12-Nights Best of Poland: Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw & More from $5,612

This 13-day Polish vacation takes you throughout the country to Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Krakow. It features first-class accommodations and private tours.

Your journey begins in the Polish capital, Warsaw, a city rebuilt from the ashes of World War II. Head on a private city tour to learn about the city’s history and its reconstruction over the years. Start at the brutalist Palace of Culture and Science, a holdover of the Soviet past, before reaching the medieval Old Town and the Royal Castle. While in Warsaw, you’ll also learn about the life of classical composer Frederic Chopin, who was born in Poland. Head to the Church of the Holy Cross, where his heart is entombed, and visit the Chopin Monument at Royal Lazienki Park before ending the tour at the Chopin Museum to examine his letters, drawings, and personal piano.

From Warsaw, connect by train to Gdansk, which sits on the Baltic Sea and used to be the country’s main trade port during the era of the Hanseatic League. A private walking tour will delve into the history of the city, which is also known as Danzig in German, taking you past the Crane Gate, the last remains of the Old Harbor, to Srodmiescie District, where you’ll see medieval holdovers and charming boutiques, and finally St. Mary’s Church, a massive brick structure that can accommodate 20,000 people. While based in Gdansk, you’ll also learn about Poland’s medieval past at Malbork Castle, a Teutonic fortification that was painstakingly rebuilt following damage in World War II.

Continue on to Poznan, which is one of the oldest cities in the country and the celebrated birthplace of Poland. You’ll learn about this medieval gem on a private city tour that takes you through the Old Town to admire 16th-century merchant row houses, great Polish paintings at the National Museum, and the Imperial Castle, which was constructed by Germans during Prussian control. End your tour on Ostrow Tumski, located on the forks of the Warta River, where Mieszko I, the founder of Poland, is buried.

Ride the train to Wroclaw and explore arguably the most beautiful city in Poland and its Catholic centrepiece. Stroll down Katedralna, an enchanting street lit by gas lamps, see the religious monuments of the Gothic St. John the Baptist Cathedral and Holy Cross Church, and end your tour in medieval Market Square and Plac Solny, where flower stalls sell colourful bouquets 24 hours a day. Based in Wroclaw, you’ll also head on a tour into the Owl Mountains to visit Ksiaz Castle, the country’s third-largest castle, which overlooks the Pelcznica River from a high cliff.

Connect by train to your final destination, Krakow, the nation’s most popular city. Centre on one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe, Krakow delights with its medieval architecture, lively restaurant scene, and easy access to historical attractions. A city tour will take you through the medieval core on a journey from the Market Square up Wawel Hill to Wawel Castle. Another day, pay your respects and learn about the horrors of the Holocaust on a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, located in the nearby town of Oswiecim. On your final day in Poland, head to Wieliczka Salt Mine, which was the oldest operating salt mine in Europe until it ceased operations in 1996. Explore it subterranean corridors and admire its unique sights, from the massive timber pillars that buttress the main cavern to St. Kinga’s Chapel, which is entirely carved from the salt.

At the end of your tour, head to the airport to connect back home.