Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:

Day 1, Sunday, July 24: Depart for Europe
Depart Nashville for your overnight flight(s) to Poland. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.

Day 2, Monday, July 25: Arrive Krakow. Transfer to lodging and prepare for World Youth Day week
Upon arrival in Poland, will find your luggage and exit the baggage claim into the arrivals hall where you will be greeted by our representative. You will be escorted your to your lodging. (pending arrival, we may have an orientation tour of Krakow). Dinner and overnight.

Day 3, Tuesday, July 26: Krakow – Czestochowa – Auschwitz – World Youth Day Krakow
This morning, depart for a visit to Czestochowa and visit the Yasna Gora Monastery, known for the blackened picture of the Virgin Mary popularly called the “Black Madonna”. The monastery has a pilgrimage tradition that goes back to the 14th-century. Blessed Pope John Paul II was known to make frequent visits to the monastery throughout his life. We will have time to venerate the priceless treasures contained within, including the Miraculous Icon. We’ll continue with a tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the infamous concentration camps from World War II. We’ll return to Krakow to participate in the official opening of the World Youth Day.
*World Youth Day begins this evening with Mass

Day 4, Wednesday, July 27: World Youth Day Krakow
Today is filled with World Youth Day activities, with Catechesis sessions in the morning and youth festival activities for the remainder of the time.  Catechesis sessions will be with Bishops from all over the world. The sessions will take place in Churches, schools, auditoriums and sports centers of Krakow.
*This afternoon and evening participate in organized World Your Day events

Day 5, Thursday, July 28: World Youth Day Krakow
Today World Youth Day participants will have catechesis sessions with Bishops, taking place in Churches, schools, auditoriums and sports centers of Krakow.
*Welcoming ceremony with our Holy Father!

Day 6, Friday, July 29: World Youth Day Krakow
Today World Youth Day participants will have catechesis sessions with Bishops, taking place in Churches, schools, auditoriums and sports centers of Krakow.
*This afternoon enjoy organized World Youth Day events and the Stations of the Cross

Day 7, Saturday, July 30: World Youth Day - Pilgrimage Walk
Today we make our pilgrimage walk to the site of the Closing Mass. Tonight we participate in the Evening Candlelight Vigil with the Holy Father and hundreds of thousands of our fellow pilgrims from around the world.

Day 8, Sunday, July 31 : World Youth Day Krakow – Mass of Sending – Afternoon visit to Wadowice
Today we’ll attend World Youth Day Mass of Sending. This morning the Pope will concelebrate Mass with thousands of bishops and priests, and he will address young people and those who are not so young, to send them out to the world to witness their faith, as the Lord did with his Apostles. Later, we will visit Wadowice, the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla (Blessed Pope John Paul II) and see the Church he attended and was baptized as a child. If preferred, you might remain in Krakow to explore on your own.

Day 9, Monday, August 1: Departure
This morning we leave Krakow for our return flight(s) home or participate in the many post tours which will be offered. We will bid farewell to our new friends and to a World Youth Day experience. Its blessings will last a lifetime and its graces are certain to draw us closer to the Lord in our daily life.

Pilgrimage Options: Pre Tour to Krakow, Lagiewnik, Czestochowa, Wadowice & Auchwitz $360 Private Room $TBA Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (one-way)   -  pending upon availability $1,750 Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (Round-Trip)  -  pending upon availability $3,500 *All Upgrades & Options will be available to you after you press the above*

Additional Information & Travel Tips:

What to Know Before You Go to Poland


WORLD YOUTH DAY - TERMS & CONDITIONS

MINOR LIABILITY WAIVER AND HEALTH FORM
For youth participants under 18 traveling without parent

click here for a printable flyer

Office Use Only MP072416

The coordination of the Diocesan World Youth Day Centers and the National Organization Office WYD Polish Bishops' Conference is still in the works on the details and we will be posting as soon as we get more news. If your group decides to participate in the Days in the Diocese you will be assigned a diocese by the WYD office that manages Days in the Diocese registrations.206 Tours will work with you to provide transfers to and from your host diocese.

