Luxury Poland & Slovakia Walk (National Parks From Kraków To The Tatras) 6D5N, Fully Guided

THREE HIKING OPTIONS:
Level 1, Approx. 6 km (4 miles), Elevation gain: 244 m (800 ft)
Level 2, Approx. 6 km (4 miles), Elevation gain: 305 m (1,000 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 11 km (7 miles), Elevation gain: 427 m (1,400 ft)

On the first day of the trip, meet your tour leaders at 9:15 a.m. at the Radisson Blu Kraków. Please ensure you arrive dressed in your hiking gear and bring your luggage and a daypack containing your rain gear and anything else you may want for the day's hike (your luggage will be transported to our first night's accommodations.)

Witamy to Poland! Following our meeting in Kraków, we join a shuttle to Toporowa Cyrhla, a small mountainside village, where we get more familiar before heading into Tatra National Park. This picturesque region of jagged peaks, limestone caves, alpine lakes, and endemic flora and fauna has been designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The protected area includes the Tatra Mountains, which, as part of the larger Carpathian Range, form an impressive natural border between Poland and Slovakia.

Hike through verdant forests and open meadows, taking breaks to relish panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys before arriving in the lively resort town of Zakopane. Despite being a popular tourist destination in summer and winter, Zakopane is also the centre of Góral (highland) culture and offers a fascinating glimpse into local traditions and architecture.

Get comfortable in your home for the night at the Nosalowy Park Hotel. This hotel is a lovely retreat that opened its doors to guests in the 1920s as the Villa Marilor, the valley's first grande dame. Nosalowy Park Hotel still stands as a stylish spot to unwind—if you fancy a spa treatment, try the one-of-a-kind wooden bead massage (spa treatments are at own expense) or simply refresh with a dip in the pool. We convene for a welcome reception tonight, followed by a wonderful dinner featuring tasty flavours of Zakopane.

FOUR HIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 5 km (3 miles), Elevation gain: 366 m (1,200 ft)
Level 2, Approx 6 km (4 miles), Elevation gain: 396 m (1,300 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 11 km (7 miles), Elevation gain: 671 m (2,200 ft)
Level 4, Approx. 13 km (8 miles), Elevation gain: 762 m (2,500 ft)

Aboard a multi-modal shuttle, we journey across the Slovakian border, beginning our hike in the small village of Tatranska Lesnica—this bucolic idyll is nestled in the middle of the forest and is truly only ever visited by hikers! Follow a gentle incline through the verdant pines of Studena Dolina (the Cold Valley) along the Dlhy River.

We eventually arrive at the scenic Dlhy Waterfalls, an expansive terrace of rock escarpments laced by the frothy white of cascading water. From here, we head to lunch at Bilikova Chata hut, a mountain refuge where we're served hearty traditional Slovak mountain cuisine. Choose to head there on the most direct trail or to loop further up the valley to Reinerova Chata, a small historic stone hut showcasing the mountain culture of the local people called "the last European Sherpas." A further extension takes you high into the Velka Studena Dolina (Great Cold Valley) before heading to lunch.

After eating to your fill, one last choice on the menu: get on a scenic cogwheel train down to our final destination, Starý Smokovec, or hike there. Starý Smokovec is an architecture-rich resort town going back to the 19th-century Romantics: if you want to take some time to tour its streets, boutiques, and decadent cafes, one of the shorter options may be a good selection.

Regardless of how you arrive in town, a shuttle takes us this afternoon into the surrounding wilderness to the stately Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras, our home for the next two nights on the shore of Strbské Lake. Traverse the grounds or take advantage of the hotel's amenities, such as an indulgent spa treatment.

This evening, savour dinner at your leisure while enjoying breathtaking mountain vistas and the alpine hospitality of our hotel. Dobrú chuť (bon appetit)!

