12 Days Pearls of Ukraine and Moldova

Transcription

1 12 Days Pearls of Ukraine and Moldova Travel date 01 to 14 Sep 2019

2 TOUR INFORMATION INTRODUCTION Ukraine, Europe s biggest country (excluding Russia), one of the last authentic travel destination in Europe, a nation rich in tradition culture, hospitable people and off the beaten path experience. Moldova, one of Europe s least visited countries and was the world s least happy place in 2008, today it is better known for its unspoiled countryside and superb wine tours. Visit this charming little nation before it became popular. This trip starts from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, the city of the golden domes, the 2 UNESCO sites here are a feast for the eyes. Then we fly to the western part, Lviv, the UNSECO-listed city, the country least Soviet and exudes the same authentic Central European charm. Take a break from the city and visit the land of the Hutsuls, Carpathian. Head south to Chernivtsi city - little Vienna or Small Paris, further south to Moldova and end the trip in Odessa, the most beautiful resort city in the south of Ukraine! SPECIALS Guided by specialist / curator in all local museums Explore the Chernobyl Exclusive Zone and meet by the participants in the elimination of a nuclear power plant in 1986 Discover Hutsuls culture, an ethnic group in western Ukraine Visit Gypsy s capital, be invited to their house and interact with the family about life in the local community Tour Cricova Winery with VIP wine tasting and enjoy dinner in the Presidential Hall where Putin celebrated his birthday. All meals & beverages included (except for premium wine & hard liquor); Small group size of maximum 16 people; Tipping to Guide, Driver & Porter included; Accompanied by Scott Dunn Travel Concierge; Comprehensive Travel Insurance included ITINERARY DAY BY DAY Day 1 02 Sep (Mon) Arrive Kiev Day 2 03 Sep (Tue) Kiev / Chernobyl / Kiev Day 3 04 Sep (Wed) Kiev / Lviv Day 4 05 Sep (Thu) Lviv Day 5 06 Sep (Fri) Lviv / Carpathian Day 6 07 Sep (Sat) Carpathian / Chernivtsi Day 7 08 Sep (Sun) Chernivtsi Day 8 09 Sep (Mon) Chernivtsi / Soroca / Chisinau Day 9 10 Sep (Tue) Chisinau Day Sep (Wed) Chisinau / Odessa Day Sep (Thu) Odessa Day Sep (Fri) Depart Odessa DEPARTURE DETAILS Land Tour Price: Twin Sharing: S$ 11,880/- Single Supplement: S$ 1,550/- Airfare (subject to availability) Economy from S$ 1,728/- Business from S$ 6,946/- Deposit amount: S$ 2,000/- per person Registration Closing Date: 31 May 2019 or when tour is fully subscribed Early Bird Promotion: First 4 rooms booking enjoy complimentary room upgrade from Standard Room to Junior Suite at Grand Hotel Lviv & Radisson Blu Chisinau

3 DAY SEP (MON) - SINGAPORE ISTANBUL KIEV Flight: 01 Sep Singapore / Istanbul TK / (11h 00m) 02 Sep Istanbul / Kiev TK /0855 (1h 55m) Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and one of the most beautiful city which attracts with its history and legends years ago, the brothers Kyi, Schek and Horeb and their sister Lybid founded the city and named in honor their older brother - Kiev. Thus arose the Kiev state - Kievan Rus. Here in 988 Kievan Rus was adopted in Christianity by Prince Vladimir. This late afternoon, we will visit the Assumption Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (UNESCO World Heritage since 2007) is one of the largest Orthodox Church in Ukraine, a landmark of history and architecture, as well as a functioning monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with status of lavra. Kiev Pechersk Lavra was awarded as masterpiece of human genius. Since its foundation as a cave monastery in 1051, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra has been a permanent center of Orthodoxy in Kievan Rus. Accommodation: Fairmont Hotel Kiev Meals: Lunch & Dinner DAY SEP (TUE) - KIEV CHERNOBYL OR CHERNIHIV KIEV Today, you have 2 options: 1. Chernobyl Make an excursion to Chernobyl to gain insight on the setting & aftermath of this most unfortunate disaster. 2. Chernihiv Make an excursion to Chernihiv, famous for its monuments since the Kievan Rus. Visit Ancient Val, Mazepa House, Transfiguration Cathedral, Boris and Gleb Cathedral, Colegium, Khmelnitsky Monument, Pyatnitskaya Church (touch dream stone) Accommodation: Fairmont Hotel Kiev

