Quad K Tour Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive in Kiev (Thursday 18 October)

If however you’re starting the tour today, welcome to Ukraine!  You’ll probably have taken an overnight flight from North America (if that’s where you’re coming from) and will arrive into Kiev sometime late morning.

After making your way to the hotel, we leave the rest of today free for you either to wander around and get a feeling for the city or to relax after the long flight.

Note :  If not doing the pre-tour, we recommend you consider arriving a day early so as to give you some extra ‘just in case’ time and a chance to be more refreshed for when the tour commences tomorrow morning.

Day 2 – Chernobyl (Friday 19 October)

As a result of the release of considerable radiation, the entire town of 50,000 people was evacuated at short notice.  Many people further afield, including children even back in Kiev, were also evacuated, and radiation spread in measurable and sometimes substantial quantities across Russia, Belarus, and even up into the Scandinavian countries, too.

These days the radiation levels have subsided, and the area is safe for short visits, but still not considered suitable to permanently resettle there.  We can visit the abandoned town, frozen in time forever as it was 32 years ago, and see the site of the former (now decommissioned) reactor.

If this is of no interest, or if you’re concerned about the remaining background levels of radiation, we can suggest other interesting things to do in and around Kiev instead, of course.  But the chances are you’ll find this a fascinating experience.

This evening we’ll have a welcome dinner back in Kiev where we can all get to know each other better.

Included meals :  Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3 – Kiev City tour, Overnight to Astana (Saturday 20 October)

Kiev’s Golden Gate, originally built in 1017, and reconstructed in 1982 to commemorate Kiev’s 1500th anniversary.

Kiev is old, and celebrated its 1500th anniversary in 1982.  It has a fascinating mix of architectural styles – some old buildings, some from the time of Imperial Russia’s grandest glory, Soviet styles (it is fascinating to get your eye in so you can see the difference between Lenin-style, Stalin-style, and Brezhnev-style, as the three main styles are sometimes termed), and now of course, modern style skyscrapers subsequent to Ukraine’s independence in 1991.

We’ll have free time this afternoon for a while, then we’ll be transferred to the airport for our flight to Astana this evening.

Included meals :  Breakfast

Day 4 – Astana Touring (Sunday 21 October)

We’ll meet up again in the early afternoon, and see the sights of this modern city.  And what incredible sights they are.  Astana is possibly the most modern city in the world, with stunning architecture, open spaces, and uncrowded streets and parks.

We’ll admire the Khan Shatur Entertainment Center (a Norman Foster design), the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, the Bayterek Tower (we’ll go up to the viewing platform to see the city from its vantage point), the enormous Hazret Sultan Mosque, as well as, in pleasant contrast to the modernity, enjoy a peaceful stroll along the banks of the River Ishim.

You can choose from an abundance of excellent restaurants for dinner this evening.

Included meals :  Breakfast

Day 5 – Out of Astana Touring (Monday 22 October)

We’ll travel around the settlement and village and remains of the former gulag, and then return back to Astana this afternoon.

Included meals :  Breakfast

Day 6 – Free Morning, Afternoon by Train to Karaganda (Tuesday 23 October)

This afternoon we’ll transfer to the train station and take a fast comfortable train for an approx three-hour journey south to Karagandy/Karaganda (both spellings are common).

Karaganda is the country’s fourth largest city (after Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent) and with an interesting history and cultural mix.  One cultural ingredient is probably a surprise – after WW2 Stalin relocated many of the captured German soldiers there such that as much as 70% of the population were native Germans; pressed into service in the region’s coal mines.

Many of these people returned back to Germany after the fall of the Soviet Union.

No coal mines for us!  We’ll transfer to our hotel for the evening after our train arrives.

Included meals :  Breakfast

Day 7 – Karaganda touring, then Overnight Train to Almaty (Wednesday 24 October)

We expect to include a visit to the KarLag Museum, all about the Soviet gulags (where most of the Germans lived – no wonder they rushed to return back to Germany as soon as they could!), and set in the former NKVD/KGB regional headquarters, with well-preserved gulag barracks making up the adjoining village.

We have time to explore more of the city on our own in the afternoon, then after dinner we’ll transfer to the train station and enjoy a special experience – an overnight train journey in modern sleeper compartments on a fast (125 mph) train.

Included meals :  Breakfast

Day 8 – Almaty (Thursday 25 October)

We’ll even visit a chocolate factory, as well as some of the bazaars, pedestrian precincts, and parks, and a ride on their metro – one of only two metros in central Asia (the other in Tashkent).

To further diversify our travel experiences, we’ll also ride a cable-car up to the top of the Kok Tobe mountain overlooking the city, where we’ll see a statue of the Beatles.  Of course – what else would you expect!  Other activities and amusements are also provided.

We’ll have a group farewell dinner up on the mountainside overlooking the city.  Yes, we know it isn’t the last day, but it seems like a nice spot to have a second shared dinner.

Included meals :  Dinner

Day 9 – Charyn Canyon (Friday 26 October)

Charyn Canyon is a bit over two hours drive from Almaty, and get you very close to the Chinese border.  Like the Grand Canyon, it has been formed by river-caused erosion, in this case, the Charyn River.

This is an interesting tour into the countryside and then through the national park, and we include lunch as part of the day.

Included meals :  Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10 – To Bishkek, Local Touring

We’ll make this journey by coach.  It isn’t a great distance, and depending on how long the border crossing takes, we should be in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, in the early afternoon.

That gives us time for an interesting tour around the city, and to contrast it with what we’ve just seen in Almaty.

Included meals :  Breakfast

Day 11 – To Ala Archa National Park and a Birthday (Sunday 28 October)

We have some time to explore and enjoy the beautiful trails and ambience of this beautiful alpine park, but of course won’t have time to see the entire 75 sq mile expanse, and neither will we ascend to the highest peak (the Korona summit, 16,000 ft high).

It is amazing to realize that this beautiful natural wilderness is less than one hour from Bishkek.

This evening is both our last evening on the tour together and also, coincidentally, a certain someone’s birthday.  You can probably guess who when I indicate that I’d be delighted to buy you a libation this evening to jointly celebrate what I hope was a joyous day for my parents, ummm, ‘many’ years ago.

Included meals :  Breakfast

Day 12 – Tour Ends in Bishkek (Monday 29 October)

Included meals :  Breakfast