Why Cycling Abroad From Dubno to Shepetivka

Cycling from Dubno to Shepetivka is not another “regular bicycle trip”. You will not use any marked bicycle path, and in several places in the western Ukraine countryside, you might be the first foreigner to visit and ride. You will have the chance to visit old cities and villages, enjoy special local food, and, although most of the population does not speak any language other than Ukrainian, with the help of your guide you will have the chance to meet and communicate with the local people, exploring their way of life, culture and personal and national and history.

This trip includes only 3 riding days, but, taking into account the arrival day, a day tour in Dubno, another day in Lviv, and the departure day, you should plan on a good 6 to 7 days on the road, in total.

Our Guided Tour from Dubno to Shepetivka

Unlike most of the other bicycle trips abroad, this trip is a guided one. So first we should understand why it is best to ride with a guide in Ukrain?

Although guided tours have their advantages, most of our bicycle trips abroad are planned as self-guided tours. The freedom in selecting your route, distance, cycling level, as well as the ability to select the right time for your group to start your day, and where and when to stop along the way, and even deciding how much to spend, makes self-guided trips very enjoyable.

Still, when riding in western Ukraine, it is best to be accompanied by an English-speaking, local guide. Your guide will assist you in dealing with the language barrier, supplying a handful of relevant information, take care of any emergencies or unplanned events, and even help you select the right dish for dinner. If you like to have a guide that will also assist you in renting the bikes, arranging the transportation, and, most important, take care of your safety, you can contact me for recommendations.

You will probably start your journey from Lviv airport, where you will meet your guide and driver. After loading the rented bikes on your van, you will start your 3 hours drive to Dubno. On the way, you can stop for lunch at a local restaurant (you will be amazed at how cheap and tasty the food is). You can also stop for a brief visit in the city of Brody, for your first meeting with the local people, and to see the ruins of the old Brody’s synagogue. You will spend the night in Dubno.

I would suggest you spend the next day visiting Dubno and its surrounding. Although Dubno is not a tourist place (and maybe because of this fact), there are some very interesting things to see in the city and its outskirts, such as Dubno center, side roads, Dubno castle, and very interesting Tarakaniv Fort (don’t forget to bring your mosquito repellent). If you have Polish or Jewish roots, you may find this city, and the other cities along the way extremely interesting, and touchy!

On the morning of your first riding day, just after “breakfast” (you may find the Ukrainian breakfast quite odd…), you will start your bicycle ride from Dubno to Rivne. In the following days, you will continue riding from Rivne to Ostroh, and to Shepetivka.

Whether you have a specific reason to visit this part of the world, or you are just curious about exploring unique places, I can guarantee you that this trip from Dubno to Shepetivka will be a lifetime experience.

Trip Information

Origin	Dubno
Via	Rivne, Ostroh
Destination	Shepetivka
Cycling Distance	177 Km (1000m Climb)
Number of Days	3
Cycling Level	Moderate
Map (Komoot)	Download the planned route

Dubno to Shepetivka Trip Details – Day by Day

Day 0

On the first day, you will meet your guide and driver at Lviv airport. The bikes will be already loaded on the van. Then you will start your way to Dubno, where you will spend the night. On the way, you can stopover for lunch. You can also have a brief stop at the city of Brody.

There are not so many hotels in Dubno. I can recommend you to stay at Antique House Hotel, but don’t expect to communicate with the locals in your Language…

Day 1 (First cycling day)

After breakfast, we start our 62Km bicycle ride from Dubno to Rivne. Several possible routes are connecting these cities. I can recommend the less crowded one.

You can spend the evening in a local restaurant, with a variety of great local food.

Route	Hotel
	Hotel Ukraine Rivne

Here you can download the Planned Route and our Actual Route.

Day 2

On this day, you will ride from Rivne to Ostroh. About 7 Km from Rivne you can visit the site of the Sosenski massacre. Than you will continue riding on small dirt roads, nearby small vialges, approaching the city of Ostroh. Take a look at this beautiful movie about the life of two small Jewish girls in Rivne during the WW2:

Route	Hotel
	Atlant Hotel

Here you can download the Planned Route and our Actual Route.

Day 3

On your 3’rd and final cycling day you will ride from Ostroh, along various types of roads to the city of Shepetivka. It is relativly calm and nice ride on this Ukraine countryside.

After reaching your Shepetivka you can either spend the night in Shepetivka (you can try Motel Shepetivka – don’t expect for enything too fancy…), or load the bikes on the van, and start your 3 hours drive back to Lviv, where to can spend the night at this lovely city.

Route	Hotel
	FERENC Hotel & Restaurant

Here you can download the Planned Route and our Actual Route.

Day 4

This is ex extra cycling day. but if you have this time (and energy) I would highly recommend you a bicycle tour in and around Lviv. It will give you a unique perspective of this ancient city, in Western Ukraine.

Route (Actual)	Hotel
	FERENC Hotel & Restaurant

Here you can download an Actual Route.

What’s Next

If you are interested in riding from Dubno to Shepetivka, you are invited to contact me to get more detailed information, including recommendations for a guide, a place to rent bicycles in Lviv, recommended places to stay and eat, and Emails of local people who you can meet during your trip. You can also learn from my own experience about alternatives for the basic trip, the best season to travel, and much more. You are also welcome to check out some of my own bicycle trips to get an idea of this type of exciting cycling style.

Useful Links

• Komoot – The Best bicycle trip planning and tracking tool
• Bicycle Route Planner
• The city of Dubno
• The city of Rivne
• The city of Ostroh
• The city of Shepetivka
• The city of Lviv
• Lviv Weather
• Rivne Weather

Pictures