Cooking Your Way From Krakow To Zakopane

Day 1 – Sunday
We meet in the lobby of designated meeting hotel in Krakow at 10:00 a.m. for a group transfer by mini bus to 5-star Nosalowy Park Hotel & Spa in Zakopane, our home for the next four days. The hotel is located within walking distance to Krupowki Street and offers luxurious Wellness & SPA services. In addition to its convenient location, the hotel offers traditional Zakopane hospitality. On the way to Zakopane, we stop for a sumptuous home-made lunch in the village of Dolina Chocholowska where we will sample the famous oscypek cheese and highlander tea – which includes vodka – before we resume our journey to Zakopane.  After settling into our comfortable hotel, relax or go for a leisurely walk around Zakopane. This evening we gather for a festive Welcome Dinner at our hotel restaurant and dine on local specialties.

Day 2 – Monday
After breakfast, we attend our first cooking class in one of the highlander villages in the Podhale region. We learn the secrets of preparing the all-time regional favorite, moskole: potato pancakes with meat and mushrooms and other local recipes. In the afternoon, we travel back to Zakopane and tour this beautiful mountain town for the rest of the day. We take a leisurely walk along the town’s famous Krupowki Street, and stroll a few side streets. Later we ride a chair ski lift up Gubalowka Hill to get the best panoramic view of Zakopane, and the Tatra Mountains and other maintain ranges. Dinner on your own. We recommend Restaurant Sabala, on Zakopane’s main street. Watch the world go by from cozy restaurant terrace and celebrate with delicious regional Polish food, drink and music.

Day 3 – Tuesday
This morning we travel to Sromowce-Wyzne village to begin our trip on a wooden raft through the Dunajec River Gorge. (In the event of inclement weather, instead of the rafting trip we will visit additional attractions such as Tatra Mountains Museum and other worthwhile attractions in and/or around Zakopane.) The rafting trip is one of the best-known attractions of this region. The daily raft trips have been organized by “gorale”, the highlanders since the early 19th century. After rafting and lunch, we travel to Debno Podhalanskie village to visit a timber church where the interior includes unique paintings and precious Gothic sculptures from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The church is on the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites. This afternoon, enjoy free time in Zakopane: go shopping for locally made handicrafts, experience luxurious spa treatments at our hotel or go for a stroll down Krupowki street. Dinner on your own. We recommend Mala Szwajcaria restaurant in Zakopane, famous among locals and tourists for its outstanding Polish and European cuisine.

Day 4 – Wednesday
Today we travel to a quaint highlander town, Bukowina Tatrzanska, where we take glass painting class at a local Culture Center & School of Dying Trades. After class, we’ll enjoy lunch right in Bukowina Tatrzanska at Schronisko Bukowina restaurant and shop for local specialties at the restaurant’s store. On our drive thru Podhale back to Zakopane, we will be making short stops by wooden churches, manor houses, grocery stores and at Chocholow and Witow villages, both on the Lesser Poland Timber Architecture Route. In the village of Chocholow, we’ll visit Jan Zieder’s art studio. Zieder is a local wood carver and artist and we will have an opportunity to purchase some of his unique, hand-made, quality carvings. To celebrate our fourth day in beautiful Lesser Poland, we dine at Gazdowka u Zajaca restaurant in Dolina Chocholowska, which offers regional specialties with folk entertainment.

Day 5 – Thursday
After an early breakfast, we travel to Krakow, the capital of Lesser Poland, to begin our urban culinary experience. On our drive back to Krakow, we visit Bacowka, a small mountain shepherd hut, where smoked sheep cheese “oscypek” is made in a traditional way by highlanders. Upon arrival in Krakow, we take a guided tour of the city. Krakow is Poland’s third largest city and escaped the devastation that obliterated other Polish cities during World War II. It’s perfectly preserved medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is on the itinerary for this afternoon’s tour. We also visit Market Square, the largest medieval town square in Europe and the 14th-century Wawel Castle and Cathedral. Dinner on your own. Krakow is full of restaurants that offer memorable dining experiences. We recommend Biala Roza restaurant specializing in traditional Krakow cuisine. Chef Lukasz Cichy at Biala Roza uses top quality regional products to create modern arrangements of flavors of the past. Smacznego! – Enjoy!

Day 6 – Friday
After breakfast and before we head to our second cooking class of the week, we’ll make a stop at the fresh food market called Stary Kleparz, a centuries-old Krakow’s tradition. Locals and visitors shop in an unforgettable atmosphere for fresh, traditional Polish food products, which we’ll have an opportunity to taste: breads, cheeses, meats, fruits and vegetables. Once we arrive at our cooking class location, we’ll meet local Krakow chef who will teach us how to prepare a typical three-course Polish meal. After our cooking class we’ll tour the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, a virtual underground city, with galleries, lakes, chapels and murals – all carved from salt – and a UNESCO World Heritage site. After our Wieliczka tour, you are free to enjoy the sights and shops of Krakow on your own. Krakow offers a good choice of art, crafts, and souvenirs. We recommend Cepelia store, which has a great selection of quality Polish folk handicrafts. Our Farewell Dinner will be at Wesele restaurant, serving old Polish and Krakow delicacies and specialties located in the heart of Krakow’s Market Square.

Day 7 – Saturday
Depart for your home country after breakfast, or make your own arrangements to stay longer in beautiful Krakow.

Even though our vacations are leisurely, you may want to consider staying an extra night at the Senacki Hotel in Krakow. You may find that the extra time will make your week even more relaxing and enjoyable.

• Six nights accommodations, double-occupancy, with en suite bathroom (four nights at Nosalowy Park Hotel & Spa  in Zakopane and two nights at Hotel Senacki in Krakow).
• Arrival transfer from Legend Hotel at 10:00 a.m. to Nosalowy Park Hotel & Spa in Zakopane
• Daily breakfast
• Daily lunch
• Dinner as outlined on itinerary
• Local beer, house wine, tea, and coffee with all included meals (Please note that cocktail drinks and drinks consumed outside of mealtime are not included)
• Two hands-on and/or demonstration-style cooking lessons
• White cooking apron with Poland Culinary Vacations logo
• Glass painting class at the School of Dying Trades in Bukowina Tatrzanska
• Excursions to cultural sites, all entrance fees and food artisan visits
• Rafting through the Dunajec River Gorge
• Transportation where specified
• English interpreters
• All luggage transfers
• Taxes and service charges

What’s Not Included

• Airfare or other non-specified transportation to the trip starting point, and from the trip ending point
• Meals and alcoholic beverages not specified in the itinerary
• Personal expenses such as laundry or telephone calls
• Passport or visa fees
• End of vacation gratuities for guides (not required, but greatly appreciated)
• Insurance of any kind