HOW to get to chernobyl

The mini-series Chernobyl shook the world: millions of people from different countries watched the film about the most terrible man-made disaster. Someone admires the play of actors, someone criticizes the creators for incomplete reflection of the facts, but one thing is certain: the topic of the Chernobyl accident has risen to the peak of discussion.

Of course, to watch Chernobyl on TV and to get to know the city in person brings certainly different impressions. If you are keen to visit the Exclusion Zone, you should know that there are several ways to get to Chernobyl.

HOW TO GET TO CHERNOBYL?

The legal and safe way to get to Chernobyl is to use the services of professional travel agencies. Experts will help to get admission to the Exclusion Zone. Remember, that only legal excursion to Chernobyl will allow you to see the most interesting objects of the Zone without risk to your health.

Legal tourists will easily get to Chernobyl and Pripyat, they will see a radar station and nuclear power plants. Usually the route to the Exclusion Zone starts from Kyiv. Therefore, if you first need to get to the capital of Ukraine - professionals will organize the trip.ессионалы организуют поездку.

HOW TO VISIT CHERNOBYL WITHOUT A GUIDE?

Of course, you can organize a trip to Chernobyl by yourself, although it is rather a laborious process.  A tourist faces two challenges: a) how to get to Chernobyl and b) how to pass to the Exclusion Zone.

Let's start with the trip itself.The trip to Chernobyl will start from Kyiv, and the most convenient way is to go by car. The distance between Kyiv and Chernobyl is about 150 kilometers. The way goes through Vyshgorod and Dymer to Ivankovo. There it takes a turn to Chernobyl. Follow the road sign and you will go directly to the Zone. Drive up to the first checkpoint Dytyatki, and be ready to show a special pass to the Exclusion Zone.

There are two dates, when it is legal to enter the Exclusion Zone freely - April 26 and May 9. There are also so-called Days of Commemoration and every year the former residents and their families can freely enter the Zone to visit their relatives' graves.

Another way you can get to the Zone is by train from Slavutych, but it is less popular. Sometimes photographers use it to take pictures of local landscapes right from the window without leaving the train. Thus, you can hardly call it an excursion in the traditional sense.

ILLEGAL TRIP TO THE EXCLUSION ZONE. WHAT CONSEQUENCES COULD BE?

Is it possible to enter the Chernobyl Zone illegally? It is possible, but difficult and inconvenient. The Exclusion zone is guarded by its own police regiment, the units of National Guard, and border guards.  They patrol on cars, motorcycles, horses, and make ambushes with thermal imagers.  This is primarily about the marauders who take out radioactive metal for sale.

Getting into Chernobyl itself illegally is practically impossible. The city is inhabited by employees of Chernobyl NPP and its technical services. Illegal tourists can hardly hope for more than a walk through the completely abandoned Pripyat and other settlements.

However, you must realize that such a trip not only breaks the law of Ukraine but also can be very dangerous for your health.

WHAT MUST TOURISTS KNOW VISITING CHERNOBYL AND PRIPYAT

Let's sum up. We hope you'll choose a legal and safe way for your visit to the Exclusion Zone. You will need a passport (not ID), and a special pass. All visitors of the 30-kilometer zone must complete travel documents. All groups pass through radiation control on their way back from the Exclusion Zone.

A professional guide will help you with all permits and lead a safe tour around the most interesting places in the Exclusion Zone - prices for Chernobyl tours you can find here.