Reactor No 4
Reactor No 4
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dancingpiglit
Harpenden, UK72 contributions
For anyone who’s old enough to remember the 80’s, the explosion of Reactor Number 4 in Chernobyl in 1986 was a terrifying moment – a horrifying realisation of all the fear that we felt around the looming threat of the Cold War.
The standard tour to the area is a day trip but it is also possible to go for multiple days, staying in the Chernobyl hotel (a perfectly adequate 60s style motel).
Sergei, our Ukranian guide, picked us up from the hotel at 9am and drove us to the exclusion zone (about 30km from the reactor). At this point, there were various straightforward security checks before driving onwards to Chernobyl town. Chernobyl town was the major centre of activity in the days following the disaster when the population grew to half a million workers and scientists. Today, there are only a few thousand people living there – people who are still employed in decommissioning the reactors and making the area safe. The town feels like the set of ’28 Days Later’. We were taken to the euphemistically named Visitor’s Centre which is really an administrative building where we were given some information about the site and the disaster. This is also where we ate all of our meals. These were cooked by some local women and served in a room with the ambience of a 60’s tea room. The food is traditional – borscht and dumplings with potatoes and cabbage featuring heavily. They were able to provide a vegetarian alternative.
After some lunch, we picked up Alexei, our government guide and drove to the site of the Nuclear power station. Personally, I was unaware that there were actually four reactors on the site in 1986. They were additionally building a further two. Reactors one and two remained operational up until a few years ago although reactor 3 was also closed down at the time of the accident. Reactor 4 is a looming memorial to the people who died as a result of the accident with its decaying and crumbling sarcophagus. Throughout the trip, Sergei carried a Geiger counter and it was scary to hear its alarm go off when we crossed areas with more contamination. However, the general radiation in the area is considered safe and, on the whole, much lower than you would experience on a long haul flight.
Alexei, our government guide, was a policeman in the area at the time of the accident. He was only a few hundred yards from the reactor when the explosion happened and was able to describe the shocking aftermath from first hand experience. It was a real privilege to meet Alexei and to hear his account of what had happened. He had spent months in hospital in subsequent years but was now very philosophical. More recently, he managed the security operation in the exclusion zone and was obviously a bit of a local hero based on the way the soldiers that we met treated him.
After driving around the reactors, we entered the gates at Pripyat – the town right next to the reactors that was abandoned in the hours after the accident. Initially, people were told that they would be able to return in a few days time and they were not permitted to take possessions with them. Of course, the people were never allowed to come back, and, although the weather and looting have taken their toll on the buildings, a lot of these possessions still remain and are a poignant and very real reminder of the ordinary people who lived out their lives in the town. Pripyat is a ghost town in the truest sense and has been used as the setting for games such as Call of Duty, Stalker and Half Life.
We were able to wander through the ruins with minimal supervision from Sergei and Alexei and it was possible to go just about anywhere. I guess I was expecting three things – reminders of the communist era, reminders of the horrific events that had taken place and nostalgic reminders of the 80s. The first two of these were much in evidence everywhere – lots of Communist propaganda posters and evidence of abandoned life. However, there was nothing there to remind you of the 80s – it made me realise how effective the Cold War had been at cutting the East off culturally from the West.
Particularly affecting were the schools with pile of abandoned books, workbooks open with children’s writing in them and old, decaying toys everywhere. A reminder of the Cold War could be seen in the military training room in the secondary school and the gas masks piled up in the corner of rooms. In the hospital, you could feel the joy and the pain of the post natal ward, the operating theatres and the wards where games of chess were abandoned as events took over. The swimming pool and sports halls still echo with the sounds of people having fun together. The theatres, cinema and concert halls have decaying pianos that could never be played again. You can still imagine couples promenading in the town square and queuing up for the now rusting dodgems, merry go round and Ferris wheel. The only sounds as you walk around the town are your own footsteps, constantly crunching on broken glass, and the sound of the wind in the trees and long grass – the occasional door or window banging eerily in the breeze.
