Chernobyl, a deserted city located in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone of the northern Kiev Oblast’s Ivankiv Raion, in Ukraine, is positioned approximately 90 kilometers (60 mi) to the north of Kiev and about 160 kilometers (100 mi) southwest of Gomel, a city in Belarus. Prior to its evacuation, it housed nearly 14,000 inhabitants.
The city was cleared out on May 5, 1986, nine days subsequent to the severe nuclear mishap at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant nearby, which is infamous as the worst nuclear disaster. The plant is situated 15 kilometers (9 mi) north from the city of Chernobyl. Pripyat, another city closer to the plant and home to the plant workers since the 1970s, had its 50,000 residents evacuated 30 hours post the mishap. The city of Slavutych, constructed to accommodate the evacuees from Pripyat, accommodated the residents from Chernobyl as well.
The city served as the administrative hub of the Chernobyl Raion (district) since 1923. Following the disaster in 1988, the raion was dissolved with its administrative duties handed over to the neighboring Ivankiv Raion.
Presently, Chernobyl is largely a ghost town, with a handful of animals and humans who have made it their home, living in houses labeled ‘Owner of this house lives here’. Personnel including watchmen and administrators of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are stationed in the city. The city also features two general stores and a hotel for tourists.
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Guide
- Insurance
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Carbonated beverages
In the journey to Chernobyl, the Administrative Officer will discuss the Chernobyl disaster, the containment zone, and the contemporary existence of Chernobyl. En route to Chernobyl, there will be multiple stopping points for photography. The coach penetrates the 10-kilometer containment zone via the ‘Leliv’ checkpoint. Following a route around Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant, there will be a pause at the gates of the 4th reactor at a unique viewing deck offering a view of the Sarcophagus structure. The abandoned ghost city of Pripyat will not be overlooked. The travel agenda includes examining the city’s buildings and structures left deserted after the catastrophe and where the inhabitants of the city were evacuated. On this tour, you’ll have the opportunity to take striking photos, record videos, and learn of the city’s existence before the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, the evacuation process, the history of the city, and its present state.
Be aware that reservations made less than 3 days prior to the trip are unlikely to be verified!
- Bring your passport - visitors without a passport won’t be allowed on the tour.
- Any booking made within 3 days prior to departure is unlikely to be confirmed.
- Minimum age is 18 years
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
