WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE SAINTS

The Experience

Day 1: Depart on your overnight international flight.

Day 2: Meet your driver and guide at the Warsaw airport. Visit the Saxon Gardens, the first royal grounds in Europe to be opened to the public (1727), and home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Continue to the Royal Way and the Holy Cross Church, where the composer Chopin’s heart is preserved in one of the pillars.

Wander St. Stanislaw Kostka Church and learn about the Church’s stand against the Communist regime in Poland, and the work and struggles of Blessed Jerzy Popielusko. Check into your hotel for dinner and overnight. (Dinner included)

Day 3: Walk a portion of the rebuilt fortifications of the Barbican. This semicircular military post once protected the Polish Kings. Continue to St. John’s Cathedral, which served as a coronation and burial site for the Dukes of Masovia. Stop at the Royal Palace, once the residence of the Polish kings. Pray in the Church of the Visitation of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the oldest surviving churches in Poland. The cornerstone was laid in 1410. Finish the day in the Old Market Square, taking in the tastes and shopping of Warsaw. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (Breakfast, Dinner included)

Day 4: Begin your travel south with a visit to the monastery at Niepokalanow, known as the City of the Immaculate Mother of God. Founded by Saint Maximillian Kolbe in the 1920’s, he and other priests were arrested here for their efforts to shelter Polish soldiers and refugees from the Nazis. Saint Kolbe would die in 1941 in place of another man selected by the Nazis to die. Continue your pilgrimage to the city of Czêstochowa for dinner and overnight. (Breakfast, Dinner included)

Day 5: Visit the Pauline Monastery of Jasna Gora, home to the Black Madonna. Founded in 1382, the Madonna was a gift just two years later. Visit also the Armory and Treasury at the monastery. Enjoy some free time before journeying to Krakow for dinner and an overnight stay. (Breakfast, Dinner included)

Day 6: Begin the day at St. Mary’s Basilica. The trumpet blast from her tower every hour remembers the fall of the trumpeter who warned the city of a Mongol attack. Wawel Hill sits along the Vistula River. Here, the Royal Palace and Walwel Cathedral stand. Father Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) gave his first Mass here and later served as the Archbishop of Krakow.

Enjoy the Market Square, with the Cloth Hall providing opportunities to purchase Polish folk art and jewelry. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (Breakfast, Dinner included)

Day 7: Walk the grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in remembrance of those who lost their lives there. Then travel to Wadowice, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II, to see the Holy Father's home and the Minor Basilica that he attended in his youth. Continue to the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sanctuary, often visited by Pope John Paul II. Return to Krakow for dinner and overnight. (Breakfast, Dinner included)

Day 8: Enjoy a day on your own in Krakow—those who choose can visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines. Descend via stairway into the depths of the earth to see the wonders left behind by the miners, including Chapels and Chandeliers made from the salt. (The tour of the Salt Mines is included in the price of the tour). Return to Krakow for dinner and overnight. (Breakfast, Dinner included)

Day 9: Return home inspired by the people and places of Poland.

Dates, Package Deposit & Payment Schedule

Reservation Dates

• Arrival Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2027. Group Flights depart from New York to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW).
• Departure Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2027

Spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Trip Deposit & Payment Schedule

• A payment of $300.00 per person is all that is due to secure your spot for this pilgrimage.
• Monday, November 2, 2026 is the deadline to pay the $300.00 per person registration fee. Any reservations requested after that date can be added, though no special discounts can be applied after January 4, 2027. Fees apply for registrations submitted after November 2, 2026.
• Full payment for your trip is due no later than January 4, 2027. Reservations submitted after this date are due in full and are 100% non-refundable; neither space nor pricing space is guaranteed.
• Payments towards your balance can be made monthly. Hidden Gem Travel sends out monthly statements on the 1st of each month after you have submitted your registration fee, where you can optionally apply a payments that work for you. 
• Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) is where your transportation will meet you to bring you to your first hotel stop.

Ability to Travel

Passengers registering for this tour accept the responsibility for being in good health and able to walk and travel on this tour. Because many of the sites are not accessible to the physically challenged, those needing oxygen, wheelchairs, or other ambulatory assistance will find the tour extremely limiting to their experiences.

