TOUR ITINERARY: Day 1 ARRIVAL, WARSAW Evening: Meet with your tour leader and a representative from our office. This is followed by a hearty and delicious welcome dinner. Day 2 WARSAW Morning: Your full-day tour of the city covers the very best of Warsaw: the charming Old Town (painstakingly rebuilt from scratch after WW II); the historical Jewish Ghetto area; the vibrant downtown and the elegant Royal Route with the Palace on the Water in the Lazienki Gardens. Afternoon: After a complimentary sweet treat in the famous Blikle Café, the next stop is the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising that is widely regarded as the best new museum in Poland. Alternatively, you can choose to have free time to explore the cobblestoned lanes of the Old Town. Evening: A delicious traditional Polish dinner in a stylish restaurant. We conclude the day with a private piano concert of works by Chopin, a Polish composer-pianist who is revered worldwide as a great master of Romantic music. Day 3 THE DAY OF TEUTONIC KNIGHTS Morning: Shortly after an early breakfast, we board our bus towards the Baltic Sea in the north. We will travel pass the Warmia (Ermland) region, stopping in the Ilawa Lake District to visit a marvel of 19th-century German engineering: the Ostroda-Elblag Canal, a system of canals combined with a narrow-gauge railway. Your boat cruise will let you take in the natural and technical wonders of this top Poland attraction. Afternoon: A tour of the Malbork (Marienburg) Castle, a triumph of architecture and one of the biggest medieval castles in Europe. In 1309-1459, it was the seat of the mighty Order of Teutonic Knights. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with meticulously restored interiors and exhibits. Evening: Drive on to Gdansk. Check in to a comfortable hotel. Dinner and overnight stay. Day 4 GDANSK & SOPOT Morning: We start with Oliwa, a district of Gdansk, to visit a beautiful 13th-century Cathedral famous for its impressively complex organ. After an organ concert, you will have free time in Gdansk before moving on to Sopot, the most popular, and quaint yet sophisticated, Polish seaside resort. Afternoon: On the way to the Old Town of Gdansk, we stop at the famous Gdansk (formerly Lenin) Shipyards, the birthplace of the Solidarity movement led by Lech Walesa. Gdansk’s past as the richest Polish port city has given it the present day status a favorite tourist destination in Poland. Gdansk’s Old Town is redolent of maritime atmosphere and replete with unique Hanseatic-style architecture. Day 5 TORUN – COPERNICUS Morning: After breakfast, we bid farewell to Gdansk and head south towards Torun. Afternoon: Lunch break is followed by a tour of the Torun Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). This delightful historical city is abundant in original Gothic structures that survived numerous wars and invasions, including a magnificent town hall, medieval fortification walls and the Polish "leaning tower of Pisa". You will get a bite of the local gingerbread. You have the option to visit the House of Nicolaus Copernicus where the famous astronomer was born. Evening: Free time. Overnight stay in Torun. Day 6 THE FIRST POLISH CAPITAL Morning: On the way to Wrocław (Breslau), we will stop in Gniezno, the first Polish capital. The town is a must-see to understand the early history of Poland. The cathedral is a true gem and it was the coronation site of five Polish kings and the tomb of Saint Wojciech (Adalbert in Latin). It is equally noted for its artistic and famous Romanesque bronze portal. Afternoon: We journey on to the medieval city of Wroclaw in the Lower Silesia region. Accommodation at a centrally located hotel. Evening: Dinner in a restaurant that is said to be the oldest restaurant in Europe. Overnight stay in Wroclaw. Day 7 LOVELY SILESIA (WROCLAW & THE CHURCH OF PEACE) Morning: From the feedback of the last three seasons, Wroclaw (Breslau) has always been received as a very pleasant surprise for visitors. You can either enjoy free time (there is plenty to do and see) in the Wroclaw or go on a complimentary trip to Swidnica, a small town a 1-hour's drive from Wroclaw. Swidnica is home to the enormous wooden Church of Peace, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was one of the three places in Silesia where Protestantism was permitted after the Thirty Years' War. Midday: Shortly after lunch, we will take a short walk in the Old Town with a local guide. Evening: Free time. Day 8 AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU Morning: Journey towards a totally different kind of experience. Oswiecim, a small Silesian town, is known worldwide as Auschwitz. At the edge of the town there are three gruesome areas of the former Nazi death camps that now make up an impressive Holocaust Memorial. We will visit Auschwitz I and Birkenau, the second and less frequented extermination camp. Afternoon: We continue south to Zakopane, the principal Polish mountain resort located at the foot of the majestic Carpathian mountain range (more than 2,000 metres above sea level). Evening: We take part in a delightful highlander show with live music and dance where you will see the folk customs still alive in this region, and get a taste of the local cuisine and the strong “highlander tea”. Overnight stay in Zakopane. Day 9 POLISH MOUNTAINS Morning: We see the local wooden architecture in Zakopane before hopping into a cable car to Mt. Gubalowka, one of the most beautiful peaks in the Tatras, to view the dramatic scenery. During the day, there is enough time for souvenir hunting along Krupowki Street in Zakopane. Evening: Arrival in Krakow. Overnight stay in the beautiful Old Town. Day 10 KRAKOW - ROYAL CAPITAL Morning: The sensory-packed Krakow city tour includes exploring the medieval section of the town that has the Main Town Square, the largest square in Europe; the interiors of historical Jagiellonian University (founded in 1364); the fascinating churches with different architectural styles; and the most beautiful streets brimming with old world charms. The world’s biggest wooden altar (carved by Wit Stwosz in 1477-1489) opens its wings in the Church of the Virgin Mary and we will be there to witness the magical moment. Afternoon: After lunch, we take a comfortable walking tour of the legendary Wawel Castle, covering the exquisite Royal Apartments, the Cathedral and the Belfry. Evening: We treat you to a sumptuous dinner in one of the finest Krakow restaurants. This is followed by a horse-carriage ride around Krakow to savour the sights and sounds of the Old City at dusk. Day 11 SALTMINES & IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JOHN PAUL II Morning: Descend into the underground chambers of the Wieliczka Salt Mines for an unparalleled tour of the medieval galleries and halls craved out of rocks and salt deposits. Afternoon: After lunch, we pay homage to Pope John Paul II with a visit to his home in the nearby town of Wadowice. From there, we move on to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska to view the Baroque Pilgrimage Church (a UNESCO Heritage Site). Evening: Free time. Day 12 BLACK MADONNA, RETURN TO WARSAW Morning: Breakfast is followed by the last highlight of our tour - Czestochowa. After Rome, Fatima in Portugal and Lourdes in France, the Jasna Gora Monastery of Czestochowa is one of the most awe-inspiring and key pilgrimage points of the entire Christendom. We will see not only the famous Black Madonna but also the monastery premises in a tour led by a resident Pauline monk. Lunchtime. Afternoon/Evening: Arrival in Warsaw at approx. 18:00. We can arrange accommodation for you in the airport hotel. - Accommodation: * Warsaw 2 nights : *****Marriott * Gdansk 2 nights: ****Qubus * Torun 1 night: ****1231 * Wroclaw 2 nights: ****Scandic * Zakopane 1 night : ***Wersal * Krakow 3 nights : ***+Columbus Notes: Price Includes: 
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