Kiev Private Tour: St. Sophia, Lavra & St. Andrew's Descent

Walk through three centuries of Kiev's architecture and faith in a single day.

A 6-hour private guided tour of Kiev starting at 10am from your hotel, covering the city's major landmarks including St. Sophia Cathedral, St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Independence Square, and Kiev Pechersk Lavra Monastery with its Near and Far caves. The tour includes 3 hours of private transport by car, minivan or minibus, walking sections, and a stop at Arsenalna, the world's deepest metro station. Entrance fees to the Lavra and St. Sophia's Cathedral are optional and paid separately. A guide fluent in English, Spanish, German or Ukrainian leads the group throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Independence Square10m
2. St. Sophia Cathedral30m
3. St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery10m
4. National Philharmonic of Ukrainepass by
5. Kiev Pechersk Lavra2h

Kyiv city and monastery sightseeing

• Meet guide at hotel lobby
• 3-hour city tour by private transport
• Visit St. Andrew's Church hill
• Walk Museum of World War II area
• Optional lunch at Ukrainian restaurant
• Tour Kiev Pechersk Lavra Monastery and caves
• Visit Arsenalna Metro station
• Tour ends, return to hotel or downtown

The experience

The tour starts at 10am from your hotel lobby with a 3-hour private transport section through Kiev's central districts. You'll pass the Golden Gate, Vladimirskiy Cathedral, St. Michael's Square and its Golden-Domed Monastery, the Foundation Monument to Bohdan Khmelnytskiy, the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, the red building of the National Taras Shevchenko University, Bessarabskiy Market, the House of Chimeras, Independence Square, and Mariinskiy Park. The guide points out the city's layout and history as you move between stops.

At 1pm you reach St. Andrew's Descent, the hill where St. Andrew's Church stands overlooking the old town. From there the tour moves to the Pechersk district and the Museum of World War II. If you want lunch, the guide can direct you to a Ukrainian restaurant or cafe between noon and 4pm (lunch costs roughly $8 per person and is your own expense). The walking sections use public buses and metro lines to connect the sightseeing sites, so you'll move through the city as locals do.

The final section covers Kiev Pechersk Lavra Monastery, a 28-hectare complex that became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990. You'll walk through the Near and Far caves and see the monastery's galleries and constructions. Optional museums on the grounds (the Historic Treasures of Ukraine and the Museum of Miniatures) are available if you choose to enter (entrance fees apply separately). The tour ends with a visit to Arsenalna metro station, 105.5 meters underground, the deepest in the world. From there you return to your hotel by metro, taxi or bus, with the guide's help.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• private guide in English, Spanish, German or Ukrainian.
• 3 hours of private transport by car, minivan or minibus (depending on your chosen option).
• walking access to St. Sophia Cathedral, St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Independence Square, St. Andrew's Descent, Kiev Pechersk Lavra Monastery with its Near and Far caves, and Arsenalna metro station.

Options for this experience

6 options

6-hour walking tour for 1 to 3 peopleUp to 3 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 10:006-hour private tour for up to 3 people, guide included, with pickup

6-hour walking tour for 4 to 6 peopleUp to 6 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 10:006-hour private tour for up to 6 people, guide included, with pickup

6-hour tour by car and on footUp to 3 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 10:006-hour private tour for up to 3 people, including the 6-hour guide and 3-hour car transportation, pickup included

See 3 more options

6-hour walking tour for 7 to 15 peopleUp to 15 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 10:006-hour private tour for up to 15 people, guide included, with pickup

6-hour tour by minivan and on footUp to 6 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 10:006-hour private tour for up to 6 people, including the 6-hour guide and 3-hour minivan transportation, pickup included

6-hour tour by minibus and on footUp to 15 per booking · Guide in 4 languages · 10:006-hour private tour for up to 15 people, including the 6-hour guide and 3-hour minibus transportation, pickup included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to2d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, German and Ukrainian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by ARGOTOUR

Is this one for you?Book the car option to visit all three sites in one day without backtracking across the city. Choose the walking tour if you prefer to explore neighborhoods on foot and have more time to spend.

Traveler reviews

4.79★★★★★★★★★★

38 verified traveler reviews

5 ★35

4 ★0

3 ★2

2 ★0

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, German and Ukrainian.

What's included in the price of this Kiev tour?

Hotel pickup, a private guide in your chosen language, 3 hours of transport by private car, minivan or minibus, and access to all the sightseeing sites listed on the itinerary are included. Entrance fees to Kiev Pechersk Lavra Monastery and St. Sophia's Cathedral are optional and cost roughly $3 per person each. You pay these separately on the day.

Can I choose between a car, minivan or minibus for the transport part?

Yes. The tour offers six options at checkout: a walking-only tour for 1–3 people, 4–6 people, or 7–15 people; or a tour combining transport by car, minivan or minibus with walking sections. Pick the vehicle size and group configuration that suits your party.

What time does the tour start and end?

The tour starts at 10am from your hotel and runs until 4pm, a total of 6 hours. The guide meets you at your hotel lobby area on the reception level.

Is lunch included, and when do we eat?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. The guide will take you to a Ukrainian restaurant or cafe between noon and 4pm if you want to eat. Lunch typically costs about $8 per person and you pay for it yourself.

What is Arsenalna metro station, and why do we visit it?

Arsenalna is the deepest metro station in the world, located 105.5 meters underground. The tour includes a stop there so you can see Kiev's metro system and visit this record-holding station before returning to your hotel.