I Traveled To Ukraine As A Tourist, Here’s What It’s Like Right Now
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I remember not that long ago, Ukraine was one of the only countries in the world open to tourism restriction-free. Of course, it was a very different world back then, what with the health crisis raging on, and all those crazy, complicated border rules in place.
While most of Europe shut itself off completely to tourism, Ukraine flung its doors open to everyone, Americans included, with little to no requirements.
I also remember booking flights from London, where I used to live at the time, to Lviv, in Western Ukraine, at the start of 2022, before there were even talks of war looming.
This was a very promising time: COVID rules were dropping like dominoes, and Ukraine had only recently finished lifting the remaining health-related checks.
Then the strangest thing happened.
Russian troops started amassing at Ukraine’s Eastern borders, and the next thing I knew, my plans of visiting Ukraine fell through once a full-scale invasion was launched.
I saw myself staring at my phone screen blankly, watching a series of horrendous events unfold; at the same time, my flight, scheduled for three days from then, got canceled.
I didn’t think I’d be ticking Ukraine off my bucket list for a long while, especially when a solution to the conflict seems so intractable.
Fast forward 2 and a half years, and here I am, finally, in Lviv.
I am one of the very few travelers who are brave—or maybe reckless enough—to venture into war-torn Ukraine while a resolution hasn’t been reached, and maybe you’re wondering:
Is it already safe to visit Ukraine, and how is it that I even managed to enter the country in the first place when Russian troops continue pushing forward with their aggression?
I am here to tell you everything I have seen, and what I have learned from my brief 2-day visit to Lviv in times of war:
First, Why Go To Ukraine In 2025?
There are many a reason why I, as a passionate traveler, would embrace the idea of traveling to Ukraine in 2025.
The first I can think of is plainly narcissistic in nature: it is one of only three European countries I have yet to visit, the other ones being a Russian-friendly Belarus and an offbeat Moldova, and I’m not sure about you, but I don’t like puzzle maps missing important pieces.
The second reason why is I suffer from overwhelming FOMO: the infamous Fear of Missing Out.
Ukraine is a country at war, and I watched in dismay as bombs showered down in the Black Sea port city of Odesa in recent months, to the point one of its most historically significant churches, the Transfiguration Cathedral, had its ceiling partially collapse back in 2023.
Naturally, the human tragedy is immeasurable and should be our primary concern as this ungodly conflict rages on.
Still, I would argue damage to centuries upon centuries of amassed heritage, a testament to a country’s rich past, and that cannot be so easily reassembled once it’s reduced to rubbles, is just as heart-wrenching.
Lviv is one of Ukraine’s most culturally rich cities, commonly called Paris of the East, and home to a UNESCO-protected historic center packed with magnificent Baroque churches and lesser-known medieval treasures.
I worried that the longer I waited, the higher the chances an escalation could result in Lviv sustaining irreparable losses: though not as heavily bombarded as Odesa, or other cities on the Eastern front, it, too, had survived its share of drone attacks.
If you knew somewhere like Paris was at risk of being severely damaged, or even completely flattened, in the worst-case scenario that can’t ever be ruled out, wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity to go and see it with your own eyes before… well, it is no longer?
I know I would.
Why Lviv?
It’s One Of The Most Beautiful Cities I’ve Been In Europe
I guess I have already given you some indication as to ‘why Lviv’.
For starters, it was a hugely popular destination in Ukraine prior to the war, and as the Western portion of the country’s largest city, home to over 710,000 people, it’s a cultural center second only to the capital Kyiv in importance.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, in recognition of its eclectic architecture and plethora of richly decorated churches and cathedrals: to be more precise, there are exactly 103 of them.
Which ones left a deep impression on me?
If you’re short on time, I would go with the 17th-century Church of the Most Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, mainly due to its brightly-painted chapels, and the medieval Armenian Cathedral, the centerpiece of Lviv’s bustling Armenian Quarter.
With an intricately decorated interior and a soaring vaulted ceiling frescoed in gentle pastel tones, the 14th-century Latin Cathedral is celestially beautiful, and in my books, it was only rivaled in beauty by the gold-clad altars of the Bernardine Monastery.
The collection of Baroque and Renaissance offerings here is truly unmatched, and honestly, you could spend an entire week only exploring Lviv’s religious monuments and still not see it all, or cease being mesmerized.
Not far from the center, there is a stately Potocki Palace, built in the extravagant French style, now a museum housing various European art pieces––in summer, the gardens are said to be rather pleasant to stroll––and there’s no Lviv without its landmark National Opera:
Situated on Prospekt Svobody, an avenue flanked by Belle époque additions, it’s a routinely photographed patrimony for its columned facade and opulent main hall.
Oh, and if Prospekt Svobody is the city’s main vein, one could argue its beating heart is Rynok Square.
