About this blog

Dear readers,

This blog is about Ukraine, written by traveler for travelers. Here you will find everything you gonna need during your journey from important general information to little tips and tricks!

Feel free to comment and ask questions, the service of "post on demand" is also available!

Tour arond St. Sophia Hostel

Dear travellers!
We would like to invite you to a small tour around our cosy hostel.

St. Sophia Hostel welcomes up to fourteen people that can be comfortably accommodated in three spacious brightly coloured rooms. The hostel has two dorms for 6 people each and one twin room. Big windows and high ceilings bring a lot of air and space to the rooms. All beds are two meters long so even the tallest guests can have a rest after a hard travelling day. We use only the best mattresses, big pillows and 100% cotton bed sheets to ensure your comfort. Free towels are at your service. Plenty of space between levels of double-deck beds in dorms allow to sit comfortably on the lower level without hitting the upper bed with one’s head so travellers can have a friendly chat in the evening discussing the impressions of the past days.

The first and the biggest room is designed for six people who can be comfortably settled on three double-deck beds. Two big windows bring a lot of light to the room.



Although the second room is a bit smaller it still has more than enough space for six people to live.

The last one is the smallest, only two people can be accommodated in it. This room is designed specifically for those who value privacy and need some silence after a busy and noisy day.

The common area of St. Sophia Hostel offers free tea and coffee, guests can also use a microwave and a fridge. You can have a dinner here, chat with your new friends or just surf Internet looking for a new places to visit.
St. Sophia Hostel can proudly offer a big bathtub for tired travellers who are looking for some relaxation after a hard day. And don’t worry about too long occupation of the bathroom: the second toilet will fulfil the needs of other fellow-travellers while you are indulging yourself.


How to get to St. Sophia Hostel

Being in a city like Kiev for the first time can be literally breath-taking. Everything may look very different from what you are used to. That's why we've prepared detailed instructions for you so you can easily find your way to our welcoming doors, our good tea and our soft pillows :) So let me tell you how to get here:

From Boryspil International Airport 
There are buses called Політ (Polit) that depart from airport's main entrance every 10-15 min and cost 30 UAH. They go to railway station, but you can get off on their first stop in Kiev which is Харківська (Kharkivska) metro station. The stop is under the bridge, so you won't miss it. When you get off the bus, you will see the stairs that go underground and lead to metro station. You should buy a token for 2 UAH.

You can also take Polit bus up to the central railway station. In that case follow the instructions below on how to get to our hostel from there.

Please note that during rush hours on weekdays (7.30-9.00 in the morning and 17.40-18.40 in the evening) public transport gets crowded and it's not easy to take it especially with lots of luggage.

Take a metro to station Золоті ворота (Zoloti vorota), which is the 9th station from Kharkivska. Escalate up and move to the exit a little to the right. You will see the wooden Golden Gates museum.



Go straight,

leaving the museum on your left, cross the street and continue to move straight one block further.

At the end of the block you will see a little square:
with a long white house in front of you

There will be two monuments on the square:

a man on a horse


and a hedgehog.


Approach the building. Note that the door is not seen clearly because it is around the corner but as you come closer you will see it!


Here's how the door looks like

The general view from the street

Here is the entrance to our hostel. Just press «2» then «B» on the intercom.


The taxi from Borispol airport to our hostel will cost around 220-250 UAH. If you e-mail us and book pick-up service in advance we can do it for 170 UAH.


Keep in mind that if you arrive at night you can only take a taxi, because metro doesn't work after midnight.

From Zhulyany domestic airport
Take a bus that goes to railway station. It will cost around 20 UAH. The buses leave airport every 15-20 min. After arriving to railway station walk through the new glass-and-steel terminal to the old one and follow the instructions below.
The taxi will cost around 100 UAH.


From railway station 
Upon leaving the old-style building of the main terminal you will see Вокзальна (Vokzalna) metro station on your left. Take a metro (2 UAH) to Театральна (Teatralna) station and interchange the line there to Золоті Ворота (Zoloti Vorota) station. Cross Zoloti Vorota station, escalate up and move to the exit a little to the right. You will see the wooden Golden Gates museum (see pictures above). Go straight, leaving the museum on your left, cross the street and continue to move straight one block further. At the end of the block you will see a little square with two monuments: a man on a horse and a hedgehog. There will be a long white house in front of you. The left door is the entrance to our hostel. Just press «2» and «B» on the intercom.

The taxi from railway station will cost around 40 (daytime) – 80 (night) UAH but it really depends on how you bargain, because taxi drivers are one of the toughest there. If you feel like taking a bit of exercise, you can make this way (2.65 km) by feet, but the road goes uphill so it will take 40-45 minutes.

From central bus station
The central bus station in Kiev is situated not far from Деміївська (Demiivska) metro station on 1/2 Nauki ave. When you go outside the bus station look around to find a very tall building of library. When you see it, just go that way and after 3 minutes you will see the entrance to the metro. If you are not sure, ask people around you "metrO?" (emphasis on the last O) — it's way easier then pronouncing Demiivska ;-) When you are inside the metro, buy the token and proceed to the train. On the third stop called Площа Льва Толстого (Ploshcha L'va Tolstogo) you need to interchange the line (from blue to green): you will see the stairs above your train in the middle of the platform, just follow them and you will be  in Палац Спорту (Palats Sportu) station. Take the train that is on the left side and get off on next stop called Золоті Ворота (Zoloti Vorota). Follow the instruction with pictures written above and you will soon reach our door!