smitten kitchen travel

smitten kitchen

cauliflower salad with dates and pistachios

a clean-out-the-fridge salad

I spend a possibly unhealthy amount of time … oh you thought I was going to say scrolling TikTok and watching other people clean their apartments? I mean, yes, that too. But I was going to say debating whether one *needs* a recipe for something I like to make, such as a salad. Doesn’t everyone just grab random things that need to be used up and assemble them with a dressing? Yet my other favorite thing on social media is when something appears in my feed that I didn’t know I was craving and I spontaneously must stop what I’m doing and kick all of my existing cooking plans to the curb to make it. What if this is the one that provides this for you?

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baked brie with garlic butter mushrooms

Welcome to the decadent meal I dream about every late December, when I want even simple foods to feel festive. Yes, I am seriously making the argument that baked brie should be a dinner dish. Or, if not dinner, maybe a luxe part of it, so perfect for this blustery, celebratory time of year. For dinner you might eat this with a big green salad and a cup of soup. You might set this out as a side dish with a big roast. You might put it out as part of a party spread too, an oasis of savory among all of the cookies and molten cakes.

green angel hair with garlic butter + smitten kitchen keepers is here!

Today my third cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers , comes out and thank goodness, because it’s been impossibly hard to keep it from you this long .

It feels downright unfair that I figured out how to make the best molasses cookie — thick, tender, but also one-bowl, no hand-mixer required, the kind that makes your whole home smell like the holidays — and you’re only finding out about it today. My favorite pot roast is in there; sometimes I add rice shortly before it’s done for a truly one-pot meal-of-a-braise that feels perfect for this cold week. There’s a warm hoagie that’s practically a vegetarian cheesesteak. The most perfect chocolate chip cookie I could possibly dream up is there (it has salted walnut brittle inside). A deep dish, actual doorstop of a broccoli cheddar quiche that serves a crowd and an egg salad, just for us. The easiest three-layer chocolate party cake that could ever exist is filled with a salt-flecked milk chocolate buttercream and it’s designed to fit in the bottom of a shopping bag so you can take it everywhere with you. The actual craziest thing I’ve suggested you do with cabbage (salt, vinegar, and char it), might lead to the craziest thing you do with cabbage (eat it from the pan, standing up). There are cream cheese and jam challah buns that make me think of my dad and there’s a pound cake that I hope could be worth the cover price alone.

apple and cheddar crisp salad

This is an apple and cheddar salad and I would humbly argue an excellent one, the best I’ve ever made, but this recipe is also an excuse for me to share a few of the best tricks I keep up my sleeve (I always wanted to be a cook who said things like that, when what you might actually find is a lost piece of popcorn) to make the kinds of complex salads I can never resist on a cafe menu at home as simply as possible. Because we deserve to have fancy, cool, crunchy, dynamic, and gorgeous salads at home, even if we do not live a life that allows us to afford fancy salads made by others on a regular basis.

focaccia onion board

Welcome to the cutting room floor. Whenever I finish a cookbook, there are recipes that didn’t make the final book not because they’re flawed in any way, but because they weren’t necessary. Smitten Kitchen Keepers already has a couple great savory breads and sufficient caramelized onion magnificence, so I pulled this recipe out because I knew it would be perfect for the site, right now. Why? This week is the most significant Jewish holiday of the year, Yom Kippur, a day of atonement. It is traditional fast for the day, and the fast is traditionally broken with a dairy meal, quite often a giant spread of bagels and fixings. But that wasn’t the first time I made this. In March 2020, when the whole world shut down, so of course did all of the bagel shops in my neighborhood. I started making easy bagel-y breads so we could still enjoy our cream cheese and lox weekend fix. This one has a cool history, too.

apple dumplings

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, my first cookbook , turns 10 years old in a few weeks, and inside it is what I call one of the best summer desserts I’ve ever made, peach dumplings with bourbon hard sauce. These were a whim that occured to me one morning before dawn when my then-baby (and, as of 11 days ago, a Bar Mitzvah) woke up early and lacked interest in going back to sleep and my mind drifted, as it does, to things I’d like to cook.

turkey pesto meatballs and orecchiette

As long as we are a full six days before fall begins, I am allowed to sneak in one more zucchini recipe. It would be right there in my contract, had I one, above the expectation of ironed shoelaces and below that of a daily slice of chocolate biscuit cake. I’d actually intended this recipe for July (and the eggplant involtini for August). But July was so hot, and August wasn’t much better; I couldn’t bring myself to publish recipes that require oven time, so I waited for a better moment to arrive. Our patience has been rewarded; this brothy, late summer-y bowl of pasta and meatballs is absolutely perfect for right now, with the kind of sunny warm days that require a morning and evening cardigan — i.e. the very best weather on this earth, full stop.

eggplant involtini

It makes no sense at all, but for most of this past winter, I craved eggplant parmesan. I tried to tell myself that we were half a year to eggplant season and would I prefer some… cabbage or turnip parmesan instead? (I would not.) I made it a few times. I ordered it in a few others. I finally got it out of my system and then in the past month I’ve seen Reel after TikTok for eggplant involtini and the magical combination of silky eggplant, tomato sauce, and sharp, melty cheese’s hold over me has returned. At least this time my craving has seasonal compliance.

