SPRING in UKRAINE + EASTER IN LVIV 

April 23 – May 4, 2021

12 Days
All Inclusive
Escorted Tour

 This tour can be combined
with
Amsterdam Tulip Festival
In Holland

Tour Land cost:         $2450 Land rate per person double occupancy
Single supplement:   $500
Gratuities:                  $120
Arriving:                     Kyiv
Departing:                  Lviv

FLIGHTS: We will assist you in obtaining your international flights from your gateway city in USA or Canada.

HOTELS: Kyiv: Ukraina Hotel****, Kamianets Podilsky: Reikartz Hotel****, Lviv: Astoria Hotel****

SIGHTSEEING: As per itinerary including all entrance fees. No extra charges.

ESCORT: A professional, English-Ukrainian speaking tour manager for entire tour. For tours of ten or less, local guides in Kyiv, Kamianets Podilsky and Lviv.

MEALS: As indicated on itinerary.  Special: Sviachene Easter breakfast and Farewell Gala in Lviv.

SIDE TRIPS: If you wish to visit surrounding areas of Lviv  on one or two day excursions, this may be arranged at additional cost.  Advanced confirmation is recommended.  Chauffeured cars are available for about $150-$200 per day, and a guide-interpreter is about $15 an hour.  No refund will be forthcoming for unused group services. 

TOUR DOCUMENTS: USA and Canadian citizens DO NOT require visas for Ukraine. Persons holding other documents, please check with Scope Travel consultant.

Please be at your gateway AIRPORT at least 3 hrs prior to flight departure time.  Your baggage must be checked to your final destination KYIV (code KBP).  One piece of checked baggage at 50 lbs is pemitted.

Upon arrival in Kyiv, you will be met and transferred to group hotel.

In the evening, we proceed to the Memorials on MAIDAN to pay our respects and lay flowers in memory of the Nebesna Sotnia and other heroes of the MAIDAN.   Welcome cocktail and dinner at hotel.

Morning transfer to the new Ukrainian Patriarchal  Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. Afterwards, we begin our sightseeing of Kyiv with a city tour which includes: Khreshchatyk Boulevard, Volodymyr’s Hill, Kyiv National University, the Opera House, St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral and the 11^th century Golden Gate.  The highlight of this tour is St. Sophia Cathedral, constructed in the 11^th c. by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The 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 Andrijivskyj Uzviz artisan section for an afternoon of shopping in an open air bazaar of more than 100 kiosks.    Dinner under own arrangements. 

In the morning  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 nearby Hanchar Museum and a late lunch. Afternoon express train to Kamianets Podilsky .

This “museum city” is renowned for its diverse historic architecture, but the real “wow” is the immense canyon that completely encircles the old city.  The rocky island is high and inaccessible, except for one very small road leading to the site of Podilia’s largest medieval fortress. .  The castle was built in the 11th c., but most of what we will see was added between the 14c and the 18c.

This tour concludes with a walking tour of the Kamianets Podilsky Castle. Dinner at hotel.  Evening free.

Today we drive to Lviv.  Enroute we will  visit  Zarvanytsia, followed by lunch prepared by the sisters.  Zarvanytsia is considered the “Lourdes of Western Ukraine.” It houses a miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin with Christ Child, a spring of healing water, and an active monastery and church.  Late arrival in Lviv.  Dinner at hotel.

A special  briefing will be held after dinner to advise you of all Easter services, festivities and concerts in Lviv during this final Lenten week and the post Easter celebrations.

Situated in the western part of Ukraine, Lviv, 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, Lviv was the gateway to “the East”, but with independence in 1991, Lviv is finally free to develop its own Ukrainian identity

Highlights of today’s morning city center walking tour are  Rynok, the 15-16^th c. city square, the Dominican Church, Armenian Church Complex, the Chapel of the Bojim Family, the Armenian Quarters and the Opera House. Remainder of the day under own arrangements.

Half day excursion to Uhniv Monastery.  After lunch, we continue on an afternoon bus tour of Lviv:  Lviv University, St. George’s Cathedral, the stronghold of Western Ukraine’s Catholic Church and the new Sheptytskyj monument.  Our final stop is Lychakiv Cemetery to view graves of Ivan Franko, Solomija Krushelnytcka, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Oleksander Tysovsky and many others.

Remainder of the day under own arrangements.

After breakfast today, we will continue with our bus tour of Lviv and visit Vysoky Zamok, then proceed to Shevchenko Haj  (Skansen of a Carpathian village).  This tour will end at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Traditional blessing of Easter baskets.  Afternoon/evening free.

