Experience Poland
Significant Feast Days
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9-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Depart your city for Warsaw
Day 2 Celebrate mass at St. Kostka Church and explore the Shrine of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko
Day 3 Take a walking tour of Warsaw, see the Cathedral and Royal Castle, enjoy free time in the evening
Day 4 Travel to Czestochowa, visit the Jasna Gora Sanctuary and pray before Our Lady, travel to Krakow
Day 5 Take a walking tour of Krakow, make a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Faustina and the shrines of Divine Mercy and St. John Paul II
Day 6 Travel to Wadowice and tour St. John Paul II's hometown, pilgrimage through Auschwitz-Birkenau where St. Maximilian Kolbe
and Edit Stein were martyred
Day 7 Explore the Wieliczka Salt Mine and its underground chapels and basilica, return to Krakow and enjoy free time
Day 8 Travel to the mountains of Zakopane, enjoy the fresh air, natural beauty, and culture of the region
Day 9 Depart Krakow for Warsaw and return home
Mass will be celebrated daily within the itinerary.
Specific locations and events within the daily itinerary are subject to change depending on actual travel dates.
Day 2 Celebrate mass at St. Kostka Church and explore the Shrine of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko
Day 3 Take a walking tour of Warsaw, see the Cathedral and Royal Castle, enjoy free time in the evening
Day 4 Travel to Czestochowa, visit the Jasna Gora Sanctuary and pray before Our Lady, travel to Krakow
Day 5 Take a walking tour of Krakow, make a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Faustina and the shrines of Divine Mercy and St. John Paul II
Day 6 Travel to Wadowice and tour St. John Paul II's hometown, pilgrimage through Auschwitz-Birkenau where St. Maximilian Kolbe
and Edit Stein were martyred
Day 7 Explore the Wieliczka Salt Mine and its underground chapels and basilica, return to Krakow and enjoy free time
Day 8 Travel to the mountains of Zakopane, enjoy the fresh air, natural beauty, and culture of the region
Day 9 Depart Krakow for Warsaw and return home
Mass will be celebrated daily within the itinerary.
Specific locations and events within the daily itinerary are subject to change depending on actual travel dates.
About Country
 Photo Credit: Mateusz Giełczyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 St. Stanisalus Kostka Church, now well known as the Sanctuary of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko is the most significant church in this neighborhood of Warsaw. Blessed Jerzy was a Polish priest who was martyred by the Communists in 1984 and is now buried at this church.
The Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw is a Gothic church in the Old Town neighborhood of Warsaw dating back to the 14th century. Unfortunately, the church was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt afterwards.
Wawel Hill in Krakow is home to the Wawel Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral. This complex of buildings is of great historical importance to the country. The castle served as the residence for many Polish monarchs who were crowned and then buried at the cathedral.
The 'Have No Fear!' John Paul II Center is home to the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II where pilgrims can venerate relics of the former pope including the cassock he was wearing during the 1981 assassination attempt, a vial of his blood, and the marble slab that once covered his tomb in the Vatican.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is the former Nazi Concentration and Extermination camp where hundreds of thousands of people were murdered during the Holocaust. It was here that St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edit Stein) and St, Maximilian Kolbe were martyred. Visitors will spend time in reflection and personal prayer, visit the International Monument, and visit the Cell of St. Maximilian Kolbe.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow is one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. It has been excavated since the 13th century, and salt has been collected from the area since the Neolithic times. Throughout the centuries, devout miners have crafted stunning works of art in the underground chambers of the mine including various chapels, and even a basilica.
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The Royal Castle in Warsaw was originally built in the 15th century, completely destroyed during World War II, and rebuilt in the 1970s and 80s. Throughout Poland's history this castle served as the residence of kings, princes, the seat of government, and is now a museum.
The Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa is the largest Pauline monastery in the world, and the shrine of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Lovingly referred to as "The Black Madonna," this icon of Our Lady is believed to have been painted by St. Luke the Evangelist with the Blessed Mother herself having sat for the portrait.
St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow is one of the best examples of Polish Gothic architecture. Every day of the year, every hour on the hour, a bugle call is played from the top of St. Mary's taller tower in honor of a legendary 12th-century bugler who saved the town from invasion.
The Sanctuary of Divine Mercy is home to the miraculous image of Jesus' Divine Mercy and to the relics of St. Faustina. All three recent popes, St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis have visited the basilica. The sanctuary also includes a chapel of Perpetual Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament, and an active convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.
In Wadowice, the hometown of St. John Paul II, pilgrims will visit the saint's childhood home and the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was in this parish church that John Paul II, then Karol Wojtyła, received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation, and served as an altar boy.
Zakopane, a town at the base of the Tatras mountains in Southern Poland, was one of Pope John Paul's favorite places to visit. Visitors will spend the day enjoying the fresh mountain air, hiking, admiring beautiful views, riding the funicular, and enjoying the unique Polish culture of the region.
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