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Eat Smart in Poland
August 6 to 17, 2021
Embark on a Tasting Adventure
with Co-Leaders Joan Peterson and Susan Chwae
August 6 to 17, 2021
Embark on a Tasting Adventure
with Co-Leaders Joan Peterson and Susan Chwae
2021 Itinerary
Day 1 - Depart for Poland
Day 2 - Warsaw Welcome to Warsaw! We'll arrange for a driver to meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel in the city center. After checking in the hotel, you will enjoy a welcome dinner at U Fukiera Restaurant, which serves delicious Polish cuisine! It will definitely be an unforgettable welcome to Warsaw. Day 3 - Warsaw (B, L, D) Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning you’ll explore Warsaw's history, culture, architecture, and more with our guide on this 3 hour private tour, as we experience the city's most important historical sites, including The Old Town area, Royal Castle, Old Town Market Square, Palace on the Isle, Lazienki Park, and many more. Warsaw can be sprawling, so you'll save plenty of time and energy by traveling aboard a minibus. After your city tour, you will be taken to Polska Rozana Restaurant for a lovely Polish lunch. In the afternoon, your guide will take you to the Warsaw Uprising Museum where an English speaking guide will explain the details of the uprising. You will learn about how it went, day by day, see how the soldiers lived and how they communicated (you will even be able to walk through the artificially made canals to see how they had moved around the city). You will hear many emotional stories that will break your heart but you'll see how significant this uprising was to Polish history and Polish nation and how proud they are even if the outcome was not favorable. After the museum visit there will be some free time, and then you will be escorted by your guide to dinner. You will dine at the exceptional Stary Dom Restaurant. This impressive restaurant makes it an ideal location for meetings of family and close friends. It will certainly give you a taste of traditional Polish hospitality. Overnight at hotel. Day 4 - Warsaw (B, L) Breakfast at the hotel. We will start our day with a Warsaw Private Cooking Class. This cooking class was founded to help people master culinary skills and become familiar with local cuisines in a fun and casual atmosphere. We want you to become as passionate as we are about Polish food! Lunch at the Warsaw Cooking Class, enjoying the fruits of your labor. Afternoon visit to Warsaw’s famous food markets: Hala Mirowska and BioBazar. It’s time to do some shopping! Our guide will take you to Cepelia for Polish arts and handicrafts as well as to Boleslawiec Pottery stores. Dinner on your own. Overnight at hotel. Day 5 - Warsaw to Krakow (B, L, D) Breakfast at the hotel. Today you're off to Krakow, after your private driver picks you up at your hotel. Along the way you will stop in the town of Czestochowa to see the famous Jasna Gora Monastery. There's a special atmosphere here that you can't help but notice, and with an experienced local guide, you'll have special insight into this remarkable destination. We will stop for lunch in Czestochowa at a local restaurant, Gospoda Zloty Garniec, and then continue on to Krakow. When you arrive in Krakow, your driver will bring you straight to your centrally located hotel. You will enjoy dinner in Krakow at Szara Ges Restaurant, which is one of the best restaurants on the Main Square that serves Polish cuisine with a modern twist. Overnight at hotel. Day 6 - Krakow (B, L) Breakfast at the hotel. Today you’ll be getting a feel for the history of the city. There's much to discover as you walk the famed Royal Route through the city's heart on this tour, filled to the brim with historical facts and anecdotes. You'll wander from the Barbican and St. Florian's Gate to the spectacular hilltop royal Wawel Castle, visiting the Main Square with its Cloth Hall and St. Mary's Basilica along the way. After discovering the fascinating history of Krakow and the Market Square, you will enjoy a private food tasting tour. You will have a chance to try Polish dishes that are inevitably connected with the country's folklore, history and culture. During the tour, your guide will share with you all the intriguing tales and anecdotes related to the Polish cuisine and visit local markets such as Hala Targowa and Stary Kleparz. Dinner on your own. Overnight at hotel. Day 7 - Auschwitz-Birkenau (B, L) Breakfast at the hotel. Today we’ll have a private tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The museum was founded in 1947, combining the area of KL Auschwitz (Auschwitz I) in Oswiecim and the Birkenau camp (Auschwitz II) in Brzezinka. It comprises approximately 150 buildings and 300 ruins. The original roads, fences, watchtowers and railway ramps have been preserved, and the buildings house the collection of original exhibits and documents. After the tour, before heading back to Krakow your guide will take you for lunch in a nice local restaurant. Rest of the day and dinner on your own. Overnight at hotel. Day 8 - Krakow (B, L, D) Breakfast at the hotel. Prepare to be amazed at the devotion that drove miners at the Wieliczka Salt Mine to carve figures, monuments and altar pieces into the walls of an 800-year-old salt mine. This underground