The rooftops and church towers of Vilnius Old Town, the cathedral among them

Kosher Heritage Tour of Lithuania and Poland

Vilnius, Kaunas, Lublin, Kraków and Warsaw, Lithuania and PolandWhere

Not currently scheduledDates

Price to be announcedFrom

The tour

Eight days through the Jewish history of Lithuania and Poland

Our kosher heritage tour of Lithuania and Poland is eight days with the group and an English-speaking guide: Vilnius, once called the Jerusalem of Lithuania, with Shabbat kept there; Trakai and Kaunas; a flight on to Warsaw and Lublin, center of Jewish scholarship in Poland; Kraków and the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter; and the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial. Every meal is Kosher Full Board and Glatt Mehadrin. It is one of our Jewish heritage tours. The next departure is to be announced.

8 days, 7 nights: Thursday to Thursday. The June 2025 departure has passed and the tour is not currently scheduled. Tell us you are interested and we will let you know when the next dates are set.
Where: Vilnius, Trakai and Kaunas in Lithuania; Lublin, Tarnów, Kraków and Warsaw in Poland, joined by a short domestic flight from Vilnius to Warsaw.
Meals: Kosher Full Board, Glatt Mehadrin, throughout. In places without a kosher restaurant nearby a cook and mashgiach travel with the group.
Guide: A leading local English-speaking guide, with Hugh Raichlin, our scholar in residence, on the history and the stories behind each stop.

The red-brick towers of Trakai Island Castle on a lake, sailboats on the water and a wooden bridge leading to it — Trakai Island Castle

The dark stone Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in front of the POLIN Museum's glass and copper facade, Warsaw — The Ghetto Heroes Monument and POLIN Museum, Warsaw

The arcaded stone courtyard and bell tower of Vilnius University's Great Courtyard — Vilnius University

The tall white classical facade of the Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin building — Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin

The stone walls and stepped gable of the Old Synagogue in Kazimierz, Kraków, with memorial stones in its forecourt — The Old Synagogue, Kazimierz

What the tour includes

Hotel accommodation for 7 nights, 4.5-star
An air-conditioned coach throughout
Leading local English-speaking guides, and Hugh Raichlin as scholar in residence
Kosher Full Board, Glatt Mehadrin
Entry fees to the museums and attractions on the itinerary
The domestic flight from Vilnius to Warsaw

International flights, a single supplement, and tips for local guides and service providers, are not included. We strongly recommend travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage. The recommended tip for the tour is $100 per person.

Kashrut

Kosher across Lithuania and Poland

Every meal on the tour is Kosher Full Board, Glatt Mehadrin. Where a hotel or a town has no kosher restaurant of its own, a cook and mashgiach travel with the group to prepare and supervise the food, so the standard holds for the whole eight days.

Shabbat is kept in Vilnius, in the middle of the tour. Tell us about any allergy or dietary need when you reserve.

A still forest lake near Vilnius, reflecting the trees and a cloudy sky — A forest lake near Vilnius

The hotels

Four stays: Vilnius, Lublin, Kraków and Warsaw

Vilnius: Three nights, including Shabbat, in a 4.5-star hotel.
Lublin: One night, after the flight from Vilnius and the stop at Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin.
Kraków: One night, for the Old City and the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter.
Warsaw: Two nights, after Auschwitz-Birkenau, for the city's Jewish and cultural sites.

St Mary's Basilica on Rynek Główny, Kraków, in morning light — Rynek Główny, Kraków

The pale stone facade of the Vilnius Choral Synagogue, with a Star of David and Hebrew inscription above the doors — The Vilnius Choral Synagogue

Day by day

The Lithuania and Poland itinerary, day by day

This is the day plan of the June 2025 departure. The next departure will follow the same route unless we tell you otherwise. Two of these days, at Majdanek and at Auschwitz-Birkenau, are memorial visits, kept unhurried and without a fixed schedule beyond the group's own pace.

Day 1 · ThursdayArrival in Vilnius, assistance and transfer to the hotel. A walking tour along Gediminas Avenue and through the Old City to a panoramic viewpoint, then Vilnius University's 16th-century library. In the afternoon, the Jewish State Museum and the memorial at Ponar (Paneriai), the site of the massacre of some 100,000 Jews during the Holocaust.Overnight: Vilnius
Day 2 · FridayZežmariai's restored wooden synagogue, then Trakai's 14th-century lakeside castle and its Karaite Museum. In Kaunas: Old Town Hall Square, the site of the Slobodka Yeshiva and the old Jewish cemetery, the Kovno Synagogue and its Children's Memorial, and Sugihara House, home of the Japanese consul who issued some 6,000 transit visas to Jewish refugees in 1940. Return to Vilnius for Shabbat preparations.Overnight: Vilnius

