Make your way to your local airport where you will board your overnight flight(s) to Krakow. Your meals will be served on board.

Welcome to Krakow, Poland! Upon arrival, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the Arrival’s Hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver, and then transferred to your Hotel. Following check-in at your hotel, your pilgrimage will officially begin with a delicious dinner and have the opportunity to explore the city of Krakow before retiring for a restful night’s sleep.

After breakfast, you will drive through the mountains to the breathtaking, yet small and remote village of Zakopane. Take a cable car ride to the nearby mountaintop. At the top, you will truly experience God’s magnificent Glory when you look out at the magnificent panoramic view. Following the many photos captured atop the mountain, head to the Jaszczorowka Chapel. This architecturally distinct chapel was visited many times by the young, Karol Wojtyla (Saint John Paul II). As a young boy, Karol Wojtyla often used the walking paths surrounding the Jaszczorowka Chapel for prayer and reflection. After you experience this beautiful site that assisted in Saint John Paul II’s Holy journey, you will continue your tour to the colorful, Krupowki Street. While on this street, you will have the opportunity to do some shopping at the local bazaar before returning to Krakow. Enjoy a beautiful dinner and an optional stroll through the old city before retiring for the evening.

After breakfast, you will explore Krakow’s Market Square as the sound of the silver trumpet from St. Mary’s Tower fills the air. The captivating beauty of this square is largely due to the fact that it has remained unchanged for almost 700 years. It contains a number of buildings that hold important historic value such as, the Town Hall Tower, the Cloth Hall, and the Burgher’s houses. Following your time in this longstanding square, you will make your way to Wawel Hill, where you will visit the beautiful Cathedral, and Coronation Chapel. These are among the most important sites in Poland as the Cathedral has been the coronation site of the Polish monarchs and has held numerous pieces of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classicist and Modern art. Also at this site, you will have the opportunity to pray at the tomb of the patron saint of Poland, St. Stanislaus. Next, a short drive to Auschwitz, notoriously known as a Nazi concentration camp during the Second World War. Upon arriving at the former camp, you can feel the darkness and sorrow that overtakes the atmosphere as there were numerous unspeakable atrocities that occurred at this site. Additionally, while on this visit, you will have the opportunity to view the cell that imprisoned the Christ-like, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and visit the Martyrdom Museum. After this reflective day, return to your hotel in Krakow for dinner and a restful overnight.

On your last day of touring Krakow, after breakfast depart for your excursion to Lagiewniki, the capital of the Divine Mercy. Through the mediation of St. Faustina, Christ passed on the message of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki. While here, you will have the opportunity to visit the Shrine of Divine Mercy that contains images of the Merciful Jesus, relics of St. Faustina, as well as the Saint’s convent chapel and her Tomb. Which was visited by Saint John Paul II in 2002. We will have the opportunity to pray by a relic of Saint John Paul II. Continue to Wieliczka and visit Europe’s oldest salt mine, which has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Return to Krakow for your farewell dinner and last overnight in Poland.

Following breakfast, we will visit Shindler’s factory. Schindler’s Factory of Enameled Vessels is an important monument in Krakow. During the Nazi occupation, Schindler saved over 1,200 Jews by hiring them to work in his plant. We leave Krakow for our flights to Prague. Welcome to Prague, welcome dinner and a show at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, make your way to the Church of Our Lady Victorious, home of the famous Child Jesus statue called the Infant Jesus of Prague. The statue, a 16th-century depiction of infant Jesus holding a globus cruciger, was donated to the Carmelite friars in 1628.Next we will visit Old Town Prague. In Prague’s Castle district, visit St. Nicholas Church, St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George Basilica, Loreto Church and Strahov Monastery. Continue by crossing the Medieval Charles Bridge that is adorned with many baroque statues. View the Astronomical Clock of Prague and walk on Wenceslas Square, one of the main city squares. The square is named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. It is part of the historic center of Prague, a World Heritage Site. You will also have the opportunity to explore Prague’s Jewish quarter, known as “Josefov”. It is located just a few minutes’ walk from the Prague Astronomical Clock in the heart of the old town. This area is an important part of the city’s history. Return to the hotel for dinner and a restful overnight.

