DAYS 1-2

Arrival, Welcome Dinner, and Walking Tour

A door-to-door private van shuttle from the airport to our hotel will be arranged for you. Arrive any time during the day. Hotel check in is at 2 pm. Our Welcome Dinner will be at a yet-to-be determined restaurant. At the dinner, you will receive a brief orientation of the tour, and get to know your fellow travelers.

The next morning you will get oriented to the city with a private 3-hour walking tour. You will visit all the must-see spots in the historical part of Warsaw, as well as some nice places with narrow streets and beautiful views, the Vistula riverbank and some places off the beaten track. You will hear the story of the rich beautiful city almost totally destroyed by the Nazis during World War II, see the Old Town reborn in just a few years, discover the story of Warsaw Mermaid and much more.

After an included lunch, the rest of the afternoon will be yours to explore as you wish. You may want to visit a museum that is not on our itinerary, explore the alleyways of the Old Town, do some shopping, or just relax back at our comfortable hotel. We will then regroup for an optional dinner.

• Arrival Transfer Included
• Day 1 Welcome Dinner Included
• Day 2 Breakfast and Lunch Included

DAYS 3-4

Communist Tour and Museums

This morning we will take a tour in a vintage vehicle to learn about life under Communism. This tour of Warsaw takes you on a discovery of Poland’s socialist past as we drive around the city in an original socialist-style van. We will visit the places connected with socialism, including Constitution Square and the Palace of Culture and Science.

After an included lunch you will visit the Warsaw Uprising Monument and Museum. The Warsaw Uprising, which broke out 1 August 1944 and lasted until 2 October 1944, was one of the most important and devastating events in the history of Warsaw and Poland. Up to 90% of Warsaw’s buildings were destroyed during hostilities and systematic destruction of the city carried out by the Germans after the uprising. This evening we will have an optional group dinner.

On this day, we will visit the National Ethnographic Museum. This is a joy of a museum that showcases and highlights all that is best about Poland’s cultural heritage. Here you will see costumes, handicrafts, furniture, Polish inventions, art, photographs–all beautifully presented in a superb building.

After an included lunch, the rest of the afternoon will be yours to spend as you wish. There are many more museums to discover, including the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Frederick Chopin Museum, Neon Museum, Copernicus Science Center, and Marie Curie Museum. We will regroup for an optional dinner.

• Day 3 Breakfast and Lunch Included
• Day 4 Breakfast and Lunch Included

DAY 5

Transfer to Krakow and Walking Tour

This morning we will take the train to Krakow, a trip of about two hours.

Upon arrival, there will be an included lunch and then you will have a private walking tour of Krakow’s Old Town. You will visit the Wawel Hill–the resting place of Polish kings and heroes, and stroll the fabulous courtyard of the Royal Castle and through the historic streets, passing by medieval churches and townhouses. You will walk into one of the largest medieval squares in Europe –the Main Market Square to visit the University Quarter with some original buildings. Here, professors and students have been struggling to find a common language for the last 650 years! You will go inside St. Mary’s Basilica, the 14thcentury brick gothic church, and admire one of the most exquisite medieval altars in Europe. We will then enjoy an optional group dinner.

• Day 5 Train to Krakow Included
• Day 5 Breakfast and Lunch Included

DAYS 6-7

Salt Mine and Jewish Tour

Today you will visit the Wielicza Salt Mine, magnificent chambers chiseled out in rock salt, operating since Neolithic times and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The mine produced table salt until 2007, as one of the oldest operating salt mines. Commercial salt mining was discontinued in 1996 owing to the falling salt prices and mine flooding. The mines attraction includes the shaft and labyrinthine passageways, displays of historic salt-mining technology, an underground lake, four chapels, numerous rock salt statues carved by miners, and, more recent, sculptures by contemporary artists. Literally, everything inside the mine is made of salt. It is amazing!

After an included lunch, you will have a couple hours to relax before our optional group dinner.

The next day you will visit Krakow’s Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz. This is the best-preserved Jewish town in Europe. During World War II, it was left untouched and today is a great background to present the flourishing life of the largest Jewish Diaspora in the World living in pre-war Poland. In 1990 Steven Spielberg filmed in Kazimierz for his Oscar-winning film Schindler’s List. After visiting historic synagogues and cemeteries, you will see the most recognizable sights from Schindler’s List. We will cross the Vistula River and walk to Krakow’s former ghetto, then finish with a guided tour of the Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory–an interactive, emotive, stunning exhibition of the Nazi occupation of Krakow.

After an included lunch you will have a couple hours to explore on your own or relax before our optional group dinner.

• Day 6 Breakfast and Lunch Included
• Day 7 Breakfast and Lunch Included

DAYS 8-9

Auschwitz-Birkenau and Farewell

Most of the day will be devoted to visiting the world’s most harrowing Nazi concentration camp. This museum was founded in 1947 and is to “be kept forever” to never forget this time in history. We will arrange to have an included lunch with us from Krakow.

After returning to the city we will then meet for the tour’s last optional group dinner.

Your tour will end the next morning after breakfast.

• Day 8 Breakfast and Lunch Included
• Day 9 Breakfast Included

Hotels:

Hotel Mercure Warszawa Grand

Mercure Krakow Stare Miasto

Price includes:

• 8 Nights Hotel Accommodations
• Based on Having your Own Room
• 8 Breakfasts
• 7 Lunches
• 1 Dinner
• Sightseeing and Activity Admissions (Except Free Time)
• Transit Pass in Each City
• Train between Warsaw and Krakow
• Arrival Transfer in Warsaw
• All Logistics are Taken Care of for You