Ukraine's 'Dark Tours' Draw Visitors Seeking More Than Sightseeing

From Bucha to Kharkiv, a small but growing number of visitors are travelling to Ukraine to witness history, support local communities, and better understand a war that continues to reshape Europe.

Tourists looking over Russian remnants of war in Kyiv’s Mykhalivskij Ploscha

A small but growing number of foreign visitors are travelling to Ukraine not for beaches or nightlife, but to better understand a country at war.

According to a report by RFE/RL, tour operators in Kyiv and Kharkiv say demand is increasing for so-called "dark tours" that take visitors to locations heavily affected by Russia's full-scale invasion, including Bucha, Irpin, and parts of eastern Ukraine. One Kyiv-based operator says such trips now account for roughly 80 percent of his business.

The trend marks a dramatic shift for a country that welcomed more than 24 million visitors annually before Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Tourist numbers collapsed following the outbreak of war and again during the COVID-19 pandemic. While overall visitor numbers remain well below pre-war levels, Ukraine's tourism authorities are now promoting what they describe as a "new tourism paradigm" focused on remembrance, resilience, and understanding the sacrifices made by Ukrainians.

For some visitors, the experience proves transformative. One Canadian nurse who toured Kharkiv in 2024 later volunteered as a medic in eastern Ukraine and eventually enrolled in a Ukrainian medical school. Others describe being struck by scenes of ordinary life continuing amid destruction — residents cooking dinner in damaged apartment blocks, children playing near rebuilt neighborhoods, and communities determined to move forward despite the war.

While visitor numbers remain modest and many governments continue to advise against travel to Ukraine, tourism insiders believe war-related tours could become a permanent part of the country's post-war tourism landscape.