This 2-week Poland WWII itinerary makes for a perfect road trip for history geeks like us. For better or worse, Poland has so much interesting World War II history to share so you’ll be able to see an incredible amount in 14 days.
This itinerary starts and ends in the capital city of Warsaw and loops you around the entire country. The vast majority of it centers around World War II history, but I’ve included some non-WWII stops too.
It covers tons of the most significant historical destinations here including all six Nazi death camps, which I believe are a must-visit. With just one small exception (which I’ll point out), this is the exact Poland WWII itinerary I followed for my own May/June 2024 road trip. Enjoy!
How to get to Poland
Despite the fact that Poland isn’t exactly one of Europe’s top tourist destinations, Warsaw is still really easy to get to. I personally flew to Warsaw from Dubrovnik with a layover in Vienna, but you can find direct flights to Warsaw’s Chopin Airport (WAW) from all over Europe, especially on LOT Airlines, Poland’s flagship carrier. (Though I flew Austrian Airlines.)
If you wish to arrive by land, know that it’s going to take a little bit longer since Warsaw is pretty far from other major European destinations. Your closest starting point would be Berlin, Germany and that’ll still take about 6 hours to drive and about 5 hours by train.
How to get around Poland
This 2-week Poland WWII itinerary requires you to have access to your own car. While you can certainly travel around Poland by train, most of the country’s WWII sites are fairly remote and only (reasonably) accessible by car.
This also allows you the most freedom and ability to visit all the sites on this road trip itinerary with limited wasted time. You can check out the best Poland rental car deals here. This is the rental car booking site I always use, and I had a great rental experience in Poland with a company called Kaizen Rent.
Poland is a relatively large country, but allowing yourself two weeks to explore it means you won’t have many long driving days. The longest driving day you’ll have will be on day three going from Warsaw to Gdańsk, but I break it up a few times with some interesting stops.
For more on what to expect during your WW2 road trip, check out my post on what it’s like driving around Poland.
Poland WWII itinerary at a glance
Before we get into the details, here’s what you can expect from my 2-week Poland WWII itinerary:
- Day 0: Travel to Warsaw
- Days 1 & 2: Warsaw
- Day 3: Warsaw > Treblinka > Wolf’s Lair > Gdańsk
- Day 4: Gdańsk
- Day 5: Gdańsk > Malbork > Poznań
- Day 6: Poznań
- Day 7: Poznań > Chełmno > Wrocław
- Day 8: Wrocław
- Day 9: Wrocław > Książ Castle > Walimskie Tunnels > Kraków
- Day 10: Kraków / Auschwitz
- Day 11: Kraków > Belzec > Lublin
- Day 12: Lublin / Majdanek
- Day 13: Lublin > Sobibor > Warsaw
About this itinerary
This post serves as a broad look at what kind of route you can take to visit many of the most interesting WWII sites in Poland. To save time (and spare your attention), I don’t go into a ton of detail here. Instead, I’ve linked to each of my more detailed posts where appropriate.
To see them all now, head here for all my Poland articles.
Poland WWII itinerary map
This map contains all the historic sites (and other tourist attractions), suggested hotels, and restaurants I mention in this post. To save this map: Click on the star ⭑ next to the map’s title to save in your Google Maps. To use this map: When you get here, open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved” at the bottom, then click “Maps.”
- Green = World War II sites
- Blue = Non-WWII sites and attractions
- Brown = Bar/restaurant recommendations
- Black = Hotel recommendations
Day 0: Arrive in Warsaw
I’ve included two full days in Warsaw on this itinerary, so I’ll officially begin the road trip tomorrow. For today, all you have to do is get to Warsaw. Check in to your hotel and take it easy tonight. No need to pick up your rental car just yet because Warsaw is pretty easy to get around without one. We’ll get the car on Day 3 when he leave Warsaw.
Where to stay in Warsaw
There are so many great hotels to choose from in Warsaw, but here are a few suggestions to get you started:
There are plenty more to choose from though; see all Warsaw hotel options here.
Days 1 & 2: Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital of Poland and a major hub for World War II history. I was surprised by how much I loved this city, and for reasons beyond the historical aspects. I’ve allotted for two full days here because there’s just so much to do (and great places to eat).