On our second day, we were able to go to reactor 6 which was being built at the time of the accident. We were able to explore the reactor itself which had never been nuclearised and was, therefore, safe. This is not included in the day trip and I think we were probably pretty lucky to be able to do this. We also visited the train station with the abandoned and rusting locomotives, the partially built cooling tower for reactor 5 with its rusty scaffolding and the rusting wrecks of ships that were used as part of the clean up operation and now sit on the river at Chernobyl silently watching over the town.
I think it’s safe to say that a trip to Chernobyl and Pripyat is not ‘fun’ but it is a true once in a lifetime experience and an opportunity to explore real living history. The town will not last much longer – within the next few years, the buildings will be too dilapidated to allow people to explore. If you want to go, my advice would be to go soon.
The standard tour to the area is a day trip but it is also possible to go for multiple days, staying in the Chernobyl hotel (a perfectly adequate 60s style motel).
Sergei, our Ukranian guide, picked us up from the hotel at 9am and drove us to the exclusion zone (about 30km from the reactor). At this point, there were various straightforward security checks before driving onwards to Chernobyl town. Chernobyl town was the major centre of activity in the days following the disaster when the population grew to half a million workers and scientists. Today, there are only a few thousand people living there – people who are still employed in decommissioning the reactors and making the area safe. The town feels like the set of ’28 Days Later’. We were taken to the euphemistically named Visitor’s Centre which is really an administrative building where we were given some information about the site and the disaster. This is also where we ate all of our meals. These were cooked by some local women and served in a room with the ambience of a 60’s tea room. The food is traditional – borscht and dumplings with potatoes and cabbage featuring heavily. They were able to provide a vegetarian alternative.
After some lunch, we picked up Alexei, our government guide and drove to the site of the Nuclear power station. Personally, I was unaware that there were actually four reactors on the site in 1986. They were additionally building a further two. Reactors one and two remained operational up until a few years ago although reactor 3 was also closed down at the time of the accident. Reactor 4 is a looming memorial to the people who died as a result of the accident with its decaying and crumbling sarcophagus. Throughout the trip, Sergei carried a Geiger counter and it was scary to hear its alarm go off when we crossed areas with more contamination. However, the general radiation in the area is considered safe and, on the whole, much lower than you would experience on a long haul flight.
Alexei, our government guide, was a policeman in the area at the time of the accident. He was only a few hundred yards from the reactor when the explosion happened and was able to describe the shocking aftermath from first hand experience. It was a real privilege to meet Alexei and to hear his account of what had happened. He had spent months in hospital in subsequent years but was now very philosophical. More recently, he managed the security operation in the exclusion zone and was obviously a bit of a local hero based on the way the soldiers that we met treated him.
After driving around the reactors, we entered the gates at Pripyat – the town right next to the reactors that was abandoned in the hours after the accident. Initially, people were told that they would be able to return in a few days time and they were not permitted to take possessions with them. Of course, the people were never allowed to come back, and, although the weather and looting have taken their toll on the buildings, a lot of these possessions still remain and are a poignant and very real reminder of the ordinary people who lived out their lives in the town. Pripyat is a ghost town in the truest sense and has been used as the setting for games such as Call of Duty, Stalker and Half Life.
We were able to wander through the ruins with minimal supervision from Sergei and Alexei and it was possible to go just about anywhere. I guess I was expecting three things – reminders of the communist era, reminders of the horrific events that had taken place and nostalgic reminders of the 80s. The first two of these were much in evidence everywhere – lots of Communist propaganda posters and evidence of abandoned life. However, there was nothing there to remind you of the 80s – it made me realise how effective the Cold War had been at cutting the East off culturally from the West.
Particularly affecting were the schools with pile of abandoned books, workbooks open with children’s writing in them and old, decaying toys everywhere. A reminder of the Cold War could be seen in the military training room in the secondary school and the gas masks piled up in the corner of rooms. In the hospital, you could feel the joy and the pain of the post natal ward, the operating theatres and the wards where games of chess were abandoned as events took over. The swimming pool and sports halls still echo with the sounds of people having fun together. The theatres, cinema and concert halls have decaying pianos that could never be played again. You can still imagine couples promenading in the town square and queuing up for the now rusting dodgems, merry go round and Ferris wheel. The only sounds as you walk around the town are your own footsteps, constantly crunching on broken glass, and the sound of the wind in the trees and long grass – the occasional door or window banging eerily in the breeze.
