Hiking in the Tatras and Pieniny
14 day hiking trip through the southern part of Poland. The programme includes the following places: Krakow, Kazimierz – the former Jewish district in Krakow, Wieliczka – the Salt Mine, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Wadowice – the hometown of Pope John Paul II, Zakopane, Chocholowska Valley, Tatra Mountains, Spis, Pieniny – sailing on wooden rafts on the Dunajec River, Debno Podhalanskie, Krakow, Czestochowa, Warsaw.
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Day 1 Arrival in Krakow
x Arrival in Krakow by plane or coach. Meeting with the tour leader from Ernesto Travel and transfer by coach to the hotel in Krakow. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel or at the restaurant in the centre of Krakow (depending on the arrival time). [It's possible to begin the programme in Warsaw, Katowice or another city according to the flight schedule]. Overnight stay in Krakow. -
Day 2 Krakow – the heart of Poland, Kazimierz – Jewish district and Wieliczka – the Salt Mine
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 Guided tour of Krakow. 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 (Stare Miasto), the biggest market square in Europe (Rynek Glowny), the Town Hall, Collegium Maius – an ancient building belonging to the Jagiellonian University, the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), Saint Mary’s Church (Kosciol Mariacki – sightseeing inside) with the famous altar by Veit Stoss. 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”. During the sightseeing: multimedia presentation about the story of amber called "Polish Gold". In 1978, Krakow was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 13:30 Lunch at a restaurant in Krakow. 15:00 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 on the way to the Salt Mine in Wieliczka. 17:00 Transfer to Wieliczka (10 km from Krakow). 17:30 Guided tour in the Wieliczka Salt Mine – one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Many famous people have visited this place, such as Mikolaj Kopernik, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Dmitrij Mendeleev, Boleslaw Prus, Ignacy Paderewski, Karol Wojtyla, etc. In 1978, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 20:00 Dinner at a traditional Polish restaurant in Wieliczka combined with a folk music concert. Return to the hotel and the night is spent in Krakow. -
Day 3 Krakow – Oswiecim (Auschwitz-Birkenau) – Krakow
7:30 Breakfast at the hotel. 8:00 Departure for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. 10:00 Guided tour of the area of the former concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The camp was built by Nazis during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Today this place is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant. 14:00 Departure for Krakow. 15:00 Free time. 20:00 Dinner at a restaurant in Krakow. 21:00 Check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay in Krakow. -
Day 4 Krakow – Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – Wadowice – Zakopane – Chocholowska Valley
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel. 8:00 Departure for Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. 9:00 Visiting the Bernardine Monastery complex in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, one of the most famous sanctuaries in Poland. The whole Mannerist complex (including the sanctuary and a park) is also listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. 9:30 Departure for Wadowice. 10:00 Visiting the Pope's home and the church where he was baptised. 11:00 Continuation of the trip. We bring along lunch box lunches to eat during the trip. 14:00 Arrival in Zakopane and an appointment with the guide. Sightseeing in Zakopane: Jaszczurowka, Peksowy Brzyzek, Villa Atma, Krzeptowki – the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, Krupowki Street. 17:00 Transfer to the Chocholowska Valley. 18:00 Walking to the refuge. 21:00 Arrival in the refuge. Dinner. Overnight stay in the refuge. -
Day 5 The Tatra Mountains and their surroundings
all day Breakfast at the refuge. Hiking in the Tatra Mountains.We bring along lunch box lunches to eat during the trip. evening Return to the refuge and dinner. -
Day 6 The Tatra Mountains: Chocholowska Valley – Zakopane – Polish and Slovak Spis – Zakopane
all day Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the refuge. Departure by coach for Spis in Slovakia. Sights to see: Kismark Town, Spiska Sobota, Stara Lubovna. Lunch (we bring along lunch box lunches to eat during the trip.). evening Arrival in Zakopane, check-in at the hotel or refuge. -
Day 7 Zakopane – The Tatra Mountains – Zakopane
all day Breakfast at the hotel or refuge. Excursion to the mountains. Lunch (we bring along lunch box lunches to eat during the trip). evening Return to the hotel or to the refuge in Zakopane. Dinner. -
Day 8 Zakopane – The Tatra Mountains – Zakopane
all day Breakfast at the hotel or refuge. Excursion to the mountains. Lunch (we bring along lunch box lunches to eat during the trip). evening Return to the hotel or to the refuge in Zakopane. Dinner. -
Day 9 The Tatra Mountains – the Pieniny Mountains
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel or refuge. Check-out from the hotel or refuge. 8:30 Departure for Sromowce Wyzne. 10:00 Sailing on the traditional wooden rafts down the Dunajec River, across the Pieniny National Park. 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant in Szczawnica. afternoon Check-in at the refuge/hostel in Szczawnica. 20:00 Dinner. Overnight stay in Szczawnica. -
Day 10 The Pieniny Mountains
all day Breakfast. All-day excursion to the Pieniny Mountains. Lunch (we bring along lunch box lunches to eat during the trip). evening Dinner. Overnight stay in Szczawnica. -
Day 11 The Pieniny Mountains – Krakow
8:00 Breakfast and check-out from the refuge/hostel. 9:00 Departure for Krakow. On the way, a short stop and sightseeing inside the castle in Czorsztyn and a Gothic wooden church: one of the 6 wooden churches in the south of Poland listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. afternoon Arrival to Krakow and check-in at the hotel. Leisure time. 20:00 Dinner. Overnight stay in Krakow. -
Day 12 Krakow – Czestochowa – Warsaw
8:00 Breakfast and check-out from the refuge/hostel. 9:00 Departure for Czestochowa. 12:00 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. 13:30 Lunch at a traditional restaurant. 14:30 Departure from Czestochowa for Warsaw. 19:30 Arrival in Warsaw and check-in at the hotel. 20:00 Dinner. Overnigh stay in Warsaw. -
Day 13 Warsaw – the capital city of Poland
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 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 (listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO), St. John’s Cathedral. The Old Town was completely destroyed during World War II and reconstructed thanks to the commitment of the Polish nation. 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant in the city centre. 14:30 Visiting the Warsaw Rising Museum. Optionally: Sightseeing inside the Royal Castle. 16:30 Leisure time in the city centre. 20:00 Dinner with a music concert at one of the local restaurants (optionally). The last night in Warsaw. -
Day 14 Departure from Warsaw and from Poland
x Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel. y Transfer to the airport.
