How to spend New Year's Eve 2026 in Ukraine in conditions of war?

New Year's holidays 2026 are just around the corner. Find out how and where to spend the holiday in Ukraine with comfort, festive atmosphere and unforgettable emotions

Choose a tour in Ukraine for any taste

CHOOSE A TOUR

Soon, Ukrainians will celebrate the fourth New Year in the conditions of a full-scale war, which has radically changed the lives of every person. Therefore, people's desire to experience a holiday, escape from everyday life, be with loved ones and maintain mental balance is becoming not a whim, but a necessity for an internal reboot. The tourism industry has also adapted: the most popular destinations are already ready to welcome guests this winter.

If you are thinking about where to celebrate the New Year 2026 - here is a selection of the most atmospheric places in Ukraine, which even in difficult times give warmth, comfort and a sense of stability.

Lviv - the capital of winter atmosphere

Lviv traditionally remains the most popular city for celebrating the New Year. This is a place where the holiday is literally felt in the air, and every street resembles a Christmas card. New Year's tours to Lviv are about emotions, stylish photos, delicious cuisine and leisurely walks through the city, which knows how to create a mood.

Lviv Christmas Fair

The Christmas Fair is a classic, without which it is impossible to imagine winter Lviv. It is usually opened in the first half of December. The locations are traditional: Svobody Avenue, Rynok Square. Here you can try everything that Galician cuisine is famous for: pampuhy, palyanitsy, varenyky, sausages, mulled wine, hot chocolate. And also - buy products from local craftsmen, find gifts and simply feel like a part of a great holiday.

Photo near the main Christmas tree of Lviv

Every year, the main Christmas tree of Lviv is set up near the Opera House - and no tourist passes it without taking a photo. Holiday tours necessarily include a stop near the Christmas tree and walks through the illuminated city center.

Transcarpathia – a land of warmth, taste and winter magic

Transcarpathia in winter is a combination of mountain air, aromatic wines, thermal baths and hospitality that warms better than a blanket. Here, the holiday is felt in both small towns and large cities, and the mild climate makes vacations comfortable even on frosty days. Uzhgorod and Mukachevo are bathed in lights, villages smell of smoke and sweet liqueurs, and at tastings you can try local wines that have matured on local slopes.

And most importantly – Transcarpathia celebrates the New Year without a curfew, so here you can afford more freedom and more festive mood.

Kosino, Zhayvoronok, Zolota Hora – thermal oases of winter

Transcarpathian thermal complexes are winter relaxation in the “my best vacation” format.

- In Kosyn, you can swim in warm water in the open air, watch the steam rising above the pools, and feel like you are on another continent.

- Zhayvoronok gives warmth, minerals, SPA and the wine flavor of Beregovshchyna.

- Zolota gora is a modern complex among the mountains, where you can forget about stress and find peace again.

Ideal for those who want to celebrate the New Year in the slow life style.

Beregovshchyna and wine locations - the taste of winter Transcarpathia

Beregovshchyna smells of wine, cocoa and fried sausages in winter. Local wine cellars are warm underground worlds, where the owners tell stories about the varieties that grow on local soil, and tastings become small holidays. This is a great option for those who want an unconventional, tasty and atmospheric New Year's holiday.

Mukachevo – a city of castles and New Year’s lights

Mukachevo looks especially magical in winter: the streets are lit up with garlands, Palanok Castle towers over the city, and a real European festive mood reigns in the central square. People here love holidays and know how to hold them, so New Year’s days are warm, bright and culturally rich.

To see all these places, go on a bright journey through Transcarpathia – the Tasting and Thermal Tour “New Year’s Transcarpathia Extravaganza”, where thermal baths, wine and cheese tastings, a journey through historical cities and New Year’s celebrations in the heart of Mukachevo await you. This tour is for those who want to fill their short weekend with impressions and relaxation to the maximum.

- Dates: 31.12–02.01.2026.

- Duration: 3 days / 2 nights.

- Start from Lviv.

- The price includes: travel by comfortable bus, accommodation (2 nights), New Year's party with food and drinks, breakfasts and dinners, guide support, excursions, museum entrance fees, insurance.

For tourists who want to get to know Transcarpathia more deeply, the “New Year's Transcarpathia in 6 days” trip is suitable: more locations, more gastronomy, more relaxation and more celebration, because you will visit castles, thermal complexes, legendary farms, picturesque lakes, waterfalls and historical villages of the region.

- Dates: 29.12–03.01.2026

- Duration: 6 days / 5 nights

- Start from Lviv

- The price includes: transfer, accommodation in green tourism estates, breakfasts and dinners, New Year's party, insurance, professional guide.

Don't want to miss important updates and useful articles? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

The Carpathians - a New Year's fairy tale among the mountains

The Carpathians in winter are an ideal place to combine the silence of the mountains, the leisurely life of the Hutsul people and the drive of winter entertainment. Here you want to breathe deeply, listen to the snow crunching under your feet, taste banosh with cheese and spend evenings by the fireplace. Each village, from Verkhovyna to Mykulychyn, has its own atmosphere: somewhere louder, somewhere quieter, but everywhere - sincere and homely.