On our second day, we were able to go to reactor 6 which was being built at the time of the accident. We were able to explore the reactor itself which had never been nuclearised and was, therefore, safe. This is not included in the day trip and I think we were probably pretty lucky to be able to do this. We also visited the train station with the abandoned and rusting locomotives, the partially built cooling tower for reactor 5 with its rusty scaffolding and the rusting wrecks of ships that were used as part of the clean up operation and now sit on the river at Chernobyl silently watching over the town.
I think it’s safe to say that a trip to Chernobyl and Pripyat is not ‘fun’ but it is a true once in a lifetime experience and an opportunity to explore real living history. The town will not last much longer – within the next few years, the buildings will be too dilapidated to allow people to explore. If you want to go, my advice would be to go soon.
Written September 6, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gennep
zurich19 contributions
Surprisingly it is possible to make a tour to the former Nuclear Reactor at Chornobyl. For about 195 EUR a Person you will get picked up at your hotel in Kiev for a full day tour including lunch ( Guarantee radiation free).
A Scientist will be your guide and he will tell you everything about Chornobyl, the place where the most horrific nuclear accident took place in 1986. You learn about the history of the plant and of the plans the soviet government had with Chernobyl, before the blast. At the visitors center you see how large the contaminated area is.
Then, with Geigercounter you will drive towards the Reactor NO.4 where you will stand as little as 300 meters from the Reactor, now sealed with concrete and steal. At the Reactor a scientist will tell an interesting story about how the reactor is sealed, showing scale models of the plant. You also learn a lot about the preservation of the plant and the plans to built a huge hangar over the reactor, as the current structure is getting instable.
Radiation levels are definitly higher then normal here. Where normal levels of gamma radiation are about 12, at the reactor we measured 450. At the red forest, where nuclear contamination was the heaviest, the Geigercounter reached levels of over 2000, as we passed through by car.
Further stops on the tour include a visit to the workers town, which was evacuated 2 day after the blast. It is a ghost town overgrown by trees and bushes. You will visit the "amusement park" which was built for the 1.may celebrations. Radiation there is also considerably high.
Last stop on the tour is a village inside the security zone where people are still living, despite the fact it is forbidden. They grow vegtables on contaminated soil but are not scared of radiation.
After 2.5 hours or so you get lunch at the visitors center. Before you leave the security zone the car gets checked for radiation and any person leaving the zone needs to go in a radiation detection maschine to make sure you are ok.
How bizarre it might seem, scientists say that it is safe for people to come there, as you are not exposed to radiation for a very long time. We did not need wear protective suits or anything like that. The only thing we were told is to stay on paved roads and walkways. This, because the rain washes of the radiation ( Dustparticles) into the soil. The soil however, is better not stepped on as radiation is about 30 times higher as on the road.
It felt very strange visiting this site at first, as the disaster was horrific and will influence the area for hundreds of years to come. On the other hand we learned a lot about radiation and nuclear power, thanks to our wonderful guide Juri.
A Scientist will be your guide and he will tell you everything about Chornobyl, the place where the most horrific nuclear accident took place in 1986. You learn about the history of the plant and of the plans the soviet government had with Chernobyl, before the blast. At the visitors center you see how large the contaminated area is.
Then, with Geigercounter you will drive towards the Reactor NO.4 where you will stand as little as 300 meters from the Reactor, now sealed with concrete and steal. At the Reactor a scientist will tell an interesting story about how the reactor is sealed, showing scale models of the plant. You also learn a lot about the preservation of the plant and the plans to built a huge hangar over the reactor, as the current structure is getting instable.
Radiation levels are definitly higher then normal here. Where normal levels of gamma radiation are about 12, at the reactor we measured 450. At the red forest, where nuclear contamination was the heaviest, the Geigercounter reached levels of over 2000, as we passed through by car.
