Best of Poland in 10 Days Tour

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Our tour guide was wonderful. As a Polish citizen she was able to offer insights and answer questions about the country, it's history and politics, and what life is like for Poles now. The itinerary was well planned to give us something special at each stop.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The beauty of this country and the warmth of the Polish people we met. Everyone, from hotel clerks to cab drivers to farmers selling mushrooms in the market, was pleasant and very honest. Even returning money when I inadvertently tried to pay too much."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

The tour was fun, informative and enriching. It balanced history, current and not so current, with fun activities. It was jam-packed with activities and touring. It felt like a whirlwind, but I feel it only touched on the surface of this amazing country.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The vodka tasting in Gdansk. Good food, good drink with information about history, culture, politics and economics. It also provided a convivial introduction to the group."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This is my 4th complete RS tour (not counting one earlier this year that I left early due to COVID) - outstanding guides as usual and a great itinerary. I love history and this tour was jammed packed with it - a lot of extant medieval sites in addition to WWII and communist era history. Also a lot of great food!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Krakow overall was the highlight of the tour for me. I could have easily spent another 1-2 days there on my own - just a reason to go back! Some of the other highlights were the Solidarity Museum in Gdasnk, Malbork Castle, the Chopin/Ukranian musician concert and the Ukranian dinner/bandura performance at our Warsaw B&B, Musejm of the History of Polish Jews, and the Kazimierz dinner/concert."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Great overall view of Poland emphasizing the people, culture, foods

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Gdansk really surprised me with its overall beauty. The Chopin concert in Warsaw with two Ukrainian performers really emotionally affected me."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We had a phenomenal Guide, Monika, and the activities, museums, city tours, and food were all fantastic. Besides learning so much about the interesting history and culture of Poland, there were three very memorable evening music events- Chopin, Klezmer, and one by Ukrainian Refugees.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Learning more about the 1980s Solidarity Movement in Gdansk, the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto and Warsaw Uprising, and the experience of Jewish Community had to endure in Krakow during World War 2."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

As usual, I had a great tour by Rick Steves. I gained a better understanding and new level of respect of Poland from the tour. Its support to the neighbor country Ukraine is a great lesson to the world. Our tour guide Monika and her assistant Asa are awesome - 5 stars (Can I give Monika 6 stars?)

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There are a few WOW moments and lots of great moments in this tour; to name just a few - (1) Visit to Jasna Gora Monastery to witness the unveiling of the Black Madonna, (2) Opening of the main altar at St Mary's Basilica in Kradow, (3) the Chapin concert hosted every night by Chapin B&B, (4) the food is amazing"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Our Poland trip exceeded our expectations from the moment we began in the beautiful city of Gdansk. Our guide Agnes was so welcoming and knowledgeable and helped us understand the unique and challenging history of the beautiful country and people of Poland.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"While in Warsaw we were divided into small groups and assigned a local guide who helped us purchase ingredients for pierogis st the local market. We had to order in Polish, a bit challenging ??Afterwards we took the tram to Anna’s apartment where we learned to make delicious pierogis by hand, a labor intensive process. Enjoying Anna’s hospitality and instruction, as well as the delicious potato/onion and blueberry pierogis was certainly a highlight. Meeting the local people is always a highlight"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

This was my first fully guided RS tour, but likely not my last! Although I had the means and ability to plan a DIY version of the same itinerary, I would never have come close to executing the same efficiency and value add experiences that the RS tour lent along with the great knowledge of the local tour guides and the friendliness and shared travel visions of the fellow tour members.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The Jasna Gora Monastery and St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow, and knowing that both were able to survive the destruction of war. The local tour guides were able to efficiently time the unveilings of the Black Madonna and the wooden altarpiece in each church with the continuity of the walking tours."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Loved discovering Poland- its culture, traditions, and landscapes.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Visiting the city of Gdansk- historic and beautiful."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was a terrific trip! My mother was Polish and I am interested in learning about my heritage. I found out not only how great Poland was but also how great the Polish people are. What a friendly country, especially when you think of how many times it has been invaded and divided up! I am so impressed with Polish resilience and ingenuity!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing the Lord’s Ark Church and hearing the story of how it was built!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was fabulous- well organized and great guides.

