Getting Around Kharkiv: A Practical Guide
Kharkiv is Ukraine's second-largest city and the main urban centre of the country's northeast. For a visitor, the good news is that the city is served by a dense, varied and generally inexpensive public transport network, and that the historic core is compact enough to explore on foot. The sections below cover each mode in turn, along with how to pay and how to reach the centre from the airport.
By Metro
The metro is widely regarded as the fastest and easiest way to move around Kharkiv, and it is the most convenient form of public transport in the city. The system consists of three lines, distinguished by colour: red, blue and green. Because the lines are colour-coded rather than numbered in common usage, it helps to note the colour of the line you need when planning a journey.
The metro is also the natural link between the rail network and the rest of the city. The central railway station, Kharkiv-Passazhyrskyi, has its own metro stop, Pivdenny Vokzal, so arriving by train you can step straight onto the metro. Other metro stations serve key destinations: Universytet on the blue line is handy for the Sumska Street area, Botanichnyi Sad on the green line is near the advance railway ticket office on Nauky Avenue, and stations such as Kholodna Hora, Tsentralny Rynok, Prospekt Gagarina and Zavod im. Malysheva each sit beside a bus or rail station.
By Tram and Trolleybus
Kharkiv's tram network is one of the few surviving systems in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which makes it something of a local institution as well as a practical way to travel. The number 12 tram line is particularly useful if you want to reach the far northeastern part of the city, where it runs to the Lisopark terminal. Trolleybuses supplement the trams and metro on many surface routes.
By Bus and Marshrutka
Buses and route taxis (marshrutkas) fill in the gaps left by the rail-based network, and the city's bus stations are distributed around the edges of the centre rather than concentrated in one place. The main ones a visitor is likely to encounter are:
- Central Coach Station No. 1 — beside the Levada railway station, open around the clock, handling international and interregional routes.
- Bus Station No. 2 — at the Central Market, served by the Tsentralny Rynok metro station, for buses arriving from the north (including from Sumy) as well as international services.
- Bus Station No. 3 (Konny Rynok) — near the Vosstaniya metro station, for international and regional lines.
- Bus Station No. 4 (Lisopark) — on the Belgorodskoe highway, reached by tram 12 to the Lisopark terminal.
- Bus Station No. 6 (Kholodna Hora) — on Poltavskii Shlyakh, at the Kholodna Hora metro station, for regional and international buses.
- Bus Station No. 8 (Pivdennyi vokzal) — on Privokzalnaya Square at the Yuzhnyi Vokzal metro station, also for regional and international routes.
If you are heading onward to Kyiv, the Autolux bus company runs coaches along the Kharkiv–Poltava–Boryspil Airport–Kyiv route, and its customer service line operates around the clock.
Tickets and Fares
Fares are low by Western European standards and the system is simple to use. Single-ride tickets in marshrutkas are the main thing you will pay for on board. On the metro, trams, trolleybuses and buses, rides are free. Schedules for the various services are published on EasyWay and Google Maps, which makes planning a journey straightforward.
By Taxi and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are described as the easiest way of getting around the city, and several app-based ride-hailing services operate in Kharkiv. The popular options include Uber, Bolt, Uklon, OnTaxi, Opti and Shark. Using one of these apps is generally the most convenient approach for a visitor, since it avoids the need to negotiate a fare in an unfamiliar language. Ordinary taxis can also be taken from the railway station, where a rank is available alongside the tram, route taxi and bus stops.
Walking
Kharkiv's central landmarks are clustered closely enough that walking is a realistic way to see much of the city. The principal sights include the Annunciation and Dormition cathedrals, the Derzhprom building on Freedom Square, the Kharkiv Railway Station, the National University of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv Tractor Factory. The historic fortress walls once enclosed what are now Kvitky-Osnovianenko Street, Constitution Square, Pavlivskyi Square, Serhiivskyi Square and Sobornyi Descent, and this area remains the walkable heart of the city.
By Train
Kharkiv's central railway station, Kharkiv-Passazhyrskyi, is the hub for long-distance rail travel, with daily trains to all major cities and towns in Ukraine. It is directly connected to the metro at Pivdenny Vokzal, and tram, route taxi, bus and ordinary taxi services are also available at the station.
Buying tickets in advance is recommended. Ukrainian Railways sells tickets through its website, which has an English-language option; you print the booking form and then collect the tickets from any Ukrainian Railways ticket office, presenting an identifying document to the clerk. Tickets can also be bought at the booking offices at the railway station, at the Service Centre, or at advance booking offices. The Service Centre on the ground floor of the station is open 24 hours and offers ticketing, room booking, taxi ordering, luggage porters, information, photocopying and computer access.
Two advance booking offices are conveniently located away from the station itself: one on Nauky Avenue near the Botanichnyi Sad metro station, and one on Sumska Street near the Universytet metro station. In addition to the main station, there are commuter stations at Kharkiv-Balashovsky (near the Zavod im. Malysheva metro station) and Kharkiv-Levada (near Prospekt Gagarina). Alongside electric commuter trains, rail buses have been introduced on some services.
Inside the central station, the U Samovara (At the Samovar) Tea Pavilion in the central hall is worth a look — it houses the largest samovar in Ukraine. There is a waiting room on the first floor and a conference room on the second.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Ukraine's airspace is closed to civil aviation because of the Russia–Ukraine war, so there are currently no commercial passenger flights into Kharkiv. Visitors should plan to arrive overland instead — most commonly by train from elsewhere in Ukraine, or by long-distance coach. If you do arrive by rail, the central station puts you directly on the metro at Pivdenny Vokzal, from which the rest of the city is easily reached.
A Note on Safety and Current Conditions
Kharkiv has been heavily affected by the war. Since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, the city has experienced continued shelling, drone and missile attacks, and much of public life has moved underground. Anyone planning to visit should check current travel advice and local conditions before making the trip, and should be prepared for services and infrastructure to be disrupted.