Further stops on the tour include a visit to the workers town, which was evacuated 2 day after the blast. It is a ghost town overgrown by trees and bushes. You will visit the "amusement park" which was built for the 1.may celebrations. Radiation there is also considerably high.
Last stop on the tour is a village inside the security zone where people are still living, despite the fact it is forbidden. They grow vegtables on contaminated soil but are not scared of radiation.
After 2.5 hours or so you get lunch at the visitors center. Before you leave the security zone the car gets checked for radiation and any person leaving the zone needs to go in a radiation detection maschine to make sure you are ok.
How bizarre it might seem, scientists say that it is safe for people to come there, as you are not exposed to radiation for a very long time. We did not need wear protective suits or anything like that. The only thing we were told is to stay on paved roads and walkways. This, because the rain washes of the radiation ( Dustparticles) into the soil. The soil however, is better not stepped on as radiation is about 30 times higher as on the road.
It felt very strange visiting this site at first, as the disaster was horrific and will influence the area for hundreds of years to come. On the other hand we learned a lot about radiation and nuclear power, thanks to our wonderful guide Juri.
Written July 5, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard G
Bishops Stortford, UK11 contributions
May 2012 • Friends
We were picked up in Kiev's main street before 9 and driven to Chernobyl.
After clearing the zones 30km boarder control and meeting up with the other groups (tour operators book you in, sort your zone visa and transport for the day, then the actual tour is overseen by a government employed guide) we had a briefing in Chernobyl City before heading further into the zone
We stopped off at a number of locations, buildings and monuments throughout the tour- we were told information about each location by our English speaking guide Maxim who was very good. The main locations of course were Prypiat where the best photo opportunities await, and reactor 4.
Unfortunately the government has decided that tourists are no longer allowed into the buildings (I believe this is a safety issue seeing the state of them after 25 years of weathering/no upkeep) so don't be surprised/disappointed when it is mentioned. Whilst this was a mild disappointment it did not take away from the magnitude of this incredible experience.
Lunch was also provided, and seemed to be traditional Ukrainian fare. It was very tasty and filling
Just something to bear in mind is that we got bothered by police a couple of times who wanted to see paperwork and ask questions. Maxim satisfied them, so just follow your guides lead lead and everything will be fine, just be aware that when it is mentioned in the briefing that it does happen so don't be surprised (or scared) if it does
Oh also if you travel in the mosquito season some repellent would be a fantastic idea - we had no idea this problem would be present so ended up having to choose between getting a steady photo and swatting them off you. (I chose photos and so have a fair number!)
After clearing the zones 30km boarder control and meeting up with the other groups (tour operators book you in, sort your zone visa and transport for the day, then the actual tour is overseen by a government employed guide) we had a briefing in Chernobyl City before heading further into the zone
We stopped off at a number of locations, buildings and monuments throughout the tour- we were told information about each location by our English speaking guide Maxim who was very good. The main locations of course were Prypiat where the best photo opportunities await, and reactor 4.
Unfortunately the government has decided that tourists are no longer allowed into the buildings (I believe this is a safety issue seeing the state of them after 25 years of weathering/no upkeep) so don't be surprised/disappointed when it is mentioned. Whilst this was a mild disappointment it did not take away from the magnitude of this incredible experience.
Lunch was also provided, and seemed to be traditional Ukrainian fare. It was very tasty and filling
Just something to bear in mind is that we got bothered by police a couple of times who wanted to see paperwork and ask questions. Maxim satisfied them, so just follow your guides lead lead and everything will be fine, just be aware that when it is mentioned in the briefing that it does happen so don't be surprised (or scared) if it does
Oh also if you travel in the mosquito season some repellent would be a fantastic idea - we had no idea this problem would be present so ended up having to choose between getting a steady photo and swatting them off you. (I chose photos and so have a fair number!)
