moldova and Ukraine
After stumbling across Heidi’s blogs about Transnistria and Gagauzia on A Southern Space Cadet, I (Iris) wanted to invite her to write a guest post for Mind of a Hitchhiker. I really enjoy her love for unrecognized or partially recognized states. Enjoy her guest post, learn something new, write a comment, and make sure to check out Heidi’s blog and give her a follow on social media! Featured photo: House of Soviets: Tiraspol with an appearance from Dieter the Panda, my travel mascot Contents1 Transnistria’s time capsule2 What is it like to visit Transnistria?3 Is Transnistria safe?4 How do youContinue reading
Three Days in Kyiv, Ukraine – Celebrating my 22nd Birthday
After a nightly train ride from Lviv, I arrived in Kyiv (Київ) in the early morning. I looked up a hostel near the train station on Hostelworld aptly named ‘Kiev Central Station Hostel’. It was a short stroll indeed. I asked for a bed in a dorm, dropped my stuff, and connected with a few people. I asked the hostel staff for tips on how to get to Babyn Yar (Бабин яр) with public transport. Because the bus sounded too complicated, I opted for the metro. That walk took me past Kyiv’s Golden Gate (Золоті ворота) to go to the metro stationContinue reading