The colorful buildings flanking Andriyivsky Spusk, a winding street that slices through the heart of Kyiv

Who said that ticking off your guide’s sightseeing suggestions is the ultimate way to see a city? How many of us have gone somewhere just to be tired of the same tour schedule, hordes of tourists with their noisy cameras and a feeling that, even though we flew/drove all this way to our destination, we’ve not managed to really get to know it?

Local travel is definitely on the rise, and rightfully so! Most locals keep the juiciest places in the city carefully hidden away from the eye of an average tourist. The most charming cafes, most incredible monuments and most beautiful getaways are usually off the guide books, tourist maps and travel routes.

Today we are bringing you some by-pass ways to experience Kiev just like the locals love it – gorgeous, vast, controversial and incredibly real.

1. Sit down for a dinner with a local family
Nothing beats a hot and steaming plate of borshch, traditional Ukrainian staple dish. And what’s more – nothing beats HOME-MADE hot and steaming plate of borshch.

2. Try traditional Ukrainian crafts
We give you one hour only and you’ll be able to make these gorgeous traditional dolls by yourself, using only natural materials.

3. Explore Mizhrichynsky National Park
If you go to the far north of Kyiv city limits, you’ll get to Mizhrichynsky National Park – a piece of untouched nature, merely an hour away from the bustling capital city.

4. Cycle in the greenery of Golosiyivsky National Park
If hiking sounds a tad too boring for you, satisfy the adventurous side of you by going on an exciting off-road cycling tour in Kyiv!

5. Explore rural countryside of Ukraine
For the real off-the-beaten track and a taste of true Ukraine, one has got to go out of the city and into the countryside and visit a Ukrainian village.

Continue reading this article on the Active Ukraine blog