RunCity

Kyiv on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Kyiv's best-known sights, including Mariinskyi Palace, House with Chimaeras, Independence Square (Maidan) and more. It is about 10 km on foot, roughly 3 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Kyiv leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 10 kmDistance
  • 3 hoursWalking
  • about 82 minRunning
Play Kyiv in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Kyiv
Photo: Larmarphoto · CC BY-SA 4.0

Kyiv's route runs along the high right bank of the Dnieper from the Pechersk Lavra to Podil and back up through the old upper town, about 10 km. It starts at the bonus stop, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a cave monastery with a great bell tower and golden domes, and passes the pale blue Mariinskyi Palace and the House with Chimaeras, an Art Nouveau house covered in stone animals. Independence Square, the Maidan, is the city's main square.

St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery and Volodymyrska Hill, with its view across the river, lead to St Andrew's Church and the steep Andriivskyi Descent down to Contract Square in Podil. The route climbs back to Saint Sophia Cathedral, with its eleventh-century mosaics, the reconstructed Golden Gate and the yellow-and-gold St Volodymyr's Cathedral. The funicular links the upper town and Podil. Check current travel advice before planning a visit.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

    Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Bonus Photo

    The great bell tower and golden domes of the cave monastery.

    Photo: Falin · CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. Mariinskyi Palace

    Mariinskyi Palace

    The pale blue baroque palace seen from the park.

    Photo: Roman Naumov · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. House with Chimaeras

    House with Chimaeras Photo

    The art nouveau façade crowded with stone animals.

    Photo: Nick Grapsy · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Independence Square (Maidan)

    Independence Square (Maidan) Photo

    The monument column at the heart of the main square.

    Photo: Juan Antonio Segal · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery

    St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery Photo

    The blue-and-white baroque church under seven golden domes.

    Photo: Rbrechko · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Volodymyrska Hill

    Volodymyrska Hill

    The park on the hill with the view across the Dnieper.

    Photo: Клевцов Стас · CC BY-SA 3.0

  7. St Andrew's Church

    St Andrew's Church Photo

    The baroque church on its hilltop, seen from the descent.

    Photo: Maksym Kozlenko · CC BY-SA 4.0

  8. Contract Square

    Contract Square

    The old Podil square with its colonnaded trading hall.

    Photo: Aleksandr Grigoryev using OpenStreetMap · CC BY-SA 2.5

  9. Saint Sophia Cathedral

    Saint Sophia Cathedral Photo

    The green-and-gold domes of the cathedral behind its bell tower.

    Photo: Rbrechko · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. Golden Gate

    Golden Gate Photo

    The reconstructed medieval gate with its small golden-roofed church.

    Photo: George Chernilevsky · Public domain

  11. St Volodymyr's Cathedral

    St Volodymyr's Cathedral

    The yellow-and-gold cathedral on Volodymyrska street.

    Photo: Арсен Яковенко · CC BY-SA 3.0

Play Kyiv in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Kyiv on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 10 km, roughly 3 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Some stops are far apart, so you may want public transport for a leg.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Kyiv is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Kyiv?

    Open Kyiv in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Kyiv leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and finishing at St Volodymyr's Cathedral. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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