Grand Tour of Poland

Sunday 03 September  |  Meet at the airport at 7.30 am to board our Ryanair flight to Gdansk, departing at 9.50 am.  On arrival, transfer to our 3-star hotel (Hampton by Hilton or similar) for room check-in. The rest of the afternoon is free for personal sightseeing.

Monday 04 September  |  After breakfast we offer a full day tour of Gdansk and Sopot. Gdansk’s past as the richest Polish port city has given it the present day status as a favourite tourist destination in Poland.  Explore the marvellous Old Town of Gdańsk including the Long Market Square with its Renaissance style burgher houses, the Main Town Hall, the wonderful Neptune Fountain and Artus Court, the meeting hall of merchants in the times of the Hanseatic League. Visit the Green Gate, the Golden Gate and the biggest redbrick church in Europe, St. Mary’s Church (entr. extra). Walk along Mariacka Street, famous for its charming terraces full of amber jewellery and finally stop at the famous Gdańsk Shipyards, the birthplace of the Solidarity movement led by Lech Walesa.  In the afternoon we shall visit visit Oliwa, a district of Gdansk, to admire its beautiful 13th-century Cathedral (entr. extra) famous for its impressively complex organ and Sopot, a resort town on the Baltic Sea, known for its health spas, sandy beach and its long wooden pier that extends into the Bay of Gdańsk. The Crooked House is a surreal building modelled on fairy-tale illustrations. Overnight in Gdansk.

Tuesday 05 September  |  Following breakfast and room check-out we shall head for Warsaw. We shall stop for a visit to Malbork Castle, beautifully situated by the Nogat river and one of the largest Gothic castles in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Between 1309 and 1459, this was a seat of the mighty Order of Teutonic Knights.  A guide will give a tour around the Palace of the Grand Master, the great refectory, the chapels and the armoury museum. We then visit Torun Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) on the way.  This 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”. Upon arrival in Warsaw, check -in at the 3-star Metropol Hotel (or similar). Evening at leisure and overnight.

Wednesday 06 September  |  After breakfast join our optional half day tour of the very best of Warsaw. This will include highlights such as the business district of Warsaw and the monumental Palace of Culture and Science towering above the tallest building in Poland. The historical Royal Route is paved with magnificent palaces, churches and monuments, including the Presidential Palace, University of Warsaw, Basilica of the Holy Cross with Fryderyk Chopin’s heart and the Statue of Copernicus. The tour will include a stop by the Royal Castle and a stroll through the Old Town which was carefully reconstructed after the World War II according to original plans (today listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site).  On Wednesdays, admission to the Royal Castle is free.  In the afternoon, enjoy free time in the centre of the city. Overnight in our Warsaw hotel.

Thursday 07 September  |  Following breakfast and hotel check-out we depart for Wroclaw. We shall stop for a short visit in Lodz and enjoy some free time walking along the famous Piotrkowska Street. We then continue heading to Wroclaw followed by room check in at the 3-star Campanile Centrum Hotel (or similar).

Friday 08 September  |  After breakfast join our excursion as we explore Wroclaw city center with a professional and knowledgeable guide.  The tour will start off from the oldest part of the city – Ostrow Tumski, where the Cathedral of St John the Baptist is situated as the main landmark of Wroclaw. During the walk one can also look for gnomes, Polish Krasnale, one of Wroclaw’s most popular attractions. The tour ends with a stroll around the Market Square with an opportunity to experience the beauty of the late Gothic City Hall.  After some free time, we shall then head to Swidnica (entr. incl), home to the largest wooden baroque church in the world and famous UNESCO World Heritage Site – Church of Peace.  This is one of the two surviving Protestant churches built after the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the so-called Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648).  Return back to our hotel in Wroclaw in the late afternoon.

Saturday 09 September  |  Early breakfast followed by room check-out as today we head to Zakopane via Auschwitz-Birkenau. Join our English speaking guide on a sober visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau (entr. incl.), two of the most infamous concentration camps of World War II. It is estimated that approximately 1,300,000 individuals perished in Auschwitz between 1942 and liberation in 1945 with almost 90 per cent of these being Jewish. In the late afternoon we continue our drive towards Zakopane followed by check-in at our 4-star Radisson Blu Hotel (or similar).

Sunday 10 September  |  After an early breakfast join the tour-leader as you shall enjoy a cable car ride up the majestic Tatra mountains to view the dramatic scenery. The rest of the afternoon is free for personal sightseeing or enjoying souvenir hunting along Krupowki Street in Zakopane, the central area full of local shops, restaurants, cafes and boutiques.

Monday 11 September  |  Following breakfast we offer a wonderful optional morning River Rafting. The Dunajec river flows through the Pieniny Mountains of southern Poland and forms part of the border between Poland and the northern part of Slovakia. These limestone mountains are quite impressive and are part of the Pieniny National Park. The river makes seven wide loops during its 18-kilometre journey through the Dunajec Gorge and those who partake in the rafting trip will enjoy over two hours of stunning sights before they reach the final station in Szczawnica. Rafting through the Dunajec Gorge on the wooden rafting boat is perfectly safe and leisure activity for everyone, that takes place on traditional wooden rafts that have been in the operation in the area for centuries and were originally used for transportation of goods and people. Hotel check-out and early afternoon transfer to our final hotel in Krakow. Evening at leisure in this beautiful city followed by overnight at the 3-star Ibis Old Town Hotel (or similar).

Tuesday 12 September |  Breakfast followed by a day tour to explore Krakow (incl an English speaking guide) and the Wieliczka Salt Mines. The tour will explore Krakow Old Town, which was on UNESCO’s first list of World Heritage Sites in 1978, the Main Market Square which is the largest in Europe, the oldest shopping mall Sukiennice Cloth Hall and St Mary’s Church (entr. extra) with a magnificent gothic wooden altar.  Other points of attraction will include Wawel Hill with Royal Castle and its Cathedral (entr. extra), where Polish kings were crowned and buried, and Kanoniczna and Grodzka Streets where the ancient Jagiellonian University areas are found. The afternoon will be dedicated to a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine (incl), one of the most outstanding attractions in Europe and another UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The tour of the mine leads through galleries and chambers located on three levels, from 64 to 135 meters below ground level, including the unique and splendidly adorned Chapel of the Blessed Kings. Overnight in Krakow.

Wednesday 13 September  |  Breakfast followed by our excursion to visit the Musuem of John Paul II in Wadowice. After free time for lunch in Wadowice, we then head to Czestochowa for a visit to the famous Pauline Monastery of Jasna Góra (entr. incl). This is the most important Catholic shrine in Poland for the veneration of the Virgin Mary. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra’s most precious treasures. Pilgrims arrive here throughout the year from around the world. We return to our hotel in Krakow in time for dinner (not incl) and overnight.

Thursday 14 September  |  Early morning check out from hotel and transfer to the airport for our flight from Krakow to Malta departing at 9.50am. Arrival in Malta should be at 1.00pm.