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Poland holidays

country:Poland
location:Carpathian Mountains 
trip type: A small group adventure
departures:2010: 30 May, 27 Jun, 25 Jul, 8 Aug, 5 Sep
2011: 29 May, 26 Jun, 10 Jul, 24 Jul, 7 Aug
price:From £1355 - £1415 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £1124 - £1180 excluding flights. Single supplement £240.
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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introduction to Poland holidays

  • Explore vibrant Warsaw & medieval Krakow
  • Discover Poland's wild side: lakes, forests & mountains
  • Get active; try canoeing, cycling & trekking

    Canoeing & Bird Watching
    Our explorations start in the north at Lake Wigry National Park in the heart of Poland's lake district. We explore this beautiful region by canoe, paddling easily through the reedy canals and rivers. Taking back roads through tiny villages to our farm pension, we reach the remote Narew Marshlands. Considered one of Europe's top bird watching spots, we punt past daisy meadows and marsh flowers that frame the labyrinth of channels.

    Europe's Last Bison
    Further south lies the immense Bialowieza National Park. The dark, sprawling primeval forest of towering oak and hornbeam is home to wild boar and bison. Choose between hiking, biking or exploring by horse and cart. Heading next for the charming town of Kazimierz Dolny on the banks of the Vistula, we relax in the open air cafes, and hike up to the medieval castle for commanding views.

    Carpathian Mountains & Krakow
    We stop at the Renaissance town of Zamosc and explore the old streets of Przemysl near the Ukraine border, en route to Bieszczady in the east Carpathian mountains. We plan two days of hikes along mountain ridges to really appreciate the splendid scenery and wilderness isolation. Finally, we drive to Krakow, Poland's most celebrated city, where we stay near the famous market square. There's time to visit Krakow fortress, the excellent museum, or make an excursion by train to Auschwitz.
  • day-by-day itinerary
    Day 1:Fly London/Warsaw.
    Day 2-3:Drive to Wigry National Park; explore lakes and rivers by canoe or walking.
    Day 4:Drive Biebrza; wildlife and birdwatching; drive Narew NP including boat trip; overnight in farmhouse.
    Day 5:Drive Bialowieza NP; optional horse and cart ride in forest.
    Day 6:Walks/ optional biking in Bialowieza; drive Kazimierz Dolny.
    Day 7:In Kazimierz Dolny.
    Day 8:Drive via Zamosc and Przemysl to Bieszczady Mountains.
    Day 9-10:Walking in Bieszczady Mountains.
    Day 11:Drive via Smolnik church to Krakow.
    Day 12-13:In Krakow; optional visit to Auschwitz.
    Day 14:Morning train to Warsaw; tour Old Town.
    Day 15:Fly London.
    small group adventure holiday
    Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.
    award winner
    This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.

    Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
    how this holiday makes a difference
    This two week adventure travels well beyond the known tourist destinations of Warsaw and Krakow and deep into rural Poland for the chance to learn about the everyday lives of the folk of a nearby yet relatively undiscovered nation. At the mostly family run guesthouses we stay in, we eat traditional, locally produced and often organic food and you will be welcomed by hosts keen to appraise in the local traditions such as downing a glass of Vodka or two!

    The rural communities of far Eastern Poland are some of the countries poorest. Our visit to these areas where we support locally owned and operated small businesses brings in much needed income and the warm welcome we receive is sure to lead to recommendations to potential new visitors, stimulating even longer term benefits.

    The virgin forests of the Bialowieza National Park are the last remaining primeval forests in Europe, home to herds of European bison and other rare species such as the lynx. The Biebzra marshlands are the largest in Europe and home to myriad bird species and the Bieszczady mountains, part of the Carpathian ranges, are home to wolf and brown bear. By visiting these pristine environments in the company of expert naturalist guides, travellers are educated in an awareness of the importance of conservation in our increasingly urbanised world.

    You can limit the impact of your flights to Poland on global warming by calculating the cost of offsetting them and contributing this sum to Climate Care, an organisation which funds projects, which reduce emissions by the same amount as your flight creates. The company who operate this tour offset all of the emissions from its staff flights, office and operations through Climate Care.

    As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost.

    Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

    We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

    'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

    We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

    We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

    This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.

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