Join us on this 11-day tour to discover the WWII legacy of Poland, where some of the greatest atrocities and the finest acts of selflessness took place, from the institution of the labor and extermination camps to the factory where Oskar Schindler saved more than a thousand Jewish lives. We visit Hitler’s Wolfsschanze, or Wolf’s Lair where German military officers unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate the Nazi leader during the plot of July 20, 1944. Through tours of Krakow’s and Warsaw’s Jewish districts and the infamous concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka we recognize the indomitable spirit of the Polish people under German occupation. We will explore how the locals fought heroically against the Nazi forces in an uneven and desperate fight during the Warsaw Uprising and learn about the peaceful struggle against the communist rule after the war which contributed to the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Our Passengers are greeted at the Lech Walesa Airport in Gdansk and transferred to the hotel. After an orientation dinner, we spend the next few days exploring the history of the port city of Gdansk, known as Danzig in German. During the first leg of our stay, we will study WWII sites such as the Westerplatte peninsula, from where the first German attack of the war was launched from the battleship Schleswig-Holstein. We will continue with a visit to the iconic Post Office where the German invaders were withheld by the resistance of postal workers only to be executed upon surrender. The subsequent visit of the Museum of the Second World War will present the war from the perspective of the Polish people. On the second leg, Passengers will visit the European Solidarity Centre that documents the Solidarity Movement. Later, we will tour the Old Town of Gdansk and its world-famous marketplace and town hall.
On this segment of the tour, we will first travel to the Masurian Lake District to participate in a guided tour of one of Hitler’s main headquarters, namely the Wolf’s Lair. He led his forces on the Eastern Front from this secret location and this was also the site of the failed assassination attempt organized by a group of German officers on July 20, 1944. This will be followed by a visit to Treblinka, one of the deadliest Nazi extermination camps and a stark reminder of the Nazis’ “Final Solution.” We will then travel on to the Polish capital of Warsaw to explore the Warsaw Uprising Museum and the tragic story of the Home Army which fought heroically the Nazi forces in an uneven battle during the Warsaw Uprising. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy a walking tour of historic Warsaw, including the medieval Old Town, the former Ghetto and other sites related to the life of Polish Jews.
Our journey culminates in Krakow, where we will explore the Jewish ghetto and the castle district. After taking in Krakow's historic sites and seeing where the movie Schindler's List was filmed, we visit Schindler's actual factory. We then head to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Birkenau, Auschwitz's notorious extermination camp, accounted for the death of more than a million Jews, Roma, POWs and political opponents from across Europe, and stands as a testament the greatest atrocity of the 20th century. The day after, we will take a walking tour of Krakow that was the Polish capital for more than 500 years. Among the sites on our tour are the beautiful Royal Castle and the Renaissance Cloth Hall. We then take in the breathtaking Wieliczka Salt Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour ends with a farewell dinner. On the last day, our guests are brought to the John Paul II International Airport for their return flights.
Relax after a long flight and ease your mind knowing that your Tour Director will meet you at the airport on the first day of the tour, avoiding extra navigating and expensive taxi fares. With our all-inclusive tour package, we handle all the details of your tour, so you can focus on experiencing this trip of a lifetime. Sit back and let us wine and dine you as you explore history with our carefully planned itinerary, with all breakfasts, dinners and entrance fees included. You will sleep soundly each night at 4-star accommodations. Breakfasts are delicious and authentic, while the two-three course dinners are mix of buffet and limited menu dining options which offer a chance to taste some of the local wines or beers as well. This tour includes a 24/7 Tour Director and several local guides. Our dynamic, knowledgeable Tour Directors are with you from your arrival at the airport to departure on the final day. They proactively smooth the way for your entire tour experience. Our handpicked, trusted local guides are fluent in English and expert historians, who deliver their impressive wealth of knowledge, anecdotes, and local insights with skill that shows their years of research and experience.
Beaches of Normandy ToursBand of Brothers Tours48 Rue de Thouays, 50480 Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France
Phone: +1 855-473-1999Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm ETe-mail: info@beachesofnormandy.com
They always address topics onsite so that you get to experience history where it happened as they guide both popular destinations and obscure locations only the locals would know. Do not worry about availability, wait times, or ticket costs as all museum and site admissions are pre-arranged and included in the cost of our all-inclusive tours. On this tour you ride in style in our motorcoaches complete with climate control, video entertainment and extra leg room. Our skilled, professional drivers maximize your tour time by navigating the busiest highways and tightest country lanes, giving you more time at sites and less time subjected to the inflexible scheduling, delays and crowded areas that accompany public transport. For those who want to stay connected, Wi-fi is available at all our hotels and on all of our buses.