+1 (800) 653-0017 hello@canterburypilgrimages.com
+1 (800) 653-0017 hello@canterburypilgrimages.com
Wawel Cathedral, Kraków

Poland: the Kraków Christmas Market and Divine Mercy

Kraków, Częstochowa, Wadowice, Auschwitz and Łagiewniki

Eight days in Advent based in Kraków, with the Christmas Market in the Main Market Square, Jasna Góra and Wadowice, Auschwitz and St. Maximilian Kolbe, and the Divine Mercy Shrine at Łagiewniki.

Departures

Current Tours to Poland

Upcoming departures to Poland. Each group has its own host, dates, and itinerary. The route below is our standard.

All current pilgrimages
The Route

Four stops around Kraków

Seven nights in Kraków, with day trips by motorcoach to Częstochowa and Wadowice, to Auschwitz, and to Łagiewniki and Wieliczka.

Itinerary · EU_PL-8D-01

The Poland Christmas Market Itinerary

An eight-day Advent pilgrimage based in Kraków, with Mass at Wawel Cathedral, Jasna Góra, the Church of St. Maximilian Kolbe and the Divine Mercy Shrine, and a free day at the Christmas Market in the Main Market Square. Your group travels on its own dates, and the itinerary can be adjusted to fit the time you have and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.

Day 1 – 2

Departure and arrival in Kraków

Wawel Castle and Cathedral above the Vistula
Wawel Castle and Cathedral above the Vistula
Day 1

Departure from Home

Our pilgrimage begins with an overnight flight from the United States to Kraków. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
Day 2

Arrival in Kraków

Our tour escort meets the group at Kraków Airport and accompanies us to the hotel, our base for all seven nights. We gather in the evening for a welcome dinner to begin the pilgrimage together.Overnight in Kraków.
Day 3 – 4

Kraków and its Christmas Market

Photograph to come · The Cloth Hall and the Main Market Square in Advent
The Cloth Hall and the Main Market Square in Advent
Day 3

Wawel Cathedral and St. Mary’s Basilica

Mass at Wawel Cathedral, dedicated since the fourteenth century to Sts. Stanislaus and Wenceslaus, where we pray before the silver reliquary holding the relics of St. Stanislaus, martyred in 1079, among the tombs of Polish kings and poets. We walk Kanonicza Street, where Karol Wojtyła lived as a young priest and later as bishop, to the Main Market Square and St. Mary’s Basilica to see the late Gothic altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss. The afternoon is free.Overnight in Kraków.
Day 4

Skałka and the Kraków Christmas Market

The day opens with Mass at Skałka, the Pauline church raised on the site where St. Stanislaus was martyred in 1079. The rest of the day is free at the Christmas Market in the Main Market Square, with its stalls of handmade ornaments and embroidered textiles, pierogi, oscypek and mulled wine, beneath the great illuminated tree. Dinner is on your own this evening.Overnight in Kraków.
Day 5

Jasna Góra and Wadowice

Jasna Góra Monastery, Częstochowa
Jasna Góra Monastery, Częstochowa
Day 5

Jasna Góra and Wadowice

We travel to Częstochowa for Mass at Jasna Góra, home since the fourteenth century to the icon of the Black Madonna, and venerate the image St. John Paul II returned to throughout his life. We continue to Wadowice, his birthplace, to see the childhood home that is now a museum of his life and to pray in the church where he was baptized.Overnight in Kraków.
Day 6 – 8

Auschwitz, Divine Mercy and home

Photograph to come · The Divine Mercy Shrine at Łagiewniki
The Divine Mercy Shrine at Łagiewniki
Day 6

Auschwitz and St. Maximilian Kolbe

We walk the grounds of Auschwitz in silence and pause before the cell that held St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Franciscan who offered his life in place of a fellow prisoner with a family of his own, and visit the Museum of Martyrdom. We celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Harmęże, raised in his memory near the site of his death.Overnight in Kraków.
Day 7

The Divine Mercy Shrine and the Wieliczka salt mine

At Łagiewniki, the home of the Divine Mercy devotion, we pray before the image of the Merciful Jesus, see the convent chapel where St. Faustina prayed, her relics and her tomb, and celebrate Mass at the shrine. We continue to Wieliczka, the royal salt mine worked since the thirteenth century, where generations of miners carved chapels and altars from the rock salt underground. A farewell dinner closes the day.Overnight in Kraków.
Day 8

Return Home

With hearts renewed by the intercession of St. John Paul II, St. Faustina and St. Maximilian Kolbe, we transfer to Kraków Airport for the return flight home.

Why leaders choose Canterbury

“Canterbury treats you like family! They handle everything, from creating exciting itineraries to managing calls, registrations, and payments.”

Patrick MadridPatrick Madrid
Catholic Speaker, Author & Host of The Patrick Madrid Show on Relevant Radio®
The Divine Mercy Shrine<Mass is celebrated at Łagiewniki, where Our Lord entrusted the Divine Mercy message to St. Faustina, before her relics and her tomb.
Photograph to come · Łagiewniki and the Divine Mercy Shrine
Dates

Your group travels on its own Advent dates.

Tell us the week of Advent you have in mind and the size of your group. We build the itinerary and the price around your dates, inside the weeks the markets are open.

