The Treasures of Poland
Domestic and International Travel Since 1947
12 days / 11 nights – Air & Land
11 days / 10 nights – Land only
Contact us: 248.743.2660
YOUR HOTELS:
WARSAW– Novotel Warsaw Centrum or similar
ZAKOPANE– Bachleda Kasprowy or similar
KRAKOW– Novotel Krakow or similar
TORUN– Mercure Torun Centrum or similar
GDANSK– Sadova or similar
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:
4 x lunch served at the local restaurant
1 x light lunch served at the local restaurant
1 x home-hosted lunch in Lowicz)
1 x dinner served at a local restaurant
1 x dinner served at the hotel in Krakow
1 x dinner served at a local restaurant including folklor show
Sightseeing tours as per itinerary
ENTRANCE FEES:
Czestochowa – Jasna Gora Monastery and the Black Madonna Shrine
Zakopane – cable car to Gubalowka Hill and a rafting trip on the Dunajec River
Auschwitz-Birkenau
Krakow – Wawel Royal Cathedral on the Wawel Hill and St. Mary’s Church
Wieliczka Salt Mine
Chopin concert
Hotel charges and taxes
TOUR ITINERARY:
DAY Friday
USA – WARSAW
Depart from the USA on an overnight flight to Warsaw, Poland’s dynamic capital.
DAY 1 Saturday
WARSAW [Welcome dinner]
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 2 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, the 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 the finest restaurants, gift shops, and 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 the Unknown Soldier, the 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 3 Monday
WARSAW – CZESTOCHOWA – ZAKOPANE [Breakfast, Lunch]
After breakfast, we depart for Zakopane – one of the most popular vacation resorts in the Tatra Mountains. En route, we stop in Czestochowa to visit Jasna Gora Monastery and the Black Madonna Shrine with its miraculous icon. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. In the evening we arrive in Zakopane beautifully situated at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, in the valley between Gubalowka and Giewont. It is the most popular resort in Poland and one of the most beautiful places in all of Poland, owing to its picturesque location. Once, a small mountain village, Zakopane became a fashionable artist’s retreat at the beginning of the 20th century.
DAY 4 Tuesday
ZAKOPANE – KRAKOW [Breakfast, Dinner]
In the morning you will have a sightseeing tour of Zakopane, whose wooden architecture blends with the natural landscapes and it is copied in other parts of Poland - known as Zakopianski Style. 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, 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 views of the Tatras from the top of Gubalowka* Mountain and shop for souvenirs of arts and crafts of the Highlanders (Gorale) in the local shops.
After lunch on your own, we continue on to Krakow. En route, we take a spectacular rafting trip on the Dunajec River** in Pieniny National Park. Tonight’s dinner will be served upon arrival at the hotel.
Important note:
*Funicular to Gubalowka Mountain (subject to confirm on the spot; service depends on the weather and funicular technical conditions)
**Dunajec Raft Trip (subject to confirmation on the spot; service depends on the weather and the level of the river)
DAY 5 Wednesday
KRAKOW – AUSCHWITZ – KRAKOW [Breakfast, Light Lunch]
In the morning, we drive to Auschwitz-Birkenau, to visit the Martyrdom Museum of the former Nazi concentration camp, the infamous factory of death. Following the visit return to Krakow for a light lunch at the local restaurant.
In the afternoon visit Kazimierz – the Jewish Quarter of Krakow, which 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 centers of Jewish religion, learning, and culture.
Today, the world of narrow streets and lanes, small architectural buildings and sacral places show us an extraordinary trace of the co-existence of Jewish and Polish communities.
Evening and dinner on your own.
Important notes referring to Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum:
- Entering the Museum is possible with a passport (or any other ID document) and a ticket with bar code. In case of discrepancies between ID documents and tickets, entering the Museum would not be possible.
- Tour of the Museum by children under the age of 14 is not recommended.
- While on the Museum grounds, visitors must follow the instructions of the Guide-Educator and the Museum staff. It is permitted to move only around the areas and structures specifically made available for this purpose.
- Persons entering the Museum grounds and their luggage may be subject to inspection with the use of electronic devices for detecting dangerous substances and materials. Persons who refuse to undergo inspection, will not be permitted onto the premises of the Museum. The maximum size of the handbag allowed to be brought onto the Museum grounds is 30 x 20 x 10 cm. All larger bags should be left at the luggage storage or on the bus.
DAY 6 Thursday
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 as 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 the Cloth Hall built before 1349, but renovated in the 16th century with many shopping stalls inside.
Following lunch on our own, we will drive to Wieliczka to visit the 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 the 13th century. The tour leads through almost 3 kilometers of meandering corridors, at the depth of 135 meters – the part, which has worked from the 17th to 19th century.
Dinner with a folkloric show will be served at a local restaurant in Wieliczka before we drive back to Krakow.
*Lift going down to the Mine (subject to confirm on the spot; service depends on lift technical conditions)
Important notes referring to Wieliczka Salt Mine:
There is total of 800 steps to climb of which 350 at the beginning taking 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 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 7 Friday
KRAKOW – LOWICZ – TORUN [Breakfast, Lunch]
After breakfast, we leave for Torun. On the way, we will stop in Lowicz, a typical Mazovian town famous for folk art: colorful costumes and beautiful paper cut-outs. You will be invited for a home-hosted lunch 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. We continue to Torun, where the balance of the day is at leisure.
DAY 8 Saturday
TORUN – GDANSK [Breakfast, Lunch]
In the morning we see the highlights of Torun. It is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus and is considered one of the most magnificent historic cities of Poland. Its Old Town has been included in UNESCO’s list for its impressive 13th-century Town Hall, superb churches, and historic streets preserving Torun’s past glory. Following lunch on our own, we drive to Gdansk. Upon arrival, we take a brief walk through the town’s Old Town.
DAY 9 Sunday
GDANSK – MALBORK – 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 longest wooden pier in Europe. We will also visit Oliwa Cathedral famous for one-of-a-kind pipe organs.
The balance of the day is free to give you time for shopping Baltic arts and crafts, including unique amber jewelry and trinkets.
DAY 10 Monday
GDANSK – GDYNIA – SOPOT – WARSAW [Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner]
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.
Lunch at a local restaurant and in the afternoon we drive for Warsaw.
DAY 11 Tuesday
WARSAW [Breakfast]
Buffet breakfast ends your tour.
Departures from USA are one day prior to the starting date in Warsaw
