Day 1: We meet at Olympia Fields to board our bus to O’Hare Airport for our early evening departure on Lufthansa airlines for our flight to Krakow.  We will be served dinner and can watch a movie during our overnight flight – we will change planes in either Munich or Frankfurt before continuing on to Krakow. (In-flight meals)

Day 2: Touch down in Krakow, one of Poland’s magnificent cities. You will be met by our Tour Manager; after you clear customs he will accompany us to our hotel in our private motor coach. We have time to relax and get accustomed to our new surroundings before meeting our tour manager before dinner as he will brief us what we will experience over the days to come. (D)

Day 3: A local guide will join us today for a full day tour including the birthplace of John Paul II. We will continue during the day to visit places that marked the life of Karol Wojtyla; such as Jagiellonian University, his home on  Tyniecka Street and the family tomb at Rakowiecki Cemetery, before we return to the hotel for diner. (B, D)

Day 4: A local guide will join us again today, as we depart the hotel for a half day tour of the city of Krakow, in which we will visit Pope John Paul’s first parish and the Cathedral of Wawel, site of his ordination as Bishop on September 28, 1958. We will also visit the Market Square which is the largest Medieval Square in Europe, and the Royal Castle. (B, D)

Day 5: After breakfast we will depart for Zakopane. En route, a stop will be made in Auschwitz to visit the Peace and Dialogue Center. Here we will explore the Pope’s experiences during WWII and his ecumenism toward the Jewish people. We might also gain insight into his strong stand on social justice and determination to canonize Edith Stein, a convert from Judaism who died in Auschwitz. Tonight we will experience a folklore show and dinner. (B, D)

Day 6: Begin this morning with sightseeing of Zakopane, now a resort area high in the Tatras, a place of great appeal to the Pope for its natural beauty. We will take a cable car to the nearby mountaintop of Gubalowka for a thrilling panoramic view. It is here that he hiked the many wooded trails, some of which you will visit, learn about his love of the outdoors. (B, D)

Day 7: This morning we depart Zakopane and travel onwards to Warsaw we will stop at Czestochowa- situated at the foot of Jana Gora Monastery this is the spiritual capital of Poland. We will visit the Jana Gora Monastery which houses the beautiful “Black Madonna”, more than five million pilgrims come here annually – indeed only Fatima in Portugal hosts more visitors. We continue on into Warsaw to check into our hotel, where we will have dinner this evening. (B, D)

Day 8: After breakfast we will depart with our local guide for a tour of the city of Warsaw including the beautiful old town, the Ghetto monument and the Chopin statue as well as the Royal Castle. (B, D)

Day 9: After breakfast we will transfer to the airport in Warsaw for our flight to Rome, we will say goodbye to our Polish Tour Manager at this time. Upon arrival in Rome we will be met by our Italian Tour Manger and transferred by private coach to our hotel. (B, D)

Day 10: A local guide will join us the morning to take us on a half day tour of the Vatican Museums including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, return to the hotel where dinner will be served this evening. (B, D)

Day 11:  Today is a full day city tour of the eternal city of Rome. We will visit Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona in the morning. Lunch is on your own, this afternoon we will visit the Piazza Venezia, the Roman forum and finally the Colosseum. We will return to our hotel where we will enjoy a farewell dinner this evening. (B, D)

Day 12: Sadly it is time to say goodbye, after breakfast we will be transferred to the airport for our transatlantic flight back to Chicago. (B, in-flight meals)