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The guide Thomas made the trip extra special! He is so enthusiastic about Poland; his home country! The hotels were very nice and the bus was very comfortable. This was my second RS tour and I’ll be back for another!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The solidarity part was interesting on the historical side of the tour. Gdansk was my favorite! There was no wow moment. It was all great!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Poland far exceeded my expectations with it's rich culture, history, food and architecture. The people were warm and friendly, and came across as remarkably resilient while at the same time very wise because of their violent and quite recent history. Following the Vistula River, beginning with Gdansk and ending at Krakow, was the perfect itinerary. Tomasc was also the perfect guide, always energetic and positive, he was very knowledgeable about his country and was clearly proud of Krakow.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"So many! The beauty of Gdansk, the music in Warsaw- performance by the Ukraine music students, a tradtional Polish evening of music, and the beautiful music in Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter. I was also blown away by the beauty of the main nave in the Jasna Gora Monastery Basilica, And of course, Krakow's Wawel Cahedral, where the tombs of the Kings lie. I also loved the tradition of the bugler playing at St Mary's Basilica, every hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Poland was a surprise -particularly Gdansk. The country has been beaten down, invaded, occupied, and treated like crap and yet the people remain optimistic, friendly, warm and welcoming. The rebuilding process done after the devastation of World War II is nothing short of miraculous. The countryside is lovely, the cities and towns charming, the vodka exceptional, and the food delicious. The Poles are also to be applauded for the way they have supported Ukraine in the crisis.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Probably my first sight of the river area in the old part of Gdansk. My driver took me past that on my drive from the airport and I was immediately charmed. I couldn’t wait to check in to my hotel and start exploring. I also really liked the visit to the main square of Krakow at night. The lights of the Cathedral and Cloth Market, the bugle played every hour, the people eating at the restaurants under the awnings, the sound of laughter. I couldn’t wait to explore the area the next day."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour gave me a deeper understanding of the contemporary issues facing Poland and impact that the history of the region plays in these issues. I came away an appreciation of Poland and her people. They have endured a lot and maintain a can do attitude. I was impressed with the reconstruction of areas that had been bombed during the war and the quality of the museums we visited. Their pride in their country shines through. Appeciated learning all they have done for Ukraine

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Many moments, but I would say talking with the director of the Jack Strong Museum in Warsaw and the dinner and concerts put on for us by Ukranian people in Warsaw. Also going to Nowa Huta and learning the stories from our guide of life there under the communists"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Loved Poland! I enjoy history and enjoyed (sadly) hearing and seeing pictures of WW2 destruction. The people are grand, generous and thoughtful. Our tour guides Agnes and Monika were tops--knew their history and the cities/area. Both supported each other and coordinated/worked superbly together.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Loved the Jewish-Polin Museum (and not to be missed) and would have enjoyed to have toured it on my own. Chopin connect at our Warsaw hotel plus meeting and hearing from him about Warsaw changes was a highlight."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Outstanding all around. Efficient, helpful, knew the answers to most of our questions (and when they didn't they went the extra to get back to us with the answer, timely, made an effort to get to know each member of our group, professional, and good listeners.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The Chopin concert at our hotel in Warsaw!"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Overall, very good experience. Enjoyed the two guides very much and the local guide for Krakow was great. The sites were well done, as well as food and drink and fun experiences. The history of country was well done.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Really enjoyed walking around Gdansk -- it's a charming town and seeing the sites of Solidarity. Also liked castle and old city of Krakow. Like the Warsaw getto tour and museum with Hubert -- he was very good."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The schedule was great with 2 or 3 nights in every stop except one. This gave plenty of time for exploring each location and had a good balance between guided tour time and free time.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Meeting up with a local guide, shopping an open air market for supplies and then going to her home in a small group to make Pierogi. This wonderful experience gave me a better perspective of what living in Poland is like."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was super overall. Tomasz is a rising star in the Rick Steves guide firmament. He was caring, thoughtful, knowledgeable, helpful, patient, and always in control of a very independent group. If he is willing to give more of these tours, the Poland tour dates should be expanded. The country of Poland has been beaten down over thousands of years but just keeps coming back. They clearly are part of western Europe and not Russia.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Emigration Museum in Gdynia Rozbrat 20 Restaurant in Warsaw. World class dinner at a relatively cheap price. Service and food were superb. Amber Museum totally rocked. A good counterbalance to all of the world-class but hard-to-take other Polish museums about how badly the Poles and Jews were treated over the centuries."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

After years of watching all the Rick Steves DVDs & following his guidebooks as we planned our own tours, we finally signed up to travel with a Rick Steves tour. We are hooked!! From beginning to end, it was a fabulous experience & far surpassed our expectations.

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Fantastic!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing Old Town Krakow for the first time at night."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Great tour overall. Very good guide and local guides. Lots of history

