Pilgrimage to Poland, Hungary and Lithuania – in the footsteps of St. Stephen, St. Sister Faustina and St. John Paul II (14 days)

Arrival to Budapest, currency exchange, transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Budapest.

Breakfast, a city-tour of Budapest with a local guide: Heroes’ Square and Vajdahunyad Castle, St. Stephen’s Basilica with relics of the saint, the Hungarian Parliament Building, the 1956 Revolution Monument, Castle Hill and Gellert Hill with a panorama of Budapest.
In the evening, a cruise along the Danube river, dinner onboard.

After breakfast, drive to the Danube Bend: visit Szentendre – a picturesque town on the Danube, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Marzipan Museum; then, free time for some Hungarian souvenirs. Drive to Esztergom, the cradle of Christianity in Hungary; visit the Esztergom Basilica – one of the biggest churches worldwide; holy mass.
Cross the Slovakian border, transfer to a hotel in Bratislava, dinner and overnight stay.

Drive to Kahlenberg Hill; mass in St. Joseph’s Church and a panorama of the city. Dinner at a local restaurant in the vineyards’ district near Bratislava. Overnight stay in the Slovakian capital.

After breakfast, a short city tour of Bratislava: visit St. Martin’s Cathedral, Hurban Square, Michael’s Gate and street (one of the narrowest in Europe), the Summer Archbishop’s Palace, Bratislava Castle, Palaffy Palace (where Mozart gave several concerts), the Main Market Square and Maximilian’s Fountain.
Drive towards Poland, a short stop at Orava Castle, the residence of the Thurzo family. Visit Chocholow – a traditional Polish mountain village.
Dinner and overnight stay in Zakopane – the winter capital of Poland.

After breakfast, a day in the Polish Tatra Mountains, visiting the many places related to John Paul II: a walk along the Chocholowska Valley, the Pope’s favourite valley. Visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Krzeptowki. Later, a walk to the Dominican Church in Wiktorowki – the place of Karol Wojtyla’s last walk in the Tatras before he became Pope.
In the evening, a traditional highlanders’ feast in a local restaurant.

Breakfast; visit one of the traditional wooden churches in the Podhale region, then drive to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the first Polish Calvary, over 400 years old. Walk along the paths of Our Lady and Christ, visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels for mass.
Transfer to Lagiewniki (a district of Cracow) – visit the Shrine of The Divine Mercy and the places related to the life of Sister Faustina.
Dinner and overnight stay in Cracow.

Breakfast and a city-tour of Cracow with a local guide: Wawel Hill (the Royal Castle, Wawel Cathedral and its royal tombs, St. Leonard’s chapel, where Karol Wojtyla celebrated his first Mass). Later, a walk along the Royal Route to the Old Market Square (passing the Bishops’ Palace, where Wojtyla lived in Cracow). Later, St. Mary’s Basilica with the famous altar carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz). St. Florian’s Gate.
Drive to Wieliczka – the world’s most beautiful salt mine, including prayer in St. Kinga’s underground chapel. Dinner and overnight stay in Cracow.

After breakfast, drive to Wadowice – the birthplace of John Paul II. Visit the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – where Karol Wojtyla was baptised, and visit the John Paul II Museum. Later – free time for the famous Wadowice cream cakes.
In the afternoon, drive to Czestochowa, visit the famous and most important Polish Marian Shrine on Jasna Gora: prayer in front of the icon of the Black Madonna.
Transfer to Warsaw for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast; meet the local guide for a city-tour: Lazienki Park, the Royal Route, the Warsaw Ghetto monument, the Old Town, a trip by coach to other districts of Warsaw. Mass in a local church.
Drive to Niepokalanow; visit the places related to the life and activity of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Back to Warsaw for dinner and overnight stay.

Option I: After breakfast, transfer to the airport, flight back home.
Option II: After breakfast, drive from Warsaw to Sokolka for mass at St. Anthony’s Church, where a Eucharistic Miracle took place. Later, a short stop in Suchowola, the birthplace of Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, a priest murdered by communists in the 1980s.
Drive to Vilnius for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast and city tour of the Lithuanian capital: the Cathedral, Gediminas’ Castle Tower, the Vilnius University, the Hill of Crosses, the Church of St. Casimir, the Gate of Dawn with its famous chapel; holy mass. Then visit the Basilian Monastery, the Rasos Cemetery and St. Peter and St.Paul’s Church. During the sightseeing, stop to pray the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy in front of the image of the Divine Mercy.
Back to the hotel, dinner with traditional local music.

After breakfast drive back to Poland, stop in Studzieniczna: visit the local shrine and then a cruise along the Augustow Channel – John Paul II used one of these boats during his pilgrimage to Poland in 1999.
Drive through the Podlasie region back to Warsaw, dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight back home.