Written May 19, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cdavies2003
newhaven43 contributions
well worth a dedicated trip to chernobyl if you are near to Ukraine. We sadly booked with a 'bad egg' company but this to one side the trip was really interesting and the local food at lunch time really really good. The school anf the surroundings within the pripyat town rather scary. The main negative points was no english guide and lack of information. No mention of the millions affected with the aftermass of the disater and i'm sure that none of the hefty price tag goes towards the local people. ohh the company was SOLO EAST TRAVEL and they tricked us in the number of people on the travel (should have been 4 but ended up with a bus of 20 backpackers) and they still charged us for upto 17 passengers. We were also the first to book the tour on the date and they promised we would be picked up - the day before we were told we had to go to a collection point elsewhere!. The main guy and his canadian wife were both rude. They do not provide a english guide other than the very basics and you would not learn anything about the history. DO NOT USE THEM
Written September 6, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We offer private and group tours. If you would pay for a private tour you wouldn’t be so disappointed.
We don’t trick with number. The group size is limited by the size of the vehicles you use. On your tour it was Mercedes Sprinter 16 seats + driver + guide – 18 people in total – 16 of them tourists (may be backpackers so what ?). The guide you had inside the zone works for the Ministry of Emergency – so if you learned nothing it’s not our fault. You didn’t provide us with the address for the pick up at the time of booking as you said you’d travel in Ukraine by car. We sent all the tourists a reminding email with a meeting point but If you’d tell us even the day before were to pick you up we would so.
My Canadian wife had nothing to do with clients in 2008. And we had thousands of satisfied customers since then.
Written February 20, 2010
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Aziz A
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia16 contributions
Sep 2013 • Solo
• I was there end of September 2013 and it was one of my best experiences. Before I go there, I was told to bring my passport and wear a long pants, enclosed shoes and I paid 155$ including the Insurance. At 9:00 we left the city of Kiev to Chernobyl town and in a trip that took us two hours. We arrived there at 11 am. The area is divided into four zones, one is 30,00 Kilometers from the reactors. Two is the 10 kilometers from the reactors and third one in the area of the reactors. First, we visited a kindergarten then the nuclear power reactors. After that we went to the nearest town to the 4th reactor which is Pripyat. 50,000 people were living in this town most of them were employees at the nuclear power reactors. This town was “ The dream town” before the disaster occurred May 1986. People wanted to go there because it was modern and there was no shortage of supply as other soviet cities at that time 1986.
• On our way out of the area we went throw 2 radiation check points to check of the radiation we are carrying in our cloths if it’s normal or not. If it’s high, you need to throw your cloths away which had happened to our tour guide twice before (As he said).
• 36 hours after the accident, 1,200 busses came to take 50,000 people away from the city of Pripyat “temporarily” until the problem is solved and they asked them to take only their necessary stuff for a few days. Unfortunately, they never came back and the dream city has become the Ghost city!!!
• On our way out of the area we went throw 2 radiation check points to check of the radiation we are carrying in our cloths if it’s normal or not. If it’s high, you need to throw your cloths away which had happened to our tour guide twice before (As he said).
• 36 hours after the accident, 1,200 busses came to take 50,000 people away from the city of Pripyat “temporarily” until the problem is solved and they asked them to take only their necessary stuff for a few days. Unfortunately, they never came back and the dream city has become the Ghost city!!!
Written February 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marco Grava
Rome, Italy813 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
I have never been fascinated by ghost towns; I am not interested in conspiracy theories. I read a lot about what caused the disaster and have developed my own mind and conviction on it, and it is not important anyways. Whatever happened on that day of April in 1986 just makes me think of those 28 heroes who ran to the rescue and paid the toll losing their very own in the very few days after the explosion, because of the extreme radiation exposure; and the other 19 who died between 1987 and 2004 for reasons strictly linked to their activities on the core; and they knew … of course they knew. And I think of all the other “Saviors” and “Liquidators” who fought to save our lives; and of all the children who lost their hometown; and of families and friends who lost it all. No, it was not the fascination for catastrophes and ghost towns who brought us here. We just felt that we had to come here to … say THANK YOU.
Written January 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grungern
Norway61 contributions
Apr 2011
An incredible experience!
