excursion bureau

Lonely Planet review

As this is the city's single most fascinating and extensive tourist site, you will need at least half a day to get a decent introduction of the Lavra. Try to avoid the Lavra on weekends, when it gets extremely busy. If you must go then, visit early and head for the caves first.

Entrance to the lower lavra and the caves is free of charge. Entrance to the upper lavra is free from 06:00 to 09:00 , and for a couple of hours after closing (until sunset). Fees are also charged at the main entrance to the upper lavra for still (around hry12 ) and video (around hry20 ) photography.

Admission to the upper lavra allows access to the churches, but several museums on site levy additional fees. Unless you have a burning interest in a particular subject, such as Ukrainian books or Soviet film, you can forget the other museums.

The excursion bureau , just to the left past the main entrance to the upper lavra, sells two-hour guided tours in various languages (per tour around hry180 ). Book in advance during peak periods. The excursion bureau also runs regularly scheduled group tours in Russian and/or Ukrainian every 30 minutes (per person around hry16 ).

To enter the caves, women must wear a headscarf and either a skirt that extends below their knees or, at a pinch, trousers. (Trousers are officially forbidden but nowadays a blind eye is frequently turned.) Men are obliged to remove their hats, and wearing shorts and T-shirts is forbidden. Men and women will also feel more comfortable donning scarves and doffing hats in the monastery's churches.