The Grand Tour of Poland

Upon arrival, we will meet you and transfer to the hotel. 

In the evening, meet your tour guide in the hotel lobby. After a brief introduction, you try some tasty foods at the welcome dinner.

Overnight in Warsaw (dinner).

Today we will go on a full-day city tour showcasing the best of Warsaw. You will see the charming Old Town, which was painstakingly rebuilt from scratch after World War II. You will also see the historic Jewish Ghetto, the busy downtown, and the elegant Royal Route, which includes one of Europe's best 18th-century royal residences, the Palace on the Water in the Lazienki Gardens.

In the afternoon, we'll go to the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising, which is widely thought to be the best new museum in Poland. It tells about the uprising of 1944, which left marks on the city that are still visible today.You will also have free time to walk around the cobblestone streets of the Old Town and look for signs of restoration on the facades of the old houses.

Enjoy a delicious traditional Polish dinner at a stylish restaurant in the evening. We end the day with a private piano concert of Chopin's works. Chopin was a Polish pianist and composer who is known all over the world as the greatest master of Romantic music.

Overnight in Warsaw (breakfast, dinner).

After breakfast in the morning, we get on our bus and head north to the Baltic Sea. We will drive through the Warmia (Ermland) region and stop in the Ilawa Lake District to see the Ostroda-Elblag Canal, a network of canals and a narrow-gauge railway built by the Germans in the 19th century. While on your boat cruise, you can see the natural and man-made wonders of this top Poland attraction.

In the afternoon, we will tour Malbork Castle. Malbork Castle is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe and a masterpiece of architecture. It was the headquarters of the powerful Order of Teutonic Knights from 1309 to 1459. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the great halls, high towers, and even the heating system have all been carefully restored.

In the evening, we continue to Gdansk,

Overnight in Gdansk (breakfast, dinner).

In the morning, we will explore Gdansk's Old Town. Gdansk is one of the most popular places to visit in Poland because it used to be the wealthiest port city in the country. As a result, its Old Town has a strong sense of the sea and a lot of unique Hanseatic-style buildings. You will see the Old Town, St. Mary's (the largest Gothic church in Poland), the Neptune Fountain, and the Artus Court.

After that, we will take you to the district of Oliwa, which has a beautiful cathedral from the 13th century known for its highly complex pipe organs. You will have free time in Gdansk after the organ recital.

In the afternoon, we will visit the famous Gdansk (formerly Lenin) Shipyards, where the Solidarity movement, led by Lech Walesa, began.

Overnight stay in Gdansk (breakfast).

After breakfast, we leave Gdansk and head south to Torun. We will tour Torun Old Town, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. It has withstood many wars and invasions and still has many of its original Gothic buildings, such as a beautiful town hall, medieval fortification walls, the Polish "leaning tower of Pisa," and the beautiful St. James' church.

Gingerbread has always been the town's claim to fame. You can try it in different sizes and shapes. Torun might be the best surprise of the whole trip, as it always makes a memorable impression.

Overnight in Torun (breakfast).

We continue our tour in Gniezno, the first Polish capital, on the way to Wroclaw (Breslau). The town is a must-see if you want to learn about Poland's early history. The cathedral where five Polish kings were crowned is a real gem. The tomb of Saint Wojciech is its most important highlight. The bronze Romanesque gate is another famous detail of the cathedral. In the afternoon, we arrive in Wroclaw, a city in Lower Silesia. Dinner at a great restaurant in the evening.

Overnight in Wroclaw (breakfast, dinner).

In the morning you will have some free time to explore Wroclaw Old Town. You can visit the beautiful university hall or take a complimentary trip to Swidnica, a small town 70 kilometers away from Wroclaw. Swidnica is famous for its wooden Church of Peace, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. After the Thirty Years' War, it was one of only three places in Silesia where Protestantism was allowed. The church itself was built without a single nail.

After lunch, an experienced local guide will take a short walk through the Old Town.

Overnight in Wroclaw (breakfast).

Today will have a completely different experience.

In eastern Silesia, at the edge of the town of Oswiecim, there are two gruesome reminders of the former German death camps. These are now part of the Holocaust Memorial, preserved so that we never forget one of the worst times in world history. We will visit Auschwitz I, now a museum, and Auschwitz II, a concentration and death camp.

After lunch, we head south to Zakopane, Poland's most famous mountain resort at the foot of the beautiful Carpathian Mountains.

In the evening, we will ride in a horse-drawn carriage to one of the best restaurants in the area. Enjoy a lively highland show with live music and dancing. You'll learn about the folk traditions in this area and try some of the local food and strong "highlander tea."

Overnight in Zakopane (breakfast, dinner).

In the morning, we take a funicular railway up to Mt. Gubalowka, one of the most beautiful peaks in the Tatras, to see the dramatic scenery. The tour wouldn't be complete without a stop at "Na Peksowym Brzyzku," one of Poland's most famous cemeteries. Many famous people of culture, science, and art, as well as a wide range of people prominent in Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains, are buried. The tombstones and crosses in the area are a mix of folk art and art styles that were popular in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In the afternoon, you will have some time to shop for gifts and souvenirs on Krupowki Street before we check out and continue to our next destination, Krakow.

Overnight in Krakow (breakfast).

After breakfast, we will visit Wieliczka Salt Mines' underground chambers for a unique and spooky tour of the medieval galleries, chapels, and halls carved out of rock and salt deposits. All the things you've heard about this place are true: it's the only one of its kind in the world. The afternoon and evening are free.

Overnight in Krakow (breakfast)

A morning tour of Krakow promises to be a feast for the senses. It includes exploring the medieval part of the town with the main town square, the largest square in Europe, the exciting churches with different architectural styles, and the most beautiful streets full of old-world charm.

The Church of the Virgin Mary is home to the world's largest wooden altar. Carved by Veit Stoss between 1477 and 1489, it opens its wings daily, and we will be there to see it. A trumpeter plays the haunting Hejnal alarm call every hour from one of its twin towers.

We will also walk through the Cathedral and the Belfry on a tour of the famous Wawel Castle.

After lunch, you'll have free time to walk around Old Town.

In the evening, we'll take you to one of Krakow's best restaurants for a delicious dinner. You will have the chance to learn how to make pierogi, a traditional Polish dish, a kind of dumpling filled with meat, vegetables, or fruit.

Overnight in Krakow (breakfast, dinner).

In the morning, we continue to Czestochowa. Along with Rome, Fatima, Portugal, and Lourdes, France, the Jasna Gora Monastery of Czestochowa is one of Christianity's most important and inspiring pilgrimage sites. A Pauline monk will lead the tour and show us both the famous Black Madonna and the monastery. After the tour, we will return to Warsaw around 18:30.

Overnight in Warsaw (breakfast)

Transfer to the airport and departure (breakfast).