Your pilgrimage includes

Tour Package Includes

These inclusions can be easily tailored to the individual needs of your group

  • Daily Mass at the churches we visit
  • Round-trip group airfare
  • Airport transfers on arrival & departure
  • 4-Star hotel accommodations
  • Private motorcoach transportation
  • Breakfast & dinner served daily
  • Wine served with some dinners
  • Dedicated tour manager
  • Licensed guiding & admission fees
  • Porterage service at hotels
  • Whisper headsets when touring
  • Tips for hotel & restaurant staff
  • 9 – 5 PM (EST) reservation support
  • 24/7 travel emergency support
  • Canterbury Mobile App
For the group leader

What you get as the group leader

You travel free.

Every group earns complimentary places. The more pilgrims you bring, the more you earn. How complimentary places work

No financial risk.

If the group does not fill, deposits are returned. You owe nothing and neither do your pilgrims. What happens if a group does not fill

We produce the promotional materials.

Flyers, a registration page, and what you need to invite your people. Our guide to promoting a pilgrimage

We handle your pilgrims.

Registrations, rooming lists, payment plans and the phone calls. How leading a pilgrimage works

In your pocket

The Canterbury Mobile App

Every pilgrim in your group gets the app. Their itinerary, hotels and flights, the prayers of the day and a way to reach one another, all in one place and kept current as the pilgrimage unfolds.

  • Group chat

    Your whole group in one thread, so a change of plan reaches everyone at once.

  • Their itinerary

    The full day-by-day schedule, always current, in every pilgrim’s pocket.

  • Hotels

    Where the group is staying each night, with addresses and dates.

  • Flights

    Flight details kept alongside everything else, not in a separate email.

  • Daily prayers

    The prayers of the day, including the Liturgy of the Hours.

  • Shrine passport

    A keepsake record of the shrines your group visits along the way.

  • Live updates

    Times and meeting points pushed to everyone the moment they change.

Photographs
Photograph to come · St. Mary’s Basilica and the Christmas tree
St. Mary’s Basilica and the Christmas tree
Photograph to come · Kanonicza Street
Kanonicza Street
The Basilica of the Presentation, Wadowice, where St. John Paul II was baptized
The Basilica of the Presentation, Wadowice, where St. John Paul II was baptized
Photograph to come · The Church of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Harmęże
The Church of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Harmęże
The chapel carved in salt at Wieliczka
The chapel carved in salt at Wieliczka
The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa at Jasna Góra
The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa at Jasna Góra

What group leaders say

“They’re big enough to handle any problem that arises, and small enough to craft truly unique experiences.”

Chris StefanickChris Stefanick
Founder & President of Real Life Catholic
Before you ask

Frequently Asked Questions

When does this pilgrimage travel?

In Advent. The route is built around the Kraków Christmas Market in the Main Market Square, which opens in late November and runs to Christmas Eve and sometimes into early January. Tell us the window you have in mind and we set the dates against the published market dates for that year.

How physically demanding is this pilgrimage?

Moderate, with winter footing. Most days involve two to four hours on your feet, on cobbles and in old towns, in temperatures near freezing and with early dusk. Tell us about anyone with limited mobility and we plan the hotels and the coach drop-offs around them.What activity level means.

What is generally not included?

Travel insurance, lunches, drinks beyond those served with included meals, personal expenses, and gratuities for your tour manager and driver. Any of these can be built into your package on request, so tell us what you would like covered and we will arrange it. Passports and visa fees are the one exception and remain the responsibility of each pilgrim.

Do I need a passport or visa for Poland?

A US passport valid for at least three months beyond your return date is required, and we recommend six. Poland is in the Schengen area, so no visa is needed for a stay of this length. Requirements change from time to time, so we confirm what applies with your group before you travel.

Can our priest celebrate Mass at the churches?

Yes. Daily Mass is built into the itinerary, and we arrange times and locations in advance with each church. Your priest should travel with a celebret or letter of good standing from his bishop or superior. We handle the scheduling.

How many pilgrims do you need for a group?

Most of our groups are between 20 and 50 pilgrims, and we can arrange smaller tours as well. We have also organized pilgrimages for groups as large as 2,500, so whatever size your group turns out to be, we can build for it. Minimum group size for a group flight.

Enquire

Interested in leading an Advent pilgrimage?

A pilgrimage consultant replies within one business day. No deposit or commitment.

    Your Information

    Your Group

    First time? You are in good company. Many of our group leaders start right here, and we guide you through every step.

    Where You Would Like to Go

    Destinations of interest (check all that apply)

    These are some of our most popular destinations, but we build CUSTOM ITINERARIES anywhere in the world. If you do not see your destination, tell us below.

    Italy, Rome and AssisiFrance, Lourdes and ParisPortugal and FátimaSpain and the Camino de SantiagoPortugal, Spain and France togetherGreece and TurkeyThe Holy LandEgypt and Mount SinaiPoland, Prague and Central EuropeMedjugorje and the BalkansIreland and the United KingdomMexico and Our Lady of GuadalupeArgentinaPeruJapan, Nagasaki and AkitaUnited States and Canada shrinesA pilgrimage cruiseA choir pilgrimageChristmas markets and AdventWorld Youth Day Seoul 2027Somewhere else, or not sure yet

    When

    Group Size and Budget

    Complimentary places are arranged based on the size of your group. Let us know how many you expect so we can request them from our suppliers from the start.

    A Few Last Details

    Would you like sample itineraries emailed to you?

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