The Best Hiking Trails in the Carpathians: A Selection of Tours from Visit Ukraine

The Carpathians offer dozens of hiking trails of varying difficulty—from easy walks to multi-day treks along mountain ridges with overnight stays in mountain huts. The Visit Ukraine portal has compiled tours to Hoverla, Pip Ivan, Svidovets, the Gorgany, and other iconic locations that are suitable for both beginners and experienced travelers. Learn more about the best hiking routes in the Carpathians and how to choose your tour

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Every year, the Ukrainian Carpathians attract thousands of travelers eager to hike mountain trails, see alpine lakes, and climb legendary peaks. There are routes for every fitness level—from day hikes to multi-day treks across mountain ridges with overnight stays in mountain huts. The Visit Ukraine portal has compiled the most interesting tours of the Carpathians to help you plan an unforgettable trip to the mountains.

We’ll tell you more about which routes to consider and what participants will see on each one below.

Climbing Hoverla and Mount Kostel: Routes to Explore the Carpathians

For those just starting out in mountain tourism, the best way to begin is by climbing iconic peaks with comfortable hotel accommodations and organized transfers.

The “3-Day Hoverla Tour” is a three-day trip that begins in Lutsk and includes a visit to the 17th-century Manyava Hermitage and a jeep tour to the Manyava Waterfall. On the second day, participants climb Hoverla (2,061 m)—the highest point of the Ukrainian Carpathians. For those who prefer an easier option, there is a jeep tour to the Yagidna mountain pasture and ATV riding. The third day of the tour takes place in Bukovel, where travelers take the cable car, visit the interactive museum of Hutsul culture “Hutsul-Land,” and conclude the program in Yaremche—near the Probiy Waterfall and at the souvenir market.

The “Hike to Mount Kostel” tour lasts two days and is suitable even for beginners with no special training. The route starts in Lutsk with a stop at the Park of Earth History, where participants will immerse themselves in the era of prehistoric animals and try their hand at being archaeologists. Next, the group travels to the Carpathians, where, if desired, they can go on a jeep tour to the 13-meter-high Zhenetsky Huk Waterfall. Overnight accommodation is in a cottage amidst a spruce forest, complete with a Hutsul dinner. The next day, after a morning walk through the Prutets River canyon, participants will climb the rocky mountain of Kostel (Gorgan). The total round-trip distance of the route is about 5 km. On the way to the summit, travelers will find the Great Hutsul Swing—a popular photo spot. From the top of Kostel, panoramic views open up, similar to those from two-thousand-meter peaks, but without the long climb.

Where to go from Lviv for the weekend—read about it in this article.

The Chornohora Range: Ascending 2,000-meter Peaks and Pip Ivan

Chornohora is the highest range in the Ukrainian Carpathians, and it is here that the routes are concentrated for those who want to conquer peaks over 2,000 meters. Three tours offer different ways to explore this mountain range.

The “HUT ROUTE: Three 2,000-Meter Peaks” tour is a three-day hike with overnight stays at the “White Elephant Gadzhyna” mountain hut at an altitude of 1,100 m. On the first day, participants cover a 9-kilometer trek through the Prut River valley across the Maryshevska Ridge to the Gadzhyna mountain pasture. The second day is the most intense: the group covers about 15 km, visiting the Shpits cliffs (1,863 m) and the Rebra peak (2,001 m), and, weather permitting, also Brebeneskul (2,035 m) and Gutyn Tomnatyk (2,016 m). The final day is a 13-kilometer trek along the Kosarysche Ridge with panoramic views of the entire Chornohora range.

The “Journey to Pip Ivan” tour also lasts three days and starts from Vorokhta. The first day features a hiking route to the Hungarian Rocks (1,250 m) with a visit to a Hutsul family, where the hostess Olena treats the travelers to a homemade lunch. On the second day, participants make the main ascent to Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi (2,028 m) via Vukhatyi Kamin Mountain (1,864 m). At the summit, the group enjoys a picnic and a swing ride with a view of the majestic “White Elephant” observatory. The third day is dedicated to a hike along the Kosarysche Ridge—a 10-kilometer route offering panoramic views of the entire Chornohora range.