A stone memorial at Ponar with a Star of David and a menorah relief, a Hebrew and Yiddish inscription below — The memorial at Ponar (Paneriai)

The domed, cream-colored Kaunas Choral Synagogue, a Star of David above its entrance — The Kaunas (Kovno) Choral Synagogue

The modest house and garden of Sugihara House in Kaunas — Sugihara House, Kaunas

Day 3 · Shabbat, SaturdayServices at the only functioning synagogue in Vilnius. A Jewish Quarter walking tour taking in the sites of the Ramailes Yeshiva, the Great Synagogue and Shulhoyf, the heritage of the Vilna Gaon, and the ghetto sites, with the stories of Rav Israel Salanter, Rav Yitzchak Elchanan, and the debates between the Hasidim and the Mitnagdim. Shabbat meals, tefillot and Havdalah with the group.Overnight: Vilnius

The pale stone front of the Vilnius Choral Synagogue with its Hebrew inscription and Star of David — The Vilnius Choral Synagogue, "the only functioning Vilna Synagogue"

A cobbled street in Vilnius Old Town — Vilnius Old Town

Day 4 · SundayA morning flight to Warsaw, continuing by coach to Lublin. A visit to Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin, once the center of Jewish scholarship in Poland, then Majdanek, the former concentration camp on the edge of the city.Overnight: Lublin

The rooftops of Lublin's Old Town from above — Lublin Old Town

The concrete dome of the Majdanek mausoleum, an inscription on its rim, no remains visible — The mausoleum at Majdanek

Day 5 · MondayA stop in Tarnów, where remnants of Jewish life remain, then on to Kraków's Old City: Rynek Główny and the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364. In the afternoon, the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter: the Ramo Synagogue and the old Jewish cemetery, the Old Synagogue, the High Synagogue, the Temple Synagogue and the Jewish Community Centre.Overnight: Kraków

The stone walls of the Old Synagogue in Kazimierz, memorial stones in its forecourt — The Old Synagogue, Kazimierz

Old, weathered tombstones among the grass of Remuh Cemetery, Kazimierz — Remuh Cemetery, Kazimierz

Day 6 · TuesdayAuschwitz I, the concentration camp museum, and Birkenau, the extermination camp and its crematoria ruins, with a memorial ceremony at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The day is kept unhurried, at the group's own pace. In the evening, the drive on to Warsaw.Overnight: Warsaw

The brick perimeter wall and gate of Auschwitz I, quiet and empty — The gate at Auschwitz I

Day 7 · WednesdayA Jewish and cultural tour of Warsaw: the Nożyk Synagogue and the Janusz Korczak Monument, Próżna Street and a remnant of the Ghetto Wall, the Umschlagplatz Memorial, the Mila 18 Bunker site, Ghetto Heroes Square and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Jewish Cemetery and Mordechai Anielewicz Street, and the Old Town: the Royal Castle, Sigismund's Column, the Market Square and the Little Insurgent Monument. Optional: Łazienki Park and the Chopin Monument.Overnight: Warsaw

Castle Square in Warsaw, with the Sigismund Column and the Royal Castle — Castle Square, Warsaw

The cream facade of Nożyk Synagogue, Warsaw, with a Star of David above its arched windows — Nożyk Synagogue, Warsaw

The Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in front of the POLIN Museum, Warsaw — Ghetto Heroes Square and the POLIN Museum

The Palace on the Water reflected in the lake of Łazienki Park, Warsaw — The Palace on the Water, Łazienki Park (optional)

Day 8 · ThursdayBreakfast and check-out, then transfer to the airport for your flight home.Departure

Scholar and Shabbat

Hugh Raichlin, and Shabbat in Vilnius

Hugh Raichlin travels with the tour as scholar in residence. Born and raised in Johannesburg, Hugh holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Law and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Witwatersrand, and has been a practicing attorney since 1986. For 28 years he has lectured across South Africa and internationally on the Jewish communities of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Russia, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Rhodes, India, Italy, Argentina, China, Japan and Morocco, and has led tours to India, Morocco, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Belarus, Budapest, Bratislava, Germany and Vienna.

Shabbat falls in Vilnius, on day 3, in the middle of the tour: services at the city's one functioning synagogue, a Jewish Quarter walking tour, and Shabbat meals, tefillot and Havdalah together with the group.

The arcaded courtyard of Vilnius University, associated with the Vilna Gaon's city of scholars — Vilnius University

The Old Synagogue in Kazimierz, Kraków's historic Jewish Quarter — The Old Synagogue, Kazimierz

The pace

Who the tour suits, and its two memorial days

This is a walking tour with a coach between cities and one domestic flight. Most days are full, with several sites, and two days, Majdanek on day 4 and Auschwitz-Birkenau on day 6, are memorial visits, kept unhurried and without the pace of a sightseeing day.

