Kamianets-Podilskyi stands on a rocky island in a loop of the Smotrych canyon, and its fortress is one of the “Seven Wonders of Ukraine”. Also on that list is Khotyn Fortress above the Dniester, beneath whose walls in 1621 the Cossacks of Petro Sahaidachny, together with the Polish army, stopped the forces of the Ottoman Empire. This FantoTravel signature tour combines both fortresses in one weekend – with an overnight drive and a night in a hotel.

Why go

  • Two fortresses from the “Seven Wonders of Ukraine” list – Kamianets-Podilskyi and Khotyn – in one weekend
  • An Old Town on a rocky island in a loop of the Smotrych canyon, reached by bridges over the gorge
  • The cathedral with a minaret crowned by a statue of the Virgin Mary – a reminder of the Ottoman era in Kamianets
  • Khotyn Fortress above the Dniester, beneath whose walls the Ottoman advance was stopped in 1621
  • The filming location of “Taras Bulba” and “Zakhar Berkut” – walls you will recognize from the movies
  • An overnight drive, a night in a hotel with breakfast and a FantoTravel guide by your side from the first hour to the last

Route

Starting point:
Kyiv, Zhytomyrska metro station
Departure on Friday at 23:30
Overnight drive to Kamianets-Podilskyi
~430 km, 7–8 hours with stops
Saturday: the Old Town of Kamianets
Walking tour: the Town Hall, the cathedral with the minaret, the Armenian Quarter, the Polish Gate
The Castle Bridge and the fortress
The fortress towers, walls and museum exhibitions
Admission is paid separately
Free time and hotel check-in
Lunch, a walk above the Smotrych canyon, an evening in town
Overnight in Kamianets-Podilskyi, breakfast included
Sunday: transfer to Khotyn
After breakfast, ~30 km
Khotyn Fortress
A tour of the fortress above the Dniester, site of the Battle of Khotyn in 1621
Admission is paid separately
Return to Kyiv
~450 km, about 8 hours with stops
Kyiv, Zhytomyrska metro station
Expected return on Sunday around 22:00

Good to know

What’s included
Travel by tourist bus Kyiv – Kamianets-Podilskyi – Khotyn – Kyiv, a night in a double room at a hotel with breakfast, a walking tour of the Old Town and a FantoTravel guide.
Paid separately
Admission to the Kamianets-Podilskyi and Khotyn fortresses, lunches and dinners. A single room costs an extra UAH 1,200, which you can add when buying.
Documents
Bring your passport or ID card for hotel check-in.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes for the cobblestones and fortress stairs, warm clothes for October evenings and a pillow for the overnight drive.
Tour language
The tours are conducted in Ukrainian.

The Old Town of Kamianets is just a few blocks, yet it holds the whole history of Podillia: one of the oldest town halls in Ukraine, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul with a minaret that was crowned with a statue of the Virgin Mary after the Ottoman era, the Armenian Quarter and the Polish Gate above the Smotrych. The Castle Bridge leads across the canyon to the fortress, where Ustym Karmaliuk was held in the Papal Tower. Sunday is for Khotyn. The fortress on the right bank of the Dniester was one of the mightiest strongholds of Eastern Europe in its day. Today it is a state historical and architectural reserve and a favorite filming location – “D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers”, “Taras Bulba” and “Zakhar Berkut” were shot here. FantoTravel takes care of transportation, a night in a hotel with breakfast, a walking tour of the Old Town and a guide throughout the tour. Admission to the fortresses is paid separately on site.

Schedule

Fri
Nov 13
23:30
18 seats left
Fri
Nov 20
23:30
18 seats left

Organized by: FantoTravel · Guide: Shevchuk Taras Olehovych

Places on this tour