Note:  Easter Resurection Liturgies begin at MIDNIGHT Sat May 1^st

Attend Liturgy in Church of your choice.  Easter Breakfast Sviatchene at your hotel.

Join the festivities of “Oblyvanyj Ponedilok” in Lviv.    Farewell Dinner tonight!

Breakfast at hotel.  Transfer to airport.

Easter Week festivities details will be distributed to you upon arrival.

Easter is a family holiday in Ukraine, and Lviv is the best place to feel this atmosphere. It is here that the family spirit is present on every square and street where traditional Easter folklore celebrations, fairs, concerts and theater performances take place. Famous Ukrainian Easter eggs, embroidery, ceramics, decorations, woodcarvings attract guests to the Easter Markets.

Pysanka (Easter eggs) Festival in Lviv will fill the city with the spirit of Easter. This family event will glorify the millennia-old tradition of observing the holiest holiday in the Christian world.

The main purpose of the festival is to promote Easter traditions and to decorate Lviv with the inherent symbol of Easter – eggs. During this period, Lviv will turn into an “Open Air Museum of Eggs,” where Easter eggs will be created and decorated with different materials.

“Easter in a Grove”      Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life annually hosts the ethnographic festival “Easter in a Grove.”  Lviv citizens and visitors can learn about the spring time traditions of our region and participate in the Easter celebrations.

Festival visitors will observe master classes in pysanka making. Both children and adults will  engage in traditional Easter games. Among them – ‘Kryvyi Tanets’ (continuous dance), takes place on the central lawn of the museum.  Throughout the day, on the main stage, you will hear spring songs and hayivky (special songs, which people sing only during Easter). Guests will enjoy performances of singers and folk and dance groups.

The ‘Easter Fair’ takes place on Svoboda Avenue (central avenue) and has become a tradition during the holidays in Lviv – over 80 kiosks!  Residents and visitors of the city will be able to buy various items – handmade souvenirs, embroidered shirts, Easter gifts, honey and wax products, household-decorative items. Organizers serve traditional Easter delicacies that will satisfy all!

LVIV ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL TOURS:

Skansen- open air museum Shevchenko Haj + Lychakiv Cemetery (3 hours) Price: $45 per person (4 hrs – minimum 6 persons)

The open air Museum of Folk Architecture deserves special attention. The exhibit includes wooden structures from the 18th –20th cent., grouped into villages surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes. The Lychakiv Cemetery is known for its beautiful and unique tombstone sculptures. Ivan Franko, Solomia Krushelnytska, Filaret and Mykola Kolessa, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Volodymyr Tysovsky and other notables are buried there.

Metropolytan Andrej Sheptytsky Museum + Ethnographic Museum (2 hrs) Price: $20 per person (entrance fees included, minimum 3 persons) The National Museum has the largest icon-paintings collection in Ukraine. The Ethnographic Museum displays the rich folk heritage of Western Ukraine.

Zhovkva City Tour + Krekhiv Monastery incl lunch (6 hs minimum 6 persons) Price: $70 per person After Lviv, Zhovkva has the largest number of architectural monuments in the region. Highlights include the ancient Castle of the 17th –18th cent., the Market Square, the Roman Catholic Parish Church of 17^th c. (Renaissance), Basilian Monastery, Church of the Nativity and the 17th century Synagogue. Krekhiv, village in the Zhovkva district, 40 km from Lviv, was first mentioned in historical sources dating to 1456. It is best known for the 17th -18th cent. Basilian Monastery. Many structures have been preserved: St. Nicholas Church, Holy Trinity Church, bell tower, walls and gates. Restored in 1991, the monastery has a beautiful linden tree alley from the 17th century.

Pochaiv Monastery + Olesko Castle + incl lunch (10 hours) Price: $95 per person (entrance fees included) (minimum 6 persons) After Kyiv’s Cave Monastery (Pecherska Lavra), Pochaiv is the second largest Orthodox shrine in our country. It is located in the Ternopil region, 140km northeast of Lviv. According to legend, it was founded by Kyiv monks fleeing the Tatar invasion of 1240. The Monastery itself was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1527. The central church of the Monastery complex is the Dormition Cathedral (1771-1783). The Pochaivska Lavra is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage sites in Ukraine. Among its many relics are the footprint of the Mother of God in a rock, spring with healing water and the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin. The Olesko Castle, located 70km west of Lviv, is a historical architectural structure dating from the 13th -18th cent. Bohdan Khmelnytsky spent his youngest years at the castle. After the 1975 restoration, a museum was established and the Castle now serves as an exhibition site for the Lviv Gallery of Arts. It features five hundred paintings, sculptures and works of applied art from the 10th -18th cent.

