Polish Christmas Tour

Feel the festive atmosphere in the land of your ancestors.

 


This tour will not take place in 2022

9 – day tour through the three important Polish cities: Warszawa, Kraków and Wrocław, with visiting Christmas Markets, workshops, exhibitions and local food.

For a group or family of 4, who will join the tour together, there will be a discount of 500 Polish zlotys per person.

Download the itinerary with costs prepared for 2022 


Based on our many years of experience in providing Genealogy Tours and other historical and cultural tailor-made tours in Poland we present you our newly created itinerary: Polish Christmas Tour.

This time we have prepared a shorter itinerary, that is focusing on the three important Polish cities. We will begin in Warsaw, the capital, where the main winter attraction is the Royal Garden of Lights in Wilanów Park. Feel the festive mood strolling among the thousands of colorful lights.

We continue to Kraków, but on the way, we will invite you to the Ethnographic Park to learn about the Christmas tradition in the countryside, in 18th and 19th centuries. See how your ancestors used to celebrate.

In Kraków, we will show you the famous nativity scenes. Then you will see Wrocław, the picturesque city located at the Odra riverbanks. Of course, we will visit the Christmas Markets, taste some local specialties, there will be time for shopping for gifts for your closest ones. We will have the pierogi workshop and dinner in the traditional Wigilia style.

The number of participants: from 4 to 7 guests.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/FpDRuPvPmKyEQQFx5

The itinerary of the Polish Christmas Tour


Day 1  Warsaw – your arrival

Your arrival in Warsaw. We will arrange the transfer from the airport to the hotel in the center of Warsaw.

Some time to rest after the journey and prepare for the adventure.

No guide’s assistance on that day.

Accommodation: Comfort-class boutique hotel in the center of Warsaw.

 

Day 2   Warsaw  – Christmas lights and decorations

Morning meeting with your tour leader and the tourist guide from Warsaw. You will have a guided tour introducing you to the capital of Poland with its Old Town, which was meticulously rebuilt after World War II. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th centuries, and as a result, was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Picture source: warszawa.eska.pl

After the guided tour you will have some free time for lunch.

After sunset, we will invite you to the Royal Garden of Light in the Wilanów Park. This is an open-air exhibition with thousands of colorful lights, despite the autumn and winter aura, you can admire the King’s Winter Garden, Music Garden and projection mapping.

 

 

 

Accommodation: Comfort class boutique hotel in the center of Warsaw.

Day 3 Warsaw – at the crossroads of cultures

In the morning we will invite you to visit POLIN – The Museum of The History of Polish Jews. We want to show you how diverse, multicultural, sometimes mysterious and exotic this land used to be! Did you know that over 30 percent of the population of the Polish towns and cities before World War 2 were Jews? In December they are celebrating one of the most important holidays: Hanukkah. How they used to celebrate it in Poland?

Today we would like to show you some of their history and culture in one of the best museums in Poland!

In the afternoon, we will come back to the Old Town to visit the popular Christmas Market “Barbican Decorated with Craft”, where you might taste the local specialties, such as mulled wine, grilled sausage, bigos, oscypek. After the short tour on the marker with our guide, you will have some free time to explore on your own.

In the evening come back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Comfort-class boutique hotel in the center of Warsaw.

Day 4  Christmas in the house of your ancestors

After breakfast check out from your hotel and departure from Warsaw. We will drive to Kraków and on the way we will stop in the Ethnographic Park in Tokarnia. You will have a guided tour in the museum and we will tell you the story about the everyday life in Poland in the 18th and 19th centuries… How did they prepare for Christmas? How was the house decorated? What did they eat? What were the customs and traditions? Why on the Christmas Eve you have to put the coins and hay under the tablecloth? Why it was not allowed to borrow anything? What is podłaźniczka? We will try to answer these and many more questions.

Picture source: mwk.com.pl

In the afternoon arrive in Kraków, check in at the hotel.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel in the center of Kraków

Day 5   “Rorate caeli desuper”. Kraków from dusk till dawn

Throughout the Advent period in Catholic churches, first morning liturgy, at the time of the sunrise is celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is known as “Roraty” from the first words of the Gregorian chant known as The Advent Prose: Rorate Caeli, which means “Drop down ye heavens from above.” People bring with them small wax candles or lanterns to light the dark church.

This morning (at 6:30 A.M.) we will invite volunteers to participate in the roraty at the Dominican Church. They celebrate it in a very traditional way.

 

After the celebration we will come back to the hotel for breakfast and about 10:00 A.M. we will begin the guided tour in Kraków. We will take a walk with our local guide in the Wawel Hill, which is the centre of Polish history and culture, with the Sigismund Bell, king’s tombs in the cathedral and of course the castle.

We will walk in the narrow, romantic streets of the Old town. We will show you the courtyard of Jagiellonian University with it’s famous clock show and we will stop in the medieval Cloth Hall where traditional souvenirs can be bought. We will listen to St. Mary’s trumpet call (called “hejnal”).

Mysterious Krakow at dusk. Fot. Paweł Krzeń, picture source: http://www.krakow4u.pl/eng_index.php?parametr=eng_glowna_s

In the afternoon you will have free time to explore Kraków, to do some shopping or have some rest.

It is possible to book the side trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine on that day – please contact us if you are interested.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel in the center of Kraków

Day 6  Kraków’s Nativity scenes

This morning we will invite you to visit the exhibition of the famous Kraków Nativity Scenes. There is no other place on earth to produce equally unique creations! The tradition evolved in the 19th century and is passed down from generation to generation. The scene should be inspired by the city’s architecture, but also the historical and political events. Sometimes they present legends or famous people. All of them are colorful, some or moving and making sounds.

 

In the afternoon we will leave Kraków for a while and drive to one of the villages nearby for the pierogi cooking classes! You will have the opportunity to prepare the dough, cook pierogi and, of course, to taste some other local specialties.

Without pierogi there is no real Polish Christmas! (during the workshops you will, of course have an opportunity to taste them, so no “regular” dinner in the restaurant is included)

In the evening, come back to the hotel in Kraków.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel in the center of Kraków

Day 7  Wrocław – the western traditions

In the morning we will depart to Wrocław (about 3h drive). Many modern Christmas traditions came to Poland from Germany: decorating the Christmas tree, some popular carols, Christmas gifts. Wrocław, the capital of Lower Silesia, was a German city for many centuries. We will try to show you its complicated history and many cultures that are nowadays present in the city.

Picture source: pozwiedzane.pl

After check-in at the hotel you will have the guided tour in the Old Town. See the Main Square with historic pillory

  • Wrocław’s dwarfs and their history
  • University of Wroclaw with the entrance to the Mathematical Tower
  • Ostrów tumski with the cathedral

After the guided tour we will spend the evening on famous Wrocław’s Christmas Market. There will be some mulled wine and we cannot miss the stands with the Bolesławiec pottery.

 

 

 

Accommodation: 4* Hotel in the center of Wrocław

Day 8 Wrocław – Kraków. The Polish Wigilia.

Come back to Kraków and continuation of exploring the city. Entrance to Rynek Underground Museum.

In the evening we will invite you to dinner in the real Polish house, where you will have the opportunity to taste the traditional Christmas dishes.

Picture source: eataway.com

Accommodation: 3* Hotel in the center of Kraków

Day 9   Kraków – departures

The day of your departure from Kraków. We will arrange the driver to assist you to the airport.

If it is more convenient for you to fly home from Warsaw, it is possible to have a train to Warsaw. Please contact us if you have any questions (email: [email protected])

Cost

If you are interested in this tour you can let us know and we will inform you as soon as any new details will be available. Contact us to [email protected]

Please be aware that we accept payments in Polish zlotys and this amount expressed in US$ is only for information purposes, valid on the date mentioned above. The current Polish zlotys (PLN) / US Dollars (USD) exchange rate you will find here: current average currency exchange rate between US Dollar and Polish zloty USD/PLN. This is an average currency exchange rate and it is usually distorted by commissions charged by all the financial intermediary institutions (so-called spread between currency buy and sell rates). We operate in Poland as a licensed tour operator and Polish business entity and we accept payments in Polish zlotys (PLN)).

For a group or family of 4, who will join the tour together, there will be a discount of 500 Polish zlotys per person.

If you are returning PolishOrigins Tours client or want to combine Christmas Tour with tailor-made Genealogy Tour or Family & Friends Tour then you are entitled to a 500 PLN discount. Discounts do not combine.

Tour cost includes:​

  • assist of the experienced, English speaking guide
  • accommodations in centrally located hotels in DBL or TWIN rooms with private bath or shower
  • breakfasts in all hotels
  • transportation by air-conditioned, comfortable van or minibus (suitable for the final numer of guests)
  • sightseeing tours as specified in the tour itinerary: local guides in Warsaw, Wrocław and Kraków, entrances to museums and markets listed above, pierogi workshops
  • farewell dinner with traditional Christmas dishes in the Polish house
  • transfers on arrival and departure from and to the airports or hotels.

Not included in the tour cost are items of personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, mini-bar, gratuity to guides and drivers, air transportation to and from Poland, meals other than listed above in the included section. There is a possibility of an optional trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine and travel back to Warsaw on your departure day. For those services supplement will apply.

 

Reservation

The deposit is non-refundable, unless we will not have the minimal number of participants. If a tour has less than 4 persons who have made reservations 30 days before planned date of starting the Tour, we reserve the right to cancel the whole Tour. In that case, all deposits for that Tour date will be refunded.

The remaining amount of payment is due 30 days before planned date of starting the Tour. The rates are in Polish zlotys. We operate in Poland as a licensed Polish business entity and we accept payments in Polish zlotys (PLN).

We invite you to contact us by email: [email protected] or by phone: 0048 664 407 089 (6.00 AM – 4.00 PM EST).