WWII sites in Warsaw
I’ll leave the order and selection of how you spend your time in Warsaw up to you, but here are some of the most popular WWII sites:
This is only a very brief sample though. See my full post on visiting WWII sites in Warsaw for the full list with details, photos, and links.
Non-WWII things to do in Warsaw
Beyond the WW2 stuff, there’s much more to do in Warsaw for a more well-rounded visit:
- Explore Warsaw’s Old Town
- Tour the Royal Castle
- Climb up St. Anne’s bell tower for great views
- Visit the Chopin Museum
- Take a river cruise
Again, there’s so much more to do here than just these few things. I also have a post about more of the non-WWII sites to see in Warsaw if you’d like to check that out too.
Where to eat & drink in Warsaw
Warsaw totally surprised me by being a top-tier foodie city and I had some unforgettable meals here. Here are some of my favorite Warsaw bars and restaurants:
Again, if you’d like photos and more about each of these restaurants, see my Things to Do in Warsaw guide here.
Warsaw guided tours
If you’d like to take a guided tour of some sort while here, check out these highly-rated options:
- Jewish History Guided Walking Tour
- Warsaw Ghetto Private Walking Tour with Hotel Pickup
- Old Town Highlights Walking Tour
- Deluxe Polish Food Tour Experience
- Discover Vistula River Cruise
See all great Warsaw tours here on Viator and here on Get Your Guide.
Day 3: Warsaw > Treblinka > Wolf’s Lair > Gdańsk
Today will be the longest drive of this entire Poland WWII road trip, but it’ll be worth it. Expect to spend about 8 hours in the car today, but with some of the most unforgettable stops along the way.
Leave Warsaw
First order of business is picking up your rental car. If you still need to, you can rent one here at rentalcars.com.
Treblinka Extermination Camp
Our first stop of the day will be Treblinka Extermination Camp – one of the six major extermination camps in Poland. After Auschwitz, Treblinka was the second-deadliest of all the camps. Historians estimate the Nazis killed between 700,000 and 800,000 Jews, Roma, and Soviet POWs here.
Treblinka is just under 1.5 hours away from Warsaw. You’ll be able to visit the small museum here as well as several monuments and memorial sites, and some former building locations.
Check out my full guide to visiting Treblinka here.
Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair
After your time at Treblinka, hop back in the car and head north to visit the remains of the Wolf’s Lair – Hitler’s wartime bunker complex. This is also where the July 20, 1944 assassination plot (Operation Valkyrie) took place.
The drive from Treblinka to the Wolf’s Lair is about 3 hours. Once here, you’ll be able to see tons of massive historical bunkers all hidden in the forest. Though most of what you’ll see are ruins, there are also several museums to check out as well.
A visit to the Wolf’s Lair really needs at least two full hours to be fully experienced, so be sure to start your day early.
Check out my full guide to visiting Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair here.
Drive to Gdańsk
From the Wolf’s Lair, it’s another 3 hours to reach Gdańsk – the city where World War II in Europe officially began. You won’t need to do anything more tonight than check into your hotel and rest up to explore the city tomorrow.
Where to stay in Gdańsk
Here are a few great places to begin your hotel search in Gdańsk:
There are plenty more to choose from though; see all Gdańsk hotel options here.
Day 4: Gdańsk
Today you’ll have a full day in Gdańsk to enjoy this beautiful city and visit one of the world’s best World War II museums.
WWII sites in Gdańsk
Being the location of Nazi Germany’s first invasion into Poland to start World War II, Gdańsk has some really interesting historical sites you can visit. We’ll be visiting the sites on the Westerplatte tomorrow morning, so for today I’d concentrate on visiting the Museum of the Second World War and spending some time exploring the city on foot.
See my full guide to Gdańsk WWII sites here.
Non-WWII things to do in Gdańsk
Beyond the WW2 stuff, here’s more of what you can do in Gdańsk:
- Walk along the Długi Targ – The colorful main thoroughfare
- Climb the Town Hall tower for incredible views – There’s also a WWII exhibit up here
- Shop for amber on Mariacka Street – Gdańsk is the amber capital of the world
- Hang out by the waterfront
- Take a river cruise
- Visit the European Solidarity Center – Museum on the country’s Solidarity movement that largely contributed to the downfall of communist rule in Poland
For the full list, see my guide to all the non-WW2 things to do in Gdańsk here.