world has earned a place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. As you descend into the salt mine, you'll feel like you're entering a vast underground city complete with huge caverns and underground lakes, 135 meters beneath the surface. One of the most unique aspects is the largest underground chapel, devoted to Saint Kinga, a Hungarian princess who is said to have spurned a marriage proposal by the Polish king by tossing his engagement ring into a salt mine in Transylvania. You will then have a cooking class to learn how to make the classic pierogi, which are constructed from thin circles of pasta dough topped on one side with sweet or savory fillings, then folded in half, sealed at the edges and boiled. You will enjoy the delicious pierogies you made. Rest of the afternoon on your own. Enjoy a light dinner at one of our favorite restaurants: Pod Baranem. You'll experience its homey atmosphere and taste some delicious Polish specialties. Overnight at hotel. Day 9 - Krakow (B, L, D) Breakfast at the hotel. Today an exciting day is ahead for you. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel in Krakow and take you to Rybna to visit the fascinating Jura Vineyard. You will enjoy a vineyard tour with the winemaker and the owner as well as have a tasting of 5 wines (white, sparkling and red). With wine you will be served local dry sausage, cheeses, bread and spring water. The program at the vineyard will take about 3 hours. After the winery tour, you will have a tour that will give you an immersion into Krakow's Jewish culture, centering around the tragic events of World War II. From the Jewish Ghetto to Schindler's Factory, you'll see all of the most significant sites of Jewish history here. Along the way your guide will answer your questions and tell you everything you need to know about the life, times and tragedies of the Jewish people in Krakow. At the end of the tour you’ll have a pleasant stroll back to the city center. Dinner at Pod Aniolami Restaurant. You will be able to try some authentic traditional Polish food in the 13th century Gothic cellar interiors, surrounded by candle lights. Overnight at hotel. Day 10 - Zakopane (B, L, D) Breakfast at the hotel. Off to the mountains today! Your private driver will pick you up from your hotel based on your chosen departure time. Then you'll head south to the town of Zakopane in the Tatra mountains. Your driver will take you directly to your hotel upon arrival in Zakopane to drop off suitcases and continue on to lunch at STRH Bistro Art Cafe. This place offers amazing views of Krupowki Street, the heart of Zakopane, as well as the surrounding mountains. In the afternoon you’ll have a private walking tour of Zakopane, followed with a Funicular Ride up to Mt. Gubałówka and an Oscypek Cheese Tasting. Zakopane, known as the "Winter Capital of Poland," is a delightful town situated at the foot of the grandiose Tatra mountains. Through centuries this region attracted the most prominent Polish artists, writers, poets, painters, musicians and composers. It is a place where culture meets nature. Get to know this unique place during a 4 hour private walking tour. In the evening, we have a special treat. You will dine at Bakowo Zohylino Nizno, which is the best traditional highlander restaurant in Zakopane with live music and amazing atmosphere. Overnight at hotel. Day 11 - Zakopane (B, L, D) Breakfast at the hotel. Zakopane has much more to offer beyond its main promenade, Krupowki Street. Your guide will take you to the upper part of Zakopane where a very exciting cable car trip to Mount Kasprowy awaits you! After getting to the very top, enjoy amazing views of the Polish High Tatra mountains peaks and the whole Podhale region. During your Kuznice and Kasprowy Tour you will enjoy lunch on top of the mountain. After your mountain tour, it's time to relax and enjoy your last afternoon in Poland. Our driver will take you to Szaflary so you can relax in the thermal pools of Goracy Potok. Located just outside Zakopane, this complex of several unique pools with natural, untreated sulphur water is a place where everyone will find something for themselves. Fountains, fountain jets, water massages, geysers and slides guarantee unforgettable experience for both children and adults. The naturally healing sulphur water will help you take care of your health and beauty while the original design of the facility staying in harmony with nature will certainly please the eye. You will have 2.5 hours to spend there and after that, our driver will take you back to your hotel in Zakopane. It's time to say goodbye to Zakopane and Poland itself. As a farewell dinner, we will arrange an unforgettable evening at Goralska Tradycja where you will be able to taste some more of local specialties. Day 12 - Depart Zakopane for US. A driver will pick you up at your Zakopane hotel and drop you off at the airport for your departing flight. |
Join culinary experts Joan Peterson and Susan Chwae and experience a culinary and cultural adventure in Poland, which is designed for the discriminating traveler who enjoys the artistry of food and meeting welcoming and friendly people. Poland is among today's most fascinating travel destinations. If you have ever had it on your list of travel destinations, this is the time and the tour.
