Tour FAQ
Tours and Booking
How can I book a tour?
You can book our tour offers right from the website and reserve them there. If you wish a tailor-made tour, you can send us an email and we will be happy to create an itinerary for you.
How many people are typically on your tours?
Our private tours are only for the people you book for. If you are alone, it will just be you and your guide. If you are a couple, just the two of you and your guide, and so on. We believe this is the best type of tour, so that it can be personalised to you, go at your own pace, and so that you can have the full attention of your guide for the duration of the tour.
Can I join another person/group’s tour?
You cannot join another person/group’s tour. We only offer and advertise private tours, and the majority of our clients book with us for this very reason, so we are unable to add additional people to their tours.
When do you offer tours?
We have tours literally all year round, in all weather and even on the holidays. Please contact us, if you plan to book on holidays and are not sure about whether we offer anything during those days. We pretty much always find a solution, although we might require you to be a bit flexible sometimes.
To make sure a tour is available, we recommend to book as early as possible and prepay. First booking gets served first.
Can I schedule a tour at any time of day?
Theoretically we can schedule the tour for any time of the day. We just wanted to reduce the complexity of our booking system and therefore have recommended start times. Please let us know, if you wish to start at another time in the comments section of your booking form or when you contact us via email. Generally we will be happy to start at any time of the day from 8am until 8pm but it depends on the availability.
For certain tours we depend on the opening hours of the places we visit though. In this case we will let you know, whether your proposed time is possible or not.
Tour that include the nightlife of Lviv of course can also start a bit later than usually.
What languages do you offer tours in?
Generally we started Lviv Buddy Tours with a focus on high-quality tours in English and German. However, almost all our guides speak fluent Ukrainian and Russian as well, of course. Usually we will update our website with our exact offers as soon as possible, but if you need another language, you can always ask. In the long term we plan to add Polish and some other languages to our offers. And we would love to offer tours in Lithuanian, but there are not many people who speak it and could be a guide here. If you know a good guide with great language skills who is looking for a job, we are always happy about a tip!
Do you offer car tours?
Our main tour offerings for Lviv are private walking tours. We think that they offer the most authentic experience when you visit Lviv. You will discover Lviv up close and personal, just as locals see the city.
However, some cars require some transport and we may use it, if needed.
For people with mobility issues, we offer in cooperation with our partners to transport you in a golf cart. There is an additional charge for this.
If you prefer leaving Lviv we can offer tours with private tours with a car or minivan.
Do you offer bus tours?
If you are looking for a tour for a large group, we can provide this for you. We organise guiding, transport and also do restaurant reservations. If you wish to get an offer, please write with as many details of your request to our office via our contact page.
Services and Inclusions
What’s included in your private tours?
– The undivided attention of your expert native English speaking guide for the duration of the tour (it is a private walking tour, so only the people you book for will be on it).
– For our private tours a pick up from your hotel is included, if this hotel is situated in Lviv Old Town. If not you still can be picked up at your hotel outside Lviv Old Town if you cover the costs for our guide (transport, extra time).
– Entrance fees to the places visited on the tour. We include those in the tour prices, to avoid problems.
– The opportunity to ask for our expert advice, with ANY questions you might have about Lviv or Ukraine before and after you take the tour, via email.
– The cost of any public transport (subway, bus) needed DURING the walking tour.
What’s NOT included in the tour price?
– The cost of any food or drinks you consume during the walking tour, such as at coffee or lunch breaks. But food and drinks in Lviv are cheap, and we would never take you to places that we consider poor value.
– Additional transport that you require.
– If you wish to change the tour route, skip parts of the walk with transportation, split a longer tour (say a full day tour) into two shorter tours, over two different days, there is a small additional cost to pay.
Are tips included in the tour?
No. Tips for the guides are not included. We give you the choice to give some. However, our guides are always happy about a tip. This way they know that they really made you have a fantastic time.
Payment
How can I pay for the tour?
For booking a tour we require it to be paid at the time of booking. This is the only guarantee for you to get the tour that you booked.
You can also pay for the tour in cash at the start of the tour. But in this you will need to buy our cancellation insurance online at least. This insurance frees you from any cancellation penalties. No questions asked. No other payment required.
