Pripyat sits inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, two hours' drive north of Kyiv. You cannot visit alone: access is by guided tour with an accredited operator, who handles the checkpoint at Dytiatky and the secondary perimeter at Leliv. Most operators run a single day from Kyiv that takes in the power plant viewpoint, the town of Chernobyl, and three or four hours in Pripyat itself. Two-day tours add an overnight in Chernobyl town and reach further into the zone.
Bring a passport, wear long trousers and closed shoes, and follow the radiation rules — no sitting on the ground, no eating outside designated areas, hand the dosimeter back on the way out. Access has been suspended for stretches since the 2022 invasion and the brief Russian occupation of the zone; confirm with operators before booking.