Please be at NEWARK AIRPORT at least 3 hrs prior to flight departure time. Scope representative will assist you with check-in. Your baggage must be checked to your final destination KYIV (code KBP). If you have more than one piece of checked baggage, a surcharge of $50 will be collected at airport by agency representative for porterage.

At Munich Airport you board your non-stop flight to Kyiv. Lunch on board. Expected D
arrival time at your hotel is 5:00PM. Dinner at hotel.

Morning panoramic city tour of Kyiv includes: Khreshchatyk Boulevard, Volodymyr’s Hill, Kyiv National University, the Opera House, St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral and the 11th century Golden Gate. The highlight of this tour is the St. Sophia Cathedral constructed in the 11^th c. by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Its construction reflects a strong Byzantine influence, and its interior is a unique harmonious union of mosaics and fresco paintings. Directly opposite St. Sofia (about 500 m.) you will visit the newly (1999) reconstructed St. Michael’s Sobor. Afterwards we leave you in the Uzviz artisan section for an afternoon of shopping in an open air bazaar of more than 100 kiosks. Lunch under own arrangements in one of the new restaurants of Uzviz. Dinner at hotel.

Kyiv – Independence Day Celebrations

Details of Independence Day Festivities and the sightseeing program for the Kyiv stay will be advised at a later date: parades, concerts and fireworks.

We continue our sightseeing of Kyiv with a tour of Pecherska Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), an active monastery founded in the 11th c. and center of Christianity for Kyivan-Rus. Its complex of churches reflects a unique Ukrainian baroque style which is only surpassed by the beauty of the newly reconstructed Uspenskyj Cathedral (1998), destroyed by Soviet mines in 1941. The labyrinths of the “near” and “far” caves hold over 115 burial niches containing remains of St. Antoniy, Nestor the Chronicler, and many religious and political leaders. World-renowned Scythian Gold treasures are exhibited within its walls.
Tour ends in Kyiv’s city center. Afternoon is free to discover Kyiv on your own. Visit one of the many cafes or just enjoy an afternoon stroll through Kyiv - its promenades, Majdan, where the Orange Revolution took place, and its new underground shopping malls – all a few blocks from your hotel.

Tonight, a short Dnipro River cruise and a gala dinner in an authentic Ukrainian restaurant.

Optional Excursions for Kyiv: Chernobyl Museum, National Art Gallery, Babyn Yar Excursion,Theater/Philharmonic Hall or Opera (if in season)

Situated in the Western part of Ukraine, L’viv, the “City of Lions”, is its heart and soul. Founded in the 13^th c. by King Danylo Halytckyj, it was named in honor of his son Lev (Leo). Through centuries of Polish, Austrian, and Soviet occupation, L’viv was the gateway to “the East”, but with independence in 1991, L’viv is finally free to develop its own Ukrainian identity. An afternoon city center walking tour will be your first introduction to this architectural gem of Galicia. Evening and dinner under own arrangements.

Optional: Philharmonic Hall or Opera Theater Performance (pending availability).

Today we join our touring coach and head to the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, to Kosiv. From L’viv, through Rohatyn's newly reconstructed city center, we view the lovely new statue of Roxolana, then continue to Ivano- Frankivsk, the capital of the Ivano- Frankivsk oblast, for lunch. Take time to walk through this lovely Subcarpathia city, before we continue to Kolomyja to visit two famous museums of Hutsul Wood Carving and Pysanka Museum. We arrive in Kosiv for dinner and overnight.

PROGRAM TO BE ADVISED

Details of program, concerts will be distributed upon arrival in Kosiv.

The Carpathian mountain region of Western Ukraine is both a natural and cultural gem of Eastern Europe. Bordered by Romania to the south, Hungary to the west, Poland to the north and cut off from the rest of Ukraine to the east by the Hutsul Alps, the Ukrainian inhabitants of these majestic highlands have developed their own unique culture and traditions. Consisting of both steep, rocky mountain peeks and gently rolling mountain meadows, it is the home of the archetypal Ukrainian shepherd. The Hutsul people are deeply tied to nature and vested in her preservation and appreciation. This is most evident in their annual celebrations and festivals, reflecting their love of folklore and their wonder about the surrounding mountains, the crystal clear rivers and the rolling green hills. This year the Hutsul Festival is in VYZHNYTSIA and will bring together some of the finest dancers, entertainers and craftmakers from this region. You will be dazzled by the bright and lively colors of the native costumes and the intricacy of handicrafts and woodwork. You’ll witness the Dribushka, a unique style of dancing based on quick and energetic steps. You’ll hear musicians play Trojiska Muzika, using both the Sopilka, a traditional wooden flute, and the Duda, a bagpipe made from goat skin. It's no wonder that Hutsul folk melodies, rhythms and dance moves have influenced world-renown Ukrainian artists like pop star Ruslana Lyzhichko and filmmaker Myroslaw Skoryk.

We rejoin our bus for our return to L’viv, arriving for lunch at the hotel. The afternoon is free to rest and say goodbye to your family and friends. Tonight is our farewell gala folkloric dinner.

Early AM transfer takes us to L’viv airport for our flight to Frankfurt with connecting flight to Newark.