The “Shpytsi and Brebeneskul” Tour is a compact two-day hike for experienced travelers. On the first day, the group passes through the Gadzhyna tract to the rocky peak of Shpytsi (1,863 m), ascends to Gutyn-Tomnatyk (2,016 m), and sets up camp near Ukraine’s highest-altitude lake—Brebeneskul (1,801 m). On the second day, participants climb Mount Brebeneskul (2,038 m), pass through an ancient glacial cirque, and traverse the valley of the Kizi-Ulogi tract. The tour offers two options: a comfortable one—with overnight stays in cabins—and a classic one—with tents and cooking over a campfire.

By the way, in a previous article we discussed, where to find affordable vacation spots in Ukraine.

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Hikes along the Svidovets Ridge: mountain lakes and the Bliznytsia peak

Svidovets is the second-highest ridge in the Ukrainian Carpathians, known for its glacial lakes and alpine meadows.

Two tours reveal this mountain range from different angles.

The “Hike through Svidovets” Tour — a two-day route with a total length of 32 km. On the first day, participants climb Mount Stig (1,704 m), then proceed to Mount Velykyi Kotel (1,770 m) and descend to Lake Dogiaska. The second day begins with an ascent of Mount Zhandarm (1,763 m), followed by a climb to Bliznytsia (1,881 m), the highest peak of Svidovets, offering a panoramic view of the entire range. The route passes through the intermediate peaks of Mala Blyznytsia (1,566 m) and Pereslup (1,452 m), the Brailka mountain pasture, and ends in the village of Kvasy, where you can taste Burkut mineral water and visit the local brewery and cheese factory.

The “Svidovets: To the Land of Mountain Lakes” tour lasts three days. It starts in the village of Yasinya, from where the group hikes 12 km over Mount Bukovynka (1,164 m) to the Dragobrat mountain pasture. On the second day, the route takes you through the mountain pastures to Krachuneska (1,686 m) and Mount Velykyi Kotel (1,771 m), at the foot of which lies one of Svidovets’ most beautiful lakes—Vorozheska (1,460 m). It consists of two bodies of water with crystal-clear water: an upper, round one with a diameter of 95 m and a lower, elongated one 76 m long. The final day involves an ascent to Bliznytsia (1,883 m), passing through Mount Zhandarm (1,763 m), and a descent through the Brailka mountain pasture to the village of Kvasy.

Where to go for your first trip to the Carpathians — we tell you here.

Gorgany: Ascent of Syvulia and Waterfall Route

The Gorgany range stands out among other Carpathian ridges for its rocky scree slopes, wild glades, and numerous waterfalls.

The “Hike in the Gorgany: Syvulia, Peklo Valley, Waterfalls” tour is a three-day program that starts in Ivano-Frankivsk. The first day is dedicated to the Tavpishirka Ridge: participants visit the High-Mountain Arboretum, hike to the Yavorchik mountain pasture, and traverse a 13-kilometer route through the Tavpishirka Botanical Reserve and the Salatruk Protected Area.

The second day is the most challenging: a 20-kilometer route featuring an ascent of Syvulia (1,836 m), the highest peak of the Gorgany Mountains, whose summit is covered in rocky scree with moss.

After the ascent, the group visits the Peklo tract—a steep ravine with a 100-meter drop, covered in spruce forest—and to conclude the day, the Salatruchil Waterfall (6 m), which splits into two cascades and flows into a small lake. Day three features a walking route through the waterfalls: the two-cascade Roztoka Verkhniy, Roztoka Nyzhniy, the 8-meter-high Bukhtivetsky Waterfall, and the Krapelkovy Waterfall, where the water breaks into thousands of tiny droplets.

The Visit Ukraine portal offers a wide selection of organized tours through the Carpathians, ranging from one-day excursions to multi-day hikes along the mountain ridges. Each route includes an experienced guide, transportation, and carefully planned meals. All details, departure dates, and terms of participation are available on the Visit Ukraine website.

Choose a tour that matches your fitness level and set off to conquer the Carpathian peaks!

Reminder! Medieval fortresses, Renaissance palaces, and mysterious ruins—dozens of castles have been preserved in Ukraine, each with its own centuries-old history. Read more about Ukraine’s most beautiful castles and tours that will help you visit them by following the link.

Photo: Carpatium

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