Where to eat & drink in Gdańsk
While there are tons of options here in Gdańsk, here are some of my favorite places to eat:
Gdańsk guided tours
And if you’d like to join a guided tour around the city, here are some popular options:
- Gdańsk Old Town 2-Hour Walking Tour
- 4-Hour Polish Food Tour
- City Cruise Around Gdańsk on Historical Boat
See all available Gdańsk tours here on Viator and here on Get Your Guide.
Day 5: Gdańsk > Malbork > Poznań
Today we’ll travel from Gdańsk to Poznań, stopping at the world’s largest castle along the way.
Morning in Gdańsk
After checking out of your hotel, get back in your car and drive 20 minutes north to the Westerplatte. (There’s plenty of parking when you get here.) The Westerplatte is the location of the first battles of World War II.
On the Westerplatte you can visit the large monument, see several other memorials, a small cemetery, and a couple of interesting open-air museum exhibitions as well as a handful of original defensive bunkers.
You can read much more about visiting the Westerplatte in my post on Gdańsk WWII sites.
Malbork Castle
From the Westerplatte, Malbork Castle is just under an hour’s drive. Parking is easy and nearby. Malbork Castle has earned the title of “world’s largest castle” given its extensive footprint. You can take self-guided tours of the castle or opt for a guided tour. Outside the castle, you can see photos of what the castle looked like after the destruction of WWII.
Spend a couple of hours here exploring the castle if you wish, or maybe just take a walk around the exterior and have lunch within its walls.
Poznań
From Malbork Castle we’ll head to Poznań which will be a little over a 3-hour drive. Poznań is another colorful Polish city with some interesting WWII history which we’ll dig into tomorrow. For tonight, I recommend checking into your hotel, taking a walk around the city’s Old Town Market Square, and grabbing dinner at whichever of the square’s many restaurants appeals to you.
Where to stay in Poznań
Here are a few great hotels to check out in Poznań:
See all Poznań hotel options here.
Day 6: Poznań
Today you’ll have a full day in Poznań. I recommend starting at the Enigma Cipher Center which details the city’s greatest WWII achievement.
WWII sites in Poznań
Here’s a sampling of the many WWII sites in Poznań. For the full list, see the link underneath.
Check out the full list of Poznań WWII sites here.
Non-WWII things to do in Poznań
And for a little break, check out these non-WW2 activities:
- Visit the Croissant Museum
- Check out one of the many beautiful cathedrals
- Explore more of Citadel Park (where you’ll find the Armament Museum)
Where to eat & drink in Poznań
Poznań is another noteworthy Polish foodie city that I didn’t take near enough advantage of. Each morning I had the amazing breakfast offered at my hotel (Solei Boutique Hotel). In addition to its selection of “regular” restaurants, Poznań also has 14 Michelin-starred restaurants if that sort of thing interests you. Otherwise, I recommend:
Poznań guided tours
Here are a few popular guided tours to check out:
- From Golden Age to Fall and Rebirth of Poland
- Poznań Experience Guided Walking Tour
- Private Jewish Heritage Tour
See all available Poznań tours here on Viator and here on Get Your Guide.
Day 7: Poznań > Chełmno > Wrocław
After breakfast in Poznań, we’ll head 1 hour and 45 minutes east to the museum and memorials of the former Chełmno Extermination Camp.
Chełmno extermination camp
Chełmno was another of the six major Nazi death camps where over 200,000 people were brutally murdered. You can visit the small but impactful museum here plus some of the original camp spaces and the one original building still standing. There’s also a large memorial area in the woods nearby.
Get all you need to know about visiting Chełmno here.
Wrocław
From Chełmno, it’s about a 3-hour drive to the city of Wrocław. Check in to your hotel then head out for a stroll around town and some delicious dinner. You’ll have a full day here tomorrow to explore more.
Where to stay in Wrocław
You can see all available Wrocław hotels here.
