We will take you through modern cities and quiet mountain towns.

We will make sure your stay in Ukraine is as enjoyable and easy as

it can be from the moment we pick you up at the airport and till it’s

time we say our goodbyes

From big city lights to quaint mountain villages, this tour offers

our travelers the best of both worlds!

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

IUDCF performances

IUDCF Zabava

IUDCF Gala show

Zirka Band performance at Lviv Pravda Beer Theatre

and Koza Bar in Ternopil

Yaremche Souvenir Market

Kosiv Crafts Bazaar

Hutsul style Zabava

Ukraine Independence Day Celebrations

World of Ukrainians Festival Zabava

Zirka Band SHADOW TOUR | 2020 Dates: August 12-25, 2020 | Duration: 14 Days/ 13 Nights | Start Lviv – End Kyiv

Inspired by Traditions!

Lviv August 12-17, 2020

Day 1 | Wednesday, August 12: Arrive in Lviv Welcome to Lviv, a centre of Galicia region and a city with a charming medieval atmosphere, delicious coffee, chocolate, beer and sincere, open-minded people! Upon arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel accompanied by a Cobblestone representative. Check-in at the centrally located hotel. We will provide you a city orientation, so you will know the closest exchange places, ATMs, best souvenir stores and the restaurants with most delicious food! Afterwards, you will be taken out to a traditional Lviv Style Dinner at one of the best restaurants downtown!

Day 2 | Thursday, August 13: Lviv In the morning, after breakfast in the hotel, to reveal the historical and romantic sides of this city we will take you on a retro train excursion and then on a walking city tour showing you around tourist-worthy sights! Afterwards, we will head for lunch in one of the most famous and most visited restaurants in the city – Kryivka, buried in the subterranean vaults of the Ploshcha Rynok and designed to look like an underground bunker. Next, shopping time. Numerous souvenir stores, and an open-air craft markets offer a variety of artwork, embroidery, woodcarving and more! You are sure to bring back more than fond memories from Lviv! In the evening, we will get together in Lviv Pravda Beer Theatre that produces its own craft beer, with unique style, properly recognized all over the world. There we won’t only taste the beer and have dinner, but also enjoy the performance of Zirka Band! Day 3|Friday, August 14: Lviv – Ternopil – Lviv After breakfast we will head for Zolochiv, a picturesque town in Ternopil region. Don’t waste the opportunity to explore the beauty of Zolochiv Castle, which used to be a residence of rich Polish nobles. (the tour is Included). After lunch, we’ll set off to Ternopil. Once we get you arrive, take time to relax before we take you on a city tour. Walk around the old city centre, visit artificial pond, local castle that used to be a residence of Polish nobles and beautiful Dominican Cathedral. Furthermore, there is an Ethnography museum worth visiting. The numerous collection of decorative and applied arts is the subject of the museum's pride. It includes ceramics and textile, folk clothes and embroidery, leather and wooden exhibits. Take some time for individual exploration and shopping. Your guide will recommend you the places worth visiting in Ternopil. Afterwards enjoy dinner and another Zirka Band performance in a local pub Koza Bar, and afterwards, return back to Lviv.

HOTEL:

Hotel ‘Lviv’

https://hotel-lviv.com.ua/en

6 Nights

Day 4|Saturday, August 15: Lviv: IUDCF Festival Performances Free morning for the individual exploration, shopping and enjoying fragrant Lviv coffee. Have lunch in one of the restaurants in the heart of Lviv to the Rynok Square to admire the Festival performances in the main city square. Arrive a bit early and get a table at one of the nearby restaurants, so you can enjoy the best of both – fiery performances and local treats. In the evening watch the performance of Zirka band and other talented bands at the Zabava, a traditional Ukrainian party featuring music and dances and lots of delicious food!

Day 5|Sunday, August 16: Lviv

Optional Church visit for those, who want to plunge into spiritual side of Lviv!

