Carpathian mountains – arc or crescent-shaped mountains range stretches along Central and Eastern Europe. This 1500 km stretch passes through Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia. Ukrainian Carpathian mountains are blessed with wonderful nature and if you are a nature lover then Carpathian mountains tour should be included in your Ukraine itinerary. So let’s check what to do in Ukrainian Carpathian mountains tour – Best day trips from Lviv and experiences the bliss of peaceful mountain lakes, flowing streams, roaring rivers, stunning waterfalls, earthy smell of dense hilly forests and fresh mountain air.
Carpathian mountains are located to the southwest corner of Ukraine which borders with Romania and Poland. I took this Ukrainian Carpathians from Lviv which is a beautiful historical city in western Ukraine. Lviv lies on the foothills of mountains and within a couple of hours drive, you are surrounded by hills, valleys, and mountainous regions. Click here to book the full day nature trip from Lviv.
Attractions included during this nature day trip from Lviv – Synevyr Lake – Kolochava Skansen village – Pylypets mountain & valley tour with cable car to Gymba/Gemba mountain – Shypit waterfall – Return back to Lviv.
What To Do In Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains tour – Best Day trips from Lviv | Lviv Excursions
After an hour drive from Lviv, the whole route or road passes through breathtaking views of mountainous curves, pine – fir forests, streams, rural-traditional hilltop villages, and gushing rivers. At many points, you can stop in between for taking photographs.
FIRST STOP – SYNEVYR LAKE | What To Do In Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains tour – Best Day trips from Lviv | Lviv Excursions
Synevyr lake is one of the most beautiful and largest lakes in Ukraine which is located at 989 m above sea level and surrounded by beautiful dense forest and meadows. Synevyr lake is known as “Pearl of the Carpathians.”
There is a beautiful legendary belief behind the formation of this lake. According to traditional local belief, it is said, that this mountain range belonged to wealthy Duke who had a beautiful daughter with emerald-blue eyes. Her name was Synya (“Syni” means blue in local language”). Synya fall in love with a local shepherd named Vyr who used to play flute in this region. But wealthy Duke was not in favor of this love and so he ordered the killing of Vyr. Due to this Syna ran to the sight of killing and cried a lot. She cried so much that her tears turned into a lake and as her eyes were emerald-bluish the water of the lake resembles her eyes. Therefore this lake is favorite among lovers and they come here to take their love vows.
According to science, it was created 10000 years ago after Ice Age period due to the huge earthquake. The forest around the lake is about 150 years ago.
Walk around the lake around the rough path and wooden bridges to enjoy the full beauty of the lake. For reaching the lake, you have to walk or hike a few meters after parking your vehicle. The streams flow along your walking path and passing through the pine/fir trees forest is worth here. You can hear the whispering trees and smell the forest air while walking. Feel the bliss of real nature while walking. If you want to stay near the lake Synevyr then click here to check the stay at cozy wooden styled Synevyrskyj Chardash.
The nearby lake is Brown Bears Rehabilitation Center. This center is opened to save endangered species of brown bears and some of them are rescued from circus & private zoos.
SECOND STOP – KOLOCHAVA SKANSEN VILLAGE | What To Do In Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains tour – Best Day trips from Lviv | Lviv Excursions
After enjoying Synevyr lake, drive to this authentic village for a small stopover. This authentic Ukrainian village with wooden huts and wooden fences is a perfect place to admire the lifestyle of Carpathian folk people.
Kolochava is a beautiful countryside village with fresh forest air and splendid scenery. You can wander around to check many wooden cottages, wooden churches and therefore it is known as museum-village. Click here to stay at Котедж Ялівець which is a perfect folk styled wooden cottage, at farm styled Staroe Selo or at Agio hotel at Kolochava
THIRD STOP – PYLYPETS – GYMBA MOUNTAIN| What To Do In Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains tour – Best Day trips from Lviv | Lviv Excursions
Pylypets is a ski-resort town and is favorite among skiers, hikers and winter sports lovers. Chair lift cable cars take you to top of Gymba mountain. In winters, the whole area is snow-clad and a favorable spot for skiers and winter sports. There are wide meadows with many slopes, trails for descending down during skiing. From the top of Gymba mountain, the view of countryside villages is amazing. In summers, when there is no snow, you can enjoy plucking blueberries when you descend down rolling hills. You can enjoy staying overnight at wooden cottages surrounded by pine and fir forests. Click here to book wooden chalet with ski access at Шалє у Пилипці or spa hotel amidst the Carpathians at Grand Hotel, Pylypets.
