CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING IN OLD TOWN WARSAW

Tour Dates Confirmed - Booking closes on 11/17/2005!

Polish cuisine is famous for its delicacies, and overseas military personnel have a unique opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving in the Polish capital – Warsaw!  The American tradition of Thanksgiving turkey will meet the Polish tradition of hospitality – which is the perfect blend for a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.  Warsaw is a city full of history, and a booming place with a bright future.  Oconus.com users are invited to come over and experience its past and present with BestWeDo Travel.  You will not be disappointed!

Day One

This is the day where all tour participants arrive in Warsaw.  Warsaw International Airport has many direct connections with most of the main cities in Europe. BestWeDo can arrange any flight connection for you – in order to do so, please contact their office before making a reservation for the tour.  Upon arrival in Warsaw, a prearranged taxi driver will wait for you in the arrivals hall with your name.  This is how you will reach the hotel and where you will meet your tour guide, who will accompany you during your stay in Poland.  In the evening, visitors will be taken to one of Warsaw’s finest restaurant for the Thanksgiving Dinner.  The magnificent interiors are a perfect background for a delicious dinner menu, with traditional turkey accompanied by Polish cuisine specialties.

Day Two

Day two is dedicated to sightseeing in the city.  Because of the expected cold weather, we will spend most of the time in museums and on a motor-coach, but you will be shown the most important and most interesting places in Warsaw.  We will start from the Royal Castle, which was rebuilt in 1971 from the WWII damage.  It was a residence of the Mazovian princes and Polish Kings.  The sessions of the Parliament were held here before the partitions at the end of the 18th century.  The Castle is a prime monument of national history and culture.  Each year hundreds of thousands of visitors enrich their knowledge of history and deepen their aesthetic appreciation within its walls.  It provides the setting for cultural events and official state ceremonies, as well as visits by figures from international political life.

The Castle apartments, which you will see, were recreated on the basis of original source materials, according to their functions during the reign of King Stanisław August (1764 - 1795).  Their interiors are decorated with art works rescued from the old furnishings of the Royal Castle, including paintings by Bernard Belotto (known as Canaletto), Marcello Bacciarelli, and Jan Bogumił Plersch; sculptures by André Le Brun and Jakub Monaldi; bronzes by Phillipe Caffieri; and French furniture from the second half of the 18th century.  You will see the King’s Apartments, the Court Rooms and the Houses of Parliament.

After the visit to the Castle, visitors will have a short walk through the picturesque narrow streets of the Old Town.  You will see the Old Market Square with a statue of a siren – the symbol of Warsaw.  Visitors will continue on to the Barbican – part of the medieval city walls, and will board a motor coach near the Warsaw Rising Memorial.

The motor coach will be a very convenient way to explore Warsaw and to see all the most important locations.  Visitors will ride along the Royal Mile – which connected the Royal Castle with the summer residence of Polish kings in Wilanow.  The Royal Mile is full of historical buildings, many of which are still used for public functions: Kazimierzowski Palace, Three Crosses Square, Belvedere Palace, Presidential Palace (currently the residence of the President of Poland).

The tour will stop at the Lazienki Park with a very famous Chopin Memorial.  The Lazienki Park is the most beautiful park in Warsaw, and was set up in the 18th century.  Between the trees and the charming alleys, many wonderful historical buildings are hidden.  Weather permitting, visitors will walk to the Palace on Water.  From there they will also see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stop at the Warsaw Ghetto Rising (1943) Memorial, and visit Wilanow – the summer residence of Polish kings.

In the late afternoon, you will visit the Warsaw Rising Museum – opened in 2004 – which documents the dramatic fight for freedom of the city and its destruction in the summer of 1944.  Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant.

Day Three

Today there is a chance to rest after the intensive sightseeing of Day 2.  You can use the day to explore Warsaw on your own or to do some shopping.  If you choose the first option, you will receive a guidebook about Warsaw, and the city map.  You can consult the tour guide for the places you want to visit.

The second option is shopping, as the Christmas will not be far away.  Warsaw has many modern shopping centers. The shops offer a general price level and exchange rate between Polish Zloty and Euro (or US dollar) will make shopping in Poland very attractive for U.S. families. You will be taken to the newest, largest and most modern shopping center in Warsaw.  On five levels there are over 200 shops, 20 restaurants, car parks for four thousand cars, and a 15-screen movie theater (all foreign movies have subtitles in Polish – no dubbing!).

Visitors will regroup for dinner, which will be enjoyed at an excellent Polish cuisine restaurant, with live Polish folklore music.

Day Four

This is the last day of your stay in Warsaw.  After having a breakfast in the hotel, you can make arrangements to get back to the airport, or - if you flight departure time allows - to return to the city for more sightseeing or shopping.  BestWeDo hopes to see you on our other tours to Poland!

TOUR INFORMATION SUMMARY

Price: from 395 Euro per person *
Minimum number of participants: 19
Reservations closing date: 24 October 2005

Included in price:

• One day sightseeing program, including:
• Warsaw Royal Castle
• Old Town
• City tour in an air-conditioned motor-coach: the Royal Mile with Kazimierzowski Palace, Three Crosses Square, Belvedere palace, Presidential Palace, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Lazienki Park with Chopin Memorial (a walk to the Palace on Water will be included – weather permitting), Warsaw Ghetto Rising (1943) Memorial, Wilanow – summer residence of Polish kings
• Warsaw Rising (1944) museum
• The Thanksgiving Dinner
• A dinner with live Polish folk music
• Accommodation in double rooms in a tourist class hotel. For a single room supplement, please contact our office.
• Breakfasts, lunches and dinners (from the Thanksgiving dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 4, but without lunch on Day 3)
• A professional English speaking tour guide who will take care of you during your whole stay in Poland
• English-speaking city guide
• All entrance fees
• Flights to and from Warsaw

• airport transfers
• additional drinks at the meals
• travel insurance
• tips and gratuities