New Year in the Carpathians is about warmth, family and that special magic that only the mountains give.

Yaremche is a must-see on a New Year's trip to the Carpathians

Yaremche in winter is the sound of the Probiy waterfall, wooden souvenir rows, Hutsul dishes and a feeling of leisure that seems to envelop the city. Here it is easy to escape from the hustle and bustle, stop, enjoy nature and spend the holidays in peace and comfort. Yaremche is an ideal place to celebrate the New Year with loved ones, feel the local flavor and see the Carpathians in their true beauty.

Verkhovyna is the soul of Hutsul traditions

Verkhovyna is the capital of Hutsul culture, where every house smells of wood, every museum tells an ancient story, and people preserve traditions as if time slows down here. In winter, the villages are covered with white blankets, and the entire area turns into a real New Year's card. This is a location for those who want not just to go to the mountains, but to feel their soul.

You can combine a trip to these locations and enjoy a New Year's fairy tale in the Carpathians as part of the “6 Days in the New Year's Carpathians” trip - a journey in which each day has its own mood: from the snowy slopes of Bukovel to intimate Hutsul evenings in Verkhovyna. Here you can immerse yourself in local traditions, visit atmospheric museums, relieve fatigue in hot thermal pools and be inspired by the beauty of Yaremche. Such a tour is a mix of adventure, relaxation and real winter magic of the Carpathians, which you want to take with you.

- Dates: 29.12–03.01.2026

- Duration: 6 days / 5 nights

- Start from Lviv

- The price includes: transfer, accommodation, breakfasts and dinners, New Year's party, insurance, professional guide.

Bukovel - the capital of winter entertainment

Bukovel is a place where the holiday never ends, day or night. Here you can always hear laughter, see ski slopes, cafes with hot chocolate and magnificent views. A ski tour to Bukovel is the choice of those who want maximum emotions and festive drive. Skiing and snowboarding, SPA, hot tubs, entertainment for every taste and fabulous views of the Carpathians. Comfortable transfer from different cities, accommodation, delicious food and unforgettable impressions are guaranteed.

Odesa – the sea that never sleeps even in winter

Odesa is a city where even in winter it smells of the sea and freedom. Here the waves quietly crash against the stones, the Primorsky Boulevard shines with lights, and the old courtyards resemble scenes from Odessa films. New Year's Odesa is not about pathos, but about the mood: about walks along the sea, hot coffee on Langeron and laughter on Deribasovskaya. This is a place for those who want to celebrate the holiday easily, warmly and a little in the Odessa way – with a sincere mood and a sea breeze.

How to celebrate the New Year in Odessa?

- Meet the midnight by the sea - to the sound of waves and fireworks blooming over the coast.

- Take a walk along the festively decorated Deribasovskaya or Primorsky Boulevard.

- Order a festive dinner at an Odessa restaurant with Black Sea cuisine.

- Listen to live music in open locations or in courtyards-squares.

- Start the first morning of January 1 with coffee on the embankment, when the city is still sleeping.

New Year 2026 is not just a holiday, but an opportunity to reboot, feel the warmth of loved ones and give yourself moments of joy even in difficult times. Ukraine offers an incredibly diverse range of locations: from cozy Lviv and fabulous Transcarpathia to driving Bukovel and sunny Odessa. Each city or resort has its own special atmosphere, its own traditions and ways of celebrating, so everyone will find something for themselves here: the quiet magic of winter mountains, delicious gastronomic adventures or a sea of ​​emotions and drive.

Book New Year's tours on Visit Ukraine!

Hurry up to book your ideal vacation for New Year 2026! Transcarpathia, the Carpathians, Bukovel or other locations - choose your destination and create unforgettable memories with your loved ones. Comfortable transfer, delicious food, excursions and holiday programs are already waiting for you.

Don't put it off for later - New Year is coming very soon! Book a tour on Visit Ukraine today and give yourself a real winter fairy tale in Ukraine!

Reminder! New Year abroad has become more difficult for Ukrainians due to the war, but warm countries and Christmas markets in Europe are still available. We have already told you where to actually go in the winter of 2025–2026, how much time and money the road will take, and how to plan your trips more profitably.

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

We recommend purchasing it for a safe and comfortable trip to Ukraine: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance – insurance covering military risks for entry and travel in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Car Insurance – car insurance with extended coverage in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Legal Advice – comprehensive legal support on entry to Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tickets – bus and train tickets to/from Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tours – the largest online database of tours to Ukraine for every taste;

Visit Ukraine Hotels – hotels for a comfortable stay in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Merch – patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.

© 2018-2025, Visit Ukraine. Use, copying or reprinting of materials on this site is permitted only with a link (hyperlink for online publications) to Visit Ukraine.

All rights reserved.