Discover Poland: Kraków, Warsaw and the Tatra Mountains
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Krakow, Poland © Photo courtesy of pixabay.com
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Wawel Castle, Krakow © Poland Tourist Organisation
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Auschwitz, Birkenau, Poland ©Poland Tourist Organisation, K Kobus
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Warsaw, Poland © Photo courtesy of pixabay.com
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Wilanów Palace, Warsaw © Photo Filip Kwiatkowski © Warsaw Tourist Office
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Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw © Photo Piotr Wierzbowski © Warsaw Tourist Office
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Market Square in the Old Town, Warsaw © Photo F. Kwiatkowski © Warsaw Tourist Office
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New Town, Warsaw © Photo Filip Kwiatkowski © Warsaw Tourist Office
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Tatra Mountains, Poland © Photo courtesy of pixabay.com
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Tatra Mountains, Poland © Photo courtesy of pixabay.com
Discover a host of Poland’s highlights on this fascinating tour. Explore the two most important cities, Warsaw and Kraków, as well as other attractions en route!
Dates
13 April 2020
Suggested Itinerary by Coach
Days 1-2
Depart the UK
Travel to Dover for the ferry crossing to Calais, then continue via Belgium into Germany and an overnight stop in the Düsseldorf area. Next day drive east through Germany stopping for a second overnight stop near Berlin.
Day 3
Berlin – Warsaw
If time allows enjoy a short stop in Poznan en-route. Apart from the cathedral, the most famous building in Poznan is the town hall in the Old Square, surrounded by old merchant houses carefully restored after WWII. Continue to Warsaw for the next two nights.
Day 4
Warsaw Sightseeing
This morning, get to know the Polish capital with a guided city tour including the old town area, the Royal Route, the former Jewish Ghetto area and Łazienki Royal Park. Perhaps visit to the Wilanów Palace located on the outskirts of the city and known as the Polish Versailles.
Day 5
Warsaw – Kraków
Travel to Kraków today, stopping in Czestochowa en route. Enjoy a guided visit of the XIV century Jasna Gora Monastery – Poland’s most important pilgrimage centre famous for the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna. Continue to Kraków for next four nights.
Day 6
Kraków Sightseeing
Explore the historical capital of Poland with a guided tour. See Europe’s largest medieval market square, Wawel Castle and Cathedral, the Jewish quarter in Kazimierz, location for the film Schindler’s List. Every hour you can hear the bugle call to the four corners of the world from the tower of St. Mary’s Church. Following your tour, there’s plenty of time to explore this charming city at leisure.
Day 7
Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial
Renowned all over the world as a symbol of the Holocaust, learn about the realities of the lives and deaths of the people who were detained here. The tour includes a short documentary film, museum visit with exhibitions inside some of the remaining prison blocks, the gas chamber and crematorium, Birkenau, where you can climb the watchtower for a view of the biggest Nazi extermination camp. It takes around three hours to visit both camps.
Day 8
Zakopane and Tatra Mountains
Visit Poland’s Winter capital renowned for its beautiful villas constructed in traditional style and located at the foot of Tatra Mountains. The journey will take you through scenic mountain valleys, past lakes and waterfalls. From Zakopane you can take a funicular to Mount Gubalowka to admire the spectacular panorama. Or, alternatively, visit Europe’s oldest salt mine at Wieliczka. Many generations of Polish miners have created an impressive underground world of salt lakes, chambers, galleries and a unique Salt Works Museum. The visit takes you through a labyrinth of galleries and caverns and some walking on uneven ground will be required.
Days 9-11
Return to the UK
Depart towards Wrocław, into Germany for an overnight stop in the Leipzig area. The journey continues with a final overnight stop in the Aachen area before continuing the next day to Calais for the return ferry crossing to the UK and journey home.
Featured Hotels
Novotel Centrum, Warsaw **** – Inspected by Greatdays October 2018
Located in central Warsaw, just a 5-minutes’ walk from the main railway station. The hotel features air conditioned rooms with flat screen TV, tea / coffee facilities, a safe and a minibar. All rooms have a spacious bathroom with a bath or shower and a hairdryer. Coach parking is payable locally.
Blue Aparthotel, Kraków***
Located 400 metres from St. Florian’s Gate and St. Mary’s Basilica, the Blue Aparthotel Kraków is on the doorstep of the Old Town. The brightly decorated en-suite rooms are fitted with a flatscreen TV, kettle and a seating area so guests can truly relax. The hotel has free WiFi throughout. All attractions within Kraków’s magnificent Old Town are within walking distance. Coach parking is payable locally.
Hotel Wyspianski, Kraków *** – Inspected by Greatdays October 2018
500 metres from the lively Main Square, the hotel is also 1.9 km from ICE Krakow Congress Centre and 1.3 km from Wawel Castle. The airy rooms come with flat-screen TVs and desks. Upgraded rooms feature sitting areas, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities. Cribs, room service and free Wi-Fi are also available. There’s an airy restaurant serving international cuisine, plus a cosy bar, and terrace seating in the garden. Other amenities include a gift shop, a casino, meeting rooms and event space. Coach parking is payable locally.
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Please note when visiting Wieliczka Salt Mine, visitors must descend a wooden stairway of 378 steps to reach the mine level. After the tour, a lift transports visitors back.
Auschwitz tours and English-speaking guides are subject to availability when reservations open 3 months prior and are in very high demand, therefore we have costed in an English-speaking assistant, who can act as a translator on the day – available entrance slots start at 08h00 and therefore require an early start from Kraków (1.5 hours away).