THREE HIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 10 km (6 miles), Elevation gain: 305 m (1,000 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 11 km (7 miles), Elevation gain: 305 m (1,000 ft)
Level 4, Approx. 18 km (11 miles), Elevation gain: 732 m (2,400 ft)

Today, we are dedicating ourselves to discovering the gorgeous alpine landscape of the High Tatras. Take the well-marked trails from the hotel through rustic meadows and past the snow melted streams of Mengusovska Valley to Popradské Lake. As you hike, the stunted high-elevation vegetation thins, allowing for clear and far-reaching mountain views. For those not taking the long route today, pause for a look at the plaques and hand-carved wooden crosses immortalising mountaineers and guides who lost their lives in the mountains of the world.

Savour a delicious lunch and a cold drink on the trail at a bucolic mountain hut before continuing to the Velké Hincovo Pleso, the High Tatras' largest and deepest glacial lake. Nestled between towering peaks at around 1,950 metres (6,400 feet) above sea level, the lake's surface generally stays frozen for three-quarters of the year.

Tonight, we gather for an elegant dinner of Slovakian and continental specialties.

THREE HIKING OPTIONS:
Level 1, Approx. 6 km (4 miles), Elevation gain: 152 m (500 ft)
Level 2, Approx. 8 km (5 miles), Elevation gain: 274 m (900 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 11 km (7 miles), Elevation gain: 396 m (1,300 ft)

We begin our journey back towards Poland with a scenic shuttle ride that offers ever-changing views of the Tatras and Pieniny mountains. Our day on the trails begins with a steady uphill that challenges us to hike like the locals! It's a challenging route up to the border, which is seated on a ridge with gorgeous views stretching over the peak line.

Get your energy back with a hearty lunch at Durbaszka Mountain Hut before splitting off on several options if you want to cover more miles. Keep hiking over the top of the massif, a spectacular route with expansive views down the Polish side of the mountain, before descending through herds of grazing sheep into the town of Szczawnica. You may also begin the descent from the hut, following the Dunajec River Gorge. Stand in awe of the flotilla of rafts and traditional wooden flisak boats plying the waters as you follow the river to our home for the next two nights, the serene Pieniny Grand Hotel.

Later this afternoon, you can explore this sleek property and its inviting wellness centre. The gorgeous centre of Szczawnica, with its shops and restaurants, is just a stroll away—and it's your venue for dinner on your own tonight. Your tour leaders are happy to recommend some of their favourites.

TWO HIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 8 km (5 miles), Elevation gain: 274 m (900 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 13 km (8 miles), Elevation gain: 427 m (1,400 ft)

Savour a delightful breakfast and join the shuttle for a quick journey to Jaworki, where today's hike begins. We tie up our laces and venture into Pieniny National Park. Primarily made up of limestone and dolomite, this area features a combination of open valleys, striking rock formations, and forested foothills and is considered the crossroads of Hungarian, Polish, and Slovak cultures. Our hike is the perfect opportunity to gain insight into the region's diverse terrains and the traditional highland culture. Visit a bacówka—a mountain hut used by shepherds, and taste typical sheep's milk products such as oscypek. Soak in the scenery as we navigate grassy meadows along an impressive ridgeline. Imposing rock outcroppings, grazing sheep, and hillsides strewn with wildflowers are all part of the pastoral landscape.

Our route takes us back to the mountain village of Jaworki, with its rustic setting and landmark whitewashed church. After lunch, enjoy some R&R at the hotel or explore town. Later, we meet for a toast to this week's adventures in the depths of the Central European mountains, followed by an elegant dinner.

Level 2, Approx. 5 km (3 miles), Elevation gain: 244 m (800 ft)

This morning, you can linger over a late breakfast or join your leaders for one last hike. Our morning trip takes us up above Szczawnica to a rural guesthouse where we'll try a mid-morning snack of (so they say) the best homemade szarlotka, or Polish apple pie, in town! Enjoy a last glance at the Pieniny Mountains on the horizon as you journey down the trail.

Late in the morning, we check out of our hotel rooms and board the shuttle to Kraków, where we say our goodbyes.

NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.