corn butter farro

A logical progression after making zucchini butter spaghetti a few times — provided you’re a person who likes zucchini, butter, and spaghetti, or what happens when the first two melt silkily against the third — is to ask yourself, what can I butter next ? What vegetable wants to be cooked down until it’s tender, concentrated, and almost buttery and then fused with actual butter to make something better than both things? My friend Alissa and I debated this a couple months ago, cycling through carrots, peas, and tomatoes* before landing on corn. Except it was more like oh my god: CORN!

grilled nectarines with gorgonzola and hazelnuts

Listen, I don’t make the rules. These things aren’t rational. But at some point over our vacation in Scotland — a time when we mostly consumed fish and chips, more chips, steak pie, also with chips, a detail that I’m sure is unrelated — I began intensely craving the combination of peaches and blue cheese even though I can’t think of a time when they’ve crossed paths in my kitchen. Once we got home, I beelined for Salad Freak by Jess Damuck [ Amazon , Bookshop , More Indies ], a cookbook that came out this spring, because I had a hunch she’d put the idea in my head and sure enough, she had a combination of stone fruit and blue cheese waiting to fulfill my wayward vacation craving.

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Burst Tomato Galette

Take advantage of seasonal vegetables with this simple summer galette.

Whole Lemon Bars

Broccolini Melts

Spaghetti Carbonara Pie

About the show.

Deb Perelman brings us into the cozy home kitchen where she grew her popular blog, Smitten Kitchen . With her signature blend of practical tips and personal stories, she helps us all create instant everyday classics for real life.

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The Best Smitten Kitchen Recipes, According to Eater Editors

Our editors cook more now than ever — and keep returning to Deb Perelman’s blog to do so

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These days, Eater editors are eating out less and less, due to widespread restrictions on dining in and mandates nationwide to stay at home. That means we’re cooking a whole lot more, in addition to ordering delivery and takeout from places we love — and we’re also talking about cooking more than ever before. Sure, we can recognize quarantine queen Alison Roman’s shallot or cauliflower pastas, shiny blue Great Jones sheet pans , and a few specific brands of restaurant-level ceramics , even in a 10-second Instagram story — without tags. And sure, more and more of us fall prey to the siren call of sourdough starters every single day.

But one of the things we realized quickly is that almost everyone at Eater has a favorite Smitten Kitchen recipe, one created by OG recipe blogger Deb Perelman for her website and cookbooks under the same name. She’s widely renowned as one of the best in her field, with over a decade’s worth of “comfort food stepped up a bit” recipes, which have garnered her over 31,000 Twitter followers and over a million on Instagram — and just last week she announced a brand new cookbook in the works for Knopf. Here, now, some of Eater staffers’ most-cooked Smitten Kitchen recipes.

Roasted yams and chickpeas with yogurt : I make this easy-ass yam recipe once a week for lunch. It’s quick and simple, yes, but also packs in spice, sweetness, some crunch, creaminess, and char if you do a little broiling (which you should). It’s also largely made up of pantry staples. — Patty Diez, project manager

Charred cauliflower quesadillas : This is probably one of my go-to recipes when I can’t possibly think of what to cook or am feeling too lazy to make anything else. All of the basic ingredients — cheddar cheese, tortillas, and cauliflower — can be found in your corner store, and it works just as well if you sub it with a different veggie. The key here is the combination of textures: gooey, salty cheese, charred veggies, and a crisp tortilla — how could you possibly go wrong with that combination? — Tanay Warerkar, Eater NY reporter

Ratatouille’s ratatouille : This cartoon-inspired ratatouille has become my go-to showcase for summer vegetables. I’m not a very confident (or consistent) cook, but it’s incredibly easy to make for how impressive it looks, and at this point, it’s possibly the only recipe I’ve completely memorized. — Monica Burton, eater.com editor

Marbled banana bread : This banana bread is decadent and perfect. You’ll never look back. — Madeleine Davies, eater.com daily editor

Quick, essential stovetop mac and cheese : I heard about this recipe through Marian Bull’s Twitter and have been making it at least a couple times a month since. I started always keeping pecorino in my fridge — highly recommend — and had a period where I desperately wanted to eat cacio e pepe but couldn’t make it appropriately at home. This easy stovetop mac and cheese, when made with pecorino, and extra fresh black pepper, is a much easier facsimile. And truly is so fast and easy. Enjoy with a glass of wine to feel fancy. — Serena Dai, Eater NY editor

Pizza beans / tomato and gigante bean bake : The headnote to this recipe calls it baked ziti where the ziti is replaced by giant beans. What could be more perfect? I first heard about the pizza beans when reporting on bean obsession , and now that I’ve made them I completely understand why the bean obsessives were, um, obsessed. Cook up the beans Saturday, bake them up Sunday, and feast for the entire week on creamy, absurdly large beans covered in tomato and cheese. — Meghan McCarron, special correspondent

Everyday meatballs : I’m pretty obsessed with meatballs (one year I made 53 different recipes for them as a cooking challenge), and I walked away from that experience thinking that this was the best classic meatball recipe I made. I love how cheesy and satisfying these are, and you don’t even need to make pasta alongside it for it to work as a meal (but I fully endorse Deb’s tip to serve it with garlic bread for extra decadence). — Missy Frederick, cities director