Old towns and Jewish Quarter walks mean cobbled streets and some steps, in Vilnius, Kraków's Kazimierz and Warsaw's Old Town
Day 4 (Lublin, Majdanek) and day 6 (Kraków, Auschwitz-Birkenau) are quiet, reflective days; the group sets its own pace at the memorial sites
A short domestic flight connects Vilnius and Warsaw, on day 4
Shabbat in Vilnius, day 3, is a rest day in the middle of the tour
The reservation form asks for a short health declaration, because some tours are more active than others

The white town hall of Kaunas, the 'White Swan', on its square — Kaunas Old Town Hall Square

Price

What the Lithuania and Poland tour costs

The price of the next departure is to be announced, per person sharing a double room.

The price covers 7 nights' hotel accommodation, the coach, the guides, Kosher Full Board, entry fees on the itinerary and the domestic flight from Vilnius to Warsaw. International flights, the single supplement, tips and travel insurance are extra.

Deposit and terms

What you pay, and when

Payment

On booking$1,000 per person
Balance120 days before departure

All prices and payments are in US dollars.

If you need to cancel

120 days or more before$500 per person
45 to 120 days before50% of the invoice
Within 45 daysNo refund

We strongly recommend travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage.

What happens after you inquire

You send a short inquiry
A few questions, with this tour already filled in.
We reply within one working day
The person for your region calls or emails you and tells you when the next departure is set.
We answer every question
Kashrut, the memorial days, rooms, flights, deposit and balance. Ask as many as you like.
Places are confirmed in order of booking
The group has a fixed number of places. Your reservation form and deposit confirm yours.

Your hosts

Who is looking after you

David Walles
Tours
David runs our tours with Chana. They made Aliyah from Melbourne in 2008 and took over Eddie's Kosher Travel.
Chana Walles
Tours
Chana manages our tours with David.

Before you travel, send us your flight times into Vilnius and home from Warsaw, so the first day and the last connection can be timed for you. For anything else, the simplest route is an email or a call to the line for your region; every missed call and message is returned.

The white town hall of Kaunas on its square, a clear sky above — Kaunas Old Town Hall Square

What our guests have to say

What guests said

“You are real pros! The choice of local guides and locations was exceptional.”

Marvin and Teme · Jerusalem · Jewish Spain and Gibraltar

“Organizing and running Kosher tours is not an easy task and your company achieved a degree of professionalism and excellence which will be hard to meet.”

Monty and Eileen · Canada · Tour

Questions

Asked before booking the Lithuania and Poland tour

When is the next kosher heritage tour of Lithuania and Poland?

The last departure was in June 2025. The tour is not currently scheduled. Tell us you are interested and we will let you know as soon as the next dates are set.

Where does the tour go?

Vilnius, Trakai and Kaunas in Lithuania, then a short flight to Warsaw and on to Lublin, Tarnów and Kraków in Poland, before returning to Warsaw. Eight days in all, with Shabbat kept in Vilnius.

Is every meal kosher?

Yes. The tour is Kosher Full Board, Glatt Mehadrin, throughout. Where a hotel or town has no kosher restaurant nearby, a cook and mashgiach travel with the group.

Where is Shabbat kept?

In Vilnius, on day 3, in the middle of the tour: services at the city’s one functioning synagogue, a Jewish Quarter walking tour, and Shabbat meals, tefillot and Havdalah with the group.

Does the tour visit Auschwitz-Birkenau?

Yes, on day 6: Auschwitz I, the concentration camp museum, and Birkenau, the extermination camp and its crematoria ruins, with a memorial ceremony. The day is kept unhurried, at the group’s own pace. Majdanek, near Lublin, is visited on day 4.

Who is Hugh Raichlin?

The tour’s scholar in residence: an attorney from Johannesburg who has lectured for 28 years on Jewish communities across Europe, Asia and Latin America, and has led tours to Lithuania, Poland and beyond.

Are flights included?

The one-way domestic flight from Vilnius to Warsaw is included. You book your own international flights; send us your flight times.

Do I need travel insurance?

We strongly recommend insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage, bought soon after you pay your deposit so the cover is complete.

Also on the tour calendar

Our other kosher tours

Every escorted tour we run, with its dates, is on the kosher tours page.

Discover

The world beyond the ordinary.

Connect

Friendships that outlast the trip.

Enrich

Memories that touch the soul.

FromPrice to be announced

Jerusalem at dusk, seen from the Inbal Hotel

Inquire

Speak to someone about your trip

Call the line for your region, or send an inquiry and we will come back to you.

info@koshertravelers.com

Speak to Shelley in reservations. Every missed call and message is returned.

Since 1991 · Glatt Mehadrin