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Poland: Cycling through the Old World
Activity Level:
Easy |
Daily Mileage:
15 - 35 mi |
Daily Biking:
2 - 4 hr
Air package plus
10 days from only
$2995
Price includes roundtrip airfare.
Land only
7 days from only
$2245
Pre-trip Extension:
Warsaw · 2 nights $245
Post-trip Extension:
Krakow · 2 nights $245
Warsaw · 2 nights $245
Post-trip Extension:
Krakow · 2 nights $245
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 - Depart U.S. / Fly overnight to Warsaw
Depart from the U.S. for Poland. The particulars of your
arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary.
Day 2 - Arrive in Warsaw
Upon arrival at the Warsaw Airport, claim your luggage and
clear customs. VBT's local representative will meet you outside the customs
area in your arrival terminal and will be holding a VBT sign. Your
representative will help you transfer to your hotel (approximately 30 minutes).
The rest of the day is free for you to settle in and explore the city. Choose a
restaurant for dinner on your own.
Please note: If you arrive early, your hotel room may not be
available until 1:00 pm. You may store your luggage with the Reception Desk. If you are traveling from the West
Coast, your arrival in Warsaw may not be until late in the evening.
Your hotel is conveniently located in Warsaw's Old Town.
Depending on your arrival time, you can stroll along the many cobblestone
streets and explore the most beautiful part of the city.
VBT provides you with City Information in your Final Travel
Booklet that includes information and recommendations on what to see and do in
Warsaw during your stay.
Day 3 - All guests meet in Warsaw / Meet Trip Leaders / Warm-up ride / Welcome reception
Our hotel in Warsaw is the
Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw (address: Koscielna 12, 00-218 Warsaw – phone + 48 22 5316043). At 8.00 am,
all guests meet the VBT representative here for the transfer to Pulawy
(approximately 2.5 hours, including a stop on the way). Make sure your luggage
is tagged with VBT yellow tags. Meet your Trip Leaders upon arrival in Pulawy.
Please be dressed in cycling clothes and ready for biking. If you have brought
your own pedals, please have them ready to give to your Trip Leaders.
If you are so delayed that you will miss the morning
transfer, then we suggest you take a train to Pulawy. Trains from Warsaw
Central train station to Pulawy's Miasto station operate every couple of hours
and cost approximately 50 Polish zloty (about $19 USD). From the Pulawy's
Miasto train station, take a taxi (approximately 30 minutes) to your hotel in
Kazimierz Dolny. Cost of the taxi is approximately 65 Polish zloty (about $25 USD).
If you are delayed for any reason, please contact the hotel
in Kazimierz Dolny. The hotel staff will pass your message on to your VBT Trip
Leaders.
We will meet our Trip Leaders in Pulawy, where they will
hold a safety and bike-fitting session followed by a warm-up ride. Our easy
warm-up ride today will take us through some
Polish “allotment gardens” before joining the bike path along the banks
of the Vistula River. After our short warm-up ride, we will shuttle
to the nearby quaint riverside artist village of Kazimierz Dolny.
Upon arrival in Kazimierz Dolny, take time for a late lunch on your own.
Tonight we get to know our fellow travelers over a welcome
cocktail, followed by dinner at the hotel.
Day 4 - Browse the weekly Farmer's Market / Ferry across the Vistula River / Cycle to Janowiec Castle
After breakfast this morning, we walk with our Trip Leaders
to the town square, where we will shop for today's picnic. Enjoy the array of
fresh fruits and vegetables in season and the numerous stalls of antiques,
paintings and souvenirs. From here, we
will ride along the Vistula
River to a small ferry,
which will transport us to the other side. After alighting on the opposite
bank, we cycle to the nearby ruins of the 16th-century Janowiec Castle. After a short visit at your leisure, join
your Trip Leaders for a picnic lunch on the castle's lawn. The afternoon is yours to further ride
through the beautiful countryside. If you prefer, return to the hotel to enjoy
the pool and spa or to explore the charming streets of Kazimierz Dolny.
Dinner is on your own tonight. Among your options is a
unique, Jewish-themed tavern that serves old-fashioned cooking with a kosher
twist.
Day 5 - Lunch in a Baroque palace / Pastoral ride to Sandomierz / Underground merchant cellars
This morning, we shuttle south to the starting point of
today's ride. After a morning spin, we stop for lunch at one of the most
beautiful residences in Poland,
a richly ornamented, late-Baroque palace built in the mid-18th century. After lunch we ride to our hotel, located
just outside the 14th-century gates of Opatowska – entrance to the picturesque
town of Sandomierz.
