Duration: 08 Days 07 Nights

Description: On this tour, you will be mesmerized with the architectural beauty of capital city Warsaw and Poland’s cultural capital Krakow. Visits to Gdansk, Torun and Jasna Góra near Czestochowa also give a better understanding of Polish culture.

Day 1- On arrival at the Polish capital, Warsaw, you check into your hotel. You are free for the rest of the day and can indulge in some sightseeing of your own. In the evening, meet up with your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Day 2 – Next day, join the orientation tour as the local guide introduces you to the sights and sounds of Poland’s largest city, Warsaw. Painstakingly reconstructed after destruction from the War, the city is a perfect blend of nearly every European architecture style from gothic to neoclassical, with wide, modern avenues placed beside narrow lanes of the old section. After the tour, we will move to Gdansk on the Baltic Sea for a two-day stay.

Day 3- One of the most important shipping ports in Northern Europe, Gdansk (formerly known by its German name, Danzig) is the “Birthplace of Solidarity.” The local sightseeing tour will give a complete insight into the city’s history. Later in the day, you can opt for the excursion to Malbork, a town by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. A must-visit at Malbork is the gothic Marienburg Castle, one of the most striking fortified castles in Europe and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 4-The first stop of the day is medieval Torun town located on the Vistula River. Torun is the birthplace of renaissance astronomer Copernicus and is now declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Soak in the many local sights like the 13th-century Teutonic Knights’ castle ruins in Old Town (Starowka) as well as many gothic churches and houses. We then head west to Poznan, one of Poland’s oldest cities. A guided tour in the afternoon will introduce you to the main attractions of the city, which has been a part of Polish history for more than 1,000 years.

Day 5- We first make our way to Jasna Góra near Czestochowa, the monastery famous for withstanding the repeated onslaught of Swedish forces during the 17th century religious wars. Since then, its Black Madonna has been venerated as the “Queen of Poland” and has become the country’s national symbol. Later on we head to Kraków for a two day stopover.

Day 6- Well-known as Poland’s most beautiful city, Krakow is now gaining popularity as the cultural capital. The local city tour introduces visitors to ancient Kraków, which has for centuries been the residence of Polish kings. One also gets to visit the Market Square, the Jewish Quarter, Wawel Hill and St. Mary’s Church. You can also visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which has been producing table salt continuously from the 13th century until 2007. Colour up your evening by joining an optional polka party.

Day 7- On the seventh and last day of the tour, we will visit the remains of the Auschwitz concentration camp, which is a chilling reminder of the Holocaust. Later in the day we will head back to Warsaw and round off the tour with a farewell dinner in the company of fellow travelers.

Day 8- After breakfast at the hotel, you can continue with your onward journey.