Białowieża Forest is the last remaining primeval forest in the lowland Europe. It covers an area of over 1500 km2 in the tranquil corner of Poland. Gigantic centuries old trees grow here in a tremendous variety of habitats recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve now visited by people from all over the world. Most importantly, this area became world’s last refuge of European Bison – the largest land mammal on our continent.
This tour is your unique chance to visit this exceptional forest and see wild European Bison in a weekend!
You will spend one night at a comfortable, family run guesthouse/hotel in a centrally located Białowieża or Narewka village and go on walks into the forest as well as a safari style drive – all in order to show you a range of Bison habitats, explain the species dramatic history as well as biology and habits. We may see individual bulls, small groups and larger herds, depending on the season.
There have been well over 200 bird and 50 mammal species recorded here and we often see some of the rare woodpeckers or a Pygmy Owl – Europe’s smallest owl on this trip. There are a few packs of Wolves and several Lynx in the Białowieża Forest, too and as we frequently see their tracks and signs, a few of our groups every year also see Wolves!
Our local guides are experienced, have access to the best areas and see wild Bison regularly. Our customers say they are a wealth of knowledge and even fun but best to check it out yourselves. What is more, the eastern Polish traditional landscape with small, wooden houses and locally grown, gorgeous food will add a unique taste to this tour.
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We meet at 08:00 in central Warsaw in front of the Palace of Culture and Science main entrance, eastern side, facing Marszałkowska Street (google map link here ›). Our guide and a minibus will be waiting for you there 15 minutes before. Transfer to our lodge in the Białowieża Forest takes ca. 4 hrs and our guide will introduce you to the area and talk about the plans on the way.
After checking in we will have a proper Polish lunch and go for Bison Safari already on the 1st day! This usually involves driving in the minibus with a few stops and short walks. “Usually” – because some of our tours managed to see wild Bison already on the way to the lodge or right from its restaurant’s viewing terrace while having lunch! Other wildlife seen on this day previously include Red and Roe Deer, Elk (Moose), Red Fox or even Wolves. It is also not rare to see Cranes, Eagles or other birds of prey.
We will finish the day with a hearty three-course Polish dinner. Our guide will introduce you to the plans for tomorrow and explain the Primeval Białowieża Forest fascinating history.
Hotel: Dworek Gawra/Bojarski Gościniec guesthouse
Meals included: lunch, dinner
At dawn we will once again go after wild European Bison, trying to get you close to these magnificent animals in the morning light. There are over 800 Bison living in the wild here and we have the best local knowledge on where to find them. We will transfer in our minibus through the forest and go for a few short walks and visit a number of different lookout sites in a more safari style. We may see individual old bulls, small herds of younger animals or large mixed herds of cows with calves. Our guides see wild Bison regularly and we have had some really close encounters on majority of our previous trips, especially in the autumn, winter and early spring.
After a hearty Polish breakfast back at our lodge we will check out and transfer nearby to meet the Białowieża National Park local guide. You will take a 3 hrs walk through the strictly protected part of the Białowieża National Park, the Biosphere Reserve and the core area of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a must-see for every visitor in Białowieża. This trip takes you back in time a few thousand years, when most of Europe was covered with a similar forest. The dense forest of huge, centuries-old trees that host thousands of creatures on the verge of extinction.
It became a highlight of the tour for many of our previous visitors. Our expert guides share their deep knowledge with enthusiasm that will change your view of nature. You will also have a chance to see some of the rare woodpeckers like Black, White-backed or Three-toed as well as other birds, depending on the season. All our guides are experienced birders and will point out everything that there is to see.
After lunch at a small Polish restaurant in the Białowieża village we will set off for a ca. 4 hours journey back to Warsaw. We plan to arrive at central Warsaw (Palace of Culture and Science where we picked you up) after 20:00.
The tour ends when we arrive in Warsaw. Participants book a hotel there and flights home at their own expense.
Hotel: none
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
You should bring the following necessary items:
You may consider bringing the following useful items:
Polish food is very good, usually made from fresh produce. We are certainly meat eaters, not shunning from the fatty cuts. Pork and poultry are most popular. Soups are also a very Polish dish and while we do like our broth and borsch, many other soups are a full meal in itself.
Breakfasts tend to be hearty and often consist of fried or scrambled eggs, boiled or fried sausage, cold cuts, cheese, tomatoes and bread. A sweet version consisting of cheese/jam filled pancakes or racuchy (pancakes with apples) is also quite common.
For lunches we will take packed sets (two sandwiches, piece of fruit, chocolate bar, water) to eat in the field or stop at a local cafe where possible.
Dinners are a substantial 3-course meal served back at our guesthouse.
These days vegetarians are usually well catered for, but please let us know at the time of booking. However, it can be difficult for vegans, as dairy produce and eggs occur in the vast majority of meals. Therefore we recommend that you bring some supplementary items.
We (Wild Poland) are fully insured tour operator as required by Polish and European law. However, all participants must additionally be covered by personal travel and medical insurance, preferably from the time of booking. This should cover you fully against the cost of cancellation by you, lost baggage, medical care and repatriation.
We do not provide or check personal travel insurance policies. See our booking conditions › for more details.
First of all, we are a registered tour operator in Poland. All holidays by Wild Poland are protected by the Mazovian Province and our tour operator insurance. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Province executives guarantee to refund any money you have paid to us for any future booking.
Secondly – you get 100% money back guarantee with Wild Poland. By booking, you will be asked to pay a small deposit to confirm your place. It allows us to book the hotels etc. in your name. In a rare case that we have to cancel the departure because of insufficient number of participants, you will be refunded the full deposit amount. If your card is held in EUR or GBP small differences in the refunded amount may occur because of varying exchange rates.
Finally, we use Poland’s leading online payments gateways. Any critical credit card details are only entered at their secure pages and we have no access to, nor do we withhold any credit card details.
100% Money Back Guarantee with Wild Poland
By booking, you will be asked to pay a small deposit to confirm your place. In a rare case that we have to cancel the departure because of insufficient number of