P-2A

Many Faces of Poland

About Us

Domestic and International Travel Since 1947

14 days / 13 nights – Land only

TOUR FEATURES:

4 - and 3 - star hotels, rooms with private facilities

English-speaking tour escort assistance

Obligatory local guides

Private air-conditioned motor coach/minibus/car (depending on the group size)

Meals as per itinerary:

breakfast daily, 5 x lunch served at the local restaurants

1 x dinner served at the local restaurants

1 x dinner served at the hotel

1 x picnic dinner with folklore entertainment in Gietrzwald

1 x home-hosted dinner in Lowicz

Sightseeing tours as per itinerary

ENTRANCE FEES:

Czestochowa – Jasna Gora Monastery and the Black Madonna Shrine

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Krakow – Wawel Royal Castle Cathedral on the Wawel Hill, St. Mary’s Church

Zakopane – cable car to Gubalowka Hill

Wroclaw – the Panorama of the Battle of Raclawice

Olsztynek – Museum of Folk Architecture

Chopin concert

Hotel charges and taxes

YOUR HOTELS:

WARSAW – Novotel Centrum or similar

KRAKOW – Novotel City West or similar

ZAKOPANE – Radisson BLU or similar

WROCLAW – Radisson BLU or similar

POZNAN – Novotel Poznan Centrum or similar

TORUN – Mercure Torun Centrum or similar

GDANSK – Sadova or similar

OLSZTYN – Hampton or similar

TOUR ITINERARY:

DAY 1 Friday

USA – WARSAW

Depart from the USA on an overnight flight to Warsaw, Poland’s dynamic capital.

DAY 2 Saturday

WARSAW [Welcome dinner]

Welcome to Warsaw, Poland’s dynamic capital. At 6:00PM, meet your guide and the rest of the group in the hotel lobby. Drive along the beautifully renovated Royal Route with its historical monuments and residences. Stop at Castle Square for a short walk through Old Town, and then join us for welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Your meal will include typical Polish dishes and famous Polish vodka, "Zubrowka”.

DAY 3 Sunday

WARSAW [Breakfast, Lunch]

This morning, we introduce you to the highlights of Warsaw. A half-day sightseeing tour includes Old Town, beautifully rebuilt after World War II, with the impressive Royal Castle, seat of the kings of Poland. Here the Constitution of May 3rd was proclaimed in 1791, the second oldest constitution, after the US Constitution, in the world. Walk through the Market Square full of finest restaurants, gift shops or galleries. Pass the late-Gothic structure by John Baptist of Venice - the Barbican. At the Krasinski Square stop by the Monument of Warsaw’s Uprising. Drive to see the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, building of Warsaw’s Grand Opera and National Theatre House erected by Antonio Corazzi and the Ghetto Memorial. Lunch will be served at the local restaurant.

In the late afternoon you will take an unforgettable musical journey through the world famous compositions of our greatest composer, Frederic Chopin, at a two-part piano recital.

DAY 4 Monday

WARSAW – CZESTOCHOWA – AUSCHWITZ – KRAKOW [Breakfast, Lunch]

The road to Krakow, Poland’s unique, medieval, open-air museum, leads us past Czestochowa, site of Jasna Gora and the Black Madonna, venerated as Poland’s holiest icon. Lunch will be served a local restaurant in Czestochowa. En route to Krakow, we also stop at Auschwitz, site of the concentration camp, where millions lost their lives in the crematoria during the Holocaust.

DAY 5 Tuesday

KRAKOW [Breakfast, Dinner]

The morning sightseeing tour will feature Wawel Hill with its impressive Royal Castle and Wawel Royal Cathedral - the place of the cult of St. Stanislaw and St. Jadwiga, Queen of Poland. Its 18 chapels are true architectural masterpieces. The giant bell, Zygmunt from 1520 ranks with the world’s largest. This is the place where Polish kings were crowned and buried. Continue the tour with the walk to the Old Town with its restored Main Square of magnificent houses and palaces. There, you stop at St. Mary’s Basilica, where to see the magnificent wooden altar by Wit Stwosz. In the middle of the square is Cloth Hall built before 1349, but renovated in the 16th century with many shopping stalls inside.