Black pepper tofu and eggplant : I first made this when I found myself in possession of an eggplant from a produce box and wasn’t sure what to do with it. It’s now one of my favorite weeknight recipes. I think it finally solved the problem of roasted tofu for me — it’s crispy every time, and so delicious drenched in buttery soy sauce. Serve with chile oil. — Emma Alpern, senior copy editor

Chicken, leek, and rice soup : My first coronavirus cooking recipe was chicken, leeks, and rice soup. Now I regret not buying more chicken thighs so I could have this on hand for a quick meal. I will double the recipe next time. As a side note, a friend gave me her dad’s five-gallon stock pot after he passed away in January, and she was so happy that I broke it in with this soup. — Susan Stapleton, Eater Vegas editor

Easiest fridge dill pickles : I love making a jar of these. — Adam Moussa, senior social media manager

Blueberry yogurt multigrain pancakes : You may think you don’t need another pancake recipe. YOU ARE WRONG. — Lesley Suter, travel editor

Chocolate olive oil cake : Don’t have eggs? Don’t have butter? Can’t leave your house? This is the perfect pantry cake. Most of the ingredients you probably have lying around, plus it’s delicious and lasts for days. — Jill Dehnert, general manager

Strawberry summer cake : I don’t consume much dairy, so I never kept milk at home — until last summer when this strawberry cake came into my life and I started making it for every possible occasion. It’s excellent with any sort of strawberries but truly perfect at peak season, with the little smushy berries that smell incredible and stain whatever you put them in. I bake it in a 9x9 square. — Sonia Chopra

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Every Chef I Talked to Loves This Tortilla Press

If you’ve ever had a made-from-scratch tortilla fresh off a comal, you understand: No premade grocery-store tortilla can possibly compare. Whether it’s a fragrant, slightly sweet corn tortilla or a still warm, slightly nutty flour tortilla, the difference between the homemade kind and the discs sitting in plastic on the shelf is so vast they may as well be totally separate food groups.

The most essential tool to making fresh tortillas at home is a good tortilla press. Sure, you can use a rolling pin or a wine bottle to flatten them out individually, but as I found out firsthand when I took up tortilla-making as a pandemic hobby, hand-rolling each of them gets old fast, particularly since I rarely made tortillas in batches of fewer than a dozen. Not only is a tortilla press much quicker at flattening the masa for tortillas into a pliable circular shape ready for griddling, it helps ensure that the thickness of your tortillas is consistent, which means that they’ll cook more evenly. Plus, you can use it to make other flatbreads at home, like roti, parathas, naan, or pita. I’ve even used mine to flatten pie dough.

A press is a pretty simple gadget. It’s essentially two flat plates attached with a hinge that allow you to put something in between them. You use a handle to press down on the contents inside, applying even pressure to flatten them. (Typically, you line the press with a plastic bag or parchment paper to prevent the tortilla dough from sticking, another lesson I learned the hard way.) When I started looking into tortilla presses, I learned that there are two major genres. The first is a circular press, usually made out of aluminum or cast iron. The second are square presses, usually also made of metal, though sometimes wood.

One square press stood out in my research: a jewel-colored, sleek, metal number that popped up repeatedly among the Mexican chefs I follow on social media. I noticed it in the Instagram Stories of Bricia Lopez , co-owner of Guelaguetza in Los Angeles and author of Asada , and in the kitchen behind Mi Cocina writer Rick Martinez in his videos of his kitchen in Mazatlán. When I reached out to Martinez to ask, he confirmed: It was the Doña Rosa Tortilla Press, an artisan-made press from Oaxaca distributed in the U.S. by the masa harina brand Masienda.

“I love this press so much,” Martinez told me. “I have two of them. It is so beautiful that it makes me want to make tortillas from scratch just so I can pull it out and use it.”

The press is made out of powder-coated rolled steel, which means that not only is it an appealing pop of color for your kitchen — it comes in a cobalt blue, a seafoam green, a bright, poppy yellow, white, and black — it also is a serious piece of equipment. The weight of the press, Martinez explained, is key. It means that it doesn’t wiggle back and forth while you use it. “I love the heft of it. It is virtually indestructible, and lasts forever, which is why a lot of restaurants and taco stands in Mexico use them,” Martinez said. (Plus, when Mi Cocina came out, the brand released an edition in pink to match the cover of the book.)

It’s not just Martinez, though. As I reached out to chefs for their thoughts on the best tortilla press, time and time again, I got the same answer: the Doña Rosa . Ana Castro, the New Orleans–based chef-owner of Acamaya, is also a huge fan. “They are the real deal; they are made in Mexico by Doña Rosa, she’s a master of her craft and has been producing them for longer than I have been alive,” Castro said. Plus, she appreciates that with the Doña Rosa , unlike the traditional circular cast-iron models, you can adjust the thickness of the tortilla that you’re serving. “This tortilla press is the last one you’ll ever buy,” Castro said.

It’s also the press that Chef Fermín Núñez uses in his masa-centric restaurants in Austin. “Masienda’s Doña Rosa Tortilla Press is what we use at both of our restaurants, Suerte and Este, to make fresh corn tortillas daily,” Nunez explained. “A good tortilla press should be high quality and have some weight to it. Masienda’s has both, which is exactly why we use theirs in the restaurants.”

