While in WARSAW you may choose from following local tours with English speaking guide:
WARSAW - DAILY
SIGHTSEEING
Operates every
morning from April to October and every Saturday and Sunday from
November to March
Cost per person: $40 -
Duration 4 hrs.
During your city tour you'll get acquainted with
heroic Polish capital which was rebuilt after almost total destruction of
World War II. You motorcoach drives along the Royal Route with its aristocratic residences, historic churches,
Warsaw University, the Monument of Warsaw Uprising, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Grand Theatre, the Belvedere Palace,
the beautiful Chopin Monument in the Lazienki Park and the Jewish Ghetto
Memorial. A walking tour through the Old Town takes you to the colorful Old
Market Square, St. John's Cathedral, Warsaw's oldest church and the
picturesque Royal Castle Square, King Sigismund's Column who moved Polish
capital from Krakow to Warsaw in the 16th century.
Included is a visit to the Wilanow
Palace (Polish Versailles), splendid baroque residence
built by King John III Sobieski, famous for defeating the Turks thus stopping
the spread of the Ottoman Empire in Europe in the great battle of Vienna in 1683.
(on Tuesdays - Lazienki Palace on Water).
Evening CONCERT OF
FREDERIC CHOPIN music
Operates from March to December every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Cost per person: $50 -
Duration 2 hrs.
Enjoy an unforgettable evening that can be the highlight of your stay in Warsaw. One of the best pianists from the Warsaw Music Academy will take you on a journey through
works of this great Polish composer, Frederic Chopin in a palatial surroundings. Glass
of wine during intermission.
COUNTRYSIDE TOUR - Zelazowa Wola,
Brochow, Nieborow Palace
Operates only on Sundays from
May -
October
Cost per person: $98 -
Duration 8 hrs.
This exciting tour will take you to the
picturesque Mazovian countryside
along Wisla and Bzura Rivers known for fierce battles of World War II.
First
stop is made at Zelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Polish composer, Frederic Chopin.
Tour the charming manor-house with a collection of
mementos of the Chopin family. Attend a piano recital at the surrounding
park. After the concert, continue to Brochow, a typical Mazovian village with a
Renaissance basilica of unique defensive character built in the 16th century.
Here Chopin's parents were married and Frederic was baptized. Your last stop
is in Nieborow where you will tour the magnificent residence of the noble Radziwill family
now a branch of the National Museum.
While in KRAKOW you may choose from following tours with English speaking guide:
KRAKOW CITY TOUROperates daily
Cost per person: $37 - Duration 4 hrs.
For over a thousand years, Cracow has been the center of science, culture and art. The tour begins with a short walk along the streets of the former Jewish district of Kazimierz. Next is Wawel Hill with Wawel Castle and Cathedral, the seat of Polish kings for four centuries. In the castle chambers you can admire medieval treasures. A walk up Grodzka Street leads to the heart of Cracow, the Main Market Square, one of the largest in Europe.. The Gothic Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) is the perfect place for shopping for souvenirs of folk art, crystal, wood carvings, amber, embroidery, etc. Your last stop is the twin-spired St.Mary's Church where the largest wooden altar by Wit Stwosz can be viewed. Every hour you can hear the bugle call from the church towers.
WIELICZKA SALT MINE (about 9 miles from Krakow)
Operates daily in the afternoon. Duration about 3 hrs. Pick up from hotels 2:00 - 2:30 PM return 7:00 - 7.30 PM
Cost per person: $45 - Duration 4 hrs.
Legend has it that the salt mines in Wieliczka were part of the dowry of the Hungarian princess, Kinga, when she wed Boleslaw the Shy over 700 years ago, making the Wieliczka Salt Mine one of the oldest in all of Europe. Over the centuries, devout, and superstitious miners carved fabulous figures, schulptures and altar pieces out of the salt walls. These amazing works of art, in addition to the mine's historical importance, have earned the Wieliczka Salt Mine a place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Tourist route of 1.3 mile leads through galleries and chambers on three levels, from 64 to 135 meters below the ground, including the unique and richly ornamented Chapel of the Blessed Kinga. The last stop in the mine is the souvenir shop and snack bar. From here, an elevator takes you back to the surface. Inside temperature is constant 55 degrees F.
(elevator down - on request only - extra fee)
AUSCHWITZ - former
Nazi Concentration Camp (about 93 miles from Krakow) Not recommended for children
under 14 yrs.
Operates daily from
March 16 to Nov. 30. Pick up from hotels: 9.00 - 10.00 AM
Cost per person: $45 -
Duration 6 hrs.
Started in 1940 as a Nazi concentration camp for Polish political prisoners, Auschwitz became the
center for extermination of European Jews in 1942. During 1940-1945 about 1,500,000 Jews, Poles, Gypsies, Russians POWs and other nationalities
perished in crematoria. Your tour begins with a 15-minute documentary film about the liberation of the
camp. Then a museum guide walks you through the exhibitions in some of the surviving prison blocks, the gas chamber, and the
crematoria. After a short break, continue to Birkenau to view this largest of all Nazi extermination camps.
*POPE JOHN PAUL II TRAIL IN
KRAKOW
Operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
Cost per person:
$68 -
Duration 4 hrs.
Cracow boasts a number of places connected with John Paul II, who lived here
from 1938 till 1978 when he was elected the Pope. Your tour begins with a visit to St. Florian’s Church, the first church in Cracow in which the Pope
(as priest Karol Wojtyla) was a vicar. Then walk to St. Mary’s Church in the Main Market Square. The next stop is Collegium Novum, the main building of the Jagiellonian University, where after WWII Wojtyla lectured in theology. From
here it is just a short walk to the Archbishop’s Palace that was his home for a number of years.
Here is ‘the most famous window in the world from which he greeted the
faithfull coming to see him during
his visits. After a brief stop at the Franciscan church you'll visit the Archdiocese Museum to see two apartments in which John Paul lived as a priest and as a bishop. Then a bus will take
you to the final destination, the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy connected also with the worship of St.
Faustina, one of the Pope’s
favorite saints. The magnificent basilica, which is now one of the most important pilgrimage
centers in Poland, was consecrated by John Paul II during his last visit to Cracow.
You may stay here for the afternoon service and return to town on your own.
*ZAKOPANE Mountain Resort (about 74 miles from Krakow)
Operates Wednesdays
and Saturdays. Pick up in hotels at 9:00 - 9:30 AM - return 5.00 - 6.00 PM
Cost per person:
$108 -
Duration 8 hrs.
Nestled at the foot of the spectacular Tatra
Mountains, Zakopane is the winter sports capital of Poland and its most famous resort. During the winter, plentiful snow and challenging runs make for excellent skiing while the summer months offer hikers mountain lakes, glacial valleys and waterfalls. The mountains are also home to an unique and diverse range of flora and fauna.
Your tour starts with a ride up a funicular railway to the top of Mt.
Gubalówka to see a wonderful view of the Tatras. After a short walk around the peak,
you return to the oldest part of Zakopane where the old cottages of the mountaineers still stand, surrounded by ash trees and blackened by the sun. These wooden houses and churches were built in the Zakopane style by the remarkable Polish artist, Witkacy. In addition to the traditional mountain architecture, magnificent folk costumes and
jewelry have also survived here to this day. To better experience the true Zakopane atmosphere,
you can take a walk along Krupówki main street lined with restaurants, cafes, boutiques and souvenir shops.
Your last stop in Zakopane is either the Tatra Museum or, on the way back to
Krakow, an old wooden village of Chocholów.
*CZESTOCHOWA - Jasna Gora Pilgrimage Center (about 87
miles
from Krakow)
Operates on Tuesdays
and Fridays - Pick up in hotels 8:00 - 9:00 AM - return 5.00 - 6.00 PM
Cost per person: $108 -
Duration 10 hrs.
In the city of Czestochowa is Poland's national shrine which has drawn pilgrims from across the globe for centuries. The monastery of Jasna Góra is home to the miraculous "Black Madonna", a Gothic painting of Our Lady, which after Rome, Lourdes and Mecca, makes Czestochowa one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the world today.
Your visit to the monastery includes the Miraculous Picture Chapel and the Basilica. Also, you can visit the Arsenal and the Treasury on your own, if you wish,
or have break for lunch and buying souvenirs. Your journey back to Cracow takes you along the Eagles Nests' Trail, a historic strategic system of
fortified castles. Today most of them are in ruins after the Swidish invasion
in the early 18th century. Your final stop is at Pieskowa
Skala - a well-preserved Castle along the Trail. High on a cliff over the valley of the
Pradnik River, this 14th century fortification was rebuilt in the 16th century as a Renaissance residence. Today it is home to the Museum of the National Wawel Art
Collections.
*PIENINY NATIONAL PARK - DUNAJEC RIVER GORGE (about 93
miles
from Krakow) These excursions are available with minimum of 7
participants:
Operates May 1 to Sept 30 on Mondays and Thursdays, Pick up from
hotels 8:00 - 9:00 AM - return 5.00 - 6.00 PM
Cost per person: $195 -
Duration 8 hrs.
The raft trip down the Dunajec River through the Pieniny Gorge and along the Polish-Slovak border is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Poland.
You will enjoy beautiful views of the towering cliffs and the limestone rock formations of the gorge
surrounded by the national forests. For many centuries, the Dunajec
Valley served as an important trade route to Hungary and so Czorsztyn Castle (13th c.) and Niedzica Castle (14th c.) were built as strategic strongholds high on the cliffs on either side. Czorsztyn Castle was destroyed in a peasant uprising, but
Niedzica Castle is now a small hotel and houses a museum. Your trip begins at
the raft
station in Sromowce Nizne and ends 15-km later in Szczawnica. It lasts two or three hours, depending on the water level of the river. While on the raft, you will enjoy excellent view of the high summits of Trzy Korony and Sokolica
Mountains.
*These excursions must be reserved in advance. City tour of Krakow and
Wieliczka excursion operate all year.
While in GDANSK
you may choose from following local tours with English speaking guide:
OLD TOWN WALKING TOUR
Operates June 1 to Sept 30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays
Cost per person: $30 -
Duration 3 hrs.
- TRI CITY
TOUR - GDANSK, SOPOT, GDYNIA
Operates June 1 to Sept 30 on Saturdays
Cost per person: $40 -
Duration 5 hrs.
- MALBORK CASTLE
Operates June 1 to Sept 30 on Tuesdays
Cost per person: $80 -
Duration 6 hrs.
- HEL PENNINSULA BY BOAT
Operates June 1 to Sept 30 on Wednesdays
Cost per person: $80 -
Duration 7 hrs.
- WESTERPLATTE PENNINSULA BY BOAT
Operates June 1 to Sept 30 on Saturdays
Cost per person: $40 -
Duration 3 hrs.
- AMBER TOUR
Operates June 1 to Sept 30 on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays
Cost per person: $70 -
Duration 5 hrs.
For reservations, e-mail or call: 1-800-388-0988
