Some travelers find the most thrilling experiences in visiting high-risk destinations, such as Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Ukraine, now three years into defending itself against Russia's full-scale invasion, has also become a target for "extreme" tourism. Vinicius Costa, a European journalist and traveler who contributes to the travel platform Travel Off Path, recently visited Lviv. He shared his impressions of a nation engaged in a difficult defensive war.

Costa initially intended to visit Ukraine in early 2022, when, in his words, the country was "one of the few in the world open to tourism without restrictions." However, Russia's invasion disrupted his plans just days before his scheduled trip.

It wasn't until early 2025 that Costa finally made it to Ukraine, spending two days in Lviv. He chose Lviv as his destination not just for its rich offerings to tourists but also due to relative safety. While Lviv occasionally suffers from missile and drone assaults, Costa notes that it remains far safer than cities like Kharkiv or even Kyiv.

"Before deciding to go, I weighed the risks and benefits, and ultimately concluded that Lviv was a low-risk destination," Costa remarked.

The journalist observed that removing the context of war, Ukrainian cities are surprisingly safe compared to major European metropolises. For instance, street crime in Lviv is estimated to be about half that of cities like London, Paris, or Barcelona.

"In other words, you're more likely to die during a robbery in high-crime London neighborhoods like Lambeth or Islington than from a Russian strike in Lviv," Costa wrote.

Reflecting on the broader mood across Ukraine, Costa quickly realized that for Ukrainians in rear regions, "most are not overly preoccupied with the war." He described seeing lively children on buses and their carefree parents.

"In Lviv, I saw groups of teenage girls with excessive makeup chatting idly, running on cracked cobblestones with Starbucks cups in their manicured hands, (…) and couples kissing on snowy park benches. It all felt too normal," the traveler explained.

Had it not been for the occasional presence of men in military uniforms and motivational wartime posters on building walls, Costa admitted he might have forgotten he was in a war-torn country. However, the sound of air-raid sirens quickly reminded him of where he was. Still, he was astonished by how indifferent pedestrians seemed to the alerts.

"At that moment, I realized this is just their new reality. Unless there’s a direct hit on something significant, random Russian strikes on industrial outskirts don't cause panic," the travel journalist observed.

Discussing other takeaways from his visit, Costa noted Ukraine’s incredibly low prices compared to Europe, the generally modest English proficiency among locals, and the unique charm of its Lviv restaurants.

The traveler also emphasized that, contrary to some rumors, Ukraine's western border remains fully open to tourists, with only standard visa requirements in place. For Europeans and Americans, there’s no visa requirement at all. However, he did find the border crossing process lengthy and exhausting due to Ukrainian bureaucracy.

"War Tourism" in Ukraine

As reported by UNIAN, Ukraine is increasingly attracting so-called "war tourists"—individuals eager to witness first-hand the destruction caused by Russia’s aggression. Some limit their visits to relatively calm cities, while others seek to venture as close to the front lines as possible.

Companies organizing such tours claim that part of their profits goes to support the military. They also stress the educational value of these "war memories," helping foreigners better understand Ukraine's reality. However, many Ukrainians who’ve lost their homes or loved ones often view this form of tourism with criticism.

You may also be interested in:

• A paradise island in Thailand is drowning under thousands of tons of trash

• The world’s safest airlines revealed: did Ryanair and Wizz Air make the list?

• A glimpse inside an abandoned castle owned by Titanic victims (video)