Rates are subject to minor changes, pending number of participants on tour and US $ fluctuation.

EASTER IN LVIV
April 26 – May 4 2021

9 Day
All Inclusive
Escorted Tour

This tour can be combined
with
Spring in Ukraine
and
Amsterdam Tulip Festival 
In Holland

Tour Land cost:         $1490 Land rate per person double occupancy
Single supplement:   $350
Gratuities:                  $100
Arriving:                     Lviv
Departing:                  Lviv

FLIGHTS: We will assist you in obtaining your international flights from your gateway city in USA or Canada.

HOTEL: Lviv: Astoria Hotel****

SIGHTSEEING: As per itinerary including all entrance fees. No extra charges.

ESCORT: A professional, English-Ukrainian speaking tour manager for entire Lviv stay.

MEALS: As indicated on itinerary. Breakfast daily, including arrival dinner, Sviachene Easter breakfast and Farewell Gala in Lviv.

SIDE TRIPS: If you wish to visit surrounding areas of Lviv on one or two day excursions, this may be arranged at additional cost. Advanced confirmation is recommended. Chauffeured cars are available for about $150-$200 per day, and a guide-interpreter is about $15 an hour. No refund will be forthcoming for unused group services.

TOUR DOCUMENTS: USA and Canadian citizens DO NOT require visas for Ukraine. Persons holding other documents, please check with Scope Travel consultant.

Please be at your gateway AIRPORT at least 3 hrs prior to flight departure time. Your baggage must be checked to your final destination. One piece off checked baggage is permitted in economy class at 20kg/ 44lbs.

Situated in the western part of Ukraine, Lviv, 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, Lviv was the gateway to “the East”, but with independence in 1991, Lviv is finally free to develop its own Ukrainian identity.

Upon arrival in Lviv, you will be met by your local tour director and transferred by bus or van to Astoria Hotel. Remainder of afternoon free. Welcome cocktail and dinner at hotel. A special

briefing will be held after dinner to advise you of all Easter services, festivities and concerts in Lviv during this final Lenten week and the post Easter celebrations.

Highlights of today’s morning city center walking tour are Rynok, the 15-16^th c. city square, the Dominican Church, Armenian Church Complex, the Chapel of the Bojim Family, the Armenian Quarters and the Opera House. Remainder of the day under own arrangements.

Half day excursion to Uhniv Monastery. After lunch, we continue on an afternoon bus tour of Lviv: Lviv University, St. George’s Cathedral, the stronghold of Western Ukraine’s Catholic Church and the new Sheptytskyj monument. Our final stop is Lychakiv Cemetery to view graves of Ivan Franko, Solomija Krushelnytcka, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Oleksander Tysovsky and many others.

Remainder of the day under own arrangements.

After breakfast there will be an optional excursion via public transportation “Lviv trolley” to the memorial museum “Prison on Lontskoho Street” – the first museum prison in Ukraine dedicated to the memory of those who suffered at the hands of Ukraine’s occupiers. From 1939-1941, thousands of political prisoners were brutally tortured and executed by Soviet authorities. The prison was in use till 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. Many well-known Ukrainians were imprisoned here for their anti-Soviet activities.

After breakfast today, we will continue with our bus tour of Lviv and visit Vysoky Zamok, then proceed to Shevchenko Haj (Skansen of a Carpathian village). This tour will end at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Traditional blessing of Easter baskets. Afternoon/evening free.

Note: Easter Resurection Liturgies begin at MIDNIGHT Sat May 1^st.

Attend Liturgy in Church of your choice. Easter Breakfast Sviatchene at your hotel.

Join the festivities of “Oblyvanyj Ponedilok” in Lviv. Farewell Dinner tonight!

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to airport.

Easter Week festivities details will be distributed to you upon arrival.

Easter is a family holiday in Ukraine, and Lviv is the best place to feel this atmosphere. It is here that the family spirit is present on every square and street where traditional Easter folklore celebrations, fairs, concerts and theater performances take place. Famous Ukrainian Easter eggs, embroidery, ceramics, decorations, woodcarvings attract guests to the Easter Markets.