Day 8: Wrocław
Wrocław is another interesting and beautiful Polish city with its fair share of both WWII sites and non-WW2 sites to check out. Here are a few things to choose from during your time in Wrocław:
WWII sites in Wrocław
Non-WW2 things to do in Wrocław
- See how many of the small “Dwarf” sculptures you can find. More on Wrocław’s dwarves here.
- Head up to the Penitent’s Bridge for great views of the city
- Explore the colorful market square
- Spot the Lamplighters at work (Wrocław is one of only two cities in Europe to still use a lamplighter! The other is Zagreb, Croatia.)
- Check out the university, famous for its Baroque architecture
- Walk down Stare Jatki – The old butcher‘s street
Where to eat & drink in Wrocław
Wrocław guided tours
Here are some popular guided tour options for Wrocław:
- The secrets of World War II in Wrocław
- Third Reich and World War Two Historical Tour
- Guided Walking Tour in Wrocław
See all available Wrocław tours here on Viator and Get Your Guide.
Day 9: Wrocław > Książ Castle > Walimskie Tunnels > Kraków
Today we’ll head from Wrocław to Kraków, stopping at two interesting places along the way. The first stop will be Książ Castle, a 1-hour drive southeast of Wrocław.
Książ Castle
Książ Castle is the largest castle in this part of Poland and opened at the end of the 13th century. The Nazi regime seized the castle during WWII and integrated it into their vast underground tunnel network. It also served as the filming location for some important scenes in the Oscar-winning film Zone of Interest. (Which I highly recommend you watch!)
You can take audio-guided tours of the castle and explore its vast grounds on your own.
Walimskie Tunnels
This entire area sits on top of a vast underground tunnel network the Nazis created for various purposes. And you can even tour some of these tunnels today. Some, you can visit while at Książ Castle, but I visited the Walimskie Tunnels about 35 minutes away, part of Project Riese.
The Walimskie Tunnels offer guided tours every day, but only in Polish. However, you can rent one of their audio guides in English (or your preferred language). You’ll get to go deep into the tunnels under the mountains to see where the Nazis operated underground armaments factories.
On to Kraków
From the Walimskie Tunnels, it’s about a 4-hour drive east to Kraków. Chances are you’ll arrive fairly late, so you’ll probably want to just check in to your hotel and call it a night.
Where to stay in Kraków
There are many great hotels to choose from in Kraków. Here are a few places to begin your search:
See all Kraków hotel options here
Day 10: Auschwitz & Kraków
Day 10 of this Poland WWII itinerary is going to be one of the most memorable of the entire trip. Today’s the day you’ll visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, the deadliest of all Nazi concentration/extermination camps.
Auschwitz-Birkenau
The former camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau are just an easy 1-hour drive from Kraków. You’ll need to pre-register for a guided tour which will last 3.5 hours. You’ll tour both camps: Auschwitz and Birkenau and learn some truly unforgettable stuff.
It’s nearly impossible for me to sum up a visit to Auschwitz here in a brief paragraph, so please check out my full guide to visiting Auschwitz here for everything you need to know.
Explore Kraków
Your visit to Auschwitz will take up most of your day, but back in Kraków you’ll still have plenty of time to explore the city. We’ll visit many of the top WWII sites in Kraków tomorrow morning. Until then, you can:
- Take some time to walk around the Old Town and main square, visit the Cloth Hall and some of the historic gates
- Go inside St. Mary’s Basilica (the ornate altar here was stored inside the Nuremberg tunnels in Germany during the war)
- Climb the Town Hall Tower for great views
Where to eat in Kraków
Here are a couple restaurant suggestions for your time in Kraków:
Kraków guided tours
If you wanted to opt for a guided tour instead, check these out:
See all available Kraków tours here on Viator and Get Your Guide.
Day 11: Kraków > Belzec > Lublin
Today we’ll start our day visiting some unique WWII sites in Kraków, then travel to Belzec Extermination Camp, and then finally on to Lublin.
Kraków Ghetto
Today we’ll explore the area of the former Kraków Ghetto. This includes:
For a full breakdown of what each of these sites is like, see my post on WWII sites in Kraków.
You’ll need to book your tickets to Schindler’s Factory in advance because they do sell out. Get the earliest time possible so you’ll have time to visit everything else today. You’ll need to leave Kraków before 12:30pm in order to get to Belzec on time to visit the museum.