Bordered by colorful facades and cozy cafes and dominated by a centrally-placed City Hall, which dates back to the 19th century in its present form, this square is Lviv’s most easily-distinguished sightseeing spot, likely to feature on magnets and souvenir mugs.
If you happen to be in Lviv for the weekend, climbing up the City Hall tower is a must-do: it only opens on Saturdays and Sundays, and from the very top, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking panorama of the dome-dotted Leopolitan skyline.
Alternatively, you can make your way up High Castle Hill for free, where more sweeping views of Lviv Old Town await, including the rows upon rows of communist-era apartment blocks that encroached all around it during Soviet times.
To sum it up, Lviv is downright gorgeous, and that alone piqued my interest, but there’s another important piece of information I deliberately left out until now:
It’s One Of The Safest Cities In Ukraine
Lviv is the safest city in Ukraine right now, and as a matter of fact, it might be safer than certain Western European cities.
Hear me out.
A big misconception among people who are not following this closely is that all of Ukraine is one giant, Dantean 9th Circle of Hell strewn with battered and bruised bodies, land mines and World War I-style trenches, where epic battles are fought on the daily.
If you’re one of those people, my answer to you is, life isn’t a war movie, pal.
I mean, look at the pictures on here, all of which I took myself: does Lviv look war-torn to you?
Excluding Russia, Ukraine is Europe’s most sizable country, with a total area of 233 square miles––if you were to paste it over a map of the United States, it would extend from the state of Missouri all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, and from Ohio to Georgia.
For a bit of context, Lviv sits on the far west of Ukraine, a stone’s throw away from the Polish border, and a whole 335 miles from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and an even farther 494 miles from Odesa, on the Black Sea Coast.
Considering most of the Russian advances have been focused on the eastern front and the predominantly-ethnic Russian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, as well as already-occupied Crimea and the wider Black Sea region, Lviv has been largely spared the brunt of the warfare.
Before going, I weighed in all the pros and cons and ended up deciding Lviv was a low-risk destination:
You’re More Likely To Get Knifed In London Than Bombed In Lviv?
I Beg Your Pardon?
Since 2022, ‘only’ 68 civilian deaths were reported in the city, and an additional 276 wounded.
Yes, I agree, that’s already 68 too many, but in taking into account that, in Kherson Oblast alone, 566 deaths have been recorded so far, while Kharkiv logged in 1,699, and even in the capital region, 1,569 fatalities are reported, I made the informed decision Lviv was less dangerous to visit.
Between 2023 and 2024, the number of knife-related crimes in London, England was a whopping 15,016, based on Statista figures.
Some would claim that’s apples and pears and not really an honest comparison, so let’s have a look at Lviv’s crime rates:
According to Numbeo, the current level of crime in Lviv is a low 36.90, while London’s is 64.55, Paris 62.03, and Barcelona 57.29.
You definitely won’t be blown to bits relaxing by a park in London, unless… well, never mind.
But you might have an irregular resident––is that the politically correct term nowadays?––put a sharp object to your neck and wipe your wallet clean.
You can count yourself lucky if you’re not, hem, punctured.
In other words, you’re effectively at a higher risk of dying in a mugging incident in Lambeth or Islington, crime-ridden areas of London, than as a result of Russian shelling over Lviv.
Based on the data at hand, previous developments, distance from the frontline, and its status as a cultural center with less military importance, chances are Lviv will not be struck as hard as Kyiv, Kherson, or Odesa could.
This does not mean it will definitely not be on the firing line:
This Doesn’t Mean Lviv Is Safe
It would be irresponsible and despicably tone-deaf of me to downplay the situation on the ground.
Ukraine is still a country battling an aggressor, and as part of the concerned entity, Lviv has seen a number of strikes since 2022, with civilian and military infrastructure targeted.
On September 4, 2024, 7 people lost their lives, and 64 were injured in various degrees of severity following a rough night for strikes in the residential area surrounding the train station, where I arrived myself just recently.
I am telling you this to make one thing clear:
This is a rather unpredictable situation, and if someone somewhere decides to push a big red button, you won’t get much of a warning before the sky quite literally falls down over your head…
Even in Lviv.
All it takes is taking a tram into the suburbs, where you’re far more likely to come upon ruined structures, yet to be reconstructed following recent raids, and newly-added memorials in memory of Lviv’s fallen heroes.
What’s The Vibe Of The People Right Now?
This ties into my next point: what’s the vibe of the people right now in Lviv?
I do not have a happiness index to refer to, so I’ll rely on my firsthand account solely:
The long bus ride I was on to Lviv, where mostly-Ukrainian passengers were chatting amongst themselves gleefully, children were being their annoying selves, kicking and screaming, with little to no intervention from unbothered parents;
And a teenager sat next to me blasting podcasts in Ukrainian without their headphones on (regardless of the disapproving looks I shot at them every now and then), as if we weren’t all about to officially enter a war zone, set the mood for what was to come next.
