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 Frankfurt Airport you board your non-stop flight to Kyiv.  Lunch on board.  Expected arrival at your hotel is 4-5:00PM.  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 St. Sophia Cathedral constructed in the 11th 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.

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. 

A short stop at Hanchar Museum before the 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)

An early AM flight will take us to Lviv.   

Situated in the western part of Ukraine, Lviv, the “City of Lions”, is its heart and soul. Founded in the 13th c. by King Danylo Halytckyj, it was named in honor of his son Lev (Leo).  Through centuries of Polish, Austrian and Soviet occupation, Lviv was the gateway to “the East”, but with independence in 1991, Lviv is finally free to develop its own Ukrainian identity.

Directly from the Airport, we proceed on our first tour to Shevchenko Haj, an open air museum with an active Bojko Church and replicas of Western Ukraine’s Lemko and Bojko villages dating back to the 18th c.  This “village” is a popular Sunday outing for Lviv residents.  We continue to Lychakiv Cemetery to view graves of Ivan Franko, Solomija Krushelnytcka, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Oleksander Tysovsky and many others.  We will have lunch in a local restaurant, then  proceed to check-in at hotel.  Remainder of the day free.

Highlights of today’s morning city  tour are  Rynok, the 15-16th c. city square, the Dominican Church, Armenian Church Complex, the Chapel of the Bojim Family, the Armenian Quarters, the Opera House and Lviv University.  St. George’s Cathedral, the stronghold of Western Ukraine’s Catholic Church, is our final stop before lunch in a local café.
Evening and dinner under own arrangements.
Optional: Philharmonic Hall or Opera Theater Performance (pending availability)

The entire day is free for own exploration of Lviv. Optional tours are available to nearby  Krekhiv and Zhovkva.  Within Lviv, optional excursions can be arranged to Armenian Architectural Complex or the National Museum.

Evening Gala Farewell Dinner at a specialty restaurant.