Things to Do in Ukraine in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Ukraine
Is March Right for You?
Advantages
- Genuine shoulder season pricing - accommodation runs 30-40% cheaper than summer peak, and you can actually book decent places in Kyiv or Lviv with just a week's notice instead of the usual month ahead
- The tail end of winter activities without the brutal January cold - you can still catch cross-country skiing in the Carpathians early month if there's snow cover, but by late March you're getting 10-12 hours of daylight which makes sightseeing far more pleasant
- Maslenitsa celebrations early month bring out the best of Ukrainian food culture - varenyky eating contests, pancake festivals, and the burning of winter effigies that you won't see any other time of year
- Kyiv and Lviv are genuinely walkable without the summer tour bus crowds - major sites like St. Sophia's Cathedral or the Lviv Old Town have maybe a third of the visitors you'd see in June, which means you can actually spend time in museums without being herded through
Considerations
- The weather is genuinely unpredictable and often miserable - you might get a beautiful 15°C (59°F) day followed by sleet and temperatures back near freezing, and that 75% humidity makes everything feel damper and colder than the actual temperature
- Mud season in rural areas and the Carpathians makes some activities impossible - hiking trails turn into boot-sucking muck, and smaller roads to villages can be genuinely impassable, which locals call bezdorizhzhia or the roadless time
- Some coastal and resort areas are essentially closed - Odesa beach clubs won't open until May, and many Carpathian hotels that cater to hikers are in that awkward transition where winter activities are done but spring hiking hasn't started
Best Activities in March
Kyiv Historical Walking Tours
March is actually ideal for exploring Kyiv's UNESCO sites and Soviet-era architecture because you avoid both the winter ice and summer crowds. The city's golden domes look particularly striking against gray March skies, and you can spend real time in places like the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra caves without being rushed. The cooler temperatures make the 2-3 hour walking tours through Podil or Andriyivskyy Descent far more comfortable than summer's heat. Late March brings the first hints of green to the chestnuts lining Khreshchatyk, which locals consider the real start of spring.
Lviv Coffee Culture and Architecture Tours
Lviv in March is perfect for the city's famous coffee house culture - when it's 3°C (37°F) and drizzling outside, spending two hours in a 19th-century kavyarnya makes complete sense. The city's compact Old Town means you're never more than 5 minutes from indoor warmth, and the lack of summer crowds means you can actually get tables at legendary spots without reservations. The Austrian and Polish architectural heritage looks moody and atmospheric under March's gray skies in a way that summer sunshine doesn't capture. By late March, you'll catch the first outdoor terraces opening on Market Square.
Carpathian Mountain Village Experiences
Early March offers the last chance for winter activities in villages like Yaremche or Vorokhta if snow holds, while late March transitions into the fascinating period when locals prepare for spring farming. You'll see traditional wooden churches without tourist buses, and village homestays cost 400-600 UAH per night compared to 800-1,000 UAH in summer. The mountains are often shrouded in mist which creates an almost mystical atmosphere, though you need to accept that hiking above 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is likely muddy or snowy. This is genuinely when locals visit family in the mountains, not high tourist season.
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Tours
March is actually one of the better months for Chernobyl tours - the bare trees and gray atmosphere add to the post-apocalyptic feeling in a way that summer's greenery doesn't, and you avoid the muddy conditions of April thaw. Temperatures around 5°C (41°F) are manageable for the 8-10 hours you'll spend outdoors, and the lower tourist numbers mean smaller groups and more time at key sites like Pripyat. The radiation levels are obviously constant year-round, but the cooler weather means you're comfortable in the required long sleeves and closed shoes.
Odesa Architecture and History Tours
While Odesa's beaches are closed in March, this is perfect timing for exploring the city's incredible 19th-century architecture and Jewish heritage sites without the summer heat. Walking the Potemkin Steps and exploring the Opera House area is far more pleasant at 8°C (46°F) than in July's 30°C (86°F) heat. The port city's museums and catacombs are indoor activities that work perfectly for March's unpredictable weather. You'll find locals actually using the parks and boulevards rather than tourists, which gives a more authentic feel to the city.
Traditional Ukrainian Cooking Classes
March is peak season for learning to make varenyky, borscht, and deruny because these are exactly the comfort foods Ukrainians cook when it's cold and damp outside. Cooking classes in Kyiv or Lviv typically last 3-4 hours and include market visits to buy ingredients, which gives you insight into daily Ukrainian life. The seasonal timing means you're working with winter vegetables like beets, cabbage, and potatoes that are traditional to Ukrainian cuisine, rather than trying to force summer dishes. Classes are entirely indoors, making them perfect for those inevitable rainy March afternoons.
March Events & Festivals
Maslenitsa (Butter Week)
This Eastern Slavic celebration marking the end of winter typically falls in late February or early March depending on the Orthodox calendar. Throughout Ukraine you'll find pancake festivals, folk music performances, and the traditional burning of winter effigies. In Kyiv, Sofiyivska Square and the National Museum of Folk Architecture host major celebrations with traditional games, troika rides, and endless mlyntsi (thin pancakes). It's one of the few times you'll see traditional Ukrainian celebrations that aren't specifically for tourists.
International Women's Day
March 8th is a major public holiday in Ukraine, arguably bigger than Valentine's Day. Expect most businesses to close, and you'll see men giving flowers to every woman they encounter - mothers, colleagues, strangers. The streets fill with flower sellers, and restaurants book up days in advance. It's fascinating cultural observation, though it means limited services on the 8th itself. Many museums and attractions have special programming or free admission for women.