When I got my hands on a Doña Rosa press to try it out, I had to agree. (I chose the seafoam-green one.) Though I am far from a master at making tortillas, the Doña Rosa tortilla press was a joy to use. It’s sturdy enough that I never worry about it slipping on the counter, and it quickly and evenly flattens masa into discs. The adjustable-thickness option makes it particularly versatile for use with other flatbreads, too. And it’s a pleasing object to have in my kitchen — always at the ready, reminding me that fresh tortillas aren’t that far away.

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Today’s Top Clicked

How to visit Kiev in 4 days

By Joan Torres 10 Comments Last updated on April 9, 2024

The concept and perceptions of Kiev are a bit strange.

People who haven’t visited Kiev perceive it as a distant Eastern European city with close ties to Russia, a lot of apparent corruption and frequent protests going on.

The thing is that – as Bradt travel writer Michael Palin once said  – few stories in English romanticize Kiev and, for the last few years, with all the violent demonstrations and the ongoing war against Russia , many people from the West are even questioning the city’s safety and potential appeal.

Nevertheless, despite all these negative views, your perception of the capital changes radically as soon as you step into the city, because what you find is an extremely vibrant, energetic and beautiful capital with so much going on. 

Kiev is, in fact, one of my favorite cities in the world, but I only discovered that upon my arrival, because Kiev is a city that, unexpectedly, tends to wow all its visitors.

There is just so much to do here, from visiting Baroque-style buildings to a large WWII Heritage, loads of Soviet things to see, a great bar scene and, basically, something going on in almost every corner.

Traveling to Kiev won’t disappoint you.

I spent two weeks in the city and this guide contains everything you need to know to visit Kiev , including transportation tips, the best places to stay and, of course, the best things to do in Kiev in a 4-day itinerary, including off the beaten track stuff.

For a more practical guide to the country, don’t forget to read my ultimate Ukraine guide

In this Kiev travel guide you will find:

Table of Contents

• How to visit Kiev
• Moving around
• Where to stay
• Day 1 – Around Pecherski
• Day 2 – Around Shevchenkivskyi
• Day 3 – Around Podilski
• Day 4 – Get offbeat
• Day trips from Kiev
• More information

Travel insurance for Ukraine I recommend IATI Insurance : COVID-19 coverage + 5% discount Get your discount when buying through this link

How to prepare your visit when you travel to Kiev

Kiev is big, like damn big.

In area, it is almost as big as Berlin and definitely bigger than Madrid or Paris, so it might easily be the 3rd or 4th largest city in Europe.

Despite its size, however, it only has 3 metro lines.

It also has an extensive tram and city bus system but, when you have to make a connection, it just takes forever to reach some places.

Visit Kiev on a guided tour CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL AVAILABLE TOURS IN KIEV

Moreover, many things to do in Kiev, as well as bars and restaurants, are scattered all around the city, so you can’t just leave where you are staying and expect to find everything along the way. 

This means that visiting Kiev requires a bit of preparation and planning ahead, so that is why, in the itinerary section of this post, I thought it would be helpful to split all the places to visit in Kiev into area and day by day.

Kiev or Kyiv? The first day I posted something about Kiev on my Instagram Stories , I got a message from a young Ukrainian lady who was kind of upset because I spelled it Kiev instead of Kyiv. The fact is that Kyiv is the Ukrainian way of writing it and Kiev is the Russian transliteration, so given the current (and past) relationship between both countries, Ukrainians are a bit sensitive regarding this topic and, in any case, their spelling is the correct one, as the city was named after one of the three city’s founders, Kyi . As for me, in the article I am using Kiev because this is the term English-speaking people search for and, by any means, I don’t want to get political about it. In private, however, I will always spell it Kyiv. 

How to move around Kiev

Metro – As I said above, Kiev has two metro lines and one ticket costs as little as 8UAH, which is the equivalent of 0.30€. Something that surprised me about Kiev’s metro is that it is always very busy, no matter the time of the day.

Trams and city buses – Slower option but both tram and bus can take you literally everywhere. Google Maps can easily tell you which bus or tram number you should take when planning your route.

Taxi – It is easier if you download a taxi app and Bolt seems to be the most popular one.

Interested in visiting Minsk? Read my 3-day Minsk itinerary

Best places to stay in Kiev

Wherever you stay, I strongly recommend you stay close to a metro station and, if possible, near the center.

Otherwise, getting back home every day can be a time-consuming experience.

Where to stay in Podil area

Podil is the fashionable neighborhood where you can find the old pre-Soviet architecture. It is attached to downtown, is very well-connected and here you will find a wide array of bars, restaurants, and cafés.

Backpacker Hostel – Dream Hostel Kiev – Top backpacking hostel in the city, with a great traveling atmosphere and great location. A really good place.

Budget Apartment – Danchenko’s Apartment – In Kiev, booking an apartment is a popular thing to do.

A good hotel – Bursa Hotel – A nicely decorated hotel with a trendy style in the heart of Podil.

Where to stay in Pecherski (downtown)

This is the area around Independence Square and where you can find some of the most famous landmarks such as Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Backpacker Hostel – Friends Forever – A great hostel at the heart of downtown.

Mid-range Hotel – Ukraine Hotel – Surprisingly, the famous hotel that overlooks Independence Square isn’t expensive at all.

Things to do in Kiev in 4 days

These are, in my opinion, the unmissable places of any Kiev itinerary.

Map of what to see in Kiev in 4 days

Each pin color refers to a different day of your Kiev itinerary

Day 1 – Things to do in Kiev around Pecherski

This is basically downtown and the first place you need to visit in Kiev is Independence Square, the most central square and from where you can do a loop while stopping by a couple of landmarks.

