Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Gdansk with visits to St. Mary’s Church and Sopot Pier along with a visit to the Castle of the Teutonic Order of Knights in Malbork. Spend two nights in Warsaw and a full-day sightseeing tour of Warsaw with visits to the Royal Castle and Wilanów Palace. Visit the former capital Kraków, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and the
Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp Museum of Martyrdom. See the beautiful Tatra Mountains in Zakopane.
Day
1 Depart the USA
Depart the USA on your overnight flight
to Gdansk, Poland.
Day
2 Gdansk, Poland
Upon arrival, you’ll be met by a
Mayflower Cruises & Tours representative and transferred to
your hotel. Flights should arrive by 3:30pm. The remainder of the
day is free for you to relax or explore on your own. Tonight, join
your Tour Manager and fellow travelers for dinner.
Meal: D
Day
3 Gdansk / Gdynia / Sopot
After breakfast, a tour of
Gdansk will familiarize you with Lech Walesa - the Solidarity
activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Walk along the
“Royal Way”, see the 17th-century Golden Gate, the Neptune
Fountain situated in front of the Artus Court, and the City Hall,
which dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Visit St. Mary’s
Church, the largest Gothic church in Poland, before traveling to
Sopot for a walk along the longest pier in Europe. Your journey
continues to Gdynia, whose harbor is home to many ships open
to the public. The destroyer Blyskawica is a national treasure and
the only remaining ship built before World War II, and the Dar
Pomorza is a Polish sailing frigate now preserved as a museum
ship. Return to the hotel in Gdansk after a day of exploration.
Meal: B
Day
4 Gdansk – Malbork – Warsaw
The day begins as you
travel to Malbork to visit the Castle of the Teutonic Knights,
a mighty Gothic fortress built in the 13th and 14th centuries
and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An outstanding example
of medieval defensive and residential architecture, the area
consists of three castles surrounded by separate fortifications.
After exploration of the castle, continue on to Warsaw, the largest
city in Poland. Dinner is included this evening.
Meals: B, D
Day
5 Warsaw
Steeped in history, Warsaw is one of the most
strategic cities in Europe. Discover this capital city on an included
full-day excursion. Stroll along the Royal Way to view some
of the most beautiful sites in the Old Town and quaint Market
Square. Pass St. John’s Cathedral and visit the Royal Castle, faithfully restored to its pre-World War II splendor and retaining
many of its original furnishings. Formerly the official residence
of Poland’s kings and home of the Parliament, it now houses the
Castle Museum. During the visit to the Warsaw Rising Museum,
an architectural monument from the early 20th century, see how
the interior multimedia effects bring the reality of the insurgence
to life. Lakes, pavilions, mansions, an Observatory, the Orangery,
formal manicured gardens, and a multitude of palaces await your
discovery during the visit to Lazienki Park. The statue of Frederic
Chopin, built to honor Warsaw’s favorite son, is another highlight
in the park. After a full day of touring, the evening is yours to
experience Warsaw on your own.
Meal: B
Day
6 Warsaw – Częstochowa – Kraków
After breakfast,
depart for the charming town of Kraków. Along the way, lunch
is included at a local restaurant followed by a visit to the famed
Monastery of Jasna Góra in Cęstochowa – the third largest
Catholic pilgrimage site in the world and the national shrine of
Poland. The miraculous icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa is
housed in the Chapel of the Black Madonna. For centuries, the
Polish people have believed that this reverent painting holds
supernatural powers. Check into the hotel in Kraków and enjoy
an evening at leisure.
Meals: B, L
Day
7 Kraków
Kraków is the former capital of Poland, the
home of the late Pope John Paul II and the only major city in
Poland to remain unscathed by World War II. Meander along
the cobblestone lanes on a walking tour through the Old Town,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Market Square, the
biggest in Europe, which is home to Cloth Hall - the world’s
oldest ‘shopping mall’. Visit St. Mary’s Church where the fireman
trumpeter plays the Kraków Hejnal (bugle call) daily at noon.
Wawel Castle, coronation site of Polish monarchs, perched atop
a hill, overlooks the Vistula River. As you visit Wawel Cathedral,
get up close to the Sigismund Bell, the largest bell in Poland,
and enjoy a wonderful view of the Old Town from the tower.
This afternoon enjoy an included visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine,
another UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous attractions near Kraków. Walk through 20 chambers
on three underground levels to explore the amazing grottoes of
crystalline carvings, the subterranean lake with stunning colors
and the Chapel of St. Kinga, an impressive “cathedral” with every
feature carved out of solid salt.
Meal: B
Day
8 Kazimierz / Auschwitz
Today’s journey takes you to the
Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp Museum of Martyrdom.
Between 1940 and 1945 more than one million prisoners perished
in the gas chambers of this Nazi concentration camp. In 1947, the
Polish government preserved these grounds as a State Museum
and in 1979 it also became a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
symbolizing the horrors of the Holocaust.
The visit includes a
film showing the camp’s liberation, the flower-strewn Death Wall,
national memorials, the railway line and the remains of hundreds
of barracks, all of which constitute a moving testimony to the
number of lives lost. This afternoon, visit the Kazimierz District
which showcases the historic center of Jewish culture since the
16th century. The main attractions of the district are Szeroka
Street (where Schindler’s List was filmed); Isaac, High and Old
Synagogues; Remu’h Synagogue and its cemetery and the “Pod
Orlem” (Eagle) Pharmacy. This evening, join your fellow travelers
for a farewell dinner.
Meals: B, D
Day
9 Zakopane
Depart on a scenic full-day excursion to
Zakopane, capital of the Tatra Mountains, and well known for
it’s unique wooden architecture. Visit the village of Chocholow,
famous for its highlander architecture, where you’ll taste the
traditional sheep cheese Oscypek in one of the shepherd’s
huts. A lunch of typical highlander cuisine is provided at a local
restaurant before returning to Kraków.
Meals: B, L
Day
10 Kraków / USA
This morning, transfer to Kraków Airport
for your flight home. All too soon your adventure comes to an
end but you’ll bring back memories of Poland’s history, charm and
beauty to last a lifetime.
Meal: B