Poland & Prague: Divine Mercy

Day 1: Departure
Depart USA to Warsaw, Poland, from your local airport. Enjoy a full meal and inflight entertainment (movies, music, etc.) on your overnight flight. 

Day 2: Arrival in Warsaw, Poland
Upon your arrival in Warsaw, you will be greeted by our local tour guide and escorted to the hotel for check-in. Depending on arrival time, enjoy free time sightseeing prior to Mass of Thanksgiving and dinner at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Warsaw. 

Day 3: Warsaw
Breakfast at the hotel, followed by Mass at a local church. Starting at the Old Town, we begin a walking tour of Warsaw. Numerous historic sites will be seen, including the Barbican, Market Square, Castle Square, St. Anne’s Church, and the Holy Cross Church, where Chopin’s heart is kept in an urn. The walking tour ends at the famous Nowy Swiat Pedestrian Street. Free time the rest of the day for shopping and exploring. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Warsaw. 

Day 4: Warsaw | Czestochowa | Krakow
Breakfast at the hotel and an early check-out. We drive to Krakow with a stop in Czestochowa. We visit the Jasna Gora Monastery to see the famous icon of the Black Madonna. We celebrate Mass this day in one of the chapels of the monastery. A quick stop in Lodz to visit Venice Park, where St. Faustina had an encounter with Jesus and the Cathedral of St. Stanislaus, where she heard her calling. Free time for lunch before continuing to our check-in at the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Krakow. 

Day 5: Krakow  |  Wieliczka  |  Krakow
Breakfast at the hotel. Our day begins with a visit to the Wawel Cathedral and a walk along Kanonicza Street. Here, we pause at Building #21 Deanery, where Pope St. John Paul II resided while living in Krakow. We then visit St. Mary’s Basilica adjacent to the Market Square, where Mass will be celebrated (subject to confirmation). Built in the 13th century, this basilica is renowned for its magnificent carved wooden altar. Prior to free time and lunch, we view the Collegium Maius, where Pope St. John Paul II was a student. We then drive to Wieliczka to see Europe’s oldest salt mines. The mines are listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and house a world of underground chambers and decorated chapels carved out of salt (including the famous Chapel of St. Kinga). Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Krakow.   

Day 6: Krakow  |  Auschwitz  |  Wadowice  |  Krakow
Breakfast at the hotel. We then drive to Oswiecim to visit the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, where both St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) and St. Maximilian faced martyrdom. Following this unforgettable experience, we drive to Wadowice to tour the birthplace of Pope St. John Paul II. We visit the Wadowice Basilica, where Pope St. John Paul II was baptized, as well as his childhood home, which is now a museum. Mass this day will be celebrated at the basilica (subject to confirmation). Free time following lunch and exploring. We return to Krakow, where dinner is on your own and overnight is at the hotel in Krakow. 

Day 7: Krakow  |  Lagiewniki  |  Zakopane  |  Krakow 
Breakfast at the hotel. We then drive to Lagiewniki, where through the mediation of St. Faustina, Jesus passed on the message of Divine Mercy. We will visit the Shrine of Divine Mercy, which contains images of The Merciful Jesus, the relics of St. Faustina, and houses the saint’s convent chapel and her tomb. Mass this day is at the Shrine of Divinity (subject to confirmation). We continue on to a day trip to the village of Zakopane, nestled in the Tatra Mountains. Subject to weather conditions, we take a cable car ride to a nearby mountaintop for a breathtaking panoramic view! From here, we head to visit the Jaszczorowka Chapel (subject to confirmation). As a young boy, Karol Wojtyla (Pope St. John Paul II) often used the walking paths here for prayer and reflection. The architecturally distinct chapel was visited often throughout his youth. We see the Have No Fear Center, where the saint’s blood-stain cassock from his assassination attempt and his blood relic are housed. Free time for lunch and exploring on your own before we finish the day touring the colorful Krupowki Street. Shopping opportunities at the local bazaar. We then return to Krakow. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Krakow. 

Day 8: Krakow  |  Prague 
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. We board the bus and travel to Czech Republic, making a stop in Olomouc. Here, we celebrate Mass at a local church and enjoy some free time before our continued travels to Krakow. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Prague. 

Day 9: Prague
Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a full day of sightseeing in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! We see Hradcany Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Castle and the Basilica of St. George. Mass this day is celebrated at the Church of Our Lady Victorious (subject to confirmation), where we see the Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague! Following lunch, we stroll across the St. Charles Bridge, visiting The Old Town, the Market Square “Astronomical Clock,” and Wenceslas Square. We end our day with a visit to the Church of St. Nicholas. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Prague. 

Day 10: Prague
Breakfast at the hotel, followed by Mass at a nearby church. You are then free to explore this majestic city on your own the rest of the day for shopping and more sightseeing! Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel in Prague. 

Day 11: Warsaw  |  USA
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. With many holy, happy and vivid memories of Prague and Poland, we transfer to the airport for your departure to the USA.