Independence Square

Or Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Ukrainian is one of the most beautiful and impressive squares I have ever visited in Europe , and one of the most symbolic as well, as Maidan has witnessed quite a few particularly violent and important revolutions, the last one being the Euromaidan , a series of demonstrations that lasted for several months back in 2014, when many people were murdered by the police.

You may remember these events because it was all over the news.

Today, at least during my visit, there is a permanent outdoor exhibition with photos and memorials from the protests.

As I said, I suggest you come here first but this is also one of the best places in Kiev to see the sunset.

Maidan Nezalezhnosti is definitely, one of the best things to see in Kiev.

Interested in booking a walking tour around Kiev? CLICK TO LEARN MORE

Saint Sophia Cathedral

This gorgeous cathedral was the first place in Ukraine to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. As in many places around Ukraine , you need to purchase a separate ticket for each place within the complex, including general entrance, getting inside the cathedral, going up the bell tour, visiting museums, etc.

I think the general entrance cost me around 65UAH (2.40€) – which was already enough for me – but if you want to visit everything, you may need to spend nearly 10€.

Food tip – Between Saint Sophia and Golden Gate you will find the Milk Bar , a Ukrainian café specializing in fancy dairy products and traditional pastries. Everything they serve is amazing, seriously, and I recommend you order Ukrainian Syrniki , which are some sort of cottage cheese pancakes with sour cream and honey. Delicious.

Golden Gate

This place is advertised everywhere as one of the best things to do in Kiev but, in my opinion, it’s pretty boring.

Basically, these are the last remains from what used to be Kiev before the Mongolian invasion in the 13th century. What I liked, however, is that there was always a street musician playing in front of the gates.

National Opera 

A Viennese style building constructed in 1901. You can’t get inside unless you purchase tickets and you can check all the events on this link .

St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral

One of the most important Orthodox churches in Ukraine is the Little Prince-themed Volodymyr Cathedral, completed in 1896.

Bessarabsky Market

This is one of the busiest markets in Kiev, and a cool place to take a break because inside there is a craft beer place and a pretty authentic Vietnamese food stall run by actual Vietnamese. 

Day 2 – What to do in Kiev around Shevchenkivskyi

The area around Shevchenkivskyi and Pechersk Lavra is my most favorite place to visit in Kiev, as it contains a large variety of very different sights to check out.

Hydro Park (Island)

Nobody comes here but I seriously recommend you stop by.

Hydro Park is the island located in the Dnipro River right in front of the Lavra, and one of the top places to go in Kiev.

On the shores that overlook the Lavra, there is a restaurant serving beer and Khachapuri Megruli , and I swear it was the best Khachapuri I ever had outside of Georgia, and you can trust my judgment because I lived in Georgia for 7 months . 

We were sitting under the sun, with a beer, an excellent khachapuri, the best views of the Lavra and there wasn’t anybody else around!

Arsenalna metro station

According to the locals and Wikipedia , Arsenalna is the deepest metro station in the world (105m) but, according to other sources like World Atlas , there is an even deeper one in Pyongyang, North Korea (110m).

In any case, unless you travel to North Korea, Arsenalna is the deepest metro station you will ever see. To get out, you need to stand on the two escalators for nearly 4 minutes (I timed it).  By the way, this is the closest metro station to the Lavra.

Salute Hotel

The coolest Soviet thing to see in this part of Kiev is an old hotel with an extravagant cylindrical shape. It must be a pretty awesome hotel to stay for a few days, and it is not very expensive.

Holodomor Memorial

Holodomor, better known in the West as the Great Famine , was a famine that took place in the 30s when several million Ukrainians starved to death.

This unfortunate event, however, wasn’t a coincidence but it was a real genocide organized by Joseph Stalin himself in an attempt to eliminate Ukrainian nationalism.

There is so much to say about it and I recommend you read the full story here .

One of the most sobering, yet interesting, things to see in Kiev is visiting the Holodomor Memorial, which is also a museum where you can read several absolutely crazy stories from survivors of the Great Famine. A must-see. 

Food tip – Before Salute Hotel, there is a traditional Ukrainian restaurant named Varenichnaya Katyusha that serves all sorts of local food and is always packed with Kievans. They have all types of Ukrainian dishes but their specialty is varenyky , which are the local dumplings. 

Pechersk Lavra

The top tourist attraction in Kiev, Pechersk Lavra, is a massive Christian Complex and the headquarters for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Composed of several churches and cathedrals with white walls and shiny green and gold rooftops, Kiev Lavra is gorgeous, and spiritual. Most buildings you see here were built between the 11th and 18th centuries. 

The general entry ticket costs 80UAH and it allows you to climb the bell tower, as well as visiting the cave. I think this is more than enough but, if you are interested in visiting the museums and entering other churches, you will have to purchase separate tickets for each.

Want to visit the Lavra on a guided tour? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Pechersky Park

This was something I wasn’t expecting. 

On my way to the Great Patriotic Museum, I bumped into a military exhibition.

Well, not one, but a few so if you are into military tanks, planes, and helicopters, Pechersky park has several outdoor exhibitions containing all types of military arsenal. Pretty cool. 