Pysanka (Easter eggs) Festival in Lviv will fill the city with the spirit of Easter. This family event will glorify the millennia-old tradition of observing the holiest holiday in the Christian world.

The main purpose of the festival is to promote Easter traditions and to decorate Lviv with the inherent symbol of Easter – eggs. During this period, Lviv will turn into an “Open Air Museum of Eggs,” where Easter eggs will be created and decorated with different materials.

“Easter in a Grove” Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life annually hosts the ethnographic festival “Easter in a Grove.” Lviv citizens and visitors can learn about the spring time traditions of our region and participate in the Easter celebrations.

Festival visitors will observe master classes in pysanka making. Both children and adults will engage in traditional Easter games. Among them – ‘Kryvyi Tanets’ (continuous dance), takes place on the central lawn of the museum. Throughout the day, on the main stage, you will hear spring songs and hayivky (special songs, which people sing only during Easter). Guests will enjoy performances of singers and folk and dance groups.

The ‘Easter Fair’ takes place on Svoboda Avenue (central avenue) and has become a tradition during the holidays in Lviv – over 80 kiosks! Residents and visitors of the city will be able to buy various items – handmade souvenirs, embroidered shirts, Easter gifts, honey and wax products, household-decorative items. Organizers serve traditional Easter delicacies that will satisfy all!

LVIV ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL TOURS:

Skansen- open air museum Shevchenko Haj + Lychakiv Cemetery (3 hours) Price: $45 per person (4 hrs – minimum 6 persons)

The open air Museum of Folk Architecture deserves special attention. The exhibit includes wooden structures from the 18th –20th cent., grouped into villages surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes. The Lychakiv Cemetery is known for its beautiful and unique tombstone sculptures. Ivan Franko, Solomia Krushelnytska, Filaret and Mykola Kolessa, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Volodymyr Tysovsky and other notables are buried there.

Metropolytan Andrej Sheptytsky Museum + Ethnographic Museum (2 hrs) Price: $20 per person (entrance fees included, minimum 3 persons) The National Museum has the largest icon-paintings collection in Ukraine. The Ethnographic Museum displays the rich folk heritage of Western Ukraine.

Zhovkva City Tour + Krekhiv Monastery incl lunch (6 hs minimum 6 persons) Price: $70 per person After Lviv, Zhovkva has the largest number of architectural monuments in the region. Highlights include the ancient Castle of the 17th –18th cent., the Market Square, the Roman Catholic Parish Church of 17^th c. (Renaissance), Basilian Monastery, Church of the Nativity and the 17th century Synagogue. Krekhiv, village in the Zhovkva district, 40 km from Lviv, was first mentioned in historical sources dating to 1456. It is best known for the 17th -18th cent. Basilian Monastery. Many structures have been preserved: St. Nicholas Church, Holy Trinity Church, bell tower, walls and gates. Restored in 1991, the monastery has a beautiful linden tree alley from the 17th century.

Pochaiv Monastery + Olesko Castle + incl lunch (10 hours) Price: $95 per person (entrance fees included) (minimum 6 persons) After Kyiv’s Cave Monastery (Pecherska Lavra), Pochaiv is the second largest Orthodox shrine in our country. It is located in the Ternopil region, 140km northeast of Lviv. According to legend, it was founded by Kyiv monks fleeing the Tatar invasion of 1240. The Monastery itself was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1527. The central church of the Monastery complex is the Dormition Cathedral (1771-1783). The Pochaivska Lavra is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage sites in Ukraine. Among its many relics are the footprint of the Mother of God in a rock, spring with healing water and the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin. The Olesko Castle, located 70km west of Lviv, is a historical architectural structure dating from the 13th -18th cent. Bohdan Khmelnytsky spent his youngest years at the castle. After the 1975 restoration, a museum was established and the Castle now serves as an exhibition site for the Lviv Gallery of Arts. It features five hundred paintings, sculptures and works of applied art from the 10th -18th cent.

Rates are subject to minor changes, pending number of participants on tour and US $ fluctuation.

 TULIP FESTIVAL

Amsterdam-Holland
May 03 – 10, 2021

8 Day
All Inclusive
Escorted Tour
Tour Host: Marijka Helbig

✓ Van Gogh Museum
✓ Amsterdam city tour
✓ Rijksmuseum
✓ Gouda cheese market
✓ Hague
✓ Aalsmeer Auction Center
✓ Keukenhof Gardens
✓ Windmill cruise on Zaan river
✓ Dutch countryside tour
✓ Canal Cruise

Tour Land cost:         $2990 Land rate per person double occupancy
Single supplement:   $850
Gratuities:                  $150
Arriving:                     Amsterdam
Departing:                  Amsterdam

FLIGHTS: We will assist you in obtaining your international flights from your gateway city in USA or Canada. 

