Kyiv has more than 1,500 years of history, with medieval landmarks, Orthodox monasteries, historic neighborhoods, museums, parks and viewpoints spread across the city.
Over the years, I showed visitors its famous landmarks as well as places they might easily have missed on their own.
In this guide, I’ve brought together my recommendations for the best things to see and do in Kyiv, from its essential historic sights to neighborhoods, viewpoints and lesser-known places worth discovering.
Best Things to See in Kyiv
If you are visiting Kyiv for the first time, these are the places I would start with. They combine the city’s ancient history, architecture, religious heritage and some of its most memorable views, and each has a story worth exploring beyond a quick photo stop.
St. Sophia’s Cathedral
One of Kyiv’s most important historic landmarks, St. Sophia’s Cathedral is an 11th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its original mosaics and frescoes from the Kyivan Rus period.
Read my guide to St. Sophia’s Cathedral →
Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
One of Kyiv’s most important historic and religious landmarks, with centuries-old churches, underground caves and an extraordinary setting above the Dnipro.
Read my Kyiv Pechersk Lavra guide →
St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery
One of Kyiv’s most recognizable landmarks, with its blue façade and golden domes — and a fascinating history of destruction and reconstruction.
Read my St. Michael’s guide →
Motherland Monument
Rising above the Dnipro, the Motherland Monument is one of the defining features of Kyiv’s skyline and part of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War complex.
Read about the Motherland Monument →
Andriyivsky Descent & Podil
Walk down Andriyivsky Descent to discover one of Kyiv’s most atmospheric historic streets before continuing into Podil, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
Explore Podil →
St. Andrew’s Church
A masterpiece of Baroque architecture overlooking Andriyivsky Descent and Podil, and one of the most elegant landmarks in Kyiv’s historic center.
Explore St. Andrew’s Church →
