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Best of Poland in 10 Days Tour Report/Reflection

I’ve just returned from the Best of Poland in 10 Days tour, and am still smiling reflecting on the wonderful experience I had with my tour mates exploring this beautiful, resilient country. This was my first Rick Steves Europe tour. Rather than write a day by day report, I’ll categorize my thoughts based on what I think may be relevant to those considering the tour and questions I had before the start of the trip.

Guide
Our guide throughout the entire tour, Monika, was a complete class act. Not only was she knowledgeable and professional, but also she was incredibly friendly with a great sense of humor. She always made herself available to offer help and answer questions. Thanks to Monika’s guidance and leadership, our tour ran like a well-oiled machine. Plus, she often came equipped with surprise vodka shots (a staple in Poland) and treats!

Hotels
I was expecting small rooms with no air conditioning throughout the trip. I especially thought my rooms would be small since I was not sharing with anyone. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent sized room with air at each location. Plus, all hotels were easy walking distance to restaurants, museums, and other attractions.

Food/Drink
The food was plentiful at every breakfast with elaborate spreads. I already miss the vast selection of cheese, meats/eggs, pastries, and more. All organized lunches/dinners offered ample delicious food and drink. I don’t think I felt hungry once on the tour. I brought a small stash of snacks just in case, and I never needed to tap into it. When meals were on our own, there were always many options nearby.

I perhaps drank more vodka during the 10 days of this tour than I have throughout my entire 47 years. I now have a new appreciation for it! Of course, the vodka was not mandatory and some tour mates politely declined without issue, and were always offered good alternatives, not just water.

While all of the meals were great, two of them were particularly special: the Ukrainian dinner at the Chopin Boutique B&B in Warsaw and the farewell dinner in Krakow. I do not want to spoil any surprises, and my retelling of events won’t accurately describe the evenings, so I will just say that if you go on this tour, you have so much to look forward to and will walk away with cherished memories.

Other Travelers
As a solo female traveler, this was my biggest concern. All 23 others on the trip were great people! Five of us were solo travelers, there were three couples, and the rest were a mix of duos and trios of friends and family. Everyone was kind, considerate, flexible, and inclusive. Our group was female dominant-- 21 women and 3 men, ranging in ages from early 30s to 70s (if I had to guess). I once heard Rick Steves say that “a Rick Steves tour group is like a band of merry travelers,” and I have to say that this description perfectly describes our group. I would be thrilled to go on another tour with any one of them again in the future!

Overall
This was a stellar experience. My personal highlights included the WWII Museum in Gdansk (did this on my own the day before the tour started), walking tours of each city, a lively vodka tasting in Warsaw, making and sampling gingerbread in Torun, learning more in-depth history from WWII through Solidarity in all locations, trying new-to-me foods, spending time connecting with and learning from my fellow travelers, learning how to make pierogies in a local’s home (huge shout out to Anna for opening her Krakow home to us!), and our evening chatting and sharing a special meal with Jarek, owner of the Chopin Boutique B&B in Warsaw.

I cannot think of a single criticism of the trip. I joined the tour not knowing a soul, and walked away with many new friends in travel. Thank you to Rick Steves Europe for an all around absolutely wonderful experience. I had such a great time that I already booked my next tour-- Turkey in 13 Days next summer!

Posted by
5558 posts

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip? Thank you for reporting on it. I went to Poland on my own, but some of your observations made me smile with memories. :)

Posted by
1710 posts

chatting and sharing a special meal with Jarek, owner of the Chopin Boutique B&B in Warsaw.

I spent a pleasant hour or two with Jarek while having a late lunch out on the terrace behind the lodging, giving him pointers on bicycle repair while learning about his history and business philosophy. Quite an interesting fellow - he keeps bees up on the roof. It's one case where you can absolutely believe the description of the lodging in the RS guidebook.

Posted by
86 posts

Thank you for sharing your experience. This is making me consider a solo RS tour.

Posted by
1311 posts

Thank-you for this report! I have been to Poland 3 times and I love it every time. Might have to put this tour on my list!

Posted by
1154 posts

ChristinaN, thanks for sharing your trip report. I hope that your next Rick Steves' Tour is just as wonderful!

Posted by
7 posts

Thank you for sharing your trip to Poland. My husband and I are doing this same exact tour in July 2026. I am even more excited after reading your trip report.

Posted by
4294 posts

Nice trip report. Thanks for sharing. I think Poland is great!

Posted by
103 posts

Thank you for this! We take this same tour in a month and I am really excited for it! One question - how is the morning tour of Nowa Huta near Krakow? I'm not really interested in touring a Soviet-style city; I saw this in Moscow and it was truly depressing.

Posted by
191 posts

I love Poland. I hope to return before too long. I loved the people I got to know there.

Posted by
5993 posts

I already booked my next tour-- Turkey in 13 Days next summer!

I love that this tour went so well that you have already signed up for the Best of Turkey tour. You are in for a real treat!!

Posted by
1022 posts

Great trip report! You've inspired me to take a closer look at the RS Poland tour!

Posted by
7 posts

Thank you for this! We take this same tour in a month and I am really excited for it! One question - how is the morning tour of Nowa Huta near Krakow? I'm not really interested in touring a Soviet-style city; I saw this in Moscow and it was truly depressing.

Hi Julie- great question. I found the morning tour of Nowa Huta interesting. It's really eye opening to see the buildings from that time and hear stories, and then to compare it with the neighborhood as it is today. It's not depressing, it's more informative.

A few highlights from that morning included stopping at a library to view images from the past to compare to now. I also found roaming Polish stacks of books fascinating! We also ventured into an open air market, which was very cool! Browsing the different vendors' stalls was a lot of fun. We ended our morning in Nowa Huta at an absolutely gorgeous church, unlike any other church I've seen throughout Europe. The architecture and art inside are truly unique. So, I do believe you'll get a lot from the morning. However, if it's something you decide you do not want to do, just let your guide and buddy know you are going to skip it. That won't be an issue.

Have a blast! I loved everything about this tour!

Posted by
2644 posts

I took this tour in May 2024 and absolutely loved everything about it!

One thing I would suggest to others considering taking this tour is to find delicious Georgian cuisine when you have free time for a meal. My traveling companion and I found a lovely restaurant in Gdańsk and one in Torun. They use walnuts and pomegranates in interesting ways- delicious!

I was reluctant to enjoy the morning at Nowa Huta because of the Soviet occupation there but came away inspired by the story of the Polish people’s insistence and dedication on raising money and building their unique church. As described earlier in a comment, it is a testimony to their strength and faith in God. Wow!