Covid-19 has introduced certain restrictions on Ukrainians’ mobility, so celebrating the New Year at traditional ski resorts in France, Italy, or Austria will not work. Should you despair? No, because there are plenty of amazing and fabulously beautiful places in our country where you can celebrate the New Year in Ukraine joyfully and on a grand scale.
For family trips, a personal car is needed. If you don’t have one, consider renting a car. Traveling by car is safer during the pandemic, since there is no need to contact strangers. In addition, the driver can independently control all safety measures: change the cabin filter, ventilate the interior, and disinfect surfaces. Family members can also ride in the same car without masks, which is much more convenient than using public transport or taxis.
Where to go by car in Kyiv and Kyiv region for the New Year holidays?
To make the New Year holidays fun and engaging even during quarantine, organizers of festivals and celebrations in Kyiv have developed a special route that helps avoid large crowds. In addition, road sections may be open to drivers, which is important on holidays.
The New Year tour around Kyiv consists of 7 main locations with a total length of about 8 km round trip. We recommend visiting in 2021:
- Sofiiska Square, where the country’s main Christmas tree is installed. There will also be entertainment areas and photo spots. Food and drinks are available outdoors for takeaway.
- Kontraktova Square, decorated with festive installations. Here you can traditionally ride the Ferris wheel and try mulled wine and food (takeaway).
- Arch of Friendship of Peoples, where an ice rink and a sledding hill are installed. Warming drinks and food are also available.
- VDNH, where the “Winter Country” is located with many photo and entertainment spots adapted to quarantine conditions (outdoors) — an ice rink, ice slides, food court, etc.
- Palace “Ukraina” invites you to the “Winter Entertainment Town,” which hosts the residence of St. Nicholas. A holiday fair will take place on the territory where you can buy souvenirs and treats.
- Park “Kyivan Rus” (toward Obukhiv) immerses you in the atmosphere of ancient Kyiv. What to expect: masquerade, medieval music, horseback riding, drinks and food by the fire, fire show, and more.
- Ukrainian Village (toward Zhytomyr) invites you to a winter fairy tale — an ethno party with original New Year photo zones, contests, dances, and of course delicious traditional cuisine and drinks.
- “Dzhyntama-Bryz” (toward Dymer) is a hotel and entertainment complex inviting you to spend the holidays on the shore of the Kyiv Sea. Visitors will enjoy a festive feast, music, and children’s animation.
- “Avantiuryst” (toward Chernihiv) is a country club located on a peninsula of the Desna River. The festive program includes a musical and spectacular show with fireworks, photo zones, and games with surprises for guests.
Where to go for New Year 2021 in Ukraine?
Although many of us are used to celebrating the winter holidays abroad, few know that a New Year vacation in Ukraine can be just as rich and memorable as abroad. We want to introduce you to the top 3 places in Ukraine where you can spend an unforgettable New Year holiday:
- The Carpathians — the “Ukrainian Alps.” It is hard to imagine a more suitable place to meet the New Year than the snow-covered Carpathians. Guests can stay in Bukovel or the village of Yaremche, which are the most popular among domestic travelers and visitors. You will find the beauty of wild nature with many unforgettable activities: saunas and salt rooms, horseback riding, quad biking, dog sledding, and of course skiing and cable car rides. Delicious traditional cuisine and authentic ethnic venues will enhance any family vacation.
- Transcarpathia (Zakarpattia) invites you to visit the Carpathian National Nature Park, Lake Synevyr, and the highest point of the country — Mount Hoverla. Here you can fully immerse yourself in Hungarian-flavored traditions and customs, take part in folk festivities and fairs, go skiing and sledding, visit a bathhouse, and bathe in a thermal spring. The entertainment program suits the whole family and will leave no one indifferent.
- Lviv is rightly called the “Ukrainian Europe,” because each street resembles the alleys and lanes of Italy or France. For many, there is no question where to celebrate New Year 2021 in Ukraine, as a trip to Lviv has already become a good old tradition. Expect fairs with Carpathian souvenirs and national clothing, traditional cuisine with contests and gifts, and festivals with the best entertainment — sledding, caroling, and nativity performances.
Where to go for Christmas 2021 by car?
You can spend an unforgettable Christmas Eve in authentic Ukrainian traditions not only at home. The best solution is to go on an exciting trip to the distinctive places of our country. With your own or a rented car, you only need to plan the route. Where to go for Christmas in Ukraine? There are many options: Western Ukraine (for example, Lviv and Transcarpathia) or visiting the capital and its suburbs.
There’s no need to hesitate if you have a car: you can greet each new day in a different city. To have this opportunity and start planning where to go for Christmas, rent a car of a suitable class and brand. There are no limits on the rental period: a couple of days, a month, three months, half a year, or more. To relax during the winter holidays, a couple of weeks to a month is quite enough. We’ll describe the rental terms below.
The best New Year tours in Ukraine for a car trip
You can use a travel agency and choose a ready-made tour in Ukraine or plan it yourself. Among ready solutions, pay special attention to those that include visiting mountain areas and old Ukrainian settlements that will give you a fairy tale and immerse you in the magic of Christmas.
Where can you go for New Year in Ukraine on a budget? The capital offers many locations with food courts and mulled wine, photo zones and New Year decorations, entertainment programs and raffles. To get plenty of impressions and spend the holidays diversely, you don’t need to visit many different towns.
At the same time, to have a great and economical vacation, you can go to Bukovel for a few days or stroll around Lviv. The only important point: due to the spread of coronavirus, when traveling, try to avoid public transport and taxis. The most rational and safe option is to rent a car. The minimum rental period is 48 hours.
Here are some ideas for where to go in Ukraine in winter:
- Kyiv and Kyiv region;
- The Carpathians and Transcarpathia;
- Lviv;
- Kamenets-Podilskyi;
- Truskavets;
- Ternopil, etc.
Car rental terms for the New Year holidays
To rent a car, you must meet the rental conditions. The renter must be at least 21 years old with at least 2 years of valid driving experience. When signing the Agreement, the renter must present:
- passport of a citizen of Ukraine or a residence permit;
- international passport (for foreign citizens);
- driver’s license of the state standard or valid in Ukraine;
- tax ID (for citizens of Ukraine).
- temporarily occupied territories (AR Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk regions);
- territories that are Covid-19 hotspots.
- depends on the selected make and model of the car;
- is paid upon signing the Agreement for the entire rental period;
- can be paid by any convenient method: bank transfer to a sole proprietor account, card transfer, or cash.
- Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00
- Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00