Day-By-Day Program:
Day 1 SAT ● Warsaw (Welcome Dinner)
Upon arrival, transfer individually to your city center hotel. Afternoon is free.
6 pm: meet your guide and the rest of the group at hotel lobby. Drive along the historic Royal Route, stop at Castle Square for a short walk through the Old Town, and join us for a Welcome dinner. Your meal includes typical Polish dishes and the famous Polish Zubrowka vodka (WD)
Day 2 SUN ● Warsaw, Sightseeing (Breakfast, Lunch)
Today get introduced to Warszawa, Poland’s capital and largest city, seat of the president, government and parliament. Your City tour features the views of a beautifully rebuilt Old Town and its colorful Market Square, the New Town, the Barbican, the King Sigismund III Column, St. John’s Cathedral, Warsaw Ghetto, the Tomb to the Unknown Soldier and much more.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant. Tonight enjoy a piano recital of works by Poland’s great composer Frederic Chopin (B)
Day 3 MON ● Warsaw - Czestochowa - Zakopane (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast, leave for Zakopane, one of the most popular vacation resorts in the Tatra Mountains. En route, stop in Czestochowa to visit the Jasna Gora Monastery and the Black Madonna Shrine with its miraculous icon. Lunch is served at a local restaurant in Czestochowa. In the evening arrive in Zakopane, beautifully located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. It is the most popular resort in Poland and one of the most beautiful places in all of Poland. Once a small remote village, it turned into a fashionable artists' retreat for power moguls and skiers alike (B,L)
Day 4 TUE ● Zakopane - Krakow (Breakfast, Dinner)
Morning sightseeing tour of Zakopane, whose wooden architecture - known as Zakopianski style - blends well with the natural landscapes. You will visit the Jaszczurowka Chapel, a great example of the wooden architecture in Zakopane, and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima at Krzeptowki, built by the people of Zakopane as a token of appreciation to the Lady of Fatima for saving the Pope after an attempt on His life.
Admire the breathtaking views of the Tatras from the top of Gubalowka Mountain and shop for souvenirs of the Highlanders (Gorale).
After lunch on your own you will have some free time. En route to Krakow we stop for an exciting rafting adventure on the Dunajec River in the Pieniny National Park. Tonight dinner is served at the hotel (B,D)
Day 5 WED ● Krakow - Auschwitz - Krakow (Breakfast)
One of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Krakow is proudly on the UNESCO list of the 12 great historic cities of the world. For nearly 6 centuries Krakow was the capital of Poland, and it continues to display its deep and varied roots.
Start off your love affair with Krakow with an orientation tour.
City’s Highlights include the stately. expansive expansive Rynek Glówny (Market square), one of the biggest in Europe; the Cloth Hall that houses a collection of Polish paintings and handicrafts; Saint Mary’s Church with its magnificent 15th c. wooden altar by Wit Stwosz; the Collegium Maius with Gothic arcades. You will also visit the Royal Castle and the Cathedral on the Wawel Hill. Share city’s buzzing cafe culture during your coffee & cake break. After lunch, drive outside of Krakow to Auschwitz to visit the Martyrdom Museum of the former Nazi concentration camp, the infamous factory of death (B)
DAY 6 THU ● Krakow – Wieliczka– Krakow (Breakfast, Dinner)
After breakfast, time to explore more of Krakow on your own. Afternoon we will invite you for coffee and cake at the famous Krakow cafeteria. We then will drive to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, an unforgettable tourist attraction with underground chambers, grottoes, and chapels carved from salt. Dinner with a folklore show is served at a local restaurant in Wieliczka (B)
DAY 7 FRI ● Krakow – Lowicz – Toruń (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast, we leave for Torun. On the way, we will stop in Lowicz, a typical Mazovian town famous for colorful folk costumes and beautifully designed paper cut outs. You will be invited for a home-hosted lunch by a local family, whose cottage is located at the foot of the former Lowicz Castle. You will be welcomed by a young married couple in a typical Polish style, with bread & salt. Time to talk about their day-to-day life and have your dessert in a beautiful garden. After lunch with a hospitable family we continue our journey to Torun. Balance of the day is at leisure (B,L)
DAY 8 SAT ● Toruń – Gdańsk (Breakfast)
In the morning you will be introduced to the highlights of Torun, the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus and one of the most magnificent historic cities of Poland. Its Old Town is on the UNESCO’s World Heritage list for its impressive 13th century Town Hall, superb churches and historic streets preserving Torun’s past glory. A visit to the Copernicus Museum is included.
In the afternoon drive to Gdansk, a true find on the Baltic Coast of Poland. And an anchor of the three-part metropolitan region known as the Tri-City. Upon arrival, we take a brief walk through the town’s Old Town (B)
DAY 9 SUN ● Gdańsk – Gdynia–Sopot–Oliwa – Gdańsk (Breakfast)
Today we tour Gdansk in-depth. In the 16-17th centuries, Gdansk was Poland's wealthiest city, with gorgeous architecture rivaling that in the two historic capitals, Krakow and Warsaw. During this Golden Age, Poland's kings would regularly visit this city of well-to-do Hanseatic League merchants and gawk along the same route trod by tourists today.
We start from the Upland Gate - a fragment of the city’s former fortifications and one of its main gates. Just behind it, we pass by a baked-brick construction consisting of the Prison Tower and the Torture House - relics of the 15th century Gothic defense walls.
The Golden Gate, situated next to the Prison Tower, opens onto Long Market, a magnificent street of grand mansions with impressive Renaissance and Baroque-style facades. A real feast for travelers' eyes. This is where the richest burghers of Gdansk once lived.
The unquestionable landmark of Gdansk is the Artus Court, the single best-known house in town built in the middle of the 14th century. The court has been an essential stop for passing luminaries over the centuries. A list of famous visitors also includes many contemporary presidents and world celebrities. Return to Gdansk. Balance of the day is free for independent activities and shopping (B)
DAY 10 MON ● Gdańsk–Warsaw (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast we drive to Gdynia, the youngest of the tri-city complex, which also includes Sopot, the famous and fashionable seaside resort. Here you can still see the oldest and the longest wooden pier in Europe. We also visit the Oliwa Cathedral famous for its one-of-a-kind pipe organ, to enjoy a concert. Lunch at a local restaurant. Drive to Warsaw (B,L)
DAY 11 TUE ● Warsaw (Breakfast)
After breakfast, transfer on your own to airport for return flight home (B)
Learn More:
Warsaw Highlights
Gdansk Highlights
Zakopane Highlights
Krakow Highlights