The feeling of entering a forbidden zone, knowing that devestating desaster that happened 25 years ago, seeing all the abondoned houses, schools, the silence, the ruins... words can allmost not describe it.
Its definatelt not something that feels fun, but it is very exciting in another thrilling way. The sound of geigercounters are like horror movie music in the background and you are constantly reminded that there is something very wrong about this place!
A historic place in the world definately worth experiecing! Uniqe!
The feeling of entering a forbidden zone, knowing that devestating desaster that happened 25 years ago, seeing all the abondoned houses, schools, the silence, the ruins... words can allmost not describe it.
Its definatelt not something that feels fun, but it is very exciting in another thrilling way. The sound of geigercounters are like horror movie music in the background and you are constantly reminded that there is something very wrong about this place!
A historic place in the world definately worth experiecing! Uniqe!
Written April 26, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maddalena1958
Marina di Carrara136 contributions
Jul 2012 • Solo
Visited Chernobyl with tour2chernobyl paid 130€, 50 € as a deposit the remaining sum on the morning of the tour . Alex was great in organizing .Was with a mini group, only 7 people. It is like being in a catastrophic film, it is a ghost town. The Luna Park that never was used,makes you fell creepy , at the kinder-garden the toys left behind, the supermarket you get a funny feeling, and the town was all ours, did not spot other visitors. Had lunch at the canteen where the workers eat, because the other reactors a still in function.Looking at the reactor n.4 is an incredible experience.
Written August 16, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter H
Utrecht, The Netherlands7 contributions
May 2014 • Solo
I was 24 years old when the Chernobyl nuclear accident happened and can still remember a lot of things from that time. After having seen BBC's Top Gear episode visiting Chernobyl and Pripyat and a Dutch travel program, I decided that it was time for me to see these places and book a tour. Of course I checked the internet before that in order to get to know everything about the risks regarding the radioactivity still there. At the end of my two-day-tour of the Exclusion Zone (the area that is closed to the public and was evacuated 28 years ago), we visited the reactor 4 site. About 100 meters is as close as you can get.
It was a very strange experience to stand in front of something that caused to much trouble, fear, death and human misery 28 years ago (and, due to the effects of radioactivity, still does). In some way it was scary too to stand there: to know what could've happened if not more than 500,000 people from the former Soviet Union had willingly (or not willingly) helped to limit the consequences of this nuclear disaster. Many of them are now dead. Half of Europe could've been radioactively contaminated if not for their help (due to the fact that there could've been a second - worse - explosion of the reactor). While standing there I saw some images from a documentary about Chernobyl in my mind: thousands of workers only allowed to work on the roof of the reactor for 30 seconds because of the intense radiation (many of those are now dead). The monument in front of reactor 4 keeps the memory of those who sacrificed their lives alive. An exceptionally impressive experience!
The fact that I've given 5 stars is an emotional thing: it was SO amazingly impressive to be there!
It was a very strange experience to stand in front of something that caused to much trouble, fear, death and human misery 28 years ago (and, due to the effects of radioactivity, still does). In some way it was scary too to stand there: to know what could've happened if not more than 500,000 people from the former Soviet Union had willingly (or not willingly) helped to limit the consequences of this nuclear disaster. Many of them are now dead. Half of Europe could've been radioactively contaminated if not for their help (due to the fact that there could've been a second - worse - explosion of the reactor). While standing there I saw some images from a documentary about Chernobyl in my mind: thousands of workers only allowed to work on the roof of the reactor for 30 seconds because of the intense radiation (many of those are now dead). The monument in front of reactor 4 keeps the memory of those who sacrificed their lives alive. An exceptionally impressive experience!
The fact that I've given 5 stars is an emotional thing: it was SO amazingly impressive to be there!
