Where to go on Summer Vacation in Ukraine: TOP-10 ideas for Summer Vacation in the South

Article content:

ShowHide

• Holiday offers in Black Sea resorts
• Vacation on the Dnipro River
• One-day trips
• Walking tours
• Unique leisure locations
• Wine tasting tours
• Yacht trip to the Tendra Spit
• Lighthouses
• Live in eco-friendly places at green tourist camps
• Photo shoot on Lake Lemurian

If you are planning a summer vacation in Ukraine, go to the south. You will be surprised at the variety of interesting locations for tourism.

Discover the popular tourist corners of Kherson region: the coasts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, Oleshky Sands, Dzharylhach, Kinburn Spit, Askania-Nova… Unforgettable emotions are guaranteed!

Here, we share with you some ideas for summer rest and recreation.

Holiday offers in Black Sea resorts

Zaliznyi Port

This is the most popular resort in the Kherson region. It attracts guests with an abundance of vacation hotels, cafes, attractions, wide beaches and a gently sloping seabottom. It is a good place to relax for both adults and children.

The following summer activities are available to guests:

• three water parks;
• amusement and entertainment park (Luna Park);
• buns riding, banana-boating, scooters;
• parasailing;
• yachting;
• inflatable sea island float;
• playgrounds for children.

To restore health, vacationers can visit the iodine-bromide geyser.

Accommodations: with conveniences starts from 350 UAH/24-hours, private residence - from 70 UAH per person.

Directions: by car or mini bus to the urban village of Zaliznyi Port.

Lazurne

This is an inexpensive place to spend your vacation. To save money, you can stay in private housing and cook your own meals.

Lazurne’s resources include: 

• access to hotels, children's camps, private residences;
• wide sandy beach with equipment for recreation;
• water bikes, banana-boating, buns riding;
• children’s waterslides, amusement and entertainment park (Luna Park).

You can visit a dolphinarium and a waterpark in Skadovsk.

Hotel accommodations: from 350 UAH.

Directions: from Kherson by car or bus.

Dzharylhach

This area is often called the Ukrainian Maldives for its clean sea, deserted beaches and unique panoramic views. You can come here for one day or stay for a couple of days.

Where to stay:

• in a tent, for a so-called “wild vacation”;
• organized camping (accommodations for a couple of days, cooked meals, volleyball, kayaking, and walking expeditions).

You can walk to the Dzharylhach Lighthouse.

On the way, you may run into opportunities to take photos of mouflons, deer, hares, foxes and dolphins.

Accommodations: camping, from 400 UAH/day.

Directions: travel by powerboat or motorboat from Skadovsk.

Vacation on the Dnipro River

There is a selection of “water” activities for those who are looking for a place to go on a summer vacation in Ukraine.

Kayaking

If you are looking for some solitude in nature, we recommend a kayaking trip along the Dnipro floodplains. You may choose to kayak alone or as part of a group excursion. Group tours last from 2.5 hours to a couple of days depending on what type of adventure you are looking for. Watch the video:

Yachting

Are you dreaming about spending time on the water? Rent a yacht! This is a good choice to spend a vacation together with family, friends or colleagues. There are many routes that can be taken, including expeditions along the rivers, floodplains and streams. You can go fishing, sailing or just take in the beauty of the landscapes.

Extreme sports

Step it up a notch and try these extreme activities:

• Kayaking and SUP Boarding adventure- This type of recreation is suitable for slow floating along the river. Group tours come with an instructor. Duration: from 2 hours.
• Wakeboarding and jet skiing- You can surf at "Pliazh". Try it on your own or hire an instructor. Intense emotions are guaranteed.

Do not forget about the safety rules!

One-day trips

Oleshky Sands

The Oleshky Sands are called the Ukrainian Sahara. It is the largest desert in Europe. Sand dunes here reach 20 meters high in some places.

Activities:

• hiking and cycling;
• horseback riding;
• jeep and ATV trips in the dunes.

You can experience the adventures alone or as a group.

Askania-Nova

Come to the reserve to see rare animals, birds and plants. Askania Nova consists of an outdoor zoo, dendrological park and 11,000 hectares of untouched land.

The following activities are available:

• walking tours in the botanical garden and zoo;
• exploration of the reserve while accompanied by a guide;
• safari in the steppe.

Prices for excursions: from 70 UAH.

Kinburn Spit

If you have not yet decided where to go in Ukraine during the summer, we invite you to the Kinburn Spit. It is a quiet place located far away from civilization between the Black Sea and the Dnipro Bug Estuary. An amazing variety of nature can be found here: forests, dunes, salt lakes and healing mud.

The coastline is clean and sandy. There are remote wild areas as well as well-equipped tourist beaches. Dolphins often swim near the shore! You can see wild boars, wolves and pelicans. A trip to the pink lakes, for fishing and hunting, may be organized upon request. You can also take a one-day tour if you do not have a lot of time.

