A Pilgrimage to Lithuania and Poland

As with all The Catholic Traveler pilgrimages, this one includes daily Mass, my favorite local guide, excellent hotels, amazing meals in some of the best restaurants, wine with meals, and all your tips to our local guide, our driver, and our servers.

Our pilgrimage begins in Vilnius, Lithuania with the original Divine Mercy image and ends in Krakow, Poland with the Divine Mercy Shrine. We will focus on the lives of Saint Faustina, Pope Saint John Paul II, and Saint Maximilian Kolbe.

Is this pilgrimage trip for you?

You need to be flexible.
This pilgrimage is not for grumpy people or those unable to be joyfully flexible. Europe is fully back to normal, but the world is still a bit uncertain. While I don’t expect any complications, we have be able to adjust our plans if needed.

So if you are easy-going and excited to travel, even with some uncertainties mixed in, this could be the trip for you!

You should be in good physical shape.
We will do a lot of walking, much of it outside, and much of it on uneven ground. We can walk up to 5 miles per day. Please do consider this before signing up.

Itinerary

August 12th: Arrive Vilnius and transfer to the hotel. Mass and dinner together. Overnight in Vilnius.

August 13th: Today we will explore the town of Vilnius, including the miraculous icon of the Mother of Mercy in the Gates of Dawn. We will visit the Old Town and several nearby churches, including the Divine Mercy Shrine, where we will see the original image of Divine Mercy. We will also visit the House of Saint Faustina and the site where the sacred Divine Mercy image was painted. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Vilnius.

August 14th: Today we travel outside Vilnius to visit the Hill of Crosses, a pilgrimage site for centuries. Mass and dinner together. Overnight in Vilnius.

August 15th: Today we drive to Warsaw, making a quick stop in the lovely town of Bialystok, the hometown of Saint Faustina’s confessor. We will celebrate Mass in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary and then continue to Warsaw. Dinner included. Overnight in Warsaw.

August 16th: Today we celebrate Mass at the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, where Saint Faustina entered the convent. We have a guided tour of the reconstructed Old Town with its quaint cobblestone streets and elegant architecture. Dinner on your own tonight. Overnight in Warsaw.

August 17th: This morning we travel to Niepokalanow to visit the community founded by Saint Maximilian Kolbe. We’ll celebrate Mass in his chapel and visit his rooms. We will also stop to see the family home of Saint Faustina in Glogowiec. Dinner together. Overnight in Warsaw.

August 18th: Today we head to Czestochowa to visit the Black Madonna. After dinner, you can join in the night vigil at Jasna Gora. Dinner included. Overnight in Czestochowa.

August 19th: We will celebrate Mass in Jasna Dora before driving to Krakow. You’ll have some time to relax this afternoon. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Krakow.

August 20th: After starting our day with Holy Mass, we will tour the city. We will visit the Wawel Cathedral, the Market Square, and Saint Mary’s Church. You have the afternoon free to explore. Dinner together. Overnight in Krakow.

August 21st: Today we visit the Divine Mercy Shrine and the tomb of Saint Faustina. We will celebrate Mass here. Next we will visit the nearby Have No Fear Center, which contains relics of Pope Saint John Paul II. This afternoon we visit Europe’s oldest salt mine, in the town of Wieliczka. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Krakow.

August 22nd: After Mass, we have a sobering visit to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. You’ll have some time to process today before we regroup for dinner this evening. Overnight in Krakow.

August 23rd: This morning we visit the birthplace of Pope Saint John Paul II, Wadowice. We will visit his family home, which has been converted into an excellent museum. We will visit the church where he was baptized and received his first Holy Communion, we will have Mass here. After lunch, we will visit one of Pope Saint John Paul II’s favorite pilgrimage spots, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Dinner together. Overnight in Krakow.

August 24th: Flights home from Krakow.

Price

$4,800 per person – ground only.

The cost is per person, in double occupancy, meaning two people to a room.

Traveling alone?
I match singles with other traveling singles (of the same sex) and that always works out great. If you are uncomfortable sharing a room with a stranger, you can request a single room for an additional $1,200.

Included in the price

Accommodations for 12 nights
We are staying three nights in a five star hotel in Vilnius, Lithuania.

We are staying three nights in a five star hotel in Warsaw, Poland.

We are staying one night in a four star hotel in Czestochowa, Poland.

We are staying five nights in a five star hotel in Krakow, Poland.

Breakfast daily plus 8 additional dinners in some excellent restaurants.

Drinks, including wine, are included in all our dinners.

All group ground transportation
We’ll be traveling in a private motor coach.

Full time service of a local tour guide
A local guide will be with us throughout the pilgrimage.

Full time service of a tour director
I’ll be with you at all times.

No hidden costs
If we do it as a group, it’s included in the price! You are responsible only for things you do on your own, souvenirs you wish to buy, and Mass donations directly to the churches.

Guaranteed price
Once I receive your deposit, your tour price will not go up!

All tips for group meals, guides, and drivers
Would you believe that many tour companies require you to tip as you go? Not only does that add to the advertised sticker price of a tour, it’s also a huge hassle to you! No need to worry about that here. Tips are already included.

Entry fees and tours
All entry fees and tours to our included group activities.

You time
We have a lot planned, but time on your own is important. We take our time in churches to give you the opportunity for prayer and reflection. We also include free time for you to explore, shop, and relax.

Not Included

Your flights

Our pilgrimage begins in Vilnius, Lithuania. Airport code: VNO
You should arrive at VNO no later than August 12th. Our only activities this day will be a late afternoon Mass, followed by dinner.

Our pilgrimage ends in Krakow, Poland. Airport code: KRK
You should depart no earlier than the morning of August 24th. Our last group activity is dinner on the 23rd, and you have the hotel room until the morning of August 24th.

Most airlines are offering free changes should anything happen to the trip. Some airlines are not offering refunds, but rather a credit.

If you need to cancel your trip for any reason, or if the situation in Europe changes and we need to cancel or postpone the trip, it’s your responsibility to work with your airline to cancel, reschedule, or request refunds.

Airport transfers
Taxi and Uber are easily available.

Entry & Exit Requirements

All COVID related entry and exit requirements have been dropped for travel to and from Europe.

No Hassle Cancellations

No other tour or pilgrimage company offers this level of free cancellation coverage.

If you need to cancel for any reason at all, up to 60 days before the start of the trip, you will be refunded 100% of the cost of the pilgrimage.

If you need to cancel for any reason at all up to 30 days days of departure, you’ll get everything back minus the deposit.

If you need to cancel after that time, you’ll need to use trip insurance for refunds, because I will have paid in full for everything by that point. 🙂

If for any reason I need to cancel or postpone the trip, you will be refunded 100% of the cost of the pilgrimage.

In all cases, you are responsible for working with the airline to get credit or refunds for changed or cancelled flights.

Trip insurance is a wise investment in case something comes up while you are traveling. If you think there is any chance you may need to cancel, I recommend you purchase travel insurance. A “Cancel for Any Reason” plan will let you, well, cancel for ‘most’ any reason. Most plans should allow for at least a 75% refund should you need to cancel at any time before departure. I have a friend who specializes in trip insurance, you can contact him directly, but you are under no obligation to use him and I don’t get any sort of kick backs, so shop around and find what is best for you.