• the Dytiatky checkpoint – the entrance to the Exclusion Zone, at 30km distance from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant;
• the town of Chornobyl – the local administrative center and the rotational settlement for the employees of the Exclusion Zone with operating facilities, laboratories, dormitories, canteens, shops and even several hotels. This is the place where we stay overnight with our tourists in multi-day tours;
• the Leliv checkpoint – the entrance to the core of the Zone at 10km distance from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant;
• the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant – sightseeing drive around the decommissioned power plant and stop at the observation point only 250 m away from the damaged reactor 4, that is now double covered by the Old Sarcophagus (Object Shelter) and the Arch (New Safe Confinement)$
• the Red Forest – a place of the first and worst radioactive fallout. Crossing the so-called western trace of contamination on board of the bus;
• the ghost-town of Prypiat – walk through the abandoned Soviet Paradise town, built especially for the ChNPP workers and fully evacuated after the accident. Exploration of the most famous places in Prypiat including the Amusement Park with the Ferris Wheel that was never launched because of the accident, the Polissia Hotel, the Town Hall, the Palace of Culture Energetic, the central square, the main stadium and other iconic locations.

Attention! Entering buildings in Prypiat is officially prohibited because of their poor condition;

• the Cooling Pond – the biggest artificial pond in Europe, which used to have a surface area of 22 square kilometers. When the Chornobyl Power Plant was operational, the Cooling Pond was used to cool down the overheated water from its units. Now the banks of the pond is the natural habitat of white-tailed eagles, ducks, herons, sandpipers, and black storks. Moose also like walking across the Cooling pond.

When booking this private tour you can change your route to suit your preferences and time schedule. Our guide and a scientist, accompanying you, will tell you everything about all the locations within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, where you possibly may meet some of the wild animals and birds. If instead of our standard locations you would prefer to visit the furthest villages, such as Stari Shepelychy or Buruakivka, hoping to see there a deer, a thrush or rare species of waterbirds, some other locations just let us know!

Please keep in mind that there can be some changes in the route due to weather conditions and/or restrictions from the Governmental institutions. Also, we would like to point out that while we are more than happy to show you the nesting area of birds and a natural habitat of animals, we can not guarantee their presence there at that very moment.

To spend more time at the chosen locations and discover all of the wildlife within the Zone, contact our manager to book a multi-day bird-watching tour.

Since private tour is tailored up to your wishes, all the timing is approximate and completely depends on your plans and schedules.

Schedule (standard)

7:30-7:50 a.m. – meeting in Kyiv

8:00 a.m. – departure from Kyiv

We pick you up at your hotel or any other place of your choice within the Kyiv city limits.

Please don’t forget your PASSPORT.

Your guide will be waiting for you near the bus with a radiation sign under the windshield.

Please note: in case of the cancellation of the tour or changing/rebooking the date of the tour from your side less than in 3 days to the date of the tour there is no refund of the deposit.

The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is about 120 km away. It takes up to 2 hours of a drive (depending on traffic) on board a comfortable bus with air conditioning or a comfortable private car.

On your way to the Zone you will review the detailed itinerary of the trip and receive safety instructions. The guide will be happy to answer all your questions regarding the trip, radiation and nuclear accident. You will also be offered to watch documentaries about Chornobyl accident.

10 a.m. approximately – arrival at the Chornobyl Zone

We arrive at the Dytiatky checkpoint which is the official entrance to the Exclusion Zone. Take your time at the local information centers for tea/coffee/snacks while the guide will be taking care of the paperwork needed for the visit. That is your chance to buy unique souvenirs in the memory of the trip and everything you may need during the trip: from a Geiger Counter to paper tissues.

After passport control conducted by the local police, we begin the tour inside the Exclusion Zone. We drive between locations on board of the bus and walk on-site by foot – to explore the most famous places.

2 p.m. approximately – lunch

We will visit the local canteen #19, that’s serving the ChNPP employeesand visitors. There you will have a traditional Ukrainian meal made of ecologically clean products.

If you are a vegetarian, please inform CHORNOBYL TOUR manager about your eating habits when booking the trip.

6:00-7:00 p.m. approximately – departure from the Chornobyl Zone

On our way from the Zone we go through radiation control twice to make sure that we are completely clean and are not contaminated by radiation (don’t have any radioactive particles on our clothes or shoes).

8:00-9:00 p.m. approximately – arrival back in Kyiv

We take you back to your hotel, restaurant for dinner or any other place of your choice within the Kyiv city limits.

Must have in the Zone:

PASSPORT (not ID) – it should be the one that you specified in the application for the trip! It is impossible to enter the Zone without a passport.

* CHORNOBYL TOUR shall not be liable for your failure to enter the Exclusion zone because of the wrong passport number / name / date of birth / nationality or wrong passport on the day of the trip.

CLOSED SHOES – boots or sneakers, which fully cover your feet without fancy openings, please.

CLOSED CLOTHES – trousers (no shorts, no knee-breeches, no skirts) and a jacket or a shirt with long sleeves. Your clothes should fully cover your legs and arms without fancy openings, please.

! It is PROHIBITED to wear any open type clothing and footwear in the Zone.

To make sure your trip is comfortable and enjoyable, we advise you to:

• have comfortable shoes and clothes as we are going to walk a lot on-site
• binoculars for bird-watching and animal-watching (available for rent)
• check the weather forecast and be prepared for rain or shine – dress warmly for freezing temperatures, have a hat for hot weather, waterproof shoes and spare socks for rain, snow or dew on the grass
• have a repellent for mosquito season
• have some wet wipes or paper tissues
• have some sandwiches and bottled water with you to have a bite on the way

To see the invisible – book a DOSIMETER

In order to fully understand and feel the most special matter of the Chornobyl zone – namely, radiation – we highly recommend you to rent the reliable personal Geiger Counter. Just click on the checkbox "Dosimeter" when you are ordering the tour.

"To go to the Chornobyl zone without a dosimeter is like going to the usual tour with your eyes blindfolded."

- Sergii Mirnyi, CHORNOBYL TOUR founder, a radiation reconnaissance officer.

Legal issues

No weapons (even with a legal permit) are allowed within the territory of the Exclusion zone.

Visitors under the influence of alcohol or drugs are not allowed to visit the site.

Age limit

According to Ukrainian law every visitor of the Exclusion zone should be over the age of 18. No underage visitors will be admitted under any circumstances. Notarized parental consent or even their personal presence in the trip do not change this rule.

Almost there?

Meanwhile, you still can see the Chornobyl zone! Get an unforgettable helicopter tour or plane tour to see the Exclusion zone from the skies!