2020 11D/10N - The Treasures of Poland

Day 1 Warsaw

Independent arrival to your hotel. At 6:00 PM, 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 Warsaw

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. You will admire some of its 300 rooms and see the Canaletto Room with 23 of his paintings, the Throne Room, the magnificent Knight’s Hall with six large paintings by Marcello Bacciarelli, the Marble room with its 22 portraits of Polish kings and the largest and most impressive of all the castle’s chambers, the Ballroom. After lunch served at a local restaurant in Old Town, we continue our tour with a drive to the area of the former Warsaw Ghetto. En route, you will see the building of the National Opera House and Town Hall. During your tour of Warsaw we invite you to the famous Warsaw chocolate factory “Wedel” to taste the delicious hot chocolate at the “ Wedel Old Fashioned Shop”. This evening you will take an unforgettable musical journey through the world famous compositions of our greatest composer, Frederic Chopin, at a piano recital. A glass of sparkling wine will be served during intermission.

Day 3 Warsaw – Czestochowa – Zakopane

After breakfast, we depart for Zakopane – one of the most popular vacation resorts in the Tatra Mountains. Enroute, we stop in Czestochowa to visit the Jasna Gora Monastery and the Black Madonna Shrine with its miraculous icon. Lunch will be served a local restaurant in Czestochowa. 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 Zakopane – Krakow

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 and is 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 at your leisure, we continue on to Krakow, take a spectacular rafting trip on the Dunajec River in Pieniny National Park. Tonight’s dinner will be served upon arrival at your hotel.

Day 5 Krakow – Auschwitz – Krakow

The morning sightseeing tour will feature Wawel, the Royal Castle, home to three dynasties of Poland’s monarchs. Its stately halls and exquisite chambers are filled with priceless art, valuable period furniture and rare ancient objects. The collection of monumental 16th century tapestries is matchless. You will also visit the WawelCathedral, 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. Following Wawel we drive to 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. After lunch, we drive to Auschwitz to visit the Martyrdom Museum of the former Nazi concentration camp, the infamous factory of death.

Day 6 Krakow – Wieliczka – Krakow

After breakfast, you have time to explore more of Krakow on your own. Afternoon we will invite you for coffee and cake at the famous Krakow cafeteria. We than will drive to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, an unforgettable tourist attraction with underground chambers, grottoes, and chapels carved from salt. Dinner with a folkloric show will be served at a local restaurant in Wieliczka, before we drive back to Krakow.

Day 7 Krakow – Lowicz – Torun

This morning, 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 Torun – Gdansk

In the morning, we see the highlights of Torun. It is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus and 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. A visit to Eskenow House - Torun Museum is included in your itinerary. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Torun. In the afternoon, we drive to Gdansk. Upon arrival, we take a brief walk through the town’s Old Town.

Day 9 Gdansk – Malbork – Gdansk

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 church in Gdansk. On our way back we pass by Mariacka Street, with its gabled terraced houses and elegant boutiques. We continue to Malbork for lunch and visiting the Teutonic Knights Castle. It is the largest brick building in Europe and one of Poland’s greatest tourist attractions. After coming back Gdansk the balance of the day is free to give you time for shopping Baltic arts andcrafts, including unique amber jewelry and trinkets.

Day 10 Gdansk – Gdynia – Sopot – Oliwa – Warsaw

After breakfast we drive to Gdynia, 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 organ, to enjoy a concert. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. In the afternoon we drive for Warsaw. A farewell dinner will be served at local restaurant in Warsaw this evening

Day 11 Warsaw
After breakfast this morning, your tour will come to an end.

Inclusions: twin share in 3* & 4* hotels,, breakfast daily, 7 lunches served at the local restaurants,

4 dinners (including one dinner with folkloric show in Wieliczka), English-speaking tour escort assistance, local guides, private air-conditioned motor coach/minibus/car (depending on the group size), cake & coffee/tea at famous Warsaw cafeteria, cake & coffee/tea at famous Krakow cafeteria, Chopin concert with a glass of sparkling wine, luggage handling at hotels (one piece per person), hotel charges and taxes.

Sightseeing: entrance fees to Warsaw – Royal Castle, Czestochowa – Jasna Gora Monastery and the Black Madonna Shrine, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Zakopane – cable car to Gubalowka Hill and a rafting trip on the Dunajec River,

Krakow – Royal Castle and Cathedral on the Wawel Hill, St. Mary’s Church, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Torun – Eskenow House - Torun Museum, Gdansk – organ concert in the Oliwa Cathedral and Malbork Castle.

Hotels: Warsaw- 4* Novotel Warzawa Centrum, Zakopane- 3* Mercure Kasprowy, Krakow- 4* Novotel Krakow City West, Torun-3* Mercure Torun Centrum, Gdansk-4* Mercure Gdansk Old Town (or similar)