A GRAND TOUR WITH DEEPER INSIGHT
POLAND

DAY 02 ARRIVE IN WARSAW
Arrive in Warsaw, Poland the 69th largest country in the world and 7th in Europe. Poland's population, concentrated mainly in urban areas, is over 38.5 million people which makes it the 33rd most populous country in the world. Meet / assist at the airport and transfer to Czestochowa. On route stop at Niepokalanow to visit the Franciscan Monastery founded by Maximilian Kolbe.
Evening arrival in Czestochowa, dinner at a local restaurant. Check in at the hotel for overnight stay.

DAY 03 CZESTOCHOWA / KRAKOW
Breakfast at hotel. Morning tour to the Jasna Gora Monastery including the Black Madonna Shrine.
Czestochowa is one of the most important sites in the Christian world and is often called a Religious Capital of Poland. Millions of pilgrims, including over 100 000 foreigners, come here every year to pray at the miraculous Black Madonna Shrine. Historians date the famous painting to the 14th century. But a legend says it has been made by Saint Luke Evangelist on a piece of wood from the table used by Virgin Mary in Nazareth.

Now a famous icon, it is a part of Baroque altar made of Silver and Ebony. The altar is opened twice a day with organ music accompaniment.

The painting is covered with precious decoration, forming royal gowns for Virgin Mary and her Child. Only a mysterious, dark face with two cars on the cheek can be seen. Spare gowns are kept in the Treasury with other priceless jewels. Gown is changed for special occasion.

Afterwards leave for Krakow en-route stop at Auschwitz.
All over the world, Auschwitz-Birkenau has become a symbol of the Holocaust. The Nazis established it in 1940, in the suburbs of the city of Auschwitz that, like other parts of Poland was occupied during the II World War. The name of the city of Oswiecim was changed to Auschwitz, which became the name of the camp as well.
Lunch followed by the tour of Auschwitz – Birkenau. Dinner at local restaurant with folklore entertainment.

Arrival in Krakow and check in at the hotel for overnight stay.

DAY 04 KRAKOW / KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA / WADOWICE / KRAKOW
Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast morning departure to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and visit the 17th century Bernadine Monastery.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is found to the southwest of Krakow. It is the 02nd most famous Marian Shrine in Poland after Czestochowa, annually visited by almost one million pilgrims and tourists. The Calvary Hill, now included on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List, was arranged here 400 years ago as a replica of the hill in Jerusalem. The Via Dolores leads through 42 chapels. Processions are held during the Holy Week and on Assumption Day.
Continue to Wadowice – Pope John Paul II native town.
Wadowice, is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II, his family house has been converted into a museum. The museum includes former the Wojtyla flat (2 rooms and kitchen) and adjacent rooms. At the exhibition there are few keepsakes from the equipment of the Wojtyla flat (among others: oven, a few potteries, shelf, table, laundry basket, family portraits) there are also personal objects of Karol Wojtyla

(Among others: skies, wing, rucksack, cap, and praying book). Last room was open in 1999 there are photos from three Pope’s pilgrimages to Wadowice. Out side the house there is a tablet with the sign: ‘In this house was born on 18th May 1920 and was living their Karol Jozef Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II.’
The Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The structure of the Church comes from different periods, the oldest part of the Church – rectangular, gothic presbytery, comes from 15th century, three nave corps from the end of 18th century, vestry from 19th century.
The Church is strictly connected with Karol Wojtyla’s childhood and youth because he was born in the house next to it. He was baptized there and served the Holy Mass as a young boy.

Lunch at local restaurant in Wadowice.
Afternoon city tour to Krakow

Krakow is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, with a population of 756,336 in 2007. It is a major attraction for local and international tourists, attracting seven million visitors annually. Famous landmarks include the Main Market Square with St. Mary's Basilica and the Sukiennice Cloth Hall, the Wawel Castle, the National Art Museum, the Zygmunt Bell at the Wawel Cathedral, and the medieval St Florian's Gate with the Barbican along the Royal Coronation Route. In 1978, UNESCO added Kraków's historic centre, which includes the Old Town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle to the list of World Heritage Sites. Market Square, it is the largest medieval town square in Eurpoe. 13th century Cloth Hall, one of the city's most recognizable icons, was once a major centre of international trade. Traveling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter. During its golden age in the 15th century, it was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the East – spices, silk, leather and wax – while Kraków itself exported textiles, lead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
The route covers also St Florian’s Church, Municipal fortifications, tenement houses in Florianska Street, the Statue of Adam Mickiewicz, the palaces and houses of the main Market Square, the City Hall Tower, St Adalbert’s Church, the St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church.

Dinner at local restaurant and transfer to the hotel for overnight stay.

DAY 05 WARSAW
Breakfast at hotel. Morning departure to Warsaw. En-route stops for a visit to Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Wieliczka Salt Mine, in the town of Wieliczka, in Poland's Kraków metropolitan area, had until 2007 been in continuous operation, producing table salt, since the 13th century. It was one of the world's oldest operating salt mines (the oldest being at Bochnia, Poland, 20 kilometers from Wieliczka). Active mining stopped in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding, most likely caused by mining operations. The mine now remains open only for touring. The mine reaches down to a depth of 327 meters, and is over 300 km. long. The Wieliczka salt mine features a 3.5-km. tourist route (less than 1% of the length of the mine's passages) that includes statues of historic and mythic figures, all sculpted by miners out of the rock salt. Even the crystals in the chandeliers are fashioned of salt.Also featured are beautifully carved chambers, chapels, an underground lake, and exhibits on the history of salt mining. The mine is justly referred to as "the underground salt cathedral of Poland."

Lunch at local restaurant in Wieliczka and arrival in Warsaw in the afternoon. Check in at hotel.

Evening city tour of Warsaw.
It is not just the convenient location but above all the unique character and attractiveness of the city that makes a visit here one of the highlights of every tourist’s trip to Poland. Here everyone can find something interesting. UNESCO has appreciated Warsaw’s historical monuments and memento’s from the past and the old Town has been entered in the list of World Cultural Heritage. The walls of the Royal Castle remember the adoption of the 1791 Constitution – the first in Europe and second in the world, the provided the foundations for the construction of modern state. The Royal Route runs from the Royal Castle through Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Nowy Swiat and Aleje Ujazdowskie. Beautiful palaces, churches, mansion houses, statues and parks are located along the route.

Dinner and local restaurant. Over night at hotel.

DAY 06 WARSAW / ROME (lunch not included)
Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast transfer to airport for flight to Rome. Arrive in Rome and transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 07 DEPART ROME
Breakfast at hotel. Morning free for your own activities. Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

DAY 08 Arrive in Colombo