Private Guide in Ukraine, Tour guide Reviews

Taking a trip with Viktor was truly a highlight of my time spent in Ukraine. From the beginning he was very organized and created a helpful map for me to understand the options for routes. I traveled alone and without knowledge of Ukrainian language, so, I was looking for a guide who could take me to unique places, places I could never find on my own. With Viktor I was able to do this and more--most notably, we were able to find the home where my grandmother was born and lived from 1930-1945. Though I had an address from an archivist--street names have changed many times, and numbers of houses. So Viktor knocked on doors and spoke with many people (translating for me along the way) to help track down this house based on local knowledge and memory of the area. This was such a unique adventure and certainly one I could not have even considered making without expert help and knowledge. Though this was an important part of the trip, we also went to some museums and saw many other sights. For example in Drohobych I highly recommend the old salt factory, this was amazing! I am sure I will come back to Ukraine again and will travel again with Viktor. We also spent our drives having interesting conversations about life and history and politics. Highly recommend this guide.

Viktor did a phenomenal job creating a customized virtual tour of my family’s ancestral villages. The videos you see on his channel of Pochapy and Zhulychi were part of our tour. I initially contacted him hoping he might be able to translate a baptismal certificate for me, which he quickly and easily did. He located the villages listed on the certificate and offered to create a virtual tour for a surprisingly reasonable price, along with helping me find relevant historical documents that would have otherwise been difficult to find. He personally went to three villages and took tons of videos and pictures. He also talked to locals to see if any connection could be made with my family and to get history of the villages from its resident’s perspectives. What he uncovered was fascinating, and I truly felt like I got a genuine taste of the area! My family and I were so excited to sit down with him on Zoom to hear about his visit. The Zoom call far exceeded our expectations and truly felt equivalent to actually being there in-person with a tour guide. The videos and 360 pictures made it an immersive experience, and Viktor was incredibly knowledgeable about the history and culture of the area. He walked us through all of the footage he took, just like an in-person tour guide would. We also received a link to the custom google map with pictures and videos to keep. I truly felt that his tour was worth so much more than he asked for, considering how detailed, personalized, and polished the whole thing was. He also got the tour done very quickly at my request because of an ailing grandmother who wanted to see it. I highly recommend using Viktor - my whole family was thoroughly impressed by the incredible job he did!

This was first trip to Ukraine, to trace my father's roots to a village near Kolomyya. Armed with some old photos and letters, Viktor worked his magic from the start. We found my grandparents' graves within a few minutes of arriving. Viktor then approached some locals who introduced us to friends who remembered the family. They even showed us the spot where my dad was born and lived as a child. The whole day was far more amazing than I'd dared to hope - I just wish I could give more than five stars! Viktor is great company and a passionate advocate for his country. I'm already dreaming about my next trip to Ukraine and hope one day he can visit London so we can reciprocate by sharing some of our local knowledge.

Viktor took my trip to Galicia and through his empathy, intellectual curiosity and hard work turned it into a transformative experience. From working with local residents of the community from which my family originated to find their home to locating a historian in Lviv to illuminate a relative’s Rabbinical career, he left no stone unturned. Viktor’s knowledge of the region and the cultural groups that have comprised its history is remarkable and perhaps only surpassed by his warmth and generosity of spirit. He is simply a joy to spend time with. If there were a sixth star to add to the review, I would gladly do so.

Viktor helped our family of five travel from Kyiv to Krakow over the course of three days. Our experience was first class; better than we could have imagined when booking his services! In Khmlenytskiy, he helped us reach out to a local officials to lean more about our daughter's heritage and he was able to get great local recommendations from a friend in the area. We had access to important conversations that would never have occurred, had he not been there to guide us and translate for us. From Khmelnytskiy he took us to fun Georgian restaurant in Ternopil, then on to Lviv, where he shared plenty of local history to make our one-night stay much more enjoyable. From there, we crossed the border from Ukraine into Poland, and he helped guide us through passport control and customs in both countries. He made a long process much less stressful. By the time he left us in Krakow, our entire family had grown fond of him and our kids came to describe him as their "Ukrainian Security Blanket!" I highly recommend Viktor for anyone who is looking for a knowledgeable, professional, and personal guide through Ukraine and Poland! His services are well worth it!

My daughter and I spent 8 wonderful days with Viktor this past May. We let him design a loop starting and ending in Lviv. Viktor is a kind and well tempered man that will work endlessly to make sure you are enjoying your trip. One day he drove 6 hours in the rain, along miles and miles of roadways riddled with potholes without a single complaint. His vechile is lovely and we felt safe with him driving. He was very generous with his time, and each day lasted well into the evening. We had fun stopping along the side of the road to buy fruit and fill our water bottles with fresh mountain water. He had cookies, sweets and chocolates as snacks to keep us going. Viktor will spend as long/short a time at a site as you would like. He is extremely flexible and lets you know that he is there for your service. We were so lucky to be invited to share a meal with his family. Viktor did his best to explain the history of many of the sites we visited; but if you are a history buff I would suggest that you do your own research to complete your circle of understanding. There are many beautiful places to visit in Ukraine with a long, rich complicated history. I highly recommend Viktor as a guide, and as another reviewer wrote, we started as strangers and quickly became friends. I hope he makes it to America so I can show him my city!!

