Poland - Tatras Family Explorer

Poland - Tatras Family Explorer 8 Days

From $1235 USD

Trip URL: www.adventurelink.com/

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Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer
Poland - Tatras Family Explorer

Overview
Itinerary
Nuts & Bolts
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Overview

Highlights

Duration: 8 Days
Comfort: 66.6666666666667%
Language: English
Rating: 0%
Style: Family Travel
Trip ID: 131545
Start Location: Kleparz, Poland

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Primary Activities: Walking Tour, Sightseeing
Other Activities: Rafting, Historical Sites, Hot Springs, biking, church, Urban Exploration, World Heritage Sites, national parks, museums, cave
Activity Level: Intermediate

Defining Poland's southern border with Slovakia, the rugged peaks of the Tatras overlook a picturesque region that has all the right ingredients for an active family holiday. Accessed through Krakow, we have time to explore this former Polish capital city, with its impressive main market square and Royal Castle, complete with ‘Dragon Cave'. We also visit the salt mines at nearby Wieliczka, famous for its statues and chapels carved out of rock salt. Then, after transferring to our family-run hotel base in Zakopane, we set out to experience the best of the Tatras, with a mix of hiking and biking and other accessible activities, such as the play park and dry bobsleigh run on Gubalowka Mountain. A free day in Zakopane allows us to explore on our own, to take it easy, or to choose from a number of optional excursions, such as visiting Bielanska Cave or the thermal springs at Poprad or Bukowina Tatrzanska. Then, after hiking the Bear Trail and spending time with the hotel chef, learning traditional cookery skills, our week in Poland is made complete with a gentle morning of rafting down the dramatic limestone gorge of the Dunajec River. The picturesque mountain resort of Zakopane is a brilliant place to spend a week with your family.

Additional Information

The child price age for this holiday is: 8-11 years

The group size for this holiday is: 4-16

Note: Dates, prices and itineraries shown for holidays departing in 2014 may be subject to change.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Krakow: Rendezvous at the group's accommodation in Krakow. A group transfer is provided from Krakow Airport in the late morning. KE Land Only package services begin with a guided tour of the city's main sights, “On the trail of legends and Kings in Krakow”. Krakow is one of the great survivors of World War II and retains much of it’s original medieval architecture – the “Old Town” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the former Royal capital, the city is rich in history and examples of original Gothic and Renaissance architecture abound. Our tour will include the atmospheric Old Town, and the famous clock tower at St Mary’s church. Every hour a trumpeter plays a salute, breaking off mid-flow to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before an attack on the city from Tartar invaders! We will also visit the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill, seat of Polish Kings for 500 years, where the state room contains precious Flanders tapestries. No visit to the castle is complete without descending down into the “Dragon’s Lair”, a cave under the castle where it’s said that an ancient and fierce dragon was slain by King Krakus, the city’s legendary founder! In the evening we’ll enjoy dinner in one of the city’s excellent restaurants. Overnight in our hotel. Meals included: Dinner (D)
Day 2: Visit a Salt Mine and transfer to the Tatra Mountains: After breakfast at our hotel, we will drive out of the city to Wielicka to visit the Salt Mine, also listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Operation of the mine originally began in the 13th century and the mine produced salt continuously until 2007. The mine contains dozens of statues and an entire chapel carved out of salt by the miners – even the chandeliers in the church are carved out of salt crystals! Our tour will explain about the extraction of salt and it’s importance as a commodity in times past. After lunch in Wieliczka, we will take a bus to the town of Zakopane, at the foot of the mighty Tatra Mountains. Zakopane is Poland’s winter-sports capital and the start point for hiking in the summer. The town is attractive, with many traditional old wooden chalet buildings and picturesque surroundings. We check into our characterful hotel, an old villa built before the Second World War, close to the town centre, and chosen for it’s family-friendly atmosphere. Journey time to Zakopane : 3 hours approximately (110kms). (BLD)
Day 3: Zakopane and the Gubalowka Funicular Railway: After breakfast we begin our walking tour of Zakopane, taking in downtown, the old wooden houses, the Jaszczurowka Church and the ski jumps! We will also pay a visit to the Tatra National Park museum to learn about the history of the park and also about the flora and fauna of the Polish mountains. After lunch we’ll take the chairlift to Butorowy Wierch (1160m) and walk into the Tatra Mountains to the top station of the Gubalowka Funicular Railway from where we can enjoy panoramic views of the Western, White and High Tatras. The trail is about 2km long. There is a children’s playground at the station, as well as a dry bobsleigh toboggan ride for those in search of extra thrills! The small carts descend a winding metal track at speeds of up to 23 km per hour! We descend to the valley by the funicular and return to hour hotel where we take dinner. After dinner we’ll enjoy a special visit from a local “highlander” who will tell us about mountain life, the culture and the history of the local people. Walking time 3 – 4 hours approximately. (BLD)
Day 4: Bike through the Chocholowska Valley: Today we enjoy a day of biking through the Chochowska Valley, a short distance from Zakopane. The valley is the largest in the Polish Tatras, covering an area of 35 square km and at 10km in length is the longest. Our ride will begin on tarmac, but later we’ll head off-road on to trails running alongside the Chocholowski River. En route we’ll see sheep grazing in the meadows and we’ll stop off to sample some of the locally-produced smoked sheep’s cheese. The area was once the centre of sheep-farming in the Polish Tatras and many former shepherd’s huts dot the mountainsides. We’ll take lunch at the Chocholowska Hut and then return by the same route. Bikes and helmets will be provided. Tonight we’ll enjoy dinner at our Zakopane hotel. Approximately 12kms easy biking. (BLD)
Day 5: Free time in Zakopane: Today is free to relax and enjoy Zakopane or to take an optional excursion. Your guide will give suggestions depending on the weather and the interests of the group, but options could include the following:

