Best Things to Do in Zakopane

Poland is a beautiful country. When you are in the cities, you wouldn't think
they only are free from the Russians since 1990. All cities are so clean, the
buildings have been restored to their former glory.
The motorways are excellent, what a difference with the UK.
The museum of Solidarity, it is a must see.


We had a fantastic guide Jurek (Jerry) Sajkowski, he was so passionate about
his country, could tell us all about the history of his country and was the
most helpful guide we had since we have been travelling with Exodus (since
1991).


We didn't book the Salt Mines in Krakow, but I would advise to book this
excursion when you book the trip with Exodus, it is a more difficult when you
try to do it in Krakow.

I went on the Discover Poland tour as an Exodus staff member in July. It was
my first trip with Exodus and I had a fantastic time.
Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau was something I will never forget. It was a
challenging and incredibly emotional experience, but is something I think
everybody should do if they get the chance.


Jerry was superb. He made sure that everybody was happy and well informed,
both as a group and individually. Nothing was too much trouble for him, he
made sure the tour ran smoothly, his knowledge of – and passion for – his
country was outstanding and his fine sense of humour went down really well
with the group.


There is a lot to see and do on this tour, so prepare for fairly early starts
each morning and a few long days.


Don’t miss the Solidarity Centre in Gdansk. It gives an incredibly
interesting account of a hugely important part of Poland’s recent history
and the fabric of its society today.

The trip covered many different places in Poland it is a beautiful country
full of history, tradition and wonderful cities
Visiting the 'final solution' and Auschwitz


The group leader Jerry was both professional, very knowledgeable about the
country but funny and intelligent. He looked after both group needs and
individual ones nothing was too much trouble for him. I have been on over
20 trips for Exodus and Explore and he is the one that stands out as being
the best.


Lots of travelling on the bus


Enjoyed the trip and my fellow group travellers

A wonderful trip around Poland with a great guide.
Everyday there were great experiences. We visited some beautiful cities. I
especially loved Gdansk, Torun and Wroclaw. Really enjoyed our visit to
Malbork Castle where one of the highlights was when our lovely guide,
Blueberry, demonstrated acoustics by singing beautifully. And our visit to
Auschwitz was very moving indeed. Again, we were fortunate to have a
wonderful guide who took us round with great dignity and spoke with such
passion.


Jerry was a excellent guide. Very experienced, with an amazing knowledge of
so many aspects of his country. He was totally committed to ensuring we had a
great time in Poland. The trip ran very efficiently due to his organisational
skills. And he had a great sense of humour so we had lots of fun too!


The trip is very full on with a number of early starts but we saw a great
deal of Poland. The hotels were of a very high standard.

I would recommend going a day earlier and staying a day later so you can
spend extra time in Warsaw and Krakow. There is so much to see.


I would highly recommend this trip. A very comprehensive tour of Poland.

This was a comprehensive tour of Poland, its cities, culture, history and
people, with a very knowledgeable guide who showed a love of his country and
wanted to share it with us. He was also very versed in the history of the
country going back to it's origins and could answer all of our questions.

Our guide was courteous at all times, always on time and spotted when members
of the group needed any extra assistance. Despite the times that Gerry and
his family have lived through, he gave us an impartial view when discussing
the history with personal insights.
The Solidarity museum at Gdansk and the impact of seeing the Ghetto in
Warsaw, far away from crowds, and the relating photographs.


See above. We thought he was great.


Please consider leaving your cameras and mobile phones in your pockets when
visiting Auschwitz. If there was ever a place where they are not
appropriate, this is it.


I think that a boat trip in Wroclaw would be a welcome addition and I think
that the Solidarity Museum should be built into the trip. In our case, Gerry
worked around the schedule at our request.

A great mix of activities - complete beginners can acquire enough skill to
join in while the more experienced have the opportunity to use the facilities
to continue to improve. Once in the resort local travel is quick and easy.
The food is incredibly hearty based on meat, cheese and dumplings but with
lovely broths and soups for lighter appetites. The scenery is wonderful,
despite the tourist infrastructure there are miles and miles of unspoilt
forest and mountains
1 The 2.5k toboggan ride down the mountain
2 Actually overtaking a small child on my crosscountry skis
3 Downhill skiing for the first time (even if it was just on the first ramp
of the nursery slopes!)
4 Driving the dogsled
5 Swimming in the outdoor thermal pool with my mouth open catching snowflakes

Every day was inspirational


Peter is a great guide. The organisational skills to accommodate very
different skill levels on some of the activities and the endless kindness and
patience he showed made the holiday a complete pleasure. He has wide
knowledge of the local area - its history , geography, animals, food and
drink and much else. Peter makes his own musical instruments in the local
tradition and played for us which was really special.


For the toboggan activity I would recommend gaiters or some other means of
stopping snow going up your trouser legs. If, like me, you have not worn
ski boots before I would suggest long socks as the boots are quite tight
fitting on the calf. Even if you cannot swim take a swimsuit for the thermal
baths, it is great fun


This is the trip to introduce yourself to winter activities. Because the
activities change each day muscles have a chance to recover and the
facilities and instructors really can cope with absolute beginners - no-one
will be good at everything so do not be afraid - give it a go and you will
have a wonderful week