An Adventure in Europe Specially created for Jane Example and John Example Itinerary Preview Krakow September 01 – September 05, 2015
A Custom Itinerary designed by Go Real Europe Copyright 2015
ITINERARY OVERVIEW Members of the Travel Group: Jane Example and John Example 1. This is only a summary of your trip! Full-length itineraries include destination information, travel directions, maps, pictures, tips, and other details. 2. Select “Hotels” on your client dashboard to see hotel pictures and descriptions.
Pre-Paid Tours and Activities: • Walking Tour of Krakow’s Historic Center • Guided Bus Excursion to the Salt Mine in Wieliczka
• Guided Excursion to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Pre-Paid Transportation: • Arrival in Krakow and Transfer by Private Car to Hotel
Pre-Paid Hotels, including Daily Breakfast: • 4 nights in the (Hotel T.B.D.) in Krakow
Travel Information included in your itinerary: • Point to point travel directions • Destination information & travel advice
• Free Skype calling to landlines worldwide, and to mobile phones in the U.S. and Canada
Total Trip Cost for All Travelers:
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Please see payment details and travel conditions here.
ITINERARY CONTENTS 1 September 01, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arrival in Krakow and Transfer by Private Car to Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Guided Tour of Krakow’s Old Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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2 September 02, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guided Walking Tour of Historic Krakow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Visit to Wawel Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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3 September 03, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guided Bus Excursion to the Salt Mines of Wieliczka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Visit to the Schindler’s Factory Museum and the Former Jewish Ghetto . . . . . . . . . . .
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4 September 04, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guided Bus Excursion to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Guided Tour of Kazimierz - Krakow’s Jewish Quarter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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5 September 05, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self-Arranged Drop off at Airport by Taxi, Depart Krakow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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DAY 1
September 01, 2015
Arrive Krakow
(Hotel T.B.D.)
Arrival in Krakow and Transfer by Private Car to Hotel To Be Determined We will schedule a pick up for your flight’s arrival time. You will be met in the terminal by a driver holding a sign with your name on it. The ride is for your party only - you will not be sharing a vehicle. The cost of the ride is included in your package, and you will not have to pay the driver. Included: Private Transfer to your hotel. Information on passport control, customs, and other arrival info.
Self Guided Tour of Krakow’s Old Town Afternoon Krakow’s Old Town is the part of the city once contained within the historic Medieval walls. While the walls are now mostly gone, you will still discover a rich heritage of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture. The Market Square is one of the largest and most breathtaking town squares in all of Europe, and is lined by colorful Gothic buildings with Baroque facades. The two most famous attractions on the Market Square are St. Mary’s Basilica and the Cloth Hall. The magnificent 600 year old basilica was built from a combination of red brick and stone, creating a striking appearance both in its exterior and interior. The Cloth Hall sits in the very center of the square, and today merchants sell hand made goods and souvenirs there. Krakow is not a “full service” Go Real Europe destination. Itineraries only provide a brief summary of attractions and very basic travel directions in Krakow.
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DAY 2
September 02, 2015
Krakow
(Hotel T.B.D.)
Guided Walking Tour of Historic Krakow 9:30-12:30 PM On this 3 hour guided walking tour, you will discover the history and legends of old Krakow and gain an excellent overview of the city. The many layers of the city will be revealed to you as your guide points out medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture, and also shows you some of the city’s most well-known as well as most-overlooked churches and squares. You will learn about not only Krakow’s glory days many centuries past, but also about its more recent struggles during Nazism and Communism oppression, and how they left a mark on the city and its inhabitants. Included: Cost of the Private Guided Walking Tour.
Visit to Wawel Castle Afternoon Krakow’s dramatic castle is situated on top of Wawel Hill, a limestone hill rising above the Vistula River and the city. During the earliest days of Polish history a castle was built here and throughout the Medieval and Renaissance era it was an important residence of Poland’s rulers and a center of Christian influence. In addition to residing in the castle there, Polish kings were also coronated and then buried in the castle’s beautiful cathedral. Much of the carefully restored Royal palace is now open for tours, and you will also find several important historical, archeological, and artistic collections within the castle. As the Medieval capital of Poland and the resting place of so many of its past rulers, Wawel Castle represents for many the very heart of the Polish nation. Krakow is not a “full service” Go Real Europe destination. Itineraries only provide a brief summary of attractions and very basic travel directions in Krakow. Entry costs into the interiors of sites is not included.
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DAY 3 Krakow
September 03, 2015 (Hotel T.B.D.)
