Day 1Odessa
Arrive in Odessa then transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, take free time to relax before dinner. (D)
Day 2Odessa
After breakfast, enjoy a half-day tour of Odessa, an elegant city of terraced hills and landscaped parks. Travel along Primorski Boulevard to the Opera House and Potemkin Steps. You have the rest of the afternoon at leisure to further explore enchanting Odessa on your own—as always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Additionally, you can choose to join an optional Jewish Odessa tour. After dinning aboard, you may choose to attend an optional performance at the Odessa Opera House. (B, L, D)
Day 3Odessa
During this morning’s free time, explore more of Odessa’s stately 19th-century architecture—a blend of its Russian heritage and more Mediterranean sensibilities—or stroll along its miles of sandy beaches. Or, you may choose an optional excursion to Akkerman Fortress in the ancient town of Bilgorod–Dnistrovsky. After lunch aboard, tour the fascinating Odessa Catacombs. This maze of underground tunnels began as a sandstone mining operation but the abandoned mines were later used for smuggling, and for Soviet partisans fighting fascist invaders during the Second World War. We depart for Sevastopol after dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 4Sevastopol
Enjoy lectures and cultural activities as we sail on the Black Sea. This afternoon, arrive in Sevastopol, base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Tour the city center and see St. Vladimir Cathedral and Admiral Nakhimov Square. Explore a little more on your own, or join an optional archeological tour of the ancient Greek city of Chersonese, founded in the 6th century B.C. near today’s Quarantine Bay and designated one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine. The evening is free, or you can attend the optional Black Sea Choir concert. Dine aboard. Dock overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 5Sevastopol
This morning’s tour goes to the Tatar city of Bakhchisarai. Tour the Khan Palace, built in 1519, and see the many different architectural styles within the complex. Visit the courthouse, harem and mosques, then stroll the beautifully landscaped grounds. After lunch, explore Sevastopol, site of the famed “Charge of the Light Brigade” during the Crimean War, on your own—or take an optional tour to Balaklava to visit the Panorama Museum and submarine tunnels. (B, L, D)
Day 6Yalta
Awaken this morning in Yalta and enjoy a morning tour. Travel along Lenin Embankment to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Livadia. Visit the White Palace, site of the 1945 Yalta Conference between Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill, and take a guided tour through official halls and private apartments of the czar’s family. Explore on your own this afternoon; or join an optional wine-tasting excursion to Massandra. Lunch and dinner are served aboard. Dock overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 7Yalta
Spend your final morning in Yalta touring the 19th-century Aloupka Palace and gardens, commissioned as a summer residence by Russian prince Mikhail Vorontsov. Designed in the Tudor style, the building also incorporates Scottish, Moorish and Gothic elements, creating a surprisingly harmonious impression. See the spectacular interior rooms and stroll in the park, which incorporates native vegetation of the Crimean coast. As we depart this afternoon, we gather to enjoy the majestic scenery of the Crimean peninsula. (B, L, D)
Day 8Kherson
After a morning of scenic cruising and a Ukraine language lesson, arrive in Kherson midafternoon. Disembark for a tour of this small city, founded in 1778 by order of Catherine the Great and named after the nearby ancient Greek colony of Chersonesos Taurica. Walk along the river embankment, see the monument to Prince Potjomkin and visit St. Catherine’s Cathedral, decidedly Mediterranean in design. Dinner is served as we depart. (B, L, D)
Day 9Zaporozhye
After lunch, arrive in Zaporozhye, ancestral home of the Cossacks. Drive along Lenin Street; see the Lenin Monument, the city’s dam and massive hydroelectric plant. Then visit the Cossack Museum of Khortitsa. Later, enjoy a special Cossack horsemanship show including folkloric music and dance. Depart early evening and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 10Dnieper River Scenic Cruising
Enjoy a full day of scenic cruising, taking in the Dnieper’s landscape of rolling hills, ancient forest groves, historic villages and wide lakes. A series of onboard activities are available to help you continue to familiarize yourself with the history and culture of Ukraine. (B, L, D)
Day 11Kiev
Arrive in Kiev mid-morning. Tour Kiev, one of Europe’s oldest cities, with a heritage of Viking, Cossack and Ukrainian peoples. Explore its historic buildings and monuments, and take a guided tour of the lovely domed St. Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Monastery of Caves, an extensive complex of churches and museums founded by monks in 1051. After lunch spend some time exploring Kiev on your own or you may take an optional Jewish Kiev tour. Enjoy dinner aboard and remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 12Kiev
After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* (B)
The following meals are included:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
*Please note: Airport transfers are only included if the Viking air offer is purchased and the arrival/departure city and date on your Viking issued air ticket coincides with the cruisetour start/finish city and date. Otherwise, an additional charge will apply, or you may arrange your own transportation.