This afternoon is at leisure.

Afternoon optional regular tour to Wieliczka Salt Mine*** - an impressive and unique underground world full of saline lakes, majestic timber constructions, great chambers, galleries and unique Salt Works created by many generations of Polish miners and operated since 13th century. The tour leads through almost 3 kilometres of meandering corridors, at the depth of 135 meters – the part, which has been worked from 17th to 19th century.

Evening and dinner on your own.

Important note:

There are a total of 800 steps to climb of which 350 at the beginning take you down into the mine. These 350 steps will be changed into lift service [the service depends on lift technical conditions].

Make sure to put on comfortable shoes.

The visit is always conducted under the supervision of a local guide (the Miner) – obligatory.

The temperature underground falls within the range of 17-18°C, regardless of the season. We advise you to dress appropriately taking the above in mind.

Only a small carry-on luggage (with maximum dimensions 20 x 20 x 35 cm) is allowed during the tour of the Mine. Guests may leave larger luggage in a special luggage locker, but keep in mind that the number of lockers and their size are limited. The museum cannot guarantee the availability of an appropriate locker.

DAY 6 Wednesday

KRAKOW – ZAKOPANE [Breakfast, Lunch]

In the morning visit Kazimierz – Jewish Quarter of Krakow, that was established in 1335 by great Polish King Casimir the Greatest, who appreciated Jewish talents and usefulness for developing the country. Surrounded by defensive walls with its own Town Hall, soon the district became one of the European centres of Jewish religion, learning and culture.

Today, the world of narrow streets and lines, small architectural buildings and sacral places show us an extraordinary trace of co-existence of Jewish and Polish communities. Following lunch on own, we drive to Zakopane beautifully situated at the foot of the Tatra Mountains in the valley between Gubalowka and Giewont. It is Poland’s most popular resort and one of the most beautiful places owing to its picturesque location. Once, a small mountain village, Zakopane has become a fashionable winter resort for artists since the beginning of the 20th century.

DAY 7 Thursday

ZAKOPANE [Breakfast, Dinner]

In the morning you will have a sightseeing tour of Zakopane, whose wooden architecture blends with the natural landscapes. Copied in other parts of Poland, it is known as Zakopianski Style. You will visit the Jaszczurowka Chapel, a great example of wooden architecture in Zakopane, and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima at Krzeptowki, which was built by the people of Zakopane to thank the Lady of Fatima for saving the Pope after an attempt on His life. Admire the breathtaking view from the top of Gubalowka*, then have time to shop for souvenirs of arts and crafts of the Highlanders (Gorale) in the local shops. After lunch on your own you will have free time.

Important note:

*Funicular to Gubalowka Mountain (subject to confirm on spot; service depends on the weather and funicular technical conditions)

DAY 8 Friday

ZAKOPANE – WADOWICE – WROCLAW [Breakfast, Lunch]

Today we depart for western Poland and the historic city of Wroclaw. Known as "Venice of the North", it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, capital of Lower Silesia, with a beautiful location along the Odra River. En route, we stop in Wadowice, the birthplace of John Paul II. After lunch at a local restaurant, we will see the house where He was born and grew up. From the window of His bedroom He used to see a clock with the sign "Time flies, eternity awaits”. In the Basilica of Wadowice, where Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II, was baptized you can still see the special plaque that commemorates this fact as well as a stone font where the Pope prayed during His first pilgrimage to Poland in 1979. From here, we continue our journey to Wroclaw, after lunch at a local restaurant in Wadowice. Today, Wroclaw with its beautiful historical buildings like Town Hall in Market Square is recognized as a gem of urban Gothic-Renaissance urban architecture in Poland.