Written June 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melissa S
Sebring, FL114 contributions
Sep 2012 • Friends
There were two of us on a private tour, and it was a very eerie and surreal experience. Actually seeing the reactor up close was amazing. Oddly, we were only allowed to take photos facing the reactor, none of the buildings or surrounding area behind us. There is a bridge over a canal across from the reactor, and we fed some huge catfish over there. We were allowed to photograph the fish and the water only while we were there. We ate lunch at the canteen used by the Chernobyl workers, and the food was terrific. Afterwards we toured Pripyat, which was an experience in itself. The whole time we were there, we were the only four people in the whole town; myself and my friend, and our guide and driver. We didn't see another soul until right before we left. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to enter any buildings. Apparently they stopped allowing that a few months before our arrival due to them becoming unsafe. The memorial set up for the fallen firemen who died putting out the radioactive flames was very moving, as was the memorial in Chernobyl for all the villages and towns bulldozed after the accident. The place is becoming overgrown very quickly, and in a few years most of the roads in Pripyat will probably be unpassable. It's an experience I'm glad I had.
Written December 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sonicbomb 🇬🇧💚
Redcar, United Kingdom
9 contributions
How did Chernobyl happen?
Written March 1, 2021
Tobyboy2007
Dover, United Kingdom
Ahh... I don't want to dive into too much detail here but I'll give you the basic idea.
Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was undergoing a safety test at the time of the accident. Long story short, there was a power surge which could not be stopped, leading to a steam explosion which blew the 1000 ton lid off the reactor, followed by a second, even larger explosion.
The accident caused tons of radioactive elements like Plutonium-239, Iodine-135 and Caesium-137 to be ejected into the atmosphere, contaminating thousands of square kilometres of land for centuries to come.
The full story is way more complicated than that, but I don't want to dive into any physics or anything because I'm only 13 and would probably get everything wrong. I'm in love with the story of Chernobyl, and have been researching the story for a while now.
If you want to learn more, HBO's Chernobyl series is really good; that's where I picked up my interest for Chernobyl and learnt most of what I know today.
Written April 10, 2021
Kun je met een ICD / Pacemaker deze plek bezoeken? Welke soort scanners worden er bij ingang en uitgang en onderweg gebruikt?
Written February 26, 2020
Now, now. Only an extra toe!
Written October 28, 2019
Not from my knowledge but dust is the key point.
Written July 27, 2019
Hola. Escribo de Argentina. Queria saber cuanto cuesta el tour y si tienen alguna agencia para recomendar. Por otro lado.. alguien sabe como voy de Kiev a Polonia? mas especificamente a Cracovia. Gracias!!!
Written May 15, 2016
Hola Diego... el tour sale 168 dolares por la agencia Soloeast travel... buscalo en internet... es completamente seguro, mi experiencia es muy buena. Recomendacion... trata de por lo menos armar traducido al idioma de ellos el nonbre de la calle del hotel en Kiev ya que pocos hablan ingles y me costo hacerme entender para ir del aeropuerto a la ciudad.
Buen viaje
Written May 15, 2016
Beatrice M
Morrovalle, Italy
Salve
Vorrei sapere come posso fare per prenotare un tour per Chernobyl.
Mi potete aiutare?
Grazie
Written March 15, 2015
Rene S
Wesel, Germany
Wie komm ich denn nach tschernobyl wie teuer ist es und wo muss mann sich melden wenn mann dahin möchte?
MFG
RENE SCHOLTEN
Written February 22, 2015
Hallo,
Sie können über verschiedene Veranstalter buchen, zum Beispiel TourKiev (SoloEast).
Beachten Sie dann unbedingt die Vorschriften bzgl. Pässen, Anmeldungen, Kleidung etc. Es handelt sich um ein militärisch kontrolliertes Gebiet, dem entsprechend sollte man sich verhalten.
Man kann entweder mit einer organisierten Tour ab Kiew fahren oder auch einen zugelassenen Guide im eigenen Auto mitnehmen, dann ist der Treffpunkt üblicherweise der 30km-Zonen-Checkpoint Dytjatki.
Da es verscheidene Möglichkeiten und Anbieter gibt, variieren die Preise. Im Rahmen von ca. 300 bis 500 US$ kann man einen interessanten Tag in der „Zone“ verbringen.
Written February 23, 2015
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