Ukrainians, at least those based in the Western portion of the country, are in their vast majority unfazed by the conflict.
During my short 2-day stint in Lviv I saw groups of adolescent girls with too much makeup gossiping idly as they trotted down broken cobblestones, Starbucks cups in perfectly-manicured hands, the usual terminally-bored bus terminal lady, caged behind her walk-up window, selling tickets with the same enthusiasm I have for filing my taxes, and lovey-dovey couples kissing in snow-dusted park benches.
It almost felt too… normal.
If it weren’t for the young men casually passing by me with their service uniforms or the war posters plastered onto the side of buildings, you’d hardly be able to tell there is even a country being assaulted at all.
My confirmation came with the first air alarm:
I was taking pictures of myself by Rynok Square, nearing sundown, when suddenly sirens go off, and an unsettling male voice emanating from invisible loudspeakers encourages (in Ukrainian) that we seek the nearest underground shelter.
I wouldn’t have a clue what was going on, had I not asked a 20-something girl standing by the bus stop near where I was, and her response left me completely baffled:
After revealing the content of the alarm to me, that continued to sound loud and clear, she turned to the side and got lost again in her infinite TikTok scrolling, until her bus finally showed.
I turned to the side, and other people were just as unalarmed, either carrying their groceries home at their usual pace or smiling as they stepped out of a restaurant with friends.
From that moment onward, I realized this was simply their new reality, and unless hit with a major development, the occasional Russian targeting of structures in the industrial suburbs does not exactly make them panic.
But then again, this is Lviv.
It might be a very different story in Eastern Ukraine.
How About Prices?
Ukraine has always been one of the least expensive countries to travel to in Europe as a result of low wages and a lower cost of living.
I haven’t been to Ukraine prior to the conflict erupting to be able to compare, though I can say that it is about as cheap to visit as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and the like:
Including accommodation, food and transportation, my two nights in Lviv set me back by exactly US$145, in January 2025: meals in local restaurants cost an average $6-7, tram tickets are only a few cents, and hotel overnights start from an inexpensive $28.
A 3-bedroom apartment, Royal Italian style, with a balcony opening up onto the Old Town and great city views, will cost you $44 per night, and if you don’t mind splurging a little, seeing everything is dirt cheap, the 5-star Grand Hotel Lviv Casino & Spa has nightly rates from only $143.
I stayed at Sunny Hotel, to the tune of $34 a night, a short tram ride away from the city center, and comfortable enough for a short séjour.
The rooms are modest but cozy: there’s a comfy bed with plenty of blankets, a central heating system, and a functioning shower, and in this bleak era, guests have access to a nearby shelter should they need to take cover in the event of a nighttime attack.
It does its job.
Check Out This Amazing Bunker Restaurant Serving Cheap Food
For a traditional Ukrainian dining experience in a Soviet-era labyrinthian bunker, Kryivka is the place to go:
As welcoming as Ukrainians are, English speakers in Lviv are definitely a minority, which makes ordering at restaurants and conveying your needs harder when you can’t use Google Translate as roaming has failed of a sudden, and I was pleased to find English-speaking staff here.
@vinigoesglobal 📍 Kryivka Lviv Possibly the only restaurant I’d go all the way to a w4r zone for 😋 I mean, those pork ribs and amazing compote?? Definitely worth the risk in my book 🫣 #lviv #ukraine #easterneurope #ukrainetiktok ♬ son original – Vini | Travel Blogger
I ordered myself a big jug of compote––a traditional Eastern European soft drink made from pieces of red fruit and fresh syrup––a classic potato soup for starters, and a pork rib main, and I couldn’t believe my bill: roughly US$15, tips included.
Kryivka is probably one of the trendiest, most touristy eateries in town, so that should give you an idea of what to budget food-wise.
For dessert, head next to Lviv Homemade Chocolate, a well-known chocolaterie only a few meters away from Rynok Square, located inside a five-storey Old Town edifice that just exudes medieval charm.
There’s a cafe at the very top with a view of Lviv’s many church spires, and their hot chocolate is the actual melted stuff.
How I Entered Ukraine
Pardon me.
It just occurred to me that I haven’t yet detailed my actual journey into Ukraine.
Recently, news came out that Lviv Airport might reopen by the end of January, further solidifying the city’s status as Ukraine’s safest at the minute, but as of right now, Ukrainian airspace is closed, so the only option for me was to resort to a long, dreadful bus ride, starting in Warsaw, Poland.
Lviv is only 31 miles from the Polish border, and 245 miles from the capital of Poland.
Buses continue running between both countries, costing around $12 when booked in advance, and carrying mostly Ukrainian passengers who are either going into Poland to use one of the international airports to travel, or returning home temporarily to visit family.