FOURTH STOP – SHYPIT WATERFALLS| What To Do In Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains tour – Best Day trips from Lviv | Lviv Excursions
After getting down from Gymba mountain you can either hike to this waterfalls or drive to that location. From Pylypets village, follow the signboard “Shypit waterfall” and approximately after 5 to 6 kilometers you will reach to the spot. From the parking spot, you have to walk or hike down the rough patch beside the stream of water to reach the falls. “Shypit” means “Whisper” and so accordingly you can hear the gushing sound of the waterfall from a far distance. This 14m high waterfall is located on Pylypets river and in an isolated peaceful place.
After spending a few hours here, we returned back to our Hotel Atlas Deluxe in Lviv. Apart from Lviv city tour, there are a couple of worth doing day trips from Lviv like Nature day trip and Castles day trip.
TIPS TO BE FOLLOWED DURING THE Best Day trips from Lviv | Lviv Excursions
- Wear comfortable footwear or hiking shoes as you may need to walk a lot whole day on rough patches and mountainous slopes too.
- Eat light as a whole day, you will be driving through mountainous curves.
- Carry a small snack and lots of water with you. You will not find any branded or fine dining restaurants. Most eateries are serving local food made by villagers.
- Buy some local produce sold by villagers like forest honey, berries tea, dried forest berries & edible flowers, berries wine, dry pollen, cheese, etc.
- Language can be a problem as rural folk doesn’t understand English. The people are welcoming.
- There are some nearby bus and railway stations but then you have to catch a cab or taxi to reach the tourist spot. So it is better to hire some private or public local guided tour from Lviv.
- Few overnight stay options are there but not many. Staying here is generally in traditional wooden cottages mostly ran by villagers.
- Start early from Lviv because it is the long hectic day on mountains with many stopovers. I recommend starting by 8:00 A.M. so that by 8:00 P.M. you are back to your hotel.
It is very sad that this beautiful mountainous region is very underrated in Ukraine. The Carpathians in Ukraine is not known to many people as a tourist destination and seems to be neglected. It is worth visiting here as this place has many beautiful places to see around and also a perfect relaxation spot with full of nature all around. If you are a nature lover, then plan your Carpathians Mountains tour this summer.
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- What to do in Kiev/Kyiv City Tour
- Lviv City Tour
- Culinary Tour in Lviv
- Visit Odessa – The Pearl of the Black Sea
- Ukraine Itinerary for 2 weeks, with tips, visa information, and other necessary details.
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I’ve only explored the Carpathians in my home country, Romania. It’s interesting to discover new parts of this incredible mountain chain.
Wow great you live near to this beautiful mountain range.
What a wonderful area. I can imagine that walking there is really fun and you can discover a lot of untouched nature.
Yes Susanne it was virgin nature everywhere in Carpathians without any commercial or over touristy place.
As a nature lover this is my kind of road trip. Such beautiful scenery! I would want to stay overnight in one of the villages to get more of a local experience.
Yes Lara, staying overnight in these local villages is a fun thing to do here.
Thank you for the beautiful photos and itinerary through the Carpathian Mountains in the Ukraine. I would like to follow your suggestions of leaving from Lviv and doing a long day trip.
Thanks for liking the suggestions and hopefully you would truly enjoy it.
Beautiful drive! I love chairlifts and waterfalls so I would definitely have to go to the top of Gymba Mountain and the Shypit Waterfall. Also, great tips on eating light because the drive is curvy. I am one of those who gets carsick so that is a super helpful tip!
Thanks Heather, yes many people feel uncomfortable on mountainous drive that is why it is good to be light on stomach. And the views from Gymba mountains are stunning.
Ukrainian Carpathian looks so serene and beautiful. This is absolutely my kind of place. I love these slow mountain villages and the lifestyle. The folklore of the SYNEVYR LAKE is so heart-touching. This is definitely a picturesque place. Thank you for introducing me. I can spend a week easily there.
Thanks Parnashree and yes this place is very relaxing and serene. A nature love would truly love this place.
Wow, thank you for this post. I had never heard of these mountains before, despite the fact that I am planning on travelling around Ukraine for a little while next year or the year after. That waterfall looks gorgeous!
Then add this area too with you upcoming Ukraine trip.
I had no idea about Carpathian mountains. They seem to be the best day tours from Lviv, undoubtedly. I would love to visit the lake, the village, and the mountain. They are so lovely, and your red dress is looking so classy with such beautiful landscape background.
