Pearls of the East

Individual arrivals to hotel.

Evening:
Meeting at the hotel’s lobby with tour guide and office representative. Continue with a delicious welcome dinner.

Overnight in Warsaw.

Morning:
Walking city tour with the best of fascinating Warsaw: the Old Town almost completely rebuilt after the destruction of World War II; the area of the former Jewish ghetto; the living city centre and the stylish Royal Route connected with the Lazienki Royal Gardens and its Palace on the Water, the former residence of the Polish King Stanislaw August Poniatowski.

Afternoon:
Visit the Polish Vodka Museum, a place devoted to one of our best-known product exports. During the tour you will listen the fascinating story of production, expansion and – of course! – consumption. The theoretical part of the tour ends with tasting of three types of vodka at a local restaurant.

Evening:
Free time & overnight in Warsaw.

Morning:
Traveling to Masuria, a region in northern Poland famous for impressive natural beauty with almost 3,000 lakes, dense forests, organic farms and charming resort towns. The first attraction of the trip will be a stop at the Krutynia river to enjoy a traditional boat trip through one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in Poland.

Afternoon:
Arrive in Gizycko, the biggest yacht harbour in Masurian area. During free time don’t forget to look at a former Prussian Boyen Fortress, Water Tower, the unusual swing bridge and charming historic houses.

Evening:
Dinner and overnight stay in the 14th-century Teutonic castle converted into an elegant hotel.

Morning:
Our sightseeing starts in the heart of the Masurian forests where was Adolf Hitler’s first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II. Wolf’s Lair was also the site of the famous assassination attempt in 1944 as a part of Operation Valkyrie, a covert plan to take control of the German Reich following Hitler’s death.

Afternoon:
Our next step is Swieta Lipka, known from the Sanctuary of St. Mary, an important pilgrimage shrine, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. Listening to a pipe organ concert is an inimitable experience!

Evening:
Free time. Second overnight stay in Gizycko.

Morning:
Travel through Biebrza National Park, the largest area of marshes in Central Europe. Enjoy the breathtaking landscapes during the short walk through the Tsarist Path (Carska Droga) towards Laskowiec with a stop at the towers and Bagno Lawki. After a spectacular meeting with local nature, follow the Tatar trail to Bohoniki and Kruszyniany, the oldest centres of followers of Islam within the Polish borders. Visit two wooden mosques and nearby cemeteries, listening to the history of the culture and religion of this unusual national minority.

Afternoon:
Enjoy delicious dishes of Tatar cuisine in Kruszyniany, the only agritourism farm run by the Tatar family.

Evening:
Arrival to Bialowieza, famous for its unique virgin forest and European bison (called “żubr” in Polish). Dinner and overnight stay.

Morning:
It’s time to enjoy the natural beauty of Bialowieza! During a half-day tour, we will show you a forest museum with many precious scientific collections and the European Bison Show Reserve, where you will admire these big mammals and other wild animals like a wolf and lynx.

Afternoon:
On the way to Lublin, a nice stop in Holy Mount of Grabarka, the most important Orthodox sanctuary in Poland, which is called also “the Hill of Crosses” as more than 7000 crosses of various sizes are scattered about the mountain.

Late afternoon:
Arrive in Lublin for dinner and overnight stay.

Morning:
The first part of this day is dedicated to the city sightseeing. Our route leads to the most interesting monuments of the Lublin Old Town: Castle Hill with the Lublin Castle, Grodzka Gate, Dominican Church, Market Square with the Crown Tribunal, the Cathedral with its Acoustic Sacristy Chamber and Treasury, 14th century Krakow Gate and New Town Hall.

Afternoon:
Travel to Kozlowka for a visit to the beautifully preserved Palace of the celebrated Polish aristocratic family of Zamoyski. The Palace boasts a splendid intact interior in the style of the Second Empire. See also the Socialist Art Gallery in a nearby park where one can find monuments of nowadays unpopular heroes of the Communist era, dismantled and relocated from their original sites.

Evening:
Overnight in Lublin.

Morning:
You will see the magic and mystery ruins of Krzyztopor, which was the largest residence in Europe for almost 11 years! (before the erection of the Palace of Versailles in France). Unfortunately, over the centuries, it has fallen into ruin, but still attracts attention.

Afternoon:
After a short ride follow to Sandomierz, a peaceful small town with many hidden historical secrets. The visit includes a walk through the streets of the Old Town and the underground tourist route.

Evening:
Arrive to Rzeszow. Overnight.

Morning:
City tour of Rzeszow. During the walking tour, you will visit the Old City with Main Market and Town Hall from the late 19th century as well as the dominant building of the Gothic Church of St. Stanislaw and Wojciech and remains of the Old Castle of Ligez family. After you will see 17th century Old Town Synagogue and New Town Synagogue, both reconstructed after World War 2.

Afternoon:
Travel to Lancut to visit the Castle Museum – another aristocratic palace with splendid interiors decorated in different styles with unique 18th-century court theatre and Carriage House with 140 horse-drawn carriages of manifold purposes. The tour will finish in Lancut Distillery Museum with a tasting of their delicious liquors.

Evening:
Return to Rzeszow for overnight.

Morning:
On our way to Krakow we will visit the Painted Village of Zalipie, a charming community with cottages painted with decorative floral motifs.

Afternoon:
Go to Lipnica Murowana to see 15th-century small wooden church of St. Leonard – UNESCO site, surrounded by mighty trees and old cemetery graves.

Evening:
Arrive in Krakow for overnight.

Morning:
Enjoy the beauty of Krakow: exploring the medieval section of the town, the largest market square in Europe, the fascinating churches with different architectural styles; and the beautiful streets brimming with old-world charm. The world’s biggest wooden altar (carved by Veit Stoss between 1477-1489) opens its wings in the Church of the Virgin Mary each day and we will be there to witness the magical moment. From one of its twin towers, we can hear the Hejnal every hour, the haunting alarm-call played by a trumpeter. The tour also included a comfortable walking tour of the legendary Royal Wawel Hill, covering the Royal Cathedral and the Belfry.

Afternoon & evening:
Free time. Overnight in Krakow.

Morning & afternoon:
Spend your time in Krakow or take an excursion to a Polish winery where you taste local wines in a charming setting overlooking the Vistula River.

Evening:
A horse-drawn carriage ride around the old town after which we invite you to a unique folk evening with traditional Polish music and dances, delicious local cuisine and beverages. It’s a true feast for the senses!
Last overnight in Krakow.

Last day in Krakow.
Depending on your schedule, independent transfers to the airport in Krakow or to the railway station. If you plan to continue to other Polish destinations to extend your tour, we will be glad to assist with further arrangements.