INTER-CITY SIGHTSEEING TRANSPORTATION:  AC deluxe coach.

HOTEL: AMSTERDAM HOTEL POSTANA *****   Located in the hippies part of town “De Pijp” on banks of the Amstel River. This elegant hotel with spa and indoor pool is within walking distance to local eateries, pubs, cafes and sidewalk terraces.

SIGHTSEEING: As per itinerary including all entrance fees.  No extra charges. 

ESCORT:   Tour director from USA throughout itinerary.  Local guide for entire stay 

MEALS:  As indicated on itinerary.  6 Breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 Dinner plus Gala Farewell

TOUR DOCUMENTS:   USA and Canadian citizens do not require a visa for entry to Holland.

Scope will require a copy of your passport to issue airline tickets and pre-register you at hotel

This tour may be combined with Easter in Lviv April 27 – May 4, 2021.
Call Scope Travel for more information.

Welcome to Holland!  Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital. The city is known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, which speaks of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age legacy. The Museum District houses two of the most famous museums, the Van Gogh Museum and works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum Museum.

Proceed under own arrangements (by taxi or shuttle) to your group hotel in city center, about a 30 min drive from the airport.   Since most international flights arrive in Amsterdam between 6 and 8 AM, we have prepaid early arrival at your hotel.  Proceed to check in and rest.

Your tour manager will meet  you in hotel lobby about 11:00AM for a walking tour and lunch in the Jordaan area.   Afternoon tour to Rijksmuseum, national museum of Holland dedicated to art and history.   Dinner under own arrangements.

Breakfast at hotel.  Today we continue with your walking tour, which includes a visit to the van Gogh Museum. Lunch  under own arrangements.  Afternoon free for shopping.    Dinner at Restaurant Humphreys.

Breakfast at the hotel.   We begin today with a walking tour with our local guide and end at the famous Gouda cheese market. Gouda is a

mild-flavored, yellow cow’s milk cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar cheeses produced in the traditional Dutch manner

 Here you will see the farmers sell their cheese.  Its really a unique experience.  On the Market Square we visit the Weight Museum and we will have a  Gouda cheese tasting.  This tour concludes with a visit to the best syrup waffle bakery in the world.

After our Gouda tour, we drive approximately 30 min to the city center of Hague where we start with a guided bus tour.  Lunch will be served in city center, nearby the Dutch parliament.  In the afternoon, the group will visit Museum Het Mauritshuis, a Government collection of 841 objects d’art with works by Rembrandt, Vermeer & Holbein the Younger.

After a very early breakfast at hotel, we depart for the flower auction in Aalsmeer.  Aalsmeer Flower Auction  is the largest flower auction in the world. The Auction building is the fourth largest building by footprint in the world, covering 518,000 square metres. 

You will have a special guide, who will explain and show us how these beautiful flowers are packed and shipped to all parts of the world.  We will visit the Flower auction.  We rejoin our bus for the trip  to Keukenhof. Park, also known as the Garden of Europe. Situated in the town of Lisse, it houses one of the world’s largest flower gardens. It covers an area of 32 hectares and approximately 7 million flower bulbs are planted in the gardens annually.

 Several stops will be made enroute to show you the actual famous bulb fields.  This most colorful tour ends with  Lunch in an apple orchard with 65000 apple trees. Return to hotel.  Evening and dinner under own arrangements.

Today a tour to explore the Dutch countryside.  After breakfast at hotel, we proceed to see the “authentic Holland” with windmills, cheese and historic green wooden houses.  We will roam through many historic fisherman’s villages, like Volendam or Edam.  This tour will include a luxury brunch at the Zaan River, visit a cheese farm, visit clog maker, visit windmill and cruise the Zaan River.  Visit and high tea at the Mayors Mansion.  Return to Amsterdam about 5PM.  Dinner under own arrangements

Breakfast at hotel.  We proceed for Mass to the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Amsterdam,  (Details TBA).  Afternoon free for final shopping.  Evening Canal Cruise and Farewell Gala dinner on board.

Breakfast. Own transfer to Airport for departure flight.

Rates are subject to minor changes, pending number of participants on tour and US $ fluctuation.