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Memorable items include Gdansk old town/waterfront & architecture; Warsaw old town square & museums; Krakow square; pierogy making with local host; impromptu Chopin concert"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This is a special tour. I learned so much about the history of Poland and the spirit of the Polish people. Our guide Tomasz was outstanding. Assistant guide Laurel was excellent. The right amount of time for guided tours and free time with additional suggestions. Excellent food and music. A great group of fellow tour members. My first Rick Steves tour and it will be tough to beat.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Everyday was a WOW moment. The incredible and well thought out Museums, seeing the site of the Solidarity Movement, Malbork Castle and shopping at the farmers market and then making Pierogies with a local. Each day was special in its own way."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Poland is an often overlooked country. This tour brought its history, its intellectuals and its achievements to those of us who participated. Tomasz is an exceedingly proud Pole, justifiably so.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The bugler’s performance from the tower at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Krakow, every hour, every day, all year long."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our 20th RS tour and I must say our guide and the subject matter of the tour were truly outstanding. There was so much Polish history that was intertwined with the rest of Europe even to modern times including the world wars and it was presented clearly. Each city had a different character which the local guides made come alive.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The World War II museum in Gdansk was really eye opening and set the tone for the whole rest of the tour. It showed the struggle for survival of the Polish people, especially Polish Jews in vivid terms. This struggle for survival theme was prominent throughout the tour as Poland was forever under the thumb of other rulers during its history."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

From start to finish, well organized and well executed. Poland has an incredibly rich history and culture. Since all major European countries have had a presence there in some way, it was a lot to take in. The 20th century war stories were heartbreaking, but vital to a deeper understanding of the world today. Kudos to Tomasz and his local guides for making it all come alive.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Touring the world class WWII Museum in Gdansk and seeing the childrens’ learning area that shows how life changed for Poles by walking through the same room at 3 different stages of the war. This was not a part of the tour. It should be."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Excellent guides. Wonderful itinerary. A tour I would highly recommend to others. It' was excessively hot for half of the tour and most hotels provided air-conditioning, but the hotel in Warsaw did not and this made it difficult to recharge at night.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking around Gdansk and visiting the numerous historical and cultural sites it had to offer. Malbork Castle was fantastic. I've been in zillions of castles, but this one outdid them all. I appreciated all the history (past and present) of Poland. A lot of emphasis was placed on the World War II era. We stayed a couple of days after the tour and visited Auschwitz which I would recommend everyone do."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This tour far exceed my expectations. I really didn’t know much about Poland’s history or culture before the tour, but after taking the tour I can appreciate the long history of the Polish people and all that they’ve endured over many centuries. Our guide, Tomasz, was a great ambassador for his home country. He expertly guided our group through the sites and cities we visited.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Many “wow” moments , but the tour of Malbork Castle ,entering the Main Square in Krakow at night and our tour of Wawel Royal Castle stand out."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

This was our 9th RSE tour and one of the best. It would be 5 stars if the Warsaw hotel had been air conditioned to provide night-time relief from the 95-degree summer heat. Our guide, Thomasz, was absolutely exceptional--never had a better guide! The itinerary was comprehensive, the multiple night hotel stays allowed us a better sense of each city, and the 9:00 AM daily starts gave us time to recharge. I left with more knowledge and a better appreciation of Polish history, culture, and people.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Even though I had read up on the Teutonic Knights, nothing can prepare you for how awesome Malbork Castle is in all respects. As a bonus, lunch across the river provided a fantastic castle photo opportunity. Gdansk was a delightful surprise that we truly enjoyed and wish we had another day to explore it thoroughly. Although not on the tour, remaining for a day to experience Auschwitz-Birkenau was an absolute must, especially after all the WWII history provided on the tour."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The Poland tour was filled with interesting history and historic sites, as well as great food and wonderful tour buddies. Our guide, Agnieszka, was fantastic.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"My "wow" moment was an evening where our group meal occurred on the patio of our hotel in Warsaw. The Ukrainian cooks prepared for us a traditional meal and a young Ukrainian woman sang and played a traditional Ukrainian instrument. The evening continued up on the rooftop garden with the city and setting sun as a backdrop as we toasted new friends and Poland."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour left me wanting to see more of Poland! I don't know if that's good or bad, but it's how I felt. Our tour guide grew up in Poland and gave us plenty of background to further appreciate our experience. Modern Poland and historical Poland - my favorite combination!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Learning about Polish history and how geography has played its role. Poland has been the prize in giant card games, shifted from one country to another and severely battered in the process. Omg."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was my second Rick Steves' tour and I thought it was very well organized. Our main guide Bea did a great job of keeping us informed and moving at a reasonable pace. The city guides were also very knowledgable and provided excellent insights into the history and important facts about the cities and sites we toured.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Poland's dramatic history over the centuries, and especially during and after WWII were far more than I realized or remembered from history classes of the news. The wow moment was seeing how they recovered the from all those years of oppression and occupation and are now a thriving country. I was amazed by all the new development in certain ares as well as the amount of agricultural lands as we drove through the countryside. Poland was a much more beautiful country than I expected."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

I had an enjoyable time in Poland. The tour provides a lot of historical information for those more interested in history than I am.The lodgings and meals were outstanding as usual. I was impressed with how at each city we visited in Poland there were rallies,signs and flags supporting the Ukraine. The Polish people I had contact with were all friendly and helpful.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"An emotional violin recital in our hotel in Warsaw. The musician played the Ukraine national anthem and the kitchen help came out,sang and wiped away tears."