Contrary to popular belief, the Ukrainian border isn’t closed: you’re allowed to enter as a tourist, provided you satisfy the usual visa requirements.
Americans, Canadians, and most Europeans do not need a visa to enter Ukraine, and they are welcomed with open arms.
The border experience itself was truly the most stressful part of my trip to Ukraine, and not for the reasons you’d assume.
The Border Experience
The drive from Warsaw to Lviv takes, in theory, 5 hours––in reality, you may be sitting square-bottomed in a barely-cushioned Flixbus seat for 8-10 hours, as border formalities are long and stressful, involving getting on and off the vehicle at least twice, two passport checks, and at least one bag screening.
That’s even more fun in the dead of winter, when you’re forced to stand outside, when it’s a freezing 26.6°F, as a grumpy-looking Ukrainian border officer goes through everyone’s belongings, opening every zipper of every inner pocket, and taking his sweet time in doing so.
I guess it’s a good thing Flixbus has free WiFi on this route to keep you entertained in the meantime.
Ukraine may be open, but it’s not like tourists are flocking in when bombs keep raining down, so I’m guessing that’s why border guards looked at my non-Ukrainian passport puzzlingly.
If you’re crossing that border, you’re either returning home from abroad or visiting family, so when asked why I was traveling to Ukraine as a foreigner right now, I hesitantly responded, ‘I’m traveling as a tourist’.
The officer didn’t utter a single word, though his split-second, razor-sharp stare deep into my eyes, through to my soul, felt like a thousand words were being said, even though his lips didn’t move, and not a single muscle in his stone-cut, stoic face twitched.
You know, in classic Eastern European fashion.
He wished me a ‘safe journey’, and handed me my passport back stamped.
Should You Visit Ukraine In 2025?
If you usually follow safety advice issued by governments, such as the U.S. State Department or the U.K. Home Office, you might want to put off your dreams of exploring Ukraine, at least for now, until the situation improves:
To the State Department, Ukraine is a Level 4 destination, meaning U.S. citizens should avoid traveling there at all costs.
Personally, I’m not the kind to follow safety advisories exclusively:
They provide me with a bigger picture of what to expect, especially when planning a trip somewhere deemed high-risk, and then I color in said picture myself with more in-depth, independent research.
The safety advice pages won’t tell you, for example, that Lviv is in a much better position strategically than heavily bombarded cities to the east or that the number of casualties locally is very low––so low it would make you wonder whether you’re safer in the streets of this Ukrainian city than walking alone at night in a Western European capital.
The same could be said of numerous other no-go zones globally:
Think Mexico: for years now, authorities have told Americans to reconsider traveling to states like Sinaloa and Jalisco, citing crime and gang activity.
If you’ve ever set foot in Mazatlan or Puerto Vallarta, you know it’s a very different scenario than that portrayed in the mainstream media.
Yes, some areas in these specific states are ridden with violence––this doesn’t mean everywhere is unsafe.
At the end of the day, deciding on visiting Ukraine in 2025 is a strictly personal assessment of the risks involved, one you must do yourself.
Bottomline
I’m not here to encourage you to travel to a country at war: if anything, my goal is to provide some nuance, and show you Lviv in particular is not a full-fledged battlefield.
Based on my own experience, the biggest threat here is getting on the wrong side of a devout Orthodox babushka, if you accidentally take a picture with a flash in a church, and interrupt her communion with the Almighty.
Don’t fear the balding grandpa in his Moscow bunker playing chess with the prowess of a 5-year-old.
Fear the angry-looking Ukrainian babushka in her flowery huska scarf.
Putting things into perspective, 0.009% of Leopolitan civilians have lost their lives since the war started, and 0.03% were wounded (some gravely).
That doesn’t sound numerically significant.
In this regard, I can understand the indifferent, bordering-on-nonchalant attitude of the bus stop girl earlier:
You’ll only become one of the unlucky few if you’re ever in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you’ll never know until it’s already happened.
At that point, there’s nothing you can do about it, anyways.
Some Safety Tips For Visiting Ukraine During The War
Going to Ukraine in 2025?
Here are some safety tips:
- Enter from authorized points only, such as the Hrebenne – Rava Ruska border, the main crossing point between Poland and Ukraine right now
- Give preference to border cities, and regions that have direct bus and train connections out of Ukraine into neighboring countries, in the event of an escalation
- No area in any city can be deemed safe, but cultural centers like Lviv Old Town tend to be better-surveilled by Ukrainian forces, and have not seen as much destruction
- If staying overnight in Ukraine, book a hotel or guesthouse that is equipped with an underground shelter
- Download the Air Raid Alert Map of Ukraine, to keep up to date with all of the latest developments on the safety front, and find out whether there are ongoing attacks in your region
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.