Persons using C-Pap machines requiring distilled water will need to inform Hidden Gem Travel ahead of time, so we can work with local operators to prepare as it is not always available. We reserve the right to refuse or revoke travel to anyone who is, in the sole judgement of us, incapable of group travel without causing undue demands upon the staff or other tour participants. Accessible rooms are very limited and subject to confirmationn after receiving the registrant's written request.

Traveling with Children

Children under the age of 13 at the time of travel are unable to attend this trip. Any person under the age of 18 must be traveling with a parent or legal guardian.

If you are interested in bringing children, simply add them to the registration form and select one of the rooming options. 3rd and 4th guests will be priced at a separate rate.

-Very Important - Please Read-

Reservation Cancellation Policy

Those registering for this pilgrimage should be aware of the following cancellation penalties: 

From the day of registration to 105 days prior to travel (January 19, 2027), you will be charged the $100.00 non-refundable cancellation fee plus any airline & land fees. Additionally, thereafter, you will be charged any airline penalties, land penalties and a single room supplement if your cancellation forces your roommate plus the following per-person charges: 104 - 60 DAYS PRIOR TO TRAVEL = $400.00; 59 - 45 DAYS PRIOR TO TRAVEL = $600.00; 44 - 31 DAYS PRIOR TO TRAVEL = 40% total cost of trip; 30 DAYS OR LESS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE = 100% NON-REFUNDABLE. Cancellations must be submitted in writing no later than 12pm CST on the day of cancellation.

Registrations reveived after January 19, 2027 starting at $100.00 per person. Additional fees will be advised after registering.

Statements of Responsibility

Hidden Gem Travel, ETS Tours and Holy Trinity Catholic Church do not accept responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air schedules, hotel overbookings, other hotel related problems or causes, and/or travel supplier cancellations or postponements. Travel suppliers include all tour operators, cruise lines, airlines, hotels, bus companies, entertainment venues, agencies, and any other travel supplier used to operate the tour.

All such losses or expenses will be the responsibility of the passenger. ETS Tours reserves the right to make adjustments to the itinerary as deemed desirable by us, and we reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure. If a tour is canceled beyond the control of us, ETS Tours will provide a refund or a future travel credit to be used two years from the date of issuance for the value of all funds paid by the passenger less nonrefundable travel supplier prepaid deposits, travel supplier change fees, nonrefundable travel protection premiums, and a $150 administration fee collected by ETS Tours.

Travel Insurance

**If you have any questions about the travel insurance please call Travel Insured at 1-800-243-3174. We (Hidden Gem Travel) are not a licensed insurance company and cannot legally answer any insurance-related questions.**

Not purchasing travel protection could result in the loss of your travel money and/or require more money to correct the situation. Without protection, there is no way to recoup any costs, losses, or expenses incurred.  The price of Travel Protection is NOT included in the price of room selections and is non-refundable once purchased.

Having travel protection is definitely important and we recommend it for everyone. However, the choice to have travel protection is solely up to you, and you are welcome to purchase through any company you like.

Click here to purchase travel insurance.

When you click the link, you will need to answer a few questions about your trip, and you'll be redirected to a page with their policy plans and pricing.

The website offers plans like the "Worldwide Platinum Trip Protector" plan with optional add-ons like CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason), Optional Bed Rest to cover any quarantine expenses, and more. Travel Insured is the company we personally use and we highly recommend them for travel insurance needs.

If you want the CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason) benefit you will have to add it to the policy and you must purchase insurance no later than 20 days after you make your initial payment. CFAR is not available to NY residents.

The basic "Worldwide Platinum Trip Protector" plan which does not include CFAR can be purchased at any time, including more than 20 days after your first payment, but it will not cover the Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion Waiver or the Bankruptcy/Default of an airline, cruise line, tour operator or any other travel vendors. However, you can still cancel for a covered reason and potentially receive up to 100% in refunds as long as it's a covered reason.

Depending on the reason for canceling, travel insurance will cover 75-100% of your trip cancelation and many other things like medical services, trip delay, lost luggage, and more.

We strongly suggest you call and verify which policy will be best for your travel needs. You can reach an insurance agent at 1-800-243-3174.