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Chernobyl tour

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  • 05-01-2020 1:03am
    #1
    TheChosenOne_
    Registered Users Posts: 264 ✭✭


    Really interested in visiting Chernobyl at some stage this year, especially after watching the series.

    Has anyone ever done the tour before and if so who did you book it all through and any other information/tips you can provide?

    Thanks


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    #2
    appledrop
    Registered Users Posts: 5,822 ✭✭✭appledrop


    I'd recommend you read Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievch first.

    It gives you an insight into how the people who lived through it feel about the event + the tourists visiting.


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    #3
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    A few guys from Dublin camera club go regularly to take photos.


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    #4
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    I have been to Kiev but didnt do the tour. The city is super cheap and reminds me of Moscow but found the locals in Moscow much friendlier


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    #5
    cdeb
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,170 Mod ✭✭✭✭cdeb


    Booked through Chernobyl Tour. US$100 for a full day tour.

    There's multi-day tours which let you see more; might be worth considering as there's lots to see.

    Late March is still out-of-season but not ridiculously cold - would mean a lot fewer tourists. I don't know what the max tourists in a day is, but a ghost town with 1000 tourists or one with 3 tourists - there's a difference.


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    #6
    Nigel Fairservice
    Registered Users, Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 2,197 Mod ✭✭✭✭Nigel Fairservice


    Very interesting place to visit. Mad seeing nature reclaiming the city.

    Bring your own toilet paper. Toilet facilities are basic enough. The food at the plant canteen is interesting :pac: Maybe bring some of your own snacks on the day.


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    #7
    Agent_47
    Registered Users Posts: 758 ✭✭✭Agent_47


    Would highly recommend watching some of this Youtuber's videos, absolute class act, speaks fluent Russian and wrote the book "The Burning Edge" about Chernobyl

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ5MTAXPMI0


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    #8
    Richard Hillman
    Registered Users Posts: 12,033 ✭✭✭✭Richard Hillman


    https://chernobyl-exclusive-tours.com/

    I used this crowd. Very interesting place. You kind of feel awkward going through the town of the Chornobyl, where people are just staring at the minibus. Rent the geiger counter and you'll really get a grasp of the place.

    As said, bring your own food. There are no shops, just the small cafe. It's a full day roughly 8am to 6pm. It's a long drive and some very dodgy roads.

    I seen a Moose on the Road within the exclusion zone. A few dogs who know how to play the visitors into giving them food :pac:

    The drive up there is interesting in itself. If you Visit Kiev you'll just see a normal European city but you really grasp how poor the country is when you get out of the city. You may meet some dodgy police men on the way for which the tour guide will have to bribe them.

    I went there at the end of summer. The roads are rough. There is absolutely no way you should go there in the winter months. It's very very rural. I have no problems visiting the worst nuclear disaster of all time but I draw a line a going on those roads in winter :pac:

    Overall it was worth the experience. I reckon tourist trips may be closed some time in the future. Don't brag about visiting it to Ukrainians. Its not something they are particularly proud about.


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    #9
    grimm2005
    Registered Users Posts: 2,891 ✭✭✭grimm2005


    I did a one day tour with https://www.chernobyl-tour.com/ last May. When you book they'll ask for a 25% deposit and the rest is pay on arrival. They pick you up at Kiev main train station and drop you back there also. Everything is well communicated on their website like pick up point, what to wear etc.

    They were excellent and I would highly recommend them. As someone above said, the food in the canteen is certainly interesting..! They bring the food from outside the exclusion zone and it's what the workers are fed. Needless to say I didn't manage to finish it but was part of the experience. I'd definitely recommend renting the geiger counter also, it's an essential part of the tour imo.

    The whole day is about 12 hours from pickup to drop off back in Kiev but the day really flies by as you're seeing so much. Only tips I'd say are to bring some snacks in a small backpack and maybe a bottle of water and a jacket as it may rain (it did when we went in May anyway!).

    If I were doing it again, I would definitely do the multiple day tour.


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    #10
    PukkaStukka
    Registered Users Posts: 2,158 ✭✭✭PukkaStukka


    Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but is it possible to visit inside the "undamaged" units 1-3 of the plant? And are there any restrictions on photography around the plant or Pripyat?


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    #11
    cdeb
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,170 Mod ✭✭✭✭cdeb


    By and large, no photo restrictions, though your tour guide will clarify if needs be. When I was there, that meant no photographing the canteen staff in Chernobyl (who probably got more than their fair share of photos surreptitious taken) and no photographing the guide if there was any doubt over whether we should be in a particular area.

    Not sure on the undamaged units. I think the day tours are reasonably standard and didn't involve them, so you'd probably be looking at a multi-day tour anyway. The sites will give an idea what's involved in the various length tours.


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    #12
    Credit Checker Moose
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭Credit Checker Moose


    You need to take the multi day tours to see all the stuff.


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    #13
    Dafterss
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31 ✭Dafterss


    Half the wheat grown 30 miles from Chernobyl had unsafe levels of strontium 90
    Ukraine stopped testing agricultural goods for strontium 90 in 2013 It was also present at unsafe levels in firewood and wood ash used to fertilize crops


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    #14
    PukkaStukka
    Registered Users Posts: 2,158 ✭✭✭PukkaStukka


    Dafterss wrote: »
    Half the wheat grown 30 miles from Chernobyl had unsafe levels of strontium 90
    Ukraine stopped testing agricultural goods for strontium 90 in 2013 It was also present at unsafe levels in firewood and wood ash used to fertilize crops
    Sr-90 has has a half life of just under 30 years so should be decayed by now given the accident was 35 years ago


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    #15
    cdeb
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,170 Mod ✭✭✭✭cdeb


    No - half of it should be decayed by now...


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    #16
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    PukkaStukka wrote: »
    Sr-90 has has a half life of just under 30 years so should be decayed by now given the accident was 35 years ago

    Do you understand how half life works??

    In 70 more years time there will be 10% left


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    #17
    finbarrk
    Registered Users Posts: 5,423 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    This book was excellent.
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/04/midnight-in-chernobyl-adam-higginbotham-manual-for-survival-kate-brown-review


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    #18
    neris
    Registered Users Posts: 20,044 ✭✭✭✭neris


    Agent_47 wrote: »
    Would highly recommend watching some of this Youtuber's videos, absolute class act, speaks fluent Russian and wrote the book "The Burning Edge" about Chernobyl

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ5MTAXPMI0

    His videos are great, some good ones in rural Belarus and the areas that were affected by Chernobyl


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    #19
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,208 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    I can't even remember whom I did the Chernobyl Tour with, but from memory...

    1) We only did the 1 day tour. For years since, i've been looking at videos of places we didn't visit. Do a 2 (or more, whatever) day tour, at minimum.

    2) Kiev is a cool city, we really enjoyed it. You'll most likely be back here at night regardless, but dedicated a night or two for Kiev alone. It's dodgy as hell (I won't go into the details), but great craic once you've got you head screwed on.


    I'd go back in a heart-beat and I intend to (to cover the places we didn't see first time round).


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    #20
    Nigel Fairservice
    Registered Users, Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 2,197 Mod ✭✭✭✭Nigel Fairservice


    I thought Kiev was great. I would definitely go back there. You don't hear much about Kiev here as a city break destination, it's a shame.


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    #21
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,208 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    Nigel Fairservice wrote: »
    I thought Kiev was great. I would definitely go back there. You don't hear much about Kiev here as a city break destination, it's a shame.

    Surprised it's not more of a destination since Ryanair started flying direct from DUB.


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    #22
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    It is a great city break but the people are as dour as ****. It is dirt cheap

    I expected Moscow where everyone is friendly as hell but Kiev was like I expected Moscow to

    Kiev is great for eating out though. This place was amazing value if you had the Ukranian beef (just realised after they are doing quite a reduced menu, COVID I am guessing)

    http://beef.kiev.ua/en/

    Great Georgian meat joints everywhere with decent Georgian wine

    I have been 80 countries and it wouldnt be near top of any my lists but still enjoyed


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    #23
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,208 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    gypsy79 wrote: »
    It is a great city break but the people are as dour as ****. It is dirt cheap

    I expected Moscow where everyone is friendly as hell but Kiev was like I expected Moscow to

    Kiev is great for eating out though. This place was amazing value if you had the Ukranian beef (just realised after they are doing quite a reduced menu, COVID I am guessing)

    http://beef.kiev.ua/en/

    Great Georgian meat joints everywhere with decent Georgian wine

    I have been 80 countries and it wouldnt be near top of any my lists but still enjoyed

    I agree I wouldn't use it as a destination, but if doing the likes of Chernobyl, add an extra night or two to see Kiev.


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