Some of the weaponry belongs to WWII and Soviet times but there are a couple of tanks (partially destroyed) that have been used during the ongoing war against Russia and each one has a plaque that tells the story of the tank and the soldiers that were riding in it. Some of the stories were pretty sad.

Great Patriotic War Museum and Motherland Monument

Soviets refer to World War II as the Great Patriotic War because it was a real conflict and struggle to protect their motherland, the Soviet Union, and the massive titanium statue that overlooks Kiev, wearing a sword and a shield with the hammer and sickle, represents precisely that.

If you can only visit one museum in Kiev, it should be this one.

Would you like to visit the museum with a professional guide? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Day 3 – Places to visit in Kiev around Podil

Podil area is the most European part of town.

Zhytniy Soviet Market

The best way to start your day is to check out this local market located in a Modernist Soviet building . It was built in 1982 and the interior is characterized by its peculiar roof. 

Interesting to see in this market are all the salo stalls. I have never seen so many together. Salo is like slices of pork fat, very salty, and Ukrainians either have it as a snack or with borsch, the local beetroot soup. I found it pretty disgusting but for Ukrainians, it’s like a delicacy. Anyways, Zhytniy Market has tens of food stalls and the ladies will invite you to taste it.

Chernobyl Museum

Extremely disappointing.

I don’t recommend you visit this museum because there is nothing to see, not even to read, and if you want to know about the nuclear disaster just book a tour to the exclusion zone . CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TOUR TO CHERNOBYL

Kontraktova Square and around

Podil’s center and where you find a lot of bars and restaurants.

Beer Tip – In Kontraktova Square, there is a beer store called Hop Hey that sells several types of craft draft beer to take away, a concept which I haven’t seen anywhere else. I think they have several shops across the city but, if you want to skip the overpriced beer of Kontraktova, Hop Hey is a great alternative (drinking in the street is allowed in Kiev).

St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery

The place where this pyramid of bright domes is built dates from the 11th century but it was demolished under Stalin’s command in 1937 and rebuilt afterwards shortly after independence. 

This is one of the most important religious places to visit in Kiev.

By the way, this monastery and the next places from the list are located in the upper part of Podil and to get there, you can get the funicular located right next to Poshtova Ploshcha metro station.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

I like Ukraine because today, religious places get mixed and camouflaged among Soviet stuff, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is a clear example because this is an impressive concrete Soviet building placed right next to an important Christian site, St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery.

Saint Andrew’s Church

This Baroque-style church is one of the most emblematic things to do in Kiev, especially because from there, you get breathtaking views of Podil’s district. Check this great photo I took with my drone.

Kiev’s Old Town

Saint Andrew’s Church is the beginning of Kiev’s Old Town, a set of narrows alleys full of art galleries and painters that reminded me more of Paris than an Eastern European city.

Interested in booking a walking tour for your Kiev itinerary? CLICK TO LEARN MORE

Day 4 – Off the beaten track things to do in Kiev

If you are into quirky stuff, on your last day you may want to add the following places in your Kiev itinerary.

Tank Factory

Don’t get excited, not yet.

Around 20km from Kiev’s downtown, there is a functional tank factory but, as you may imagine, visits are not allowed.

The factory, however, has a tank graveyard which you may find if you are lucky because the industrial complex is huge. I personally walked all around the area and couldn’t find but I did find the tank road, which was a 500m muddy path full of tank marks that lead directly to a factory backdoor. 

Doing what I did was illegal so be aware of that and, if you want to try your luck, this is the location: 50.420848, 30.702709. There is a metro stop (Chernovyi Khutir) 2 or 3km away.

Kiev Crematorium

A great example of Soviet Modernism, Kiev Crematorium is one of the most unique Soviet buildings in Ukraine. As you may imagine, it is located in the middle of a cemetery, a pretty big one.

When we visited it, there were two funerals and it was a bit awkward, so we left pretty quickly.

If you like weird stuff, don’t forget to check the 7 most offbeat things to visit in Belarus

Underground Kiev

To be very honest, I didn’t take this tour but one of the coolest things to do in Kiev is visiting its underground tunnel system and checking out a nuclear bunker from the Cold War.

Kiev Circus and Obelisk Hero City

Not that offbeat because it is not far from downtown, but if you are interested in Soviet stuff, you can check out the Soviet Circus and the Obelisk Hero City, which commemorates the defense of the city during WWII and which has a Gold Star on its top, a symbol of heroism in the Soviet Union.

Best day trips from Kiev

The capital of Ukraine is also an excellent base for doing a few cool day trips.

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

You already know about Chernobyl , so I won’t go into details, but the exclusion zone is 150km north of Kiev and, if you want to visit it, you must go on a tour (you can’t visit it independently).

Strategic Missile Museum

Seriously, this was one of the best places I visited in the whole Ukraine, an old Soviet nuclear missile launch facility today turned into an awesome museum where, besides checking out all the military nuclear arsenal, you can also get into one of the silos and the underground control room. Really worth the trip and my full review is on its way.

144km northeast of Kiev you find Chernihiv, a UNESCO World Heritage city and one of the most beautiful in Ukraine, containing beautiful churches and old architecture.

Despite being so close to Kiev, not many travelers decide to take this day trip but I personally think it is an unmissable attraction to visit from Kiev.

For more day trips, you can read this post from Kathmandu and Beyond . 