Commemorative Festival Parade in Lviv downtown, dedicated to all Ukrainians spread around the world, but united with love to their Motherland! Walk from the Opera theatre to the monument of Taras Shevchenko, laying the bunch of flowers to the foot of it and sing along with all of the participants the National anthem then. This place does not only recreate traditional atmosphere and household of villages from different regions around Western Ukraine, but also is our location for the second day of the Festival! Here, on the museum territory, you’ll be treated to delicious Kozak style lunch! While the participants are performing, others enjoy the concert or explore the beautiful museum grounds – seeing historic buildings from various regions of Ukraine, and taking artisanal master classes offered on location and more. In the evening, we will take you for dinner to a famous pub in Lviv, called Robert Dom’s Beer House that

features fresh Lvivske beer served in litre steins, plus delicious food and nightly live music in one of the vault's

four chambers. Tonight you will have an opportunity to admire a Zirka Band performance in this famous

place!

PLEASE NOTE: the performance is potential. We will be able to confirm it closer to the dates of your tour.

Day 6|Monday, August 17: Lviv In the morning, excursion around the famous Lychakiv cemetery, a place where well-known Ukrainian writers, politicians and public figures are buried. Afterwards, return to the downtown and our guide will point you the High Castle Hill, which presents a bird’s eye view of the city! In the evening Gala show and Festival Closing ceremonies! Evening at leisure!

Carpathian mountains August 18-20, 2020

Day 7|Tuesday, August 18: Lviv – Yaremche – Kosiv In the morning, after breakfast and checkout, you’ll be moving on to relax in the Carpathian Mountains!Our first stop will be Yaremche, a picturesque town on the Prut River, where you will have a chance to visit Yaremche bazaar, where craftsmen and vendors from around the area sell the bestarts and crafts. Hope there’s room in your suitcase not just for fond memories! Optionally: Those who are fans of active and even extreme rest, make sure you try zipline in Yaremche. Feel harrowing speed in the air over the vast expanses of the Carpathians! Those who are not brave enough to try this activity, can relax on the banks of the Prut River, and contemplate Probiy waterfall and the beautiful scenery of the town. After spending the whole day in Yaremche, we will set off to Kosiv, where we’ll help you check-in to the hotel. Day 8|Wednesday, August 19: Carpathian Mountains In the morning – take a day trip to local Kosiv crafts bazaar, where local artisans skillfully produce Easter eggs,

jewelry boxes, spoons, pottery, embroidery, leather goods, and many other goods.

Next stop is a village of Bukovets, located higher up in the mountains, which inhabitants keep preserving their

ancestors’ traditions till nowadays!Afterwards, you’ll be cordially invited to see traditional Hutsul wedding

traditions! Learn traditional songs; watch the locals dancing ‘Arkan’ and ‘Holubka’, try rich and absolutely

natural home-made Hutsul food! Meet with a local priest, who’ll open you the ancient wooden church and tell

you more about its history.

Day 9|Thursday, August 20: Carpathian Mountains

After breakfast, we’ll continue exploring the beautiful region of Hutsulshchyna and all that it has to offer. Once

we are in Verkhovyna, a village surrounded by mountains, visit a House-museum famous from the film ‘Shadows

Of Forgotten Ancestors’ by cinema guru Sergiy Paradzhanov. Feel the true Hutsul atmosphere and observe how

the household of our ancestors looked like.

Next stop that will definitely impress you is a Museum of “Hutsul Magic”. Here you’ll get to know about the

mountain magicians called ‘molphars’. It is said that they could cleanse the dark clouds, stop the rain, and even

heal cancer with tincture from vipers. Upon return to Kosiv, we will visit the woodcarver’s family, see their

works, and take an opportunity to buy some souvenirs. Optionally: those, who are not willing to travel to

Verkhovyna, may stay at the hotel to relax, take some SPA treatments, including relax in purifying sauna or

massage. Otherwise, you may go or a walk around the territory of the hotel surrounded with mountains.

HOTEL:

Hotel ‘Sokilske http://sokilske.com.ua/en/ 3 Nights

Kyiv August 21-25, 2020

Day 10|Friday, August 21: Carpathian Mountains – Сhernivtsi – overnight train to Kyiv Today in the morning, after breakfast and check-out, we will leave this picturesque area for Chernivtsi, the capital of

Bukovyna region!