4 DAY SEP (WED) - KIEV LVIV This morning, we will visit St Sophia Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage) is the oldest Cathedral of Kievan Rus period, which is already over 1000 years old. Experts find in St. Sophia not only prayers, but also inscriptions of a secular nature. For example, on one of the walls, an unknown author wrote: Kozma (thief) - stole meat. Log on your head. Amen!. There are insciptions, with humor: Thomas (the eunuch) wrote it during studying. This inscription was crossed out several times. Perhaps Thomas did it himself. After lunch you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lviv. Flight: Kiev / Lviv PS /1605 (1h 10m) On arrival, you will be tranferred to our hotel. An UNESCO World Heritage site, Lviv with its Polish influence is considered by many as the most beautiful city of the country and the highlight of any visit. Accommodation: Grand Hotel Lviv DAY SEP (THU) - LVIV Morning visit the Potosky Palace, now an Art Gallery and spend time on the Rynok Square. Continue to enjoy Farmacy Museum with Iron wine tasting before continuing to Ethno Museum. After lunch, continue the walking tour with St George Church visit and some free time to explore the nooks and corners on your own. Be treated to Livarnya Beer tasting and catch a performance at the Opera House (details to be announced). Accommodation: Grand Hotel Lviv DAY SEP (FRI) - LVIV CARPATHIAN Today, we drive toward Carpathian, after 2½ hours drive we will arrive Ivano-Frankivsk, the historical city of Western Ukraine. Enjoy a walking tour and lunch. Then we continue 4 hours drive to a local village and a dinner in Verhovyna with the Hutsul wedding performance private for us. After dinner, transfer to Bukovel and check into Radisson Blue. Accommodation: Radisson Blu Resort Bukovel

5 DAY SEP (SAT) - CARPATHIAN CHERNIVTSI This morning, we will drive to Mykulychi village and change to 4x4 jeeps to explore the Carpathian Mountains. Traveling to the peaks, ridges, plains to see a panorama of amazing beauty. We will also combine walking and some exciting ride. After we enjoy Banosh making lunch in a local village, we will drive towards Chernivtsi around 3 hours. Chernivtsi city, often called little Vienna or small Paris. Where modern Ukrainians, Hungarians, Romanians, Jews, Russians and Poles live together in spite of their historical differences and mentality! Accommodation: Allure Inn Hotel DAY SEP (SUN) - CHERNIVTSI Spend a full day in this historical city and now an UNESCO World Heritage site. Start the morning with a visit to the Metropolitan Residence and the City Garden. Catch the everyday horn performance on City Garden roof - Marichka (ukrainian national song). After the lunch, enjoy a walking tour of the historical centre and visit the St Nicholas Church also known as the drink church. Have some free time before dinner in a local restaurant. Accommodation: Allure Inn Hotel DAY SEP (MON) - CHERNIVTSI SOROCA CHISINAU We ll leave Chernivtsi and Ukraine and drive to Soroca town from Republic of Moldova, known for its sizable Roma minority and the medieval fortress. You ll visit the fortress a unique monument of defensive architecture of Europe. For the fortress visit we will have as guide the director of Soroca History Museum. Further drive around the Roma hill famous for its special house architecture and visit to a Roma house. One of the family members will interact with us and speak about life in the local community. In the late afternoon, we will be transferred to Chisinau, capital of Moldova. Check in our hotel and enjoy dinner. Accommodation: Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel Chisinau