DAY 9 Saturday

WROCLAW – POZNAN [Breakfast, Dinner]

After breakfast, city tour of Wroclaw includes the Old Town dominated by the building of the Gothic Town Hall dated to 14th-15th centuries. The south-west of the square is bounded with the Salt Market Square lined with Renaissance burgher houses and the nearby Wroclaw University dated 18th century. We also visit Ostrow Tumski – the residence of bishops and princes in the early Middle Ages. Its main point is the enormous Gothic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist dating back to 13th-14th centuries. From here, we drive to Poznan for your dinner served at the hotel and overnight.

DAY 10 Sunday

POZNAN – TORUN [Breakfast, Lunch]

After breakfast a brief sightseeing tour in the historic city of Poznan. The first settlement here can be traced back to the early 9th century. The first ruler of Poland, Mieszko I, who baptized the country, founded his church right here. The church was rebuilt after the war. In the 15th century it took on a Gothic shape. The most interesting part of the city is Old Town with its famous Renaissance Town Hall. In the middle of the attic, above the clock, you can see two metal goats butting their horns 12 times every day at noon. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue to Torun.

DAY 11 Monday

TORUN – GDANSK [Breakfast, Lunch]

In the morning, take a tour of Torun, the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus and one of the most magnificent historic cities of Poland. Its Old Town has been included in the UNESCO’s list for its impressive 13th century Town Hall, superb churches and streets that recall Torun’s past glory. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Torun. In the afternoon, we drive to Gdansk where we will get acquainted with the city on a brief walk through its Old Town.

DAY 12 Tuesday

GDANSK – GDYNIA – SOPOT [Breakfast, Lunch]

Today we tour Gdansk in depth. 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, with grand mansions decorated with late Renaissance and Baroque facades. A real feast for the eyes!!! It is here that the richest burghers of Gdansk once lived. Next, we come upon the Main Town and the Artus Court - a building used for Hanseatic League meetings. It is renowned as the most beautiful court among all of Europe’s Hanseatic cities. Just behind it stands the tower of St. Mary's Basilica, a part of the most precious and largest red-brick Gothic churches in Gdansk. On our way back we pass by Mariacka Street, with its gabled terraced houses and elegant boutiques. Following lunch on own, we will drive to Gdynia - youngest of the tri-city complex and Oliwa, where we will visit Oliwa Cathedral famous for its one-of-a-kind pipe organs. Finally we will continue to Sopot, the famous and fashionable seaside resort. Here you can still see the oldest and longest wooden pier in Europe.

DAY 13 Wednesday

GDANSK – MALBORK – OLSZTYN [Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner]

After breakfast, we have time at leisure for shopping Baltic arts and crafts, including unique amber jewelry and trinkets. Following lunch on own we will drive to Olsztyn with enroute stopping in Gietrzwald to take part in an open-air picnic with folkloric entertainment.

DAY 14 Thursday

OLSZTYN – OLSZTYNEK – LOWICZ – WARSAW [Breakfast, Dinner]

After breakfast short tour of Olsztyn and drive to Olsztynek for visit to the Ethnographic Park - site of the Museum of Folk Architecture, one of the oldest open-air museums in Europe. It contains many interesting examples of folk architecture, including houses, barns, windmills and other traditional buildings. A particular attraction of the Ethnographical Park are the interiors of old houses, the evangelical church, a smithy, a pottery stand, a Dutch windmill, as well as various temporary displays representing items of traditional craftsmanship and modern folk art and handicraft from the region. The main objective of the Museum is to preserve the legacy of the past for future generations and to encourage the study of the rich cultural and spiritual values of days gone by. In the afternoon, as we continue our drive to Warsaw with a stop in Lowicz, a typical Mazovian town famous for folk art: especially noteworthy are the colorful costumes and beautiful paper cut-outs. You will be invited for a home-hosted dinner by a local family, whose charming cottage is located at the foot of the former Lowicz Castle. You will be welcomed in a typical Polish way, with bread & salt, and enjoy your meal served by the young married couple in their lovely house. You will have time to talk about their day to day life and have your dessert in a beautiful garden. After dinner, we continue your drive to Warsaw.

DAY 15 Friday

WARSAW [Breakfast]

Buffet breakfast ends your tour.