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Eastern Ukraine Tour 1 Exploring Slobozhanschyna
Kharkiv - Poltava - Izyum - Svyatohorsk - Sumy
Description:
Spend 7 days touring about North East of Ukraine - the area of highly developed industry, plenty of natural resources and perfect conditions for farming, called Slobozhanschyna. This land used to be the motherland to Scyphians, then it gave shelter to a number of Slavic peoples who are more commonly called Russians. Since old times, these territories border with Russia, and are strongly influenced with Russian culture and mentality. Even today, when Ukraine is an independent state with Ukrainian being an official language of the state, local population of the East still speaks Russian. You will have a chance to explore a combination of the Soviet Union style of life with innovations of the independence years. Your tour will begin in one of the largest cities of the country - Kharkiv (Kharkov), which is also 
called the intellectual capital of Ukraine for its numerous universities and research institutions. Around Kharkov, there are smaller cities-sattelites like Izyum, which are definitely worth visiting. You will have a chance to explore picturesque nature of Slobozhanschyna, as well as historical sites and holyfied centers of Orthodox church - Svyatohorsk monastery complex. Then, you will visit Poltava - an old middle sized city which remembers historical events connected with a great 18-th century Russian tzar Peter the Great. Your tour will finish in Sumy, a nothern oblast center which is famous for being an industrial and teade center of Ukrainian north. Since very old times, Sumy is conveniently located on the crossroads of trade routes between Russia and southern territories of Ukraine.
Itinerary:
Day 1
Arrive to . Sign in to your hotel. After some rest, be ready for a walking excursion about the central city.
Visit the biggest square of Europe - Svobody square, walk down central street through Shevchenko's park, take a look at beautiful fountains and flowerbeds which are so typical of this city. You will visit picture galleries, museum of arts, souverirs market and see a number of beautiful monuments which commemorate various events in Kharkov's 350 years long history. Have dinner at a central city restaurant. In the evening, you will have an option of visiting organ hall, a theater or one of many night clubs.
Day 2
Have breakfast in the hotel. Take a full day bus excursion to Poltava. After 1,5 hours of ride, you will arrive to . The city is famous as the site of a 1709 battle between the Russians, led by Peter the Great, and the Swedes and Cossacks. You will tour the battlefield and its monuments. You will learn amazing facts about Tzar Peter I. In town, you will visit October Park, the gun-barrel-shaped Column of Glory and the Spassky Church. Have lunchc on central city.
You will have some free time to walk about central Poltava and to shop for souvenirs. Then, on the way back, you will visit another museum and get acquainted with the unique style of the Ukrainian painting – Petrykivka.
Day 3
You will be offered to spend this day in Kharkiv. The program of this day will be active but enjoyable and informative. You will visit the WWII memorial and then walk about the central park; they you will have a choice of visiting a number of places - a big city market, to have an excursion about one of the Kharkiv plants, or to visit a university and meet students and teachers. You will have a chance to socialize with local people, to make new contacts and to develop a good vision of the city lifestyle and rhytm of life. You will also have a choice of activities to take in the evening - you can visit a theater, anconcert show, a jazz club or a night club with bowling, billiards and other entertainment places.
Day 4
A full day bus trip is awaiting on you again. After breakfast, the bus will take you to , a monastery and church complex which is situated in a picturesque place on the bank of the river Severskiy Donets – the biggest river in Eastern Ukraine. Admire beauty of the surrounding nature and mysteries of the ancient monastery. You will have time for a little picnic in the magnificent nature od Seversky Donets river. Return to Kharkov around 9pm in the evening.
Day 5
This day will be your day of acquaintance with Kharkiv as the industrial city. You can visit one of Kharkiv brewery plants and one of the few confectionnery factories. Optionally, you can also visit Kharkiv Planetarium, and a number of other museums and enterprises which may be of interest.
In the evening, you will have a great dinner in one of the maginificent restaurants in Kharkiv and spend evening in a nightlife entertainment place to your choice.
Day 6
Sign out from your hotel. In 3 hours, your bus will bring you to , the city in the north-eastern border of Ukraine. Sign in to your Sumy hotel. Have some time to relax and then take a walk about the city. Your guide will show you the most interesting places in central city. Enjoy its picturesque streets and walk about the beautiful riverside park. Have dinner in a national kitchen restaurant. In late evening, you may want to visit nightlife entertainment places of Sumy.
Day 7
Have breakfast in the hotel. Take a morning walk about central Sumy and attend a service in one of the churches in downtown. You will then be offered a few options for sightseeing in the city, or just have some free time to walk around and to do some shopping.
In early evening, you will sign out from the hotel and take your train (flight) to your next destination.
Recommended complements:
Price: $ _____
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