Belzec Extermination Camp
From Kraków, you’ll travel 3 hours east to the former extermination camp at Belzec, another of the six major Nazi death camps. You’ll be able to check out the unique memorial space as well as the impressive museum. Small as this place is, Belzec will live in my memories forever because of what I saw and experienced here. I hope you have just as memorable an experience.
Find everything you need to know in my guide to visiting Belzec.
On to Lublin
From Belzec, the drive to Lublin takes about two hours. You’ll arrive in time to check in to your hotel and have some dinner before calling a night.
Where to stay in Lublin
I personally didn’t stay the night in Lublin, so I don’t have any personal recommendations this time, but here are some of the most popular suggestions:
See all Lublin hotel options here.
Changes I’ve made
This is the point where my real-life itinerary differed a little bit. Instead of going straight to Lublin, I spent a couple nights in Zakopane instead. Zakopane is a mountain destination where I’d planned to do some hiking and outdoor stuff. Instead, it rained the whole time so I really have nothing to report from Zakopane.
The other difference is that instead of staying in Lublin at this point, my friend and I stayed in Zamość instead to be closer to the two camps we were going to visit next. Zamość is yet another colorful Polish city with some interesting WWII history, but I wouldn’t recommend staying here unless you have to.
The town is really small and we had an impossible time trying to find any restaurant open for dinner, and the same for breakfast in the morning. (The cafés and donut shops don’t open until 10am at the earliest! What on earth.) If I were to do this again, I’d just go straight to Lublin.
Day 12: Lublin & Majdanek
Today you’ll have the chance to visit #5 of the six main Nazi death camps as well as explore some of what Lublin has to offer.
Majdanek Concentration Camp
Unlike most of the death camps in this Poland WWII itinerary (with the exception of Auschwitz), Majdanek still has many of its original structures left to see. Like Auschwitz, you can visit several of the original bunkers, the gas chambers and crematoria, and several museum exhibitions throughout the former camp.
One striking thing to note about Majdanek is that, unlike the others, this camp is in the middle of a bustling city. Visits are self-guided and be sure to give yourself plenty of time to explore because this place is huge and you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
Check out my full guide to visiting Majdanek here.
Explore Lublin
After your morning at Majdanek, take some time to explore more of Lublin. Before the war, Lublin had a Jewish population of about 40,000. By the time the city was liberated in July 1944, the Nazis had killed every last one of them. Here are a few ways you can spend your time here:
- Museum of Martyrdom – Located inside the former gestapo torture prison
- Lublin Village open-air museum – Showcasing what historic life in Poland was like through traditional buildings and experiences
- Lublin Royal Castle – Museum and castle from the 14th century and prison during Nazi times
- Take an Old Town Highlights Private Walking Tour
Day 13: Lublin > Sobibor > Warsaw
This will be your last full day of your Poland WWII itinerary and will mostly focus on getting you back to your starting point in Warsaw, with one interesting stop along the way.
Sobibor Extermination Camp
From Lublin, the last of the six major Nazi death camps–Sobibor–is just under an hour and a half away. Once here, you’ll be able to visit the small but brand new museum as well as the many meaningful memorial spaces.
You’ll learn about the 180,000 Jews killed here, but also about the many uprising and resistance activities that took place. You can then follow the Trail of Memory to the locations of the former camp buildings.
See my full guide to visiting Sobibor here for all the details.
On to Warsaw
After your time at Sobibor, the next stop is back in Warsaw, just over 3 hours away. Return your rental car, have a nice dinner somewhere, and relax after a long (but hopefully rewarding!) two weeks in Poland. I hope you enjoyed your trip!
More info for your visit to Poland
- Hotels: Find great places to stay on Booking.com (my go-to). Expedia and Hotels.com are worth checking too. VRBO is best for apartment rentals.
- Rental cars: Check out the best local rental car deals here.
- For more local tours, check out all the options from Viator and Get Your Guide.
- Don’t forget a Poland guidebook and this must-have Poland customs and culture guide!
- Want more? See all my Poland posts here.
Like this post? Have questions about this Poland WWII itinerary? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading.
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