Following breakfast, we will depart Prague for Altotting, one of Germany’s most celebrated shrines and a city whose purpose is pilgrimage. Upon arrival we will visit the Chapel of Mercy. The chapel houses a 13th century statue of the Blessed Virgin to which numerous miraculous cures are credited. At the Shrines, you will have the opportunity to visit the Basilica, the Panorama of the Crucifixion and St. Konrad’s Monastery. We will continue to Salzburg, the lovely birthplace of famed composer Mozart. Salzburg, also known as “Alt Stadt”, is known for its beautiful baroque architecture and its amazing views of the Eastern Alps. Free time before dinner and an overnight in Salzburg.

After breakfast, we will explore the historic center of Salzburg on foot. Its narrow streets and secluded passageways are evidence of its medieval roots. The heritage of the Catholic Church is evident in the Archbishop’s Residence at DomPlatz. Visit Mirabell Palace with its beautiful gardens. Mirabell Palace, is one of the most important shooting locations from the famous Hollywood musical “The Sound of Music” – Maria and the children dance around the Pegasus Fountain in front of the palace, singing the song “Do Re Mi”. Experience the unique views across Mirabell Gardens towards the Hohen Salzburg Castle. You will have a chance to visit the mighty Romanesque Cathedral as well as the Nonnberg Convent of Benedictine nuns. In the Getreidegasse, view Mozart’s birthplace, now one of the most visited museums in Austria. Make a stop at Hellbrunn Palace to enjoy its gardens and hidden trick fountains. Enjoy a delicious dinner before retiring for the evening.

After breakfast, board the motor coach and travel east through the mountain of Austria to Mariazell, the most important pilgrimage place in Austria. Visit the Mariazell Basilica, also known as Basilica Mariä Geburt (Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary). Mariazell Basilica is a Marian basilica, which holds the miraculous statue, housed in the Lady Chapel or Chapel of Miracles, built directly over the place where Magnus established his monastic cell in 1157. Continue to Melk, which is best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monastery named Melk Abbey. Overlooking the Danube River, the Abbey, holds the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the remains of several members of the House of Babenberg, Austria’s first ruling dynasty. Enjoy free time in the lovely town of Melk before continuing to Vienna, Austria’s capital for dinner and a restful overnight.

After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Vienna, home of Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Visit the spectacular St. Stephen’s cathedral, the symbol of Vienna. Construction commenced in the 12th century. Today, it is one of the most important Gothic structures in Austria. At St. Stephen’s, see the miraculous image of Our Lady of Mariapoch and tour the Cathedral and its catacombs. Those brave enough may climb the 343 steps to the top of the Cathedral spire. Continue with a visit of the Schonbrunn Royal palace, a summer residence with 1,441 rooms including a Hall of Mirrors where Mozart performed at the age of six before a young Marie Antoinette Louis. Schonbrunn Palace was put on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in December 1996. Continue your journey in Vienna and view the Belvedere Palace, well known for its beautiful gardens. Back in the city center, go to Karlsplatz with its Church of St. Charles Borromeo and Otto Wagner’s Stadtbahn pavilions. Somewhere along the way, have a little coffee break to enjoy the famous Vienna pastries such as Sacher cake. Dinner and an overnight in Vienna.

After breakfast we depart Vienna. Enroute to Budapest we will make a stop at the Pannonhalma Abbey, rich in religious and historical importance, sitting atop St. Martin Hill. In 1996, Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to the mountaintop to join the monks in their celebration for the 1000th anniversary of the monastery’s founding. Next we visit Our Lady of Remete, site of a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary. It was here that in 1991, Pope John Paul II kneeled and prayed before the image. We also take time to stroll through the outdoor Marian sanctuary located on the grounds. We continue on to Budapest , this glamorous city has something to offer every visitor. Overlooking the Danube river in the heart of Buda’s Castle District, the neighboring sites of Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion are two of Budapest’s most iconic historic buildings. Enjoy some time at leisure discovering the breathtaking architecture and mesmerizing views of the city. Dinner and a restful overnight.

This morning we will visit the 13th-century Cathedral of St. Matthew. Next, visit the old city of Budapest. You will see the Citadel on Mount Gellert, the Royal Castle, the Parliament, Heroes’ Square, and the Church of St. Stephen as well as Fisherman’s Bastion, constructed between 1895 and 1902. With the seven towers of the bastion represent the seven Magyar tribes that originally settled in the Carpathian Basin in 895. The towers offer sweeping vistas over the city and the Danube and are a popular choice for panoramic photos overlooking the Danube. Budapest is opportunely located on a fault line that happens to be fed by over 120 natural hot springs, prompting the city to open an impressive assortment of thermal baths. Return to hotel. Farewell dinner and a last overnight in Europe.

Depart from Budapest Airport for your return flights to the USA.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.