6 DAY SEP (TUE) - CHISINAU This morning we will enjoy a tour in the city, it has a rich and diverse history, and beautiful architecture of white stone earning it a nickname the white stone flower. including the Nativity Cathedral, the Arch of Triumph, the Park of Steven the Great and the various museums. After lunch, we will visit Cricova Winery, one of the biggest underground wine cities in the world (12 km away from Chisinau). The length of the winery is 120 km at a depth of meters. At the end of the tour we will enjoy a wine tasting and dinner in the Presidential Hall where Putin celebrated his birthday. Accommodation: Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel Chisinau DAY SEP (WED) - CHISINAU ODESSA This morning, we will be transferred to Belgorod-Dniestrovsky, Strategically located on the high rocky bank of the firth of the Dniester river, it was the last outpost of Christians after the fall of Constantinople on the Black Sea. You ll see the remains of the town, founded by the ancient Greeks on the picturesque shores of the Dniester estuary. Then we visit the Shabo wine factory, founded in 1821 by the Swiss colonists. The only in Ukraine center of wine culture will introduce you to the history of local wine making from the times of the ancient Greeks to modern days. After that, we continue 2 hours drive to Odessa, a port city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. It s known for its beaches and 19th-century architecture, including the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater. Accommodation: Hotel de Paris Odessa DAY SEP (THU) - ODESSA Some special treats await us this morning. Start with a visit Tolstoy Palace where we specially arrange for an unique piano performance («K. M. Schröder» piano. It was manufactured in under serial number ) accompanied by refreshment in the inner garden. From here, we walk to the Literature Museum followed by Gagarin Palace with the Golden Room and be treated to an exclusive concert accompanied by a glass of wine! Then, go on a panoramic drive stopping at Shevchenko s Park before lunch in local restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the Pototsky Mansion which today houses the Fine Art Museum and here be treated to a Cello Performance with light refreshment. Accommodation: Hotel de Paris Odessa

7 DAY SEP (FRI) - ODESSA ISTANBUL SINGAPORE This morning, we visit the Pushkin Museum, then we walk to the Odessa Museum of Eastern and Western Art. After that, we visit the Archaeological Museum where you will be guided with local expert and Golden Room (Scythian gold, Egyptian mummies and the first Russian coins). After lunch, we will visit one of the most famous winery of Ukraine - Shustov Congac Winery was awarded GOLDEN AWARD FOR THE BEST TRADE NAME by Trade Leader s Club in During the tasting section, we will taste congac aged from 11 to 40 years old. Enjoy a farewell dinner in a traditional restaurant with Ukrainian folk performance. Flight: 13 Sep Odessa / Istanbul TK /2305 (1h 30m) 14 Sep Istanbul / Singapore TK /1750 (10h 50m) (Arrive in Singapore on 14 Sep, Sat) Accommodation: N/A

8 PRICE INFORMATION Hotels Kiev : Fairmont Grand Hotel (Fairmont Room) Lviv : Grand Hotel Lviv (Standard Room) Bukovel : Radisson Blu Resort Carpathian (Superior View) Chernivtsi : Allure Inn (Standard Room) Chisinau : Radisson Blu Hotel (Standard Room) Odessa : Hotel de Paris Odessa (Deluxe Room) Land tour price per person Twin share Single Supplement S$ 11,880/- S$ 1,550/- These prices are based on minimum eight persons traveling together. Airline Turkish Airlines (TK) Singapore / Istanbul / Kiev Odessa / Istanbul / Singapore Airfare price per person Economy Class S$ 1,125 + S$ 603 (taxes) = S$ 1,728/- Business Class: S$ 6,180 + S$ 766 (taxes) = S$ 6,946/- Airfare & Taxes are calculated as of 3 Jan 2019 and subject to change & availability. Should you wish to explore alternative flying routes, do consult our friendly consultants. COST INCLUDES Accommodation on twin or double sharing basis; Professional English local guides; All tours & transfers; Entrance Fee; Meals as stated including beverages (except premium wine & hard liquor); 1 tour concierge from Scott Dunn; Comprehensive Travel insurance with emergency evacuation benefits COST EXCLUDES Airfare as quoted separately; Visa; Personal expenses such as laundry, bar bills and etc.