Option 1 – Take the bus to Tatranska Kolina and visit the most famous cave in the Tatras, Bielanska Cave. The cave was the haunt of gold miners in the 18th century and it is an excellent place to see stalagmites and stalactites.

Option 2 – Take the bus to Poprad, in nearby Slovakia, and visit the thermal springs.

Option 3 – Visit Bielanska Cave in the morning, and Poprad in the afternoon.

Option 4 – A whole day excursion on foot to lovely lake Morskie Oko, a high mountain tarn enclosed by rocky peaks.

Overnight at the hotel in Zakopane. (BL)
Day 6: On the Bear Trail: After breakfast we drive to Kuznice and take a short (3 hour) walk along the “Bear Trail”. The trail follows the upper limit of the forest in the Strazyska Valley below a peak called Kasprowy Wierch. Although we are unlikely to see any bears today, the High Tatra National Park is home to Eurasian brown bears, and it’s thought that about 50 animals live in the national park on the border between Poland and Slovakia. Maybe we will be lucky enough to meet one of these shy creatures! We’ll visit the a monastery of the Albertine Brothers along the way before returning to Zakopane. The afternoon is free for everyone to choose their own activity. The group will meet again before dinner for a cooking lesson at the hotel – we’ll learn how to make “Pirrogen”- traditional Polish pasties made from unleavened dough. The dough is formed into pockets and then boiled and filled with meat, cheese or fruit. After the dinner we’ve created, we’ll enjoy our last night in Zakopane with a bonfire in the garden of the hotel! (BLD)
Day 7: Raft the Dunajec River and return to Krakow: This morning we’ll travel by bus to visit the oldest wooden Gothic Church in Poland, in Debno Podhalanskie Village before beginning our rafting trip down the Dunajec River (18kms, 2.5 hours). The river, a tributary of the Vistula, rises in Nowy Targ in the Pieniny Mountains on the Polish border and flows north to the Baltic Sea. The area surrounding the Dunajec Canyon is a protected National Nature Reserve and the forests of fir, beech and pine are home to diverse fauna including lynx, otter, honey buzzards, eagle owls and pygmy owls. Towering limestone cliffs line the canyon, making the journey quite spectacular. Lifejackets will be provided. After lunch we will return to Krakow by bus and check in to our hotel before going out to enjoy a “farewell” dinner in the city. (BLD)
Day 8: Depart Krakow: After breakfast, there is a group transfer to Krakow Airport, where KE Land Only package services end. (B)

Nuts & Bolts

Trip Includes

An experienced English speaking Polish tour leader
A single Krakow Airport group transfer on Day 1 and Day 8 of the trip itinerary
7 nights hotel accommodation as described
Meals as detailed in the meal plan
All road transport required by the itinerary
All cable car and funicular fares required by the itinerary
All entrance fees during excursions and sightseeing which are part of the itinerary
All necessary equipment (including safety equipment) required by activities in the itinerary

Trip Excludes

Travel insurance
Airport transfers (other than the single group transfers on Day 1 and Day 8)
Tips for local staff
Some meals as detailed in the meal plan
Cost of any optional excursions or activities
Miscellaneous expenses - drinks and souvenirs etc.

Trip ID#: 131545

CANCELLATIONS: 20% cancellation fee applied if cancelled 60 days prior to departure. Cancellations within 60 days are 100% non-cancelable

Operator

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