Useful apps for tourists in Kyiv: what to download before your trip
Apps for safety, transport, and getting around Kyiv.
If you’re visiting Kyiv for the first time, it’s worth downloading a few apps before you arrive. They’ll help you receive air raid alerts, navigate the city, use public transport, book a taxi, and buy train tickets.
Visit Kyiv has compiled a list of essential apps most visitors are likely to need, plus a few optional services for finding medication, renting transportation, ordering deliveries, and navigating offline.
Which apps should you download before visiting Kyiv?
You don’t need to download everything at once. Start with the essentials and add the rest depending on your plans.
| App | What it’s for | When you’ll need it |
|---|---|---|
| Kyiv Digital | City services, public transport, shelters, and alerts | Throughout your stay in Kyiv |
| Air Alert | Air raid alerts and other emergency notifications | Before your trip and throughout your stay in Ukraine |
| Google Maps | Walking routes, addresses, places, and public transport | For everyday navigation around the city |
| Uber, Bolt, or Uklon | Booking a taxi | When a taxi is more convenient than public transport |
| Ukrainian Railways | Train tickets and travel updates | If you’re arriving by train or travelling elsewhere in Ukraine |
| Glovo, Bolt Food, or LOKO | Food, groceries, and other deliveries | Whenever you need them during your stay |
If you only download the essentials, start with Kyiv Digital, Air Alert, Google Maps, and one taxi app. Add Ukrainian Railways if you’re travelling by train. You can download a delivery app later if you need one.
Safety
Kyiv Digital
- Best for: city services, public transport, and safety information
- English: yes
- Registration: by phone number; international numbers are supported
- Download: App Store / Google Play
Kyiv Digital is Kyiv’s official city app. For visitors, its most useful features include air raid alerts, a shelter map, public transport information, and QR tickets. The app is available in English, and you don’t need a Ukrainian SIM card to register.
You can also use Kyiv Digital to check information about power outages, parking, and public toilets. For more on getting around the city, see the Visit Kyiv guide to public transport.
Air Alert
- Best for: emergency alerts
- English: yes
- Registration: not required
- Download: App Store / Google Play
Air Alert notifies you when an alert starts and ends in your selected region. After installing the app, choose Kyiv to receive notifications for the capital.
No registration is required. You can also enable critical alerts in your phone settings so you don’t miss a warning even when your phone is on silent.
For what to do when an air raid alert sounds, where to find shelter, and how the city operates during an alert, see our guide to air raid alerts in Kyiv. Before travelling, we also recommend reading “Is It Safe to Travel to Kyiv Right Now?”.
Google Maps
- Best for: walking routes and everyday navigation
- English: yes
- Registration: not required for basic features
- Offline mode: yes
- Download: App Store / Google Play
Google Maps will cover most day-to-day journeys around Kyiv. You can look up your hotel, restaurant, museum, or another destination, plan a walking route, and check public transport options.
It’s worth downloading an offline map of Kyiv before your trip. It can help you find your way if mobile internet is temporarily unavailable. Keep in mind that some features, including public transport directions, still require an internet connection.
Kyiv Digital for public transport
Kyiv Digital works well alongside Google Maps if you want to check the route or stops for a specific bus, trolleybus, or tram, or buy a QR ticket.
You don’t need a separate metro app for most journeys around Kyiv; Google Maps and Kyiv Digital are enough.
For metro lines, fares, opening hours, and what changes during air raid alerts, see the Visit Kyiv guide to the Kyiv Metro. You can also save our interactive Kyiv Metro map.
Additional navigation apps
For most journeys, Google Maps and Kyiv Digital will be enough. These two apps may be useful in specific situations:
| App | When it’s useful | English | Offline mode | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Maps | When you need navigation without mobile internet | Yes | Yes | App Store/Google |
| EasyWay | If you use buses, trolleybuses, and trams frequently | Multilingual interface | Partly | Google Play |
- Organic Maps is useful as a backup offline map. Once you’ve downloaded the map, you can search for addresses and plan walking, cycling, and driving routes without an internet connection.
- EasyWay is more useful if you rely heavily on surface public transport. It shows routes, stops, timetables, and, where real-time data is available, the current location of vehicles.
Taxis in Kyiv
Uber, Bolt, and Uklon all operate in Kyiv. All three have English-language interfaces, support card payments, and can be used with an international phone number.
| App | What to know | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Uber | Convenient if you already use Uber in your home country | App Store / Google Play |
| Bolt | The same app can also be used to rent an e-scooter | App Store / Google Play |
| Uklon | A Ukrainian ride-hailing service with several vehicle classes | App Store / Google Play |
For a short stay in Kyiv, one taxi app is enough. If you expect to use taxis often, having two can be useful for comparing prices and waiting times.
Keep the curfew in mind: movement around the city is restricted during curfew hours. If you’re travelling late, check the current rules and plan your journey in advance.
Trains and travel around Ukraine
Ukrainian Railways
- Best for: train tickets
- English: yes
- Registration: account required
- Payment: online
- Official website: Ukrainian Railways
- Download: App Store / Google Play
If you’re arriving in Kyiv by train or planning to travel elsewhere in Ukraine, the official Ukrainian Railways app is worth downloading. You can search for trains, buy tickets, and receive up-to-date journey information, including delays and platform details. Electronic tickets can be shown directly from your phone.
Some tickets or transactions may require additional identity verification. Ukrainian Railways offers a separate verification option for international travellers who cannot use Ukraine’s Diia app.
