Lviv and the Golden Horseshoe. The Old Town and the castles of Olesko, Pidhirtsi and Zolochiv over a weekend from Kyiv

3 days (Fri 23:00 – Sun around 23:00) · Meet on Friday at 22:45, departure at 23:00
Kyiv, Zhytomyrska metro station
Olesko Castle on its hill among autumn forests
The Pidhirtsi Palace among autumn trees
Zolochiv Castle and its garden
The Lviv Opera
Pidhirtsi Castle with its bastions
Pidhirtsi Castle from above
Olesko Castle on its hill among autumn forestsThe Pidhirtsi Palace among autumn treesZolochiv Castle and its gardenThe Lviv OperaPidhirtsi Castle with its bastions

The Golden Horseshoe of the Lviv region is three castles close to one another: Zolochiv, Pidhirtsi and Olesko. Each has a royal story behind it – from the birth of John III Sobieski to the palace he built for his wife. This FantoTravel signature tour adds a day in old Lviv to the castles – with an overnight drive and a night in a hotel.

Why go

  • Three castles of the Golden Horseshoe in one day: Zolochiv, Pidhirtsi and Olesko, each with its royal stories
  • Lviv’s UNESCO-listed historic center – Rynok Square, the cathedrals and the Opera House on foot
  • Olesko Castle, where the future king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, John III Sobieski, was born in 1629
  • The 17th-century Pidhirtsi palace-fortress with bastions and terraces, built for Hetman Koniecpolski
  • The Chinese Palace at Zolochiv Castle, which the king built for his wife Marysieńka
  • An overnight drive to Lviv, a night in a hotel with breakfast and a guide throughout the tour

Route

Starting point:
Kyiv, Zhytomyrska metro station
Departure on Friday at 23:00
Overnight drive to Lviv
~540 km, 8–9 hours with stops
Saturday: Lviv Old Town
Walking tour: Rynok Square and the Town Hall, the Latin and Armenian Cathedrals, the Dormition Church, the Opera House
Free time and hotel check-in
Cafés, museums, Lviv in the evening
Overnight in Lviv, breakfast included
Sunday: transfer to Zolochiv
After breakfast, ~70 km
Zolochiv Castle
The Grand Palace and the Chinese Palace, built for Queen Marysieńka
Admission is paid separately
Pidhirtsi Castle
A palace-fortress built in 1635–1640, terraces and a park; St. Joseph’s Church is nearby
Admission is paid separately
Olesko Castle
The hilltop castle where John III Sobieski was born, and its museum exhibition
Admission is paid separately
Return to Kyiv
~470 km, 7–8 hours with stops
Kyiv, Zhytomyrska metro station
Expected return on Sunday around 23:00

Good to know

What’s included
Travel by tourist bus Kyiv – Lviv – Zolochiv – Pidhirtsi – Olesko – Kyiv, a night in a double room at a hotel in Lviv with breakfast, a walking tour of Lviv and a FantoTravel guide.
Paid separately
Admission to Zolochiv, Pidhirtsi and Olesko castles, 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 castle stairs, warm clothes for October evenings and a pillow for the overnight drive.
Tour language
The tours are conducted in Ukrainian.

Saturday is for Lviv. The city’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the walking tour goes right through its heart: Rynok Square with the Town Hall, the Latin and Armenian Cathedrals, the Dormition Church and the Opera House. After the tour there is free time for cafés and museums, and then hotel check-in. Sunday is for the castles. Zolochiv Castle was built in 1634, and at the end of the 17th century King John III Sobieski funded the Chinese Palace there for Queen Marysieńka. Pidhirtsi Castle is a palace-fortress built in 1635–1640 for Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski, with bastions, terraces and a park. Olesko Castle is one of the oldest in Ukraine, first mentioned in 1327; John III Sobieski was born here in 1629, and today it houses a museum with portraits, antique furniture and tapestries. FantoTravel takes care of transportation, a night in a hotel with breakfast, a tour of Lviv and a guide throughout the tour. Admission to the castles is paid separately on site.

Schedule

No upcoming dates yet – check back soon for new ones.

Organized by: FantoTravel · Guide: Shevchuk Taras Olehovych