Thanks Shreya for beautiful compliments. Western Ukraine is really very natural
Ukraine is not on my bucket list yet but I suspect it’s slightly underrated… These forests are amazing!
Someday we’ll have to make it to Ukraine. Lviv looks like a wonderful place filled with nature, which is precisely what we love. We would definitely try some of those locally sourced foods.
Yes Jenn, Lviv and its neighborhoods are truly magical.
I never visited this side of the Carpathian Mountains but it looks really nice. I’ve only been to the Romanian side but the landscapes look very similar. I’m glad to see you had an amazing time here and would love to explore this region more in the future.
Yes, Romania is the nearest border from Carpathian side from Ukraine and so the landscapes you might find quite similar
Carpathian Mountains sounds like an enchanted place. Your pictures show how magical it is. I feel like a hike in the Carpanthians Mountains is like a hike in those fairytale settings.
Thanks Cat and yes it was like a fairytale hike in green mountains
The Carpathian Mountains look like Nature’s enchanting gift to Ukraine. The sheer natural beauty is mesmerizing. Have never been to these parts of the world, but your pictures prompt us to plan a trip soon. Hope we do get to see such a visual feast. The day trips from Lviv each sound really exciting.Falling in love with Kolochava Skansen Village which seems straight out of a fairy tale.
Thanks Sandy for loving this article. I too agree with you as Kolochava village really looks like a fairy tale.
I’ve not yet been to Ukraine, but have heard of the Carpathian Mountains before. The lake is stunning, and I can imagine how peaceful it is in that surrounding nature. The falls too look equally stunning, and it’s nice to know the people are welcoming, though they speak little English.
Thanks Lisa for reading through
You are right! The Ukrainian Carpathian mountains are simply gorgeous and a must visit place for nature lovers. All the places you mentioned looks simply beautiful. The local produce looks good. The colorful things in the small jars look quite delectable to me. Thanks for the tips about language and journey.
Thanks Amrita for loving the post. The colorful liquids in jars are berries wine made by villagers at there home. Also some of them are flowers tea – not exactly the tea leaves but flower essence which you add it to hot water for warmth and relaxing effect. Their tastes were superb
I’ve never heard of these mountains, but this looks like an epic road trip. I’m planning to be in this part of the world later this year, so hopefully I can fit this into my itinerary.
Great you loved it, and hopefully you will do it this year
This is really beautiful 🙂
I have been wanting to go to Ucraine, and I have had my heart set on Kiev, but maybe I should rethink!
I heard about Carpathian Mountains a few months back when my son learned about Central and Eastern Europe in his History class. I had no idea that this part of Ukraine is beautiful and peaceful, and the best part for me, it is still untouchable by tourists. The legend of Synevyr Lake sounds like a fairy tale but too bad it ended tragically.
Yes, this part is very beautiful and peaceful but the legend behind the lake is also tragic. I find this place interesting as it is not very touristic.
This seems like a totally underrated place to visit! I love the ski lift to see the mountains from up above. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Olivia for reading through
To start with I think Ukraine as a country in under rated and has a lot of potential for tourism and growth as a nation . It is good to see and hear from posts like yours that the country has so much to offer . Staying in almost Europe i have not thought about visiting this part but seeing mountain stretch that passes through Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia seems a natural wonder and one I would love to visit. The ski lifts gives you some great views and these have complimented your post for sure . Thanks for sharing
Oh man, this post just put Ukraine on my radar! The views are unbelievable and everything is so green. Pylypets looks like a lot of fun; I’d love to ride that ski lift! Thanks so much for sharing, and your photos are really well shot!
Thanks Kevin for all appreciation, I too was amazed to see such the natural side of Ukraine.
I never know that there is so many places to visit around Lviv. Your pictures even look like it is not that touristy. My personal choice would be definitely the waterfall!
I agree Albina that this mountain range is very serene and not over-crowded with tourists.
Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains looks so untouched, peaceful and serene. I have not heard of them but their photos are so stunning. I’d love experience them green in summers and white in winters!
You would love truly this place.
The Ukrainian Carpathian mountains remind me so much of the Rhodope mountains i’m Bulgaria. I love staying in small villages in the mountains and doing day hikes around there. The Carpathians definitely sound like my kind of place!
It is glad you love staying in countryside mountain towns and I am sure, you would love it when you visit there.
What beautiful images. This type of adventure is exactly what our family loves. Great tips, too, especially the warning about winding roads, so many people experience motion sickness with that type of ride. I am guessing you can’t swim in that body of water because of the bears? I am curious about that.