Upon arrival in Chernivtsi, will take on a brief city tour – you’ll have a chance to learn about Chernivtsi fascinating

multicultural history, visit the most beautiful and notable sights the city has to offer.

One more must-visit place is the local Hogwarts-like University – the architectural ensemble of the main campus of

the university, the Residence of Bukovynian and Dalmatian Metropolitans are included on the list of UNESCO World

Heritage Sites

In the evening, we’ll catch an overnight train to Kyiv.

Day 11|Saturday, August 22: Kyiv Upon arrival in Kyiv in the morning, we will transfer you to your hotel. After breakfast at the hotel and some time to

rest, we have a busy time planned for you today!

To introduce you to the city, we’ll take you on a city tour – you’ll visit Independence Square, better now known as

Maidan, a history changing place, where the Revolution of Dignity happened!

We’ll also walk down the Khreshchatyk Street – the most famous and well-trodden street, which runs along the chestnut

alley.

Next up, you will be also taken through iconic sights like St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery and St. Sophia’s Cathedral, which dates back to the 10th century! Travellers throughout Ukraine and abroad come to this Pilgrimage destination to see 1000 y.o. frescoes and mosaics. Lunch in one of the restaurants in the city centre. The rest on the day at leisure!

Day 12|Sunday, August 23: Kyiv After breakfast at the hotel, spend some free time shopping at Andriyivsky Uzviz (Descent) – the winding street that’s

home to the city’s artisans, craftsmen and vendors. Explore all kinds of items on their stalls, from souvenir trinkets to

authentic costumes, and antique Soviet times’ memorabilia.

In the afternoon, you’ll be able to feel the Kozak spirit! We will visit Mamaieva Sloboda, an open-air museum, with

thematic exhibits that represent a full replica of a historical settlement, depicting Ukrainian nature, architecture and

the way of life. Listen to the stories and legends about Ukrainian customs and riots, explore the spacious fairground, the

wooden windmills and authentic huts under the thatched roofs and, finally, feel a peaceful and joyful atmosphere of the

genuine Ukrainian village. Enjoy a tasty lunch in the Cossack - style restaurant in the museum.

Enjoy the rest of the evening in your own discretion, admiring the views of the city, taking pictures of famous

monuments and learning Ukrainian history. The guide will recommend you places worth visiting!

HOTELS:

Kyiv Hotel ‘Ukraina’ https://ukraine-hotel.kiev.ua/ 3 Nights

Day 13|Monday, August 24: Kyiv: INDEPENDENCE DAY

Today you will get the incredible opportunity to celebrate Ukraine's Independence Day with the people of Ukraine!

Enjoy a free morning to walk down to Khreshchatyk, the main street in Kyiv, for the Independence Day Parade. This

is truly a once in a lifetime experience!

Later, enjoy and different dance ensembles from around the world at World of Ukrainians Festival , an ethno festival

where talented artists from Canada and Ukraine will get together in order to preserve our Ukrainian roots.

Of course, we won’t let you end this day without a proper Zabava!

In the evening, we will get together for dinner, featuring a live music performance from Zirka Band!

Day 14|Tuesday, August 25: Kyiv: Departure day

After some free time to stock up on souvenirs we will transfer you to the airport where, sadly, it’s time to go back home or continue on to new exciting destinations.

n

Tour Details

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

Escorted tour from beginning to the end

All Events included in the Itinerary

2 big meals a day + snacks

All land transportation in a quality bus with

professional driver

12 nights in comfortable character rich 3 & 4 star hotels and quality villas + 1 overnight train

Internet in hotels when possible

Full time tour leader

Special events exclusively for Cobblestone

travellers

Cobblestone Freeway t-shirt

NOT INCLUDED:

Extra days before/after the tour

Events and Services not included in the

itinerary or marked as Optional

Some meals

Airport Transfers if you’re NOT

travelling with a group

*You will be charged for additional services at the end of the trip

**Unforeseen events and new discoveries may result in changes to this itinerary, but only for the better!

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS:

Extend your trip

Upgrade your room / Get a single room

Do a side trip – visit Family, have your Family History researched

Village home stays

MORE QUESTIONS

If you have any question or requests regarding your trip – big, small or

downright quirky – please call or e-mail us. We are happy to help!