On Monday, 25th July, the pilgrims will proceed to Krakow for the XXXI World Youth Day.

To register click the button.

World Youth Day Stage
Main Market Square, Krakow, Poland
Main Square, Krakow, Poland
Krakow: City of our Blessed John Paul II A Friend of the Youth Karol Wojtyla (Blessed Pope John Paul II) was born in the Polish town of Wadowice on May 18, 1920. He moved to Krakow with his father in 1938, where he attended Jagiellonian University and began studying for the priesthood. He was ordained as a priest on November 1, 1946 and went on to continue his studies in Rome until 1948. He returned to Poland that same year for his first pastoral assignment in the village of Niegowic, which lasted seven months. He then was transferred to the parish of St. Florian in Krakow, where he also spent time hiking in the mountains and canoeing with young people. Karol Wojtyla’s personality and ability to connect with young people attracted large crowds to his sermons. He not only had a group of people regularly attend his liturgy at 6:00AM, but also celebrate name-days and travel together to hike the Bieszczady Mountains and canoe on the Masurian Lakes. The group was very close, and referred to Priest Karol as ‘’Wujek,” which is Polish for Uncle. Karol Wojtyla continued his theological studies, and in 1958 he was nominated Bishop. Soon after, he participated in preparations for the Second Vatican Council. Following the death of Archbishop Eugeniusz Basiak in 1963, he became the Bishop of Krakow and four years later was appointed Cardinal by Pope Paul VI. Karol Wojtyla was a strong advocate of the youth movement, ‘’Light-Life,” established in 1969 by Fr. Franciszek Blachnicki. He appreciated the importance of the movement and the religious formation offered to young people through the creation of summer camps. Communist authorities saw the camps as alarming, and activists of the movement were persecuted. Many Bishops distanced themselves from the movement out of fear of endangering the Church. As a Cardinal, Karol Wojtyla officially approved the summer camps as part of pastoral activites in the Krakow archbishopric. He often attended meetings with students, preached at retreats, made surprise visits to offer confession, and unofficially supported the programs financially, including giving funds to the poorest students. John Paul II addressed the youth on the inauguration of his pontificate, in his first speech delivered from the window of the Apostolic Palace before the Angelus. He exclaimed, ‘’...my hope, because you are the promise of tomorrow. You are the hope of the Church and society.” Meetings with young people were immensely important for Blessed Pope John Paul II, and he is notably behind the creation of World Youth Day. Blessed Pope John Paul II often returned to Wadowice, Niegowic, Krawkow and Zakopane, where his road to the Papacy all began. He recalled on a pilgrimage to his homeland, ‘’Here, in this land, I was born. Here, in Krakow, I spent the greater part of my life... Here, I received the grace of my priestly vocation... I was consecrated Bishop in the Cathedral of Wawel.” Karol Wojtyla’s journey to Rome for the conclave started in Krakow, where he became an adult, an artist, and a devoted shepherd of souls. After returning from a week long Lenten retreat, he was suffering from the effects of the flu, his condition continued to decline. He continued to resume his usual audiences and visiting with bishops until his condition prompted him to appear via television to Pilgrims. On April 2, 2005, his final hours were filled with uninterrupted prayer by those assisting him, and by thousands filling St. Peter’s Square. His last words, fitting to a life filled with prayer, were ”Amen, Amen”. His miracle for Beatification came from a french nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, who was struck with Parkinson’s several months after his death. His Beatification Ceremony took place on May 1, 2011, was the biggest event in Rome since his death, and is the quickest of modern times. With over 300,000 attendees, and over 2 million taking part in beatification-related activities. ”It’s not like Karol Wojtyla, John Paul II, will suddenly become a saint when the canonization ceremony occurs. The belief would be he is already in heaven with God, living the life of a saint. All that’s going to happen when the ceremony occurs is that the Church will officially recognize that” - Pope Francis

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