If you’re still planning your journey, start with the Visit Kyiv guide to getting to Kyiv in 2026. If you already have a ticket, our guide to Kyiv Central Railway Station may also be useful.
Food, grocery, and everyday deliveries
Several delivery apps with English-language interfaces operate in Kyiv. You can use them to order restaurant meals, groceries, and everyday items. For a short visit, one app is usually enough.
| Service | Best for | What you can order | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glovo | All-purpose delivery | Restaurant meals, groceries, and items from shops | App Store / Google Play |
| Bolt Food | Food and grocery delivery | Restaurant meals, groceries, and other available items | App Store / Google Play |
| LOKO | Groceries and ready-made food | Groceries, prepared meals, and everyday essentials | App Store |
Once you enter your address, the app will show which restaurants and shops deliver to your area. Availability depends on your location and the time of day.
There’s no need to install every delivery app in advance. Start with one, and download another once you’re in Kyiv if the restaurant or shop you want isn’t available.
Other apps that may come in handy
You don’t need to download these before your trip, but they can be useful once you’re in Kyiv.
Pharmacies and medication
If you need a specific medication or want to check which pharmacies have it in stock, Liki24 and Tabletki.ua can help.
| Service | English | What you can do | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liki24 | Yes | Search for pharmacy products, compare available options, and arrange delivery | App Store / Google Play |
| Tabletki.ua | Yes | Check availability and prices at pharmacies, reserve medication, and collect it yourself | App Store |
You can also use Google Maps to find the nearest pharmacy. If you’re looking for a specific medication and want to collect it yourself, Tabletki.ua is useful for comparing availability and prices across different pharmacies. Liki24 is a better option if you need delivery.
If you need prescription medication or aren’t sure which medicine is appropriate, speak to a doctor or pharmacist first.
E-scooters and bikes
During the warmer months, an e-scooter or bike can be useful for short trips around Kyiv. For a first visit, think of them as an extra transport option rather than a replacement for the metro or taxis.
| Service | What you can rent | English | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt | E-scooters | Yes | App Store / Google Play |
| Zelectra | E-scooters and electric mopeds | Yes | App Store / Google Play |
| JET | E-scooters | Yes | App Store / Google Play |
| BikeNow | Bikes | Yes | App Store / Google Play |
Use the app to find available vehicles nearby, start your ride, and check where you’re allowed to leave the vehicle when you finish. Rental rules, prices, and operating zones vary by service, so check the latest details in the app before setting off.
Kyiv has plenty of hills, cobblestones, and busy roads, so e-scooters and bikes are best for shorter journeys. For longer trips, the metro, other public transport, or walking may be easier.
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Car rental
Getmancar can be useful if you need a car for a few hours, a day, or longer.
- English: yes
- Registration: document verification required
- Download: App Store / Google Play
To register, you’ll need to complete identity verification and upload the required documents. International drivers should check in advance whether their driving licence meets the rental requirements.
For a first trip to Kyiv, a car is usually unnecessary. Most popular places can be reached by metro, surface public transport, on foot, or by taxi.
Parcels and deliveries
Nova Post may be useful if you need to receive or send a parcel while you’re in Kyiv, send belongings to another Ukrainian city or abroad, or use a parcel locker.
- English: yes
- Download: App Store
The app lets you track parcels and manage available delivery services.
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Checklist: what to do with your phone before your trip
Before travelling, check whether your mobile data will work in Ukraine. Taxis, deliveries, live transport information, and most of the other services on this list require an internet connection.
You can use international roaming or buy a Ukrainian SIM card or eSIM. For more on mobile operators, internet access, and Wi-Fi, see our Visit Kyiv guide to mobile internet and connectivity.
Before you arrive, it’s also worth:
- downloading an offline map of Kyiv;
- saving the address of your hotel or apartment on your phone;
- checking that critical alerts are enabled for Air Alert;
- adding a payment card to at least one taxi app;
- saving the emergency numbers 112 and 103;
- taking screenshots of important tickets and bookings in case you temporarily lose internet access.
FAQ
Start with Kyiv Digital, Air Alert, Google Maps, and one taxi app — Uber, Bolt, or Uklon.
If you’re arriving by train or planning to travel elsewhere in Ukraine, add Ukrainian Railways. You can download a delivery app once you’re in Kyiv if you need one.
Install Air Alert and select Kyiv as your region when you first open the app.
Air raid alerts and a shelter map are also available in Kyiv Digital.
Google Maps is the simplest option for planning routes around the city. Kyiv Digital is useful for checking public transport routes and stops and for buying QR tickets.
For most journeys, those two apps are enough.
Yes. Uber, Bolt, and Uklon all operate in Kyiv.
For a short stay, one app is usually enough. If you expect to use taxis often, having two makes it easier to compare prices and waiting times.
In many cases, yes. Kyiv Digital supports international phone numbers, Air Alert doesn’t require registration, and Uber and Bolt can be used with your existing account.
If an app sends an SMS verification code, make sure you still have access to the phone number linked to your account.
No. Google Maps and Kyiv Digital are enough for most metro journeys.
For the metro map, fares, opening hours, and what changes during air raid alerts, see the Visit Kyiv guide to the Kyiv Metro.
Google Maps is useful for finding the nearest pharmacy. If you’re looking for a specific medication, Tabletki.ua can help you compare availability and prices at different pharmacies, while Liki24 can be used to order pharmacy products for delivery.