Unlike many of Viktor's guests we were not on a trip in search of family heritage. But Viktor was very adept at switching to a different kind of tour. We were with him for 7 days, travelling through Trancarpathia and Carpathia and up to Lviv. Our focus was off the beaten track villages and photography. Viktor was extremely helpful during the research phase as well as on the ground. We found lots of great locations and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Oh, and Viktor is funny and gracious and superb company. He has our wholehearted recommendations.

Like others who have shared reviews, I have been learning more about my family heritage and wanted to visit the villages in Ukraine where my family came from. Viktor was a wonderful aid and companion in this effort! When I visited western Ukraine he met us at the border and drove for many hours in a short period of time to get us to the towns I wanted to see. He had done research, connected me with a local academic, translated for us, and persisted and persevered with me in tiny villages to help me find old cemeteries and memorials. He is a professional, gentle, caring and thorough guide who I am grateful to have met. Thank you Viktor!

Viktor is an amazing guide. I contacted him for a Jewish ancestral tour of Stryi and Pidhorotsi, and within less than 24 hours he replied with a full-on Google Map of the exact route and all the sites to see along the way. Communication prior to the trip was perfect. We loved spending the day with Viktor - if you need a tour guide or a translator in western Ukraine, DEFINITELY book him!! Thanks for an amazing trip, Viktor :)

Believe the reviews. I contacted Viktor with an obscure request -- I wanted to visit the ancestral village of my great-grandfather, who left for Canada in 1900. Armed with very little information, Viktor consulted a genealogist, took me to the village, introduced me to the local leaders, translated conversations with the residents, discovered a book of family information, and took me on a trek through an other-worldly cemetery. This is something I will never forget. The man has an encyclopedic knowledge of Ukraine, a huge heart, and a truly professional operation. Do yourself a favor and book a tour with Viktor. You're in good hands.

We spent two days with Viktor touring a village with a connection to my grandparents, and another day seeing historical sites. Viktor was extremely knowledgeable, accomodating, and helpful. His translating and guide services made our trip not only possible, but the highlight of our time in Ukraine. I would reccomend his services without qualification!

“I accompanied a dear friend to Eastern Europe who was searching for his Ukraine family history and any living Ukraine family relations; relations which were known to my friend in a very uncertain way. To our great joy, Viktor Yedynak, along with a genealogist, located my friend’s close relatives who were living in a small village in Western Ukraine. The family reunion and celebration was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Viktor provided the utmost in professionalism and expertise when taking us on this journey of discovery. Viktor is an intelligent, articulate, generous and kind man who worked with great energy, social intelligence and diligent care to facilitate this reunion. He is without doubt a skilled communicator. Personally, I found him patient, engaging, lively and humorous. I hold him in the highest regard and recommend him as a superlative guide and facilitator. Alicia Gradson, Canada, May 2019

When I reached out to Viktor before my trip to Ukraine I knew immediately that I had made a good choice. He was very generous with his time, answering multiple questions before it was confirmed I was going to hire him. He also worked diligently in advance of my trip to locate living relatives and arrange for them to receive me. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left Viktor was there for us, on schedule every step. I was welcomed into a school and was meeting all kinds of distant relatives on the spot and Viktor served as the perfect interpreter, photographer and local etiquette advisor. Viktor is very knowledgeable about Ukraine and the local histories and he knows how to get around. He's a good driver with a good vehicle. This is worth stressing because roads in Ukraine are not what we North Americans expect and a good driver is essential. Overall Viktor is a genuinely nice guy and a pleasure to travel with. I couldn't be happier with the service I received from Viktor and I would not hesitate to hire him again.

Viktor is fantastic! I hired him for two days to visit Lviv, Buchach, and Ivano-Frankivsk. He went above and beyond expectations, even helping me order documents in advance from the state archives for me to view. With his help I discovered and learned things about what I was seeing that I never could have on my own. If you need to deal with local bureaucrats, Viktor knows exactly what to do. He is an excellent, safe driver and even took a bunch of photos that he shared with me. I'll be using his services again if I'm ever back in western Ukraine!

Viktor was a very professional leader and even interpreter. He actively supported my research trip and played a major role in its success. He has a good car, he drives well car, he has a great camera and he takes great pictures.

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My wife and I visited Western Ukraine September 8-13, 2018. Viktor was our companion and trusted guide for four of those days. He picked us up at our hotel in Ternopil and immediately amazed us with his knowledge: first of English, then of Ukrainian history and geography! He drove us to the areas of Chortkiv, Slobidka Dzurynska (my father's all but abandoned village), Buchach, Brody, Koniushkiv (my grandmother's village) and Lviv. He worked tirelessly to put us face to face with elders and priests of those obscure villages. We visited ruins, castles, restored churches and most importantly cemeteries and archives where family links were indeed found! Without Viktor we never would have been able to accomplish a fraction of what we experienced. He was punctual, gracious, and respectful of our needs as seniors to stop often, eat well, and walk as needed. At no time did we feel uncomfortable with Viktor as our guide! He is an outstanding driver and made his wonderful car ours for those four unforgettable and stress-free days! What he promises to do for you, you can trust him to do and more. We cannot thank him enough for his great service and also for his friendship.