Walking tours

Fans of local urban legends and stories are invited to stroll the streets of Kherson. There are several thematic excursions available to explain the most interesting points of interest. It will be interesting for both residents and visitors of Kherson City. Over the span of a few hours, you can explore such attractions as the Kherson Fortress Park, St. Catherine Cathedral, a fortress well, buildings of women’s gymnasium, the old bank and the governor’s residence. A knowledgeable guide will tell a fascinating story about the city with juicy details and secrets.

Unique leisure locations

Mountains in Stanislav

These are picturesque cliffs on the banks of the Dnipro-Bug Estuary. People come here for solitude, beautiful landscapes and opportunities for taking unique photos. This is an ideal location to watch the sunrise and sunset.

Activities include:

• kayaking;
• picnicking;
• camping;
• arranging a photo shoot.

Directions: village of Stanislav, Kherson region

Dnipro's floodplains (Plavni)

For enthusiasts of privacy in the countryside, we recommend spending time in the Dnipro floodplains. There are plenty of activities here! Kayaks and boats are available for rent at tourist campsites on the water.

You can go fishing at the tourist resorts: there are many fish at the mouth of the river. You can also go hunting. Camping and having relaxing picnics are popular activities here as well.

Wine tasting tours

Prince Trubetskoy Сhateau

Would you like to visit the country's only historical chateau? Or see all the subtleties of wine production? Then you are welcome to visit the Trubetskoy winery.

The winery’s pride is its unique collection of more than 10,000 bottles. Some wines are more than one hundred years old!

Attractions included:

• visit cellars of the chateau;
• taste several types of wine;
• visit steppe waterfalls;
• look at the Lithuanian Vytautas watchtower;
• walk through the vineyards.

Prince Trubetskoy chateau is located in the village of Vesele, Berislav district. You can get there by car or minibus. Group tours are available all year.

Kuren Winery

This is a family winery that invites visitors on wine tours.

Program (1.5 hours):

• guided tour of the vineyards, wine cellars and workshops;
• wine tasting.

Location: Stepanivka, not far from Kherson.

Yacht trip to the Tendra Spit

Do you want to get away from civilization and go to a deserted island? Welcome to the Tendra Spit. Start your sea adventure on a yacht.

Tours to Tendra include:

• Odesa - Tendra Spit (2-3 days);
• Nikolaev - Ochakov - Tendra (3 days);
• Kherson - Dnipro-Bug Estuary - open sea to the Tendra Spit (3 days).

Other activities:

• camping;
• visiting Tendrivskyi lighthouse and salt lakes;
• arranging a photo shoot.

Tendra will surprise visitors with wildlife, the clear sea and clean white sandy beaches. You can see wild horses and dolphins on the Spit.

Lighthouses

Adziogol Lighthouse

This is a well-known lighthouse in the country. The tower attracts tourists with its beautiful steel structure; excellent photos can be taken using it as a backdrop. At 64 meters, it is considered the tallest lighthouse in the country and 18^th largest in the world.

Directions: go to the village of Rybalche, then take a boat.

Dzharylgach Lighthouse

If you take a vacation on Dzharylgach Island, go to the lighthouse. It is 118 years old and is one of the main attractions of the island. It is famous for being built in France and designed by Gustave Eiffel, the engineer of the Eiffel Tower.

The lighthouse is located in the eastern part of Dzharylgach Island and makes for an interesting walk across the island.

Khablovsky Lighthouse

Have you ever seen a lighthouse in the middle of a field? If not, then go to the border of the Kherson and Mykolayiv regions. Here in the steppe stands one of three Khablovskiy lighthouses.

Guests come here to take photos of the unusual landscape. In addition, the tower surprises with its “singing”; in windy weather, low and lingering sounds are heard, similar to Tuvan throat singing.

Directions: by car, from the regional center to Aleksandrivka.

Live in eco-friendly places at green tourist camps

Your summer vacation in Ukraine can be diversified by staying at a tourist camp. They are located along two banks of the Dnipro River away from the city in an ecologically clean area.

Activities include:

• fishing;
• motorboat or boat trips;
• barbecue;
• swimming in the pool;
• steam bath and the sauna.

Accommodations: apartments with conveniences.

Fishing enthusiasts will enjoy spending time here.

Zeleni Khutory Tavrii

This is a famous historical complex located in an ecologically clean zone covering more than 100 hectares. Adults and children will all definitely like it.

Activities include:

• horseback riding;
• rope park;
• rock climbing;
• swimming in the pools;
• master classes;
• walking tours.

You can visit these areas as a group or explore them on your own.

The complex is located in the village of Kardashinka.

Photo shoot on Lake Lemurian

This is a popular destination for tourists. The salinity of the water here is similar to the Dead Sea. The water is known for its buoyancy and healing properties.

Take amazing photos at sunset with the pink water as your unique background.

Tip: if you plan to arrange a photo shoot on Lake Lemurian, come in July or August. This is when the pink color of the water is the brightest due to the high temperatures.

How to get there: from the regional center, to the village of Chaplynka, then to the village of Grigorivka and travel 6 kilometers along a field road.