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Wawel Hill above Kraków in summer

Divine Mercy and Vilnius

Vilnius, Trakai, Sokółka, Białystok, Warsaw, Częstochowa and Kraków

Eleven days following the Divine Mercy devotion from where it began. Vilnius holds the original image of the Merciful Jesus; Łagiewniki holds St. Faustina’s tomb. This is the only route that tells both halves.

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

Eleven stops across Lithuania and Poland

Vilnius, Trakai, Sokółka, Białystok, Warsaw, Świnice Warckie, Częstochowa, Kraków, Auschwitz, Wadowice and Zakopane.

Itinerary · EU_LT-PL-11D-01

The Divine Mercy and Vilnius Itinerary

Eleven days beginning in Lithuania and ending in Kraków, with two nights in Vilnius, two in Warsaw and five in Kraków, all by motorcoach with no internal flights. 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.

DAYS 1–3

Vilnius, Where It Began

St. Faustina Kowalska
St. Faustina, who received the Divine Mercy revelations while living at Vilnius.
Day 1

Depart the United States

We depart on our overnight flight to Vilnius. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
Day 2

Arrival in Vilnius

Our guide meets us in the arrivals hall at Vilnius Airport and accompanies us into the city for an orientation tour. It was here that St. Faustina came under the spiritual direction of Blessed Michael Sopoćko and recorded the words of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in her Diary.Dinner and overnight in Vilnius.
Day 3

Vilnius and Trakai

We tour the Old Town, taking in the Gate of Dawn with its venerated icon of Our Lady, the exteriors of Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Anne’s, the Cathedral and the Bernardine Monastery, and the house where St. Faustina lived and worked in the convent garden from 1933 to 1936. In the afternoon we visit the Island Castle at Trakai, long a seat of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.Mass is celebrated at the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy, home to the original image of the Merciful Jesus, painted in 1934 under St. Faustina’s direction. Dinner and overnight in Vilnius.
DAYS 4–6

South into Poland

Castle Square in Warsaw at dusk
Castle Square in Warsaw at dusk.
Day 4

Sokółka, Białystok & Warsaw

We cross into Poland and stop at Sokółka, the site of a Eucharistic miracle in October 2008, when a dropped host set aside in water developed a mark that pathologists found to be heart muscle tissue, a phenomenon still without natural explanation. At Białystok we visit the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, which holds relics of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II and the tomb of Blessed Michael Sopoćko.Mass is celebrated at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Sokółka. Dinner and overnight in Warsaw.
Day 5

Warsaw

We walk the Old Town, rebuilt stone by stone after the war, taking in the Market Square, the fortified Barbican and the memorial to the 1943 Ghetto Uprising, and see Łazienki Park, the Chopin monument and the Royal Castle. In the afternoon we visit St. Stanisław Kostka Church, where Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, murdered by the communist secret police in 1984, is buried.Mass is celebrated at St. James Church, the Ochota parish where St. Faustina came to pray after arriving in Warsaw. Dinner and overnight in Warsaw.
Day 6

Świnice Warckie, Częstochowa & Kraków

We travel to the village of Świnice Warckie and the Church of St. Casimir, the parish of St. Faustina’s baptism and First Communion. We continue to Częstochowa to venerate the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa at Jasna Góra and see the treasury of votive offerings left by pilgrims over the centuries, then drive on to Kraków.Mass is celebrated in one of the chapels at Jasna Góra. Dinner and overnight in Kraków.
DAYS 7–9

Kraków, Łagiewniki and Auschwitz

St. Faustina Kowalska
St. Faustina, whose tomb and relics are kept at Łagiewniki.
Day 7

Łagiewniki and Wieliczka

At Łagiewniki, the world centre of the Divine Mercy devotion, we pray before the image of the Merciful Jesus and see the convent chapel, relics and tomb of St. Faustina, then the neighbouring St. John Paul II Sanctuary. We continue to Wieliczka and its royal salt mine, worked without a break since the thirteenth century.Mass is celebrated at the Shrine of Divine Mercy. Dinner and overnight in Kraków.
Day 8

Kraków

We visit Wawel Hill, touring the Cathedral and the Coronation Chapel and praying at the shrine of St. Stanislaus, patron of Poland, then continue to the Market Square. We also visit the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Kopernika Street, long served by the Jesuits who acted as confessors to the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, among them St. Faustina’s own confessor.Mass is celebrated at St. Mary’s Basilica, a church St. Faustina wrote of in her Diary as a place of deep consolation. Dinner and overnight in Kraków.
Day 9

Auschwitz and Wadowice

We make the short drive to Auschwitz, walk the grounds of the former camp in silence, stand before the cell in which St. Maximilian Kolbe was held and died in place of a fellow prisoner, and visit the Museum of Martyrdom. We continue to Wadowice, the birthplace of Karol Wojtyła, for the Family Home Museum and the Basilica of the Presentation.Mass is celebrated at the Basilica of the Presentation in Wadowice. Dinner and overnight in Kraków.
DAYS 10–11

The Tatras, and Home

Morskie Oko and the peaks of the Tatras
The Tatra Mountains above Zakopane.
Day 10

Zakopane and the Tatras

We travel south through the highlands to Zakopane, beneath the peaks of the Tatras, where a funicular carries us to the summit of Gubałówka for the wide view over the ranges. We visit the wooden Jaszczurówka Chapel, where the young Karol Wojtyła often prayed, and there is time on Krupówki Street before we return to Kraków.Mass is celebrated at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima at Krzeptówki, built after Our Lady preserved St. John Paul II’s life in 1981. Dinner and overnight in Kraków.
Day 11

Return Home

After an early breakfast we transfer to Kraków Airport for our return flight home, with hearts renewed by the intercession of St. Faustina, Blessed Michael Sopoćko and St. John Paul II.

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®
St. John Paul II with his arms outstretched before a crowd
St. John Paul IIThe pope who came out of Wadowice, before a crowd of the faithful.
Dates

Your group travels on its own dates.

Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.

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
The Market Square at Kraków with the monument to Mickiewicz
The Market Square at Kraków, laid out in 1257.
Wawel Castle above the Vistula at Kraków
Wawel Castle above the Vistula at Kraków.
The towers of St. Mary’s Basilica on the Market Square at Kraków
St. Mary’s Basilica, a church St. Faustina wrote of in her Diary.
Castle Square in Warsaw
Castle Square in Warsaw, near the Old Town St. Faustina knew.
The monastery of Jasna Góra at Częstochowa seen from the air
Jasna Góra at Częstochowa, home of the Black Madonna.
An underground chamber in the salt mine at Wieliczka
The salt mine at Wieliczka, worked since the thirteenth century.

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 is the best time to travel to Lithuania and Poland?

Groups travel from late April through to early October. May, June and September give the mildest weather and the longest days. Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter, carries particular meaning on this route, and groups wanting to be at Łagiewniki for it should ask early, since it is the busiest day of the year at the shrine.

How physically demanding is this pilgrimage?

Moderate. Most days involve two to four hours on your feet, with walking on uneven ground, ancient stone, and steps at archaeological sites. Pilgrims who can manage a full day of sightseeing at their own pace do well. If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, tell us early and we will adapt the days 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 Lithuania and Poland?

A United States passport valid for at least three months beyond your return date is required. No visa is needed for stays under ninety days. Both Lithuania and Poland are in the Schengen Area, so there are no border checks on the road between Vilnius and Warsaw; the crossing at Sokółka is simply a stop on the way.

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 a Pilgrimage to Poland?

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

    Your Information

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