More information for visiting Kiev

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

Book your tour to Kiev

All guides and articles for traveling in Ukraine destination

• Travel Guide to Chernobyl
• Ukraine Travel Guide
• Lviv Travel Guide
• Ukraine Itinerary

Check more city guides

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• Asmara Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Riyadh
• Muscat Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Dubai
• Beirut Travel Guide
• Erbil Travel Guide
• Tehran Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Astana
• Tashkent Travel Guide
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• Travel Guide to Minsk
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• A City Guide to Mosul

10 comments

Hard to take anything you say seriously after stating in the very beginning that Kyiv has only two metro lines.. haha

You are right, it was a small mistake. It has 3, not 2. After Kiev, I flew to Minsk, which only has 2 metro stations, that’s why the confusion. In any case, it doesn’t change anything. The city is too big for just having 3 metro stations.

I was just wondering. If you have any guided tours.? Any of these places you go?

Thank you for such a deep and wide view of Kyiv. After reading this article, I’m inspired to explore some new places of this vibrant city you’ve mentioned, that I didn’t know about, despite being a Ukrainian.

Thanks Iryna! It was a pleasure meeting you in Lviv 🙂

Thanks for the helpful article (and your blog, generally)! Regarding the Strategic Missile Museum, how did you get down here? Is there public transit, and any memory of how much it would cost? Thanks.

Hey! It was around 15USD per person, more or less. I went there from Kharkiv, doing several train/bus/hitchhiking combinations. It took me 2 days!

Ohh! Thank you so much for these warm words and a review of Kyiv city! As a tour guide in Kyiv, I am happy to read pleasant words, not only critique..Kyiv can definitely impress those who come for the first time and almost all my guests always want to come back, and explore more of it!

This is such a great, helpful article! Kyiv is such a special city that I loved, and what’s happening in Ukraine right now is horrific and I’m praying it’s over imminently. The people are warm and friendly and I cannot wait to visit this beautiful city and people again one day.

I can’t believe how an update on 13th September 2023 can fail to mention the war! Which was what I was interested in. An earlier review on TripAdvisor mentioned how crowded buses were and the difficulties finding a seat on long haul routes such as to Warsaw. A much more useful review would contain practical information instead of just being another puff piece. So 5 out of 10 for highlighting places to visit.

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Kyiv travel guide

Kyiv tourism | kyiv guide, you're going to love kyiv.

Kiev (or Kyiv) is the capital of Ukraine and the country's largest city, with a population of three million. Sitting on the banks of the Dnieper River, it is one of the most ancient cities in Europe, dating back to at least 500 AD.

The city's long history has resulted in a fascinating mix of architectural styles, creating a city center skyline that is all it own. The people of Kiev are also friendly, funny, and fiercely proud of their city and their nation.

Tourist numbers in Kiev are still small, and this means that you can experience the Ukrainian capital without hordes of visitors; it's an easy place to meet people and make new friends.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Kyiv

1. the nightlife.

Kiev comes alive at night, with a huge variety of pubs and clubs. You can choose between typical Ukrainian bars or stylish cosmopolitan lounges. The club scene gets started around midnight and carries on until dawn. Forsage is one of the most popular clubs, with three floors pumping out different music styles.

2. The Street Life

Kiev is full of pop-up bars and cafes, often serving their fare from converted cars. It makes just hanging around on the streets of Kiev a real pleasure and you're never quite sure what is around the next corner. There are also markets everywhere, especially in the underground areas beneath the major streets, creating an electric atmosphere.

3. The Architecture

With 1,500 years of history, you will find architectural styles to suit any taste, from gold-covered domes and soviet tower blocks. One of the best-known sites is the Kyevo-Pecherskaya Lavra, or Monastery, dating back 1,000 years and with fascinating underground catacombs.

4. Chernobyl

It is now possible to take a day trip to the city of Chernobyl, site of one of the world's worst nuclear disasters. The full-day tour includes a two-hour coach trip to the site, during which you will be shown a fascinating documentary on the incident. Visitors are able to get quite close to the site of the reactors and experience some of the sights.

5. The Mother Motherland Monument

The Mother Motherland Monument - built to commemorate the Soviet Union defeating the Nazis - at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War is quite a sight. Turn up early in the morning and get a private guide to take you to the top, where you can take in some stunning views.

What to do in Kyiv

1. st. michael's golden-domed monastery: take in the beauty.

This is a must-see for any trip to Kiev. Sitting on the bank of the Dnieper River, the historic monastery includes a large Cathedral, a refectory and a bell tower. Boasting an architectural style that won't be found anywhere in the west, the complex's cathedral and refectory display both Byzantine and Baroque influences. Walk through the interior and take in a five-tier icon screen as well as the stunning examples of medieval art. Despite the building's destruction by the Soviets, its original decorations, mosaics and frescoes have been recently restored.

2. Motherland Monument: An Awe-Inspiring Sight

"Monumental" hardly does it justice. The massive 200-foot stainless steel statue weighs 560 tons and commands an imposing vista over the city. Part of the Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II, the incredible memorial stands in tribute to over 11,500 soldiers awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title during the war - in other words, it's a history buff's dream. The statue is also incredible without taking any of that into account, as it stands over the countryside like something from a science fiction film. Visit, and you can journey up to the top of the shield and take in the cityscape from the observation deck.

