Day 1 ISTANBUL – KRAKOW
We begin our tour by meeting our guide at 09:10 at the International Terminal of Istanbul New Airport. Following our ticket and baggage procedures, we depart for Krakow at 12:10 on LOT Polish Airlines’ scheduled flight LO140. After arriving in Krakow at 12:30 local time, we begin our panoramic Krakow city tour with the Barbican Fortress. We enter the old town through Florian Gate, where kings once entered the city. We then walk along Florianska Street and reach the old town square. Here, we see St. Mary’s Church, the statue of the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, whose museum is located in Istanbul’s Dolapdere district, Sukiennice (the Cloth Hall), the Old Town Hall, and the statue adorning the square by the famous Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj, before proceeding via Grodzka Street to Wawel Castle. After visiting Wawel Castle, we finish our tour by seeing the Dragon Statue on the banks of the Vistula River. Transfer to our hotel after the tour. Check-in and overnight stay at our hotel.
Day 2 KRAKOW | Auschwitz & Vistula River Boat Tour
After breakfast at our hotel, guests who wish may join the Auschwitz Concentration Camp tour, which our guide will organize as an optional excursion. We visit the Auschwitz–Birkenau Nazi camp, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where approximately 1.5 million Jews were systematically tortured and murdered during World War II. Transfer to our hotel after the tour. In the evening, guests who wish may join an optional one-hour boat tour offering views of Krakow from the Vistula River. Overnight stay at our hotel.
Day 3 KRAKOW – WARSAW | Wieliczka Salt Mine & Czestochowa & Chopin Concert
After breakfast at our hotel, we check out and hand our room keys to the reception. Guests who wish may join our tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine, one of the world’s oldest salt mines, where the Kings of Poland celebrated their marriages, dating back to the 13th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After touring the salt mine, with tunnels reaching a depth of 327 m and a visitable length of 3.5 km, we pick up the guests who did not join the tour and depart for Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Guests who wish may join the Czestochowa tour, which our guide will organize as an optional excursion along the way. Known as Poland’s open-air museum, Czestochowa is a world-famous city that houses the Pauline monastery of Jasna Gora, home to the Shrine of the Virgin Mary and the Black Madonna painting, and welcomes approximately five million visitors every year. We continue to Warsaw after the tour. Arrival in Warsaw and check-in at our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel. In the evening, guests who wish may attend the Chopin Concert, which our guide will organize as an optional excursion.
Day 4 WARSAW – ISTANBUL
After breakfast at our hotel, we check out and begin our panoramic Warsaw city tour. In this beautiful city, we see the statue of Copernicus and walk along the Royal Route. We then visit the Church of the Holy Cross, where Chopin’s heart is buried. Chopin, who died and was buried in Paris, had his heart buried in this church in Warsaw, the place of his birth, preserved in cognac. On the pillar where his heart is buried, the following inscription draws attention: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Afterwards, we admire the colorful Krakowskie Przedmieście and the Old Town. We also see the reconstructed Royal Castle and learn about the history of Warsaw and Poland through our guide’s explanations. During free time, you can spend time in the cafés of this elegant city. After our tour, transfer to the airport. Following the ticket and baggage procedures, we depart for Istanbul at 19:55 on LOT Polish Airlines’ scheduled flight LO137. Arrival in Istanbul at 00:40 local time and the end of our tour.
o Hotel check-in times are between 15:00 and 17:00 / check-out times are between 10:00 and 12:00.
o Departure and arrival times are local times.
o Flights marked with an * arrive at the destination on the calendar day following the departure date.
o Please ask about domestic flight connection details and price differences.
o Prices are not valid for groups; please ask about our special prices.
o A Schengen visa is required for the program. Green passport holders do not require a visa.
o IST KRK 12:10 – 12:30 - LO140
o WAW IST 19:55 – 00:40(+1) – LO137