For complex tours we require a prepayment, which you need to pay when you have agreed to our proposed itinerary and terms. The prepayment can range from 10% to 100%, depending on the tour.
Can I pay by credit card?
Yes, we offer credit card payments with our payment partner. You may pay by MasterCard and VISA.
Do I have to pay in Euro?
No. You can pay in Euro, US-Dollars or in Ukrainian Hryvnia. We simply quote the prices in Euro because it is a stable currency. You do not need to change to Euro to pay us. You can pay online in many currencies or in cash at the current exchange rate to Euro given by a currency exchange in Lviv.
Cancellation
What if I am late for the tour?
If you are up to 15mins late for the tour, then your guide/transport will of course wait for you and continue the tour as normal. Your guide will still give you the full tour.
If you are more than half an hour late, then it may not make sense to go ahead with the tour as planned (and also, if private transport has been hired to get you to the tour start, it will almost certainly have been lost if you are this late). Instead we will probably suggest trying to rearrange the tour, or in some cases the only option may be for you to cancel. If the lateness or subsequent cancellation is out of your control then we will look at your situation specifically to see if we can offer any form of partial refund.
In all cases of lateness (and even in the VERY rare case that it appears your guide or hired transport is late), please call us as soon as possible at +380-67-201 5297 to let us know.
Please also make sure that your clock is turned to the right timezone. Sometimes guests forgot to switch. You can always ask your hotel for the current time.
If I cancel the tour, do you offer a refund?
Yes, we refund you based on our Cancellation Policy. The amount of the refund depends on when you cancel the tour. If you want to make sure to get your money back, we offer a Cancellation Insurance for all tours. If it has not been offered to you, please contact us!
Weather
What happens if it rains on the day of the tour?
If it rains on the day of your tour, there is not much to worry about! We recommend you to wear appropriate shoes for that weather. As a service to our guests, we will always bring our Lviv Buddy umbrellas to keep you dry. We will also try to hide from the rain as much as possible.
If there is a real thunderstorm with a severe weather alert, we may cancel the tour. In this case we will notify you as soon as possible. You are then eligible to a refund or to reschedule the tour, if possible.
What should we do if it’s really cold outside on the day of the tour?
We have done multi-hour walking tours in temperatures much below 0 degrees Celsius. We don’t mind cold weather. We do recommend you though to pack yourself warm. We recommend an extra layer of underwear gloves and a warm hat.
During the tour we will stop for a coffee as always and in general we will visit more inside places than usually.
Preparation
How much walking do the tours involve?
Our 3 hour tours usually involve around 3km (2 miles) of walking.
Full day tours can cover around 7km (4.4 miles) of walking.
All tours usually include a coffee break, full day tours also include a lunch break, so there is plenty of chance to rest your feet along the way, and break up the walking.
Of course, as it is a completely private tour, you can go at your own pace, and request to stop whenever needed.
If needed or if we see that the tour pace is too slow for the itinerary, we can sometimes order a taxi for you and shorten the way.
If you have mobility issues, we offer the option to book a golf cart for you to ride in to not have to walk. These carts have access to the Old Town, which usual cars do not have.
So the tour will be as easy as you need it to be!
What should I bring to the tours?
Please come in comfortable shoes. When it’s sunny cover up or put some sunscreen on.
For the coffee break, to buy gifts on the way or for the taxis we suggest to bring some Ukrainian Hryvnia (the local currency). If you would like to tip, it’s also best to do this in UAH.
Meeting your guide
Where do the Lviv Buddy tours start?
All our tours usually start at the Amphitrite fountain next to Pravda Beer Theatre on Rynok Square. For our private tours we can pick you up at your hotel. If you stay in Lviv Old Town, this service is free.
There are some special tours, where the meeting point is at the place that the tour is for. For example for the Lychakiv Cemetery Tour we will meet you at the entrance of the cemetery. All meeting points are indicated in the tour pages though.
Where do the tours end?
Our guides will make sure to get you back to the center of Lviv and show you how to get to Rynok Square. If you wish, they can also order you a taxi to your hotel or elsewhere. If you wish to be dropped off at your hotel after the tour by us, please let us know. In some cases there might be an extra charge for this.