3. Independence Square: The Finger on Kiev's Pulse

The largest square in the city leaves nothing to be desired. From monumental art to ceaseless activity, Independence Square is a whirlwind of energy. The calendar brings numerous festivals, parades, markets and protests to this meeting place. When you visit, be sure to notice the column topped by a statue of the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Kiev.

4. A.V. Fomin Botanical Garden: Escape From the Concrete

Renowned for its collection of succulents -- the largest in Eastern Europe -- this botanical wonder is the perfect place to relax after a few days of urban exploration. Massive in size, the park has plenty of places to picnic, rest and practice yoga. Calm and quiet walkways take visitors past over 8,000 plants, with many recognized as rare specimens. It's a popular place for locals to visit and relax in.

5. National Opera of Ukraine: Catch a Premier

If you're into incredible theater -- and incredible theaters -- this is an absolute must during your stay in Kiev. Home to the national opera, this magnificent building is known for its large size, warm acoustics and rousing performances of both classic and modern dance, theater and opera. The lavish design and opulence of the interior belie the affordability of the tickets. Even if you don't choose to stay for a show, it's well worth it to visit the building simply for its stunning architecture.

Where to Eat in Kyiv

Puzata Hata on Sahaidachnoho Street is a cafe selling traditional Ukrainian food from ₴15-30 for mains. Specials include Borscht and the local Kvas, fermented bread drink. Kureni on Parkova Doroga is a more upscale Ukrainian restaurant, with specials such as the famous Chicken Kiev. A four course meal will cost around ₴800.

When to visit Kyiv

Kiev has a humid continental climate, with damp, hot summers and cold winters. The peak tourist season is in July and August, but May, June, and September are also good months to visit the city.

How to Get to Kyiv

Kiev's main airport is Boryspil International Airport (KBP), which is 22 miles to the southeast of the city center. Most of the international flights connect to other Eastern European cities and to Turkey, but there is a direct service to New York City. The SkyBus will take you into the city from the airport, charging ₴60. You can also take the bus to the Kharkivska subway station for ₴35 and then buy a subway ticket into the city center for ₴4. This is cheaper and quicker during traffic rush hours. Taxis into the city center cost from ₴250. A second airport, Zhuliany Airport (IEV), is just five miles southwest of the city center. This is used by regional budget airlines like Wizz Air. Taxis into the city from this airport cost around ₴60 and the bus costs just ₴5.

The main train station is Kiev Passazhyrskyi, in the city center. There are services to all major Ukrainian cities and international routes to Prague, Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest, and Belgrade. A single to Prague will cost around ₴950 and domestic routes range from ₴90-120.

The main road from the west is Route 4 from Poland. Once in Ukraine, this becomes the E40 and runs all the way from Lviv to Kiev. Care is needed when driving in Ukraine, as even this main road is in a poor condition.

International buses from all over Europe arrive at Kiev Central Bus Station on Moskovska Square. Fares vary widely but a single from Prague can cost around ₴675.

Airports near Kyiv

Where to stay in kyiv.

The Podolski Hotel provides good, clean, safe budget accommodation in a central location. The Staro Hotel is a good mid-range hotel. It's a little outside the city center, but it is modern and in a quiet neighborhood. For a luxurious stay, try the Premier Palace, which has a gym, sauna, pool, and a superb central location.

Popular Neighborhoods in Kiev

Pechersk - this is a central neighborhood housing the Verkhovna Rada Parliament building and the pretty Mariinskyi Park. Pechersk is the city's central business district and is bordered by the Dnieper River. It is also home to the Pechersk Lavra monastery.

Podil - Podil is Kiev's oldest neighborhood and has some beautiful buildings and good restaurants. It's close to the major tourist attractions and has a good street market on Sagaydachnogo Street.

Shevchenko - this is a neighborhood of quiet, upscale streets and green open spaces. It is home to the National Opera of Ukraine and Taras Shevchenko University. It is also the area with most of the big, international hotels, such as InterContinental Kiev, Hilton Kyiv, Radisson Blu, Hyatt Regency, and Premier Palace.

Where to stay in popular areas of Kyiv

Most booked hotels in kyiv, how to get around kyiv, public transportation.

Kiev's public transportation system includes buses, trolley buses, and trams. The network can be crowded but it is very cheap. You buy your tickets on board and then validate them by punching them in a machine. Tickets cost ₴3. A second, and often faster and more comfortable option, is the subway. Tickets cost ₴4.

Unofficial taxis are widespread and cheap, costing around ₴55 for a city center journey and up to ₴100 to travel from one side of the city to the other. Official taxis will cost around ₴100 and ₴180 for the same journeys.

The roads within Kiev are in better condition than those outside the city, and traffic is not unusually heavy. Look out for faded road markings and traffic lights that don't always work, or are dimly lit. Car rental is available from around ₴1,600 per day, and there is a Budget outlet in town.

The Cost of Living in Kyiv

Shopping streets.

For traditional goods and souvenirs, try the market at Andrew's Descent. It's open every day but Saturdays and Sundays are best. The main shopping malls are at Ocean Plaza, which has 400 stores, a cinema, and restaurants, and Gulliver in the Downtown area, which has everything from groceries to beauty salons. Mandarin Plaza is the place for upscale fashion boutiques.

Groceries and Other

A quart of milk in Kiev will cost around ₴17, while 12 large eggs cost ₴29. Major supermarkets include Velyka Kyshenya, with branches across the city, and Billa, on Gryshko Street.