Swimming and fishing in lake is not allowed due to maintenance issues
I have never heard of Carpathian mountains but the landscapes looks really scenic and amazing. Something that I won’t find in India.
It is really awesome to explore a place with such greenery and amazing food. I would love to visit here sometime in future.
Yes sure, this place is offbeat but worth visiting. It have nice green rolling hills in summer and white enchanting snow clad peaks in winters. You can try both seasons here.
I can so imagine what a beautiful road trip it would be, in those gorgeous green mountains. Pylypets Village looks quite cool too, I love visiting ski resorts and mountains towns. The hike to Shypit waterfall would be an amazing one too. However, it seems like Synevyr lake would be the highlight of my trip! I love the emerald color waters, it’s so calm and pretty.
Yes Medha, the whole area is magical and Synevyr lake is very relaxing and peaceful
I always associate the Carpathian Mountains with Romania, so this post was interesting from the Ukraine side! The pictures inspired me; it looks like an off-the-beaten path place to visit, and I love small villages. Thank you also for providing some of the local legends and beliefs, like the story about the Duke and Synya. It’s difficult to get those local tidbits as a tourist, so much appreciated for including them!
Thanks Merry for going through and yes it was like a fairy tale travel with all legends and picturesque location
I haven’t been anywhere near Ukraine. I love how there’s a story behind every place. I’ve always wanted to try ski lifts before. I haven’t tried them before. So many things to add to my bucketlist.
Yes the world is huge and we have to explore so many things
I hadn’t really thought to add Ukraine to my travel bucket list but after reading this and seeing the pictures, I would love to go! The homes and villages especially intrigued me. I am saving this for later so that I can hopefully go to explore these day trips myself. Thanks!
Sure Taylor, you would love this place
I truly didn’t know that Ukraine would be this beautiful. I’ve never thought of visiting the country but this post changed my mind! The nature is absolutely stunning and it looks so calm and peaceful! Also, I’m a little bit curios, whats your opinion on the local food in Ukraine, did you enjoy it? 🙂
Being vegetarian, I could find little options in local food like berries, fruits, and grilled veggies with home made cheese. I think they have many varieties of local food. This place is very peaceful and relaxed.
Wow I actually had no idea the countryside of Ukraine was so green! It looks like a great place to get lost in nature!
Thanks Shane, yes here it is full of nature and I love to get lost in nature.
I will admit, I was one of the people who had no idea that the Carpathians even existed! Thanks for sharing this beautiful mountain region. I’ve added to my list when exploring Ukraine!
Thanks Angelica for reading through and you got one more place to explore about.
This is right up my alley! My husband and I love exploring the mountains in other countries. Do you know if there are multi-day hikes where people hike from one village to the next? We have done things like that in Albania and Georgia and would love to do in in the Ukraine if you have heard of such a thing!
Yes, you can do multi day hikes here and can go from one village to another. Just you have to do overnight stay at villager’s cottages or camping in forests.
Such beautiful photos wow! This was a great post. Check out my blog and let me know if you have any stories you’d like to share to get your blog featured!
Sure, I will go through
Ukraine is actually a country that I haven’t given much thought to visiting but this has put it on my radar! It looks absolutely beautiful- I love your photos! It looks so picturesque and serene
Thanks Hayley, I agree Ukraine is underrated but worth visiting.
This looks absolutely beautiful!! I love getting out in nature and this looks like such a scenic journey. Ukraine has been catching my eye a lot lately.
Thanks for reading through
Ukraine is high on my list . And thanls for bringing out information about this hiking place . I would definitely visit once I am in ukraine
I loved my time in the Carpathian mountains! Granted I was visiting them from the Romanian side, but they were still beautiful. I love those little villages that dot the countryside. It’s such a simple way of life that I’m not used to. I agree with your suggestion to bring snacks and a lot of water. We didn’t really find more than a few roadside stands selling berries…which is yummy, but not really filling for an 8 hour journey. I want to check out the Ukrainian side of the Carpathians now!
Great to know that you have dome Romanian side and hopefully I will see that side too soon.
Ukraine seems really beautiful. I have not been to this part of the world yet. Looks like a great place to relax and chill out. Hope to see it some day.
Hopefully you will visit this beautiful country soon.
I have not been to this part of the world yet. Looks like a great place to relax and chill out.
I am glad you are talking about such a beautiful piece of Earth as Ukrainian Carpathia. I went there few years ago and I was amazed how virgin and beautiful is the place.
Gr8 Anita, that you had been there. It is really very beautiful