Sandomierz' location on the banks of the Vistula River made
it a prominent town on the medieval trade route that was formed between the
Middle East through southern Russia and the Ukraine into central Europe. During
our included walking tour, we visit the underground merchant cellars that lie
beneath the town square. As our tour comes to a close, our local guide will
point out several restaurant options for dinner on your own. After dinner, our hotel is an easy stroll
away.
Day 6 - Loop rides through the “Tuscany of Poland” / Cooking demonstration and mead tasting
We set out today a ride through the countryside – and
discover why this region is often called the “Tuscany of Poland.” As you roll
along country roads through fields and past orchards, you'll be astonished by
the variety of fruit: cherries, apples, pears, apricots, peaches and more grow
in this fertile basin. We return to Sandomierz for lunch on your own and
further exploration of this interesting medieval town. This afternoon, you may
continue cycling these lovely roads, or relax at our hotel or at a café in
town.
This evening, we meet the family that owns our hotel for a
cooking demonstration. Using fresh fruit from the orchards you passed today,
they will demonstrate how to make a traditional dessert from an old family
recipe. After dinner, we sample a local favorite – Sandomierski mead,
traditional mead brewed only in this region of Poland, as it has been for more
than 1,000 years.
Day 7 - Transfer to Niepolomice Royal Castle / Cycle through the Niepolmice Forest / Cycle to Wieliczka
This morning, we shuttle to the beautiful Niepolomice Forest.
The name Niepolomice derives from the Old Polish word niepolomny, which meant
“impassable,” but today we'll ride lovely paved roads through this sylvan
landscape. The forest consists of six nature reserves; the largest is home to
the European bison. After our easy ride, we arrive in the lovely town of Niepolomice for lunch on your own and the option to visit
the Niepolomice Royal Castle.
Originally built in 14th-century Gothic style as a hunting lodge, it was later
rebuilt in late Renaissance style. This afternoon, you may take our longer
riding option from Niepolomice to our hotel, located in the town of Wieliczka.
This evening is yours to explore Wieliczka. Stroll through
the beautiful town and its park, and enjoy dinner at one of the local
restaurants on your own.
Day 8 - Loop rides to neighboring towns / Tour of Wieliczka Salt Mines with Polish vodka tasting / Farewell dinner
Our ride today takes us to some of the neighboring towns and
into the countryside surrounding Wieliczka. We return to the hotel for lunch on
our own. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon ride, or simply wander into Wieliczka
toadmire the interesting architecture and perhaps visit the historic military stables.
This evening, we descend into the Wieliczka Salt Mines for a
private tour of the fascinating chambers and tunnels created over the
centuries. The mine continuously produced salt from the 13th century until just
recently and is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. It was placed on the
original UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. One of the highlights of the tour
will be the “Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland” where everything is carved
from salt – including the chandeliers. During our tour, we enjoy a Polish vodka
tasting in one of the underground chambers.
In the evening, we gather for a festive farewell dinner at
the Hotel Grand Sal, where we will dine on the savory creations of the hotel's
renowned chef.
Day 9 - Train to Krakow / Walking tour and horse-and-buggy ride in the Old Town / VBT No-Air Package ends
We have a later start to our final morning. Enjoy the extra
time to return to the Salt Mines and attend Mass in the underground cathedral,
or simply relax before meeting the group to walk to Wieliczka's train station
and begin our short journey to Krakow. Our
guide will meet us in Krakow and escort us on a walking tour of the Old Town,
followed by a horse-and-buggy ride to our final hotel, the Hotel Amadeus.
VBT No-Air Package guests: Your luggage will be waiting for
you at the Hotel Amadeus in Krakow after our
included walking tour. Our tour will end
at approximately 1:00 pm at the hotel. You should not plan on flying out of Krakow any earlier than 3:30 pm. Travel time to the
airport from the Hotel Amadeus is approximately 30 minutes. Krakow's main train station
is a short 20-minute walk from the Hotel Amadeus or approximately 5 minutes by
taxi.
VBT Air Package & Post-Trip Extension guests: VBT
provides City Information in your Final Travel Booklet containing
recommendations for cafés, restaurants, museums and transportation. The rest of
the day is free for you to explore Krakow.
Day 10 - Depart for U.S.
After breakfast this morning, transfer to the Krakow airport (approximately 30 minutes) for your
departing flight.
*Please note: For guests with early-morning departures,
breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk
to verify the times that breakfast is served.
**Please note: VBT recommends that you check your transfer
time in your “Transfer Reminder.” VBT transfer times and departure points are
finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you
extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to
the airport will be at your own expense.
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