But it’s not all about food. We’ll see the major tourist sights in and around Warsaw, Krakow, and Zakopane. And, we’ll still have time to shop and relax along the way. 
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FOR A MINIMUM / MAXIMUM OF 12 PARTICIPANTS
Prices per person in Double room $4,395. Single supplement $700.
Payment: A non-refundable* deposit of $1300 US per person is required upon booking. Once your deposit has been received, you will receive a Reservation Packet to fill out and return. *Your deposit is refundable until the tour fills and the deposits have been sent to our Polish tour operator.
Final Payment: Due 60 days prior to departure.
Prices per person in Double room $4,395. Single supplement $700.
Payment: A non-refundable* deposit of $1300 US per person is required upon booking. Once your deposit has been received, you will receive a Reservation Packet to fill out and return. *Your deposit is refundable until the tour fills and the deposits have been sent to our Polish tour operator.
Final Payment: Due 60 days prior to departure.
Cancellation and Refund: If written notice of cancellation is received from passenger more than 60 days prior to departure, all advance payments minus the non-refundable deposit will be refunded. If cancellation is made 60 – 31 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 50% of the tour cost. If cancellation is made 30 – 1 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 100% of the tour cost.
DETAILS:
The Package Includes:
Services not included:
Note: We will be on walking tours in the historic cities and some of the hotels do not have elevators, so walking and climbing stairs will be part of the tour.
The Package Includes:
- Accommodations - including breakfast
- All airport transfers (airport transfers are not included for participants whose arrival or departure days are different then specified on the itinerary)
- Land transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fees to museums and historical sites
- All lunches and dinners, unless specified
- Bottled water (available on the motor coach and at lunch and dinner)
- Copy of 'Eat Smart in Poland' by Joan Peterson
Services not included:
- International flights for the participants - group airfare will be available for purchase
- Trip insurance - available for purchase
- Tourist Visa
- Beverages during lunch and dinner
- Tips for porters, waitstaff, driver and local guides; option to pre-pay tips will be available.
Note: We will be on walking tours in the historic cities and some of the hotels do not have elevators, so walking and climbing stairs will be part of the tour.
ACCOMMODATION (Subject to change)
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Warsaw / Polonia Palace Hotel, Facing the Palace of Culture, this luxurious hotel boasts an elegant design and gorgeous public spaces. You are in the city center, about 30 min from the Old Town.
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Krakow / Hotel Amber, This friendly hotel is located in the Old Town. The location is quiet and there's a lovely backyard area to relax.
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ZAKOPANE/ Grand Hotel Stamary, Spacious, boutique-style rooms with all the amenities, as well as a great spa and an excellent restaurant in this conveniently located hotel.
Our Polish Tour Operator:
Joan Peterson, co-leader - Joan Peterson received her Ph.D. in Cell Biology/Electron Microscopy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1993 she began a second career. She started a publishing company, Ginkgo Press, and created the EAT SMART series of guidebooks designed for travelers and cookbook lovers. To date she has written or co-written 11 of the 14 available culinary guidebooks (Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, Morocco, Sicily, India, Peru, Norway, and Portugal). She has traveled extensively for many years, and leads culinary tours to Turkey, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Norway, Peru, Portugal, and Sicily.
Susan Chwae, host - Joan Peterson's business partner and daughter, Susan has a degree in Graphic Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the Marketing Director and technical advisor for Ginkgo Press and the EAT SMART series. Since 1997 she has provided all creative and marketing support for the EAT SMART guidebooks and the website. She has been assisting Joan or leading her own Culinary Tours since 2005.
This tour is in partner with:
To sign up for this tour, fill out the form below. We will email you our Reservation Form and standard Liability and Release Waiver Form to fill out and return with your deposit check. We will confirm your spot once your deposit has been received. We will not be cashing any checks until the tour is a go, and we will let you know prior to sending the deposits to the agency. If you prefer to pay your deposit with a credit card, we will send you a link to pay online. We will add 4% to cover our credit card fees.
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