Our Chernobyl trips are the best there are and we add in extras such as the Duga radar base and get access to the control room of reactor 3 and eat lunch with the workers in their canteen. I really feel that I offer the premium ‘rontgen experience’ as our small groups allow us to go places the larger ones cannot and our guide, Maxim, lets us do things that are not strictly in the rule book! Also most mainstream tours do not get access to reactor 3.
The Sept 2021 trip was a great success.
Currently on hold for obvious reasons.
There is a case for staying on in Kiev perhaps seeing the Pervomaisk missile silo, 4 hours south of Kiev. The plan is on the day before the tour, fly out and stay in our recommended hotel, Hotel Salut. Then a two day tour with one night in the zone, and then stay on in Kiev if you wish before flying home. Zone food and accommodation included in the price.
The night in the zone is now in quite a posh place in the model nuclear town of Slavutich, accessed by rail. The standard tour cost including hotel in Slavutich and all transport and food in the 2 days, is £375. This 2 day tour is an exploration / photo fest of one of the largest abandoned areas on earth, namely the Exclusion Zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in Ukraine. Places to explore include the abandoned model town of Pripyat including the ferris wheel, Hotel Polisia, Hospital, Kindergarden, Jupiter Plant (Soviet military facility). Then Duga 3, the Soviet over the horizon radar facility with its huge array which can be seen from space. The facility could in theory see American ICBM launches as they happened making it a vital Soviet defense facility. A trip to see the destroyed reactor 4 and the new sarcophagus being built over it. Finally, a trip into the other reactors where you will see a control room, which is still live although no power is being generated.
Feel free to stay an extra day in Kiev and see a totally lovely East European capital city. Ukraine is a visa free country for the EU and extremely good value. Most on the standard tour fly out Saturday and back on Tuesday, but feel free to stretch things either way.
Is it safe? In a word: Yes. Radiation levels are actually below those on the flight to Kiev and your guide will have his own Geiger counter, but do bring your own and the roadbook will explain the best ones and the price ranges. It is possible to see hotter areas if you wish but again, doses are within safe limits. The trip is not open to those under 18. We also require all travellers to wear long sleeve shirts and long trousers while in the zone.
The 2 day tour includes:
Roadbook
All transport from Kiev to Chernobyl and around the zone in a minibus: far better than the usual huge coach.
English speaking guide.
A night at the Slavutich Hilton (sic) where the beer is almost free.
Breakfasts lunches and supper in the zone, lunches at the Nuclear Power Plant canteen.
Tour of Pripyat, Duga 3, Reactor 3 and the sarcophagus
Not included:
Your flight to Kiev
Airport transfers (about 2 Euros on the airport bus)
Your accommodation in Kiev. We suggest the bizzare Hotel Salyut from where your trip will begin.
Dates are as mentioned earlier. Price is £375 for the 2 day tour. This is the best tour you can book with small numbers, access to reactor 3 which is in run down, and food and accommodation. If I deleted reactor 3 tour, it would be cheaper but worth the extra cost in my opinion.
Schedule: You fly to Kiev Borispol on the Saturday and get the airbus into town and a metro to Hotel Salyut (or Salute: I prefer the first name). We will provide you with a roadbook with full information nearer the time.
On Sunday the minibus will pick you up at 8.30am and from now on til Monday night, all your meals and accommodation are covered in the fee. The schedule will vary and the choice of sites in the zone is up to you, but all will want to visit a reactor in run down and reactor 4, and Pripyat. Then the Duga 3 radar facility. Hotel in Slavutich on Sunday night and Monday eve return to Hotel Salyut. Fly Tuesday or whenever you like. No visas required for EU and UK citizens. If Hotel Salyut is full, then Hotel Kiev the next best.
Each tour is for a 14 seat minibus. If we fill the bus, and have more interest, we will try to fill another. Unfortunately it is not cost effective to run a part full bus.
Once you have sent your form, and the fee, and received a confirmation from us you have a place, then book your flights.
Click here for the Chernobyl Challenge Application Form.
The original Banger Rally Challenge, that has spawned so many others. In December 2002, the first group of hopeful souls left the UK in a motley collection of vehicles, optimistically believing that Julian Nowill knew what he was doing, and had substance and experience behind his words. Despite later finding out to the contrary, this first event was a great success and most of the 42 Teams even made it to Banjul.
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