Day 1: Warsaw
Upon arrival in Warsaw our group will be met by the Joe Walsh Tours Pilgrimage co-ordinator and transferred to your hotel in Warsaw for one night on a half board basis.
We will take a tour of the city including sites such as the Royal Castle Square, Gothic and Baroque churches, monuments honouring the Heroes of the Warsaw Uprising 1943 & 1944 etc.
Day 2: Czestochowa
After breakfast we will leave Warsaw for Czestochowa for one night on a half board basis.
Here we will visit Jasna Gora Monastery, Poland's national shrine to Our Lady. The renowned Black Madonna icon has in the past symbolised unity and freedom to the Polish people. Painted by St. Luke the Evangelist the Black Madonna gets its name as a result of the soot residue, caused by centuries of candles burning, that discolours the painting. Our visit to the monastery also includes the Miraculous Picture Chapel and the Basilica.
Day 3-5: Krakow
This morning after breakfast we will leave Czestochowa for Krakow for three nights on a half board basis. We will enjoy a number of sights and tours in Krakow and visit Auschwitz en-route.
Auschwitz: Auschwitz Concentration Camp is a Unesco World Heritage Site and has been preserved as a memorial to those murdered here. It is estimated that between 900,000 and 1.5 million Jews and others were murdered in these extermination camps. The prison blocks that survive have been turned into a museum charting the history of the wartime Poland.
Krakow Tour: We will have a guided tour of historical Krakow. Krakow survived World War II and retains its charm and elegance, reminiscent of its colourful past as ancient royal city. This city is where Pope John Paul II was Archbishop, you will see the Royal Castle and Cathedral on Wawel Hill overlooking the River Vistula and other sites of interest.
Lagiewniki: Our Lord appeared to Saint Faustina Kowalska here in 1931, thus establishing the devotion to the Divine Mercy. We will have a private mass in St Faustina Monastery.
Wieliczka: Famous for having the oldest operational Salt Mine in Europe which has been working for over 700 years. The mine, a centuries old tourist attraction, features enormous excavation chambers, underground salt lakes and chapels. The largest of the chapels – the Blessed King – is located 101 metres below the surface. It is made entirely out of salt, richly furnished with sculptures and large chandeliers made from salt crystals.
Wadowice and Kalwaria Zebrzydowksa: Wadowice is the birthplace of Karol Wojtyta, Pope John Paul II and we will enjoy a private mass in the Basilica here. We will also visit the house where Pope John Paul lived as a child and the church where he was christened. We also visit the Kalwaria Zebrzydowksaa monastery complex, erected in the early 17th century by Mikloj Zebrzydowski and located a short distance from Wadowice (15 minutes). The monastery is built on the side of the Zar Mountain and around 40 chapels surround the monastery, resembling the topography of Jerusalem.
Day 6-7: Prague
After breakfast we leave Krakow for Prague where we stay for two nights on a half board basis.
here we will enjoy a full day sight seeing tour of Prague and private mass. Known as the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’, Prague is an architectural delight. We will visit the main sights around the city of Prague including the Cathedral of St Vitus, Charles Bridge, Wenceslas Square, National Museum, Old Town Square and Knights of Cross Square.
Day 8: Return to Dublin
After breakfast we depart our hotel for Prague airport for our return flight to Dublin.
YOUR PACKAGE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
- Dublin/Warsaw outbound flight
- Prague/Dublin inbound flight
- One night in a 3 star hotel Warsaw on a bed and breakfast basis
- One evening meal in your hotel in Warsaw
- Half day city tour of Warsaw with English speaking guide
- One night in a 3 star hotel Czestochowa on a bed and breakfast basis
- One evening meal in your hotel in Czestochowa
- Guided tour and entrance to Jasna Gora Monastery & Black Madonna
- Guided tour and entrance to Auschwitz
- Three nights in a 3 star hotel in Krakow on a bed and breakfast basis
- Three evening meals in your hotel in Krakow
- Guided visit and entry to Wieliczka Saltmines
- Guided tour of Wadowice
- Guided tour of Lagiewniki to visit the Divine Mercy
- A visit to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
- Half day city tour of Krakow with English speaking guide
- One night in a 3 star hotel Prague on a bed and breakfast basis
- One evening meal in your hotel in Prague
- Half day city tour of Prague with English speaking guide
- Luxury air-conditioned coach for duration of tour
- Full spiritual programme
- Accompanied by Joe Walsh Tours Representative
- Airport taxes & tolls
Price does not include:
- In-flight catering
- Meals where not stated
- Porterage charges
- Comprehensive travel insurance €25
- Single room supplement of €40 per night per person
ITINERARY AND FLIGHT DETAILS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
All accommodation is based on shared twin bedded rooms with facilities.
IMPORTANT: THE ABOVE TOUR IS DEPENDENT UPON A MINIMUM OF FIFTY PASSENGERS BOOKED TO OPERATE. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL ANY TOUR UP TO 4 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE DATE IF ADEQUATE BOOKING LEVELS HAVE NOT BEEN ACHIEVED OR MAINTAINED. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ALTER TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS, IF DEEMED NECESSARY, IN THE CASE OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL.
