Poland & Classical Baltics
16 days and 15 nights
Day 1: Krakow (arrival)
Arrival in Krakow. Check-in at the hotel and free time.
OVERNIGHT: Krakow
Day 2: Krakow – Kazimierz – Wieliczka
Guided tour of Krakow during which you will see Wawel Hill with the castle (optional sightseeing inside) and its beautiful courtyard and Cathedral (sightseeing inside). Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture of the Old Town, the biggest market square in Europe, the Town Hall, Collegium Maius, the Cloth Hall, Saint Mary’s Church (Kosciol Mariacki – sightseeing inside). A walk to the antique walls of the Old Town through Florianska Gate and to the Barbican. The Czartoryski Museum with the famous Leonardo Da Vinci painting “Lady with an Ermine”.
Free time for lunch.
Visiting the former Jewish district – Kazimierz. This part of Krakow was the centre of the Jewish community's religious and social life until the deportations during the Nazi occupation (sightseeing in 1 or 2 synagogues). Short stop in front of Schindler's Factory.
Guided tour in the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Many famous people have visited this place, such as Mikolaj Kopernik, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Dmitrij Mendeleev, Boleslaw Prus, Ignacy Paderewski, Karol Wojtyla etc.
OVERNIGHT: Krakow
Day 3: Krakow – Pieniny and Dunajec – Debno Podhalanskie – Wadowice– Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Arrival in Sromowce Wyzne. Sailing on traditional wooden rafts down The Dunajec River, across The Pieninski National Park. [Attention: if rain makes it impossible to sail rafts down the Dunajec river, a trip to the Polish mountain capital – Zakopane - will be arranged instead, which will include visiting the town and riding the funicular railway or chair lift up to Gubalowka.]
Free time for lunch.
Transfer to Debno Podhalanskie. Visiting the wooden Gothic church: one of the wooden churches on the south of Poland listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Transfer to Wadowice, where Pope John Paul II was born in 1920. Visiting the Pope's home and the church where he was baptized.
Visiting the Bernardine Monastery complex in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska.
OVERNIGHT: Krakow
Day 4: Krakow – Oswiecim (Auschwitz-Birkenau) – Czestochowa – Wroclaw
Guided tour of the area of the former concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The camp was built by Nazis during the occupation of Poland.
Free time for lunch.
Guided tour of the most important pilgrimage place in Poland – the monastery in Czestochowa: Jasna Gora with the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary – the Black Madonna.
OVERNIGHT: Wroclaw
Day 5: Wroclaw – Poznan
Guided tour of Wroclaw: the Gothic Town Hall, the University, the Ostrow Tumski complex with the Cathedral, the Leopoldine Hall. The tour ends at the Market Square.
Free time for lunch.
Arrival in Poznan and check-in at the hotel. Sightseeing in the city.
OVERNIGHT: Poznan
Day 6: Poznan – Gniezno – Torun – Gdansk
Sightseeing in Gniezno. Visiting the Cathedral, where the first Polish kings were crowned.
Free time for lunch.
Arrival in Torun. Guided tour of Torun, a medieval town. Visiting the house of Copernicus, the most famous Polish astronomer. Sightseeing at a cathedral built in the years 1250-1500, as well as the fortified walls with the Leaning Tower.
OVERNIGHT: Gdansk
Day 7: Gdansk – Solidarnosc
Guided tour of Gdansk. The programme includes: the Cathedral of Oliwa (sightseeing inside) with its famous pipe organ, an organ music concert, the Main Town Hall, the Fish Market, the Old Harbor, Saint Mary's Church (sightseeing inside), the Long Market with Neptune's Fountain, and Artus Court.
Free time for lunch.
“Solidarnosc”: visiting the Solidarnosc Museum in the Gdansk Shipyard and the Monument of the Fallen Gdansk Shipyard Workers from the year 1970.
Transfer to Sopot and a walk along one of its piers. (If there is free time left, transfer to Westerplatte, where World War II began on the 1st of September, 1939).
Leisure time in the centre of Gdansk.
OVERNIGHT: Gdansk
Day 8: Gdansk – Malbork – Warsaw
Visiting the Malbork Castle Museum. The Teutonic Order started to build itin the year 1380. This monument is inscribed on UNESCO's List of Human Heritage.
Free time for lunch.
Arrival in Warsaw and check-in at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT: Warsaw
Day 9: Warsaw
Guided tour of Warsaw: Lazienkowski Park with the Frederic Chopin monument, the Warsaw Ghetto, Umschlagplatz (thousands of the Jews were deported from there to the concentration camps), the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Palace of Culture and Science, Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street, the Old Town), St. John’s Cathedral. The Old Town was completely destroyed during World War II and reconstructed thanks to the commitment of the Polish nation.
Free time for lunch.
Sightseeing inside the Royal Castle and free time.
OVERNIGHT: Warsaw
Day 10: Warsaw – Vilnius
Free time. Transfer to the airport. Arrival in Vilnius. Transfer to the hotel.
Check-in. Free time.
OVERNIGHT: Vilnius
Day 11: Vilnius – Trakai
Vilnius is famous for being the most baroque city in the Nordic Europe, for all these little narrow streets and for beautiful panorama with the numerous belfries.
During the tour you will visit: Cathedral Square and the Cathedral, Castle Street, Town Hall square, Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit, St. Ann and Bernadine’s Church known as the Gothic corner of Vilnius, the Gate of Dawn with the holy image of the Virgin Mary, the Jewish ghetto, Vilnius University, Presidential Palace and the Sts. Peter and Paul’s Church, referred as the pearl of Lithuania for the dazzling white and gorgeous decorations made by Italian craftsmen.
Free time for lunch.
After lunch 3 hour guided tour to Trakai located 28 km from Vilnius, where you will discover a beautiful red brick castle built on an island in the middle of the lake.
OVERNIGHT: Vilnius
Day 12: Vilnius – Hill of Crosses – Rundale – Riga
The Hill of Crosses is famous for thousands of big and little crosses built on an old mound making the place unique in the world.
Free time for lunch.
Departure to Rundale Palace known as the only surviving baroque stylepalace in the Baltic countries. During a guided visit you will discover the beauty and exceptionalness of a master work of the author of the winterplace of St. Petersburg - F. B. Rastrelli.
OVERNIGHT: Riga
Day 13: Riga
Riga is a city of big inspiration. While walking the streets of old town youwill be able to feel that every corner of it is built by seeking perfectionism.
During the tour you will visit: Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s church, guild houses that once belonged to the merchants of Hanseatic League, the Sweden gate, the ensemble of three buildings erected in the Middle Ages and often called the three brothers, St. Jacob’s church, Parliament House, the old Riga Castle, the Tower of Sand, Livu square, Latvian National Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Art Nouveau district, the beautiful Statue of Liberty and the surrounding park with its water channels.
Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon free time or additional sightseeing upon request.
OVERNIGHT: Riga
Day 14: Riga – Sigulda/Turaida – Parnu – Tallinn
Departure to Sigulda and Turaida, where you will visit the historical part ofthe Gauja National park. During the guided tour you will be acquainted with Turaida castle, Hill of Dainu, Gutmana cave, Sigulda modern castle and Sigulda old caste ruins.
Free time for lunch.
Departure to Parnu, major Estonian sea resort. One hour stop, which includes brief introduction to town’s history and a walk on main Parnu pedestrian street.
OVERNIGHT: Tallinn
Day 15: Tallinn
Tallinn is well known for its lovely Hanseatic old town and beautiful panorama views. Tallinn is remembered by its visitors as a very vivid city where old and modern combines in harmony; and buildings built from the local material – limestone.
During the tour you will visit: the upper part of old town called Toompea: Alexander Nevsky Orthodox church built in 1900, the oldest country’s church Toomkirik built in 1233, the Estonian parliament and the upper part of the old town surrounding fortress walls and towers, two different view points for panorama views; lower part of old town: Town Hall, Merchant Guild Houses and a market of local handicrafts.
Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon free time or additional sightseeing upon request.
OVERNIGHT: Tallinn
Day 16: Tallinn (departure for home country)
Free time or additional sightseeing upon request.
Transfer to Tallinn airport.
The tour includes:
- 15 overnights in a 3, 4 or 5 star category hotel.
- Breakfasts at the hotel.
- Arrival and departure transfers.
- Transport service during the tour by a comfortable air-conditioned coach.
- Tour leader escort during all tour.
- Entrances to the touristic objects where it corresponds according to the program.
- Guide services where tour leader has no license to make excursions and where it corresponds according to the program.