Guided Bus Excursion to the Salt Mines of Wieliczka Morning Wieliczka has been the site of Salt Mines since the Middle Ages. Over the centuries, miners created a subterranean world so fascinating that the mines are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will explore mine shafts, cavernous chambers, and underground saline lakes, all spread out over nine different levels reaching of depth of over 1000 feet. You will see the beautiful carving and statues the miners hewn into the salt rock, even visiting one cavern where a chapel was formed out of the rocky walls. You will also learn how mining technology has developed over time. This tour is not recommended for those who are claustrophobic or have difficult walking. THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE TOUR Included: Guided bus excursion, Standard visit to the Mines, Elevator passage out of the Mines, and Headphones. Not included: Elevator passage into the mines.
Visit to the Schindler’s Factory Museum and the Former Jewish Ghetto Afternoon During World War II Oscar Schindler saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews by employing them in his enamelware factory in Krakow. Until recently still used as a factory, the building now houses one of Europe’s most impressive new museums. It tells not only the story of Schindler and the Jews he protected, but of the wider experience of Krakow during World War II. You will experience the history from the perspective of the persecuted Jewish community in Krakow, as well as from the experience of other residents of Krakow, who also experienced terror and oppression during the war. You will even see some events from the perspective of the German occupiers. Using a combination of images, videos, music and street sounds, interviews, and artifacts, the experience of visiting the museum is both chilling and enlightening. It is a must for those interested in World War II history. Nearby, you can walk the streets of the former Jewish Ghetto, and also see how locals live today in the neighborhood of Podgórze. Just above the neighborhood, the pleasant forested park of Bednarskiego provides a respite from the city, and for those with extra energy, a walk up to the Krakus Mound provides an excellent view of the city. Krakow is not a “full service” Go Real Europe destination. Itineraries only provide a brief summary of attractions and very basic travel directions in Krakow. Entry to the museum is not included.
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DAY 4
September 04, 2015
Krakow
(Hotel T.B.D.)
Guided Bus Excursion to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Morning/Early Afternoon There is no shortage of cruelty and evil to be found in human history, but the Holocaust stands out as perhaps the greatest of these evils, in both scale and conception. The Holocaust’s most significant historical sites, the concentration camp of Auschwitz and its auxiliary camp of Birkenau, are located a little over an hour from Krakow. Auschwitz was designated by Heinrich Himmler as the place for the “final solution to the Jewish question in Europe” and over 1 million Jews were murdered in Birkenau’s extermination factories. Many thousands of Poles, gypsies, and other groups persecuted by the Nazis were also murdered or worked to death in the camps. Your tour will take you beneath the wrought iron gates, with their ironic admonition that “Arbeit macht frei” (work makes you free), and into the vast guarded complexes where so much suffering occurred. It is a sobering and troubling visit, but at the same time it is a fascinating journey and a necessary reminder to all of us of the evil that mankind is still capable of exercising. THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE TOUR Included: Guided bus excursion, Standard visit to the Concentation Camps Auschwitz and Birkenau, Documentary movie about Auschwitz, Services of the Museum Guide, and Headphones.
Self Guided Tour of Kazimierz - Krakow’s Jewish Quarter Late Afternoon Krakow was once home to one of Europe’s largest and most influential Jewish communities - numbering over 60,000 residents at its height. While most of its residents were tragically killed in the Holocaust, they left behind a rich historical legacy, including numerous beautiful synagogues now open for visitors. The greatest concentration of Jewish heritage in Krakow is in the district known as Kazimierz. Originally founded as a separate town from Krakow, Kazimierz grew to become Krakow’s Jewish Quarter, although Christians have also always lived there as well. While most residents today are no longer Jewish, the remaining structures left behind by the Jewish community still indelibly mark the district as Krakow’s Jewish Quarter. Today, the quaint architecture and narrow streets of the district make it a popular locale for social life, and it offers an abundance of cafes, restaurants, and shops. You can also visit the Galacia Jewish museum, which attempts to recreate the distinct Jewish culture that left such a deep mark on southern Poland. If your itinerary does not include it separately, you may also want to fit in a visit to the outstanding Schindler Factory Museum across the 7
DAY 4 Krakow
September 04, 2015 (Hotel T.B.D.)
river. Krakow is not a “full service� Go Real Europe destination. Itineraries only provide a brief summary of attractions and very basic travel directions in Krakow.
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DAY 5
September 05, 2015
Depart Krakow
Self-Arranged Drop off at Airport by Taxi, Depart Krakow To Be Determined Your hotel will be happy to arrange a taxi pick up for you and can give you an estimate of the price. If you are picked up two hours and 45 minutes prior to departure, you should have plenty of time to catch your ight. If you are leaving during rush hour, you may want to budget an extra ten to ďŹ fteen minutes. The Included: Recommended Taxi Company, Information on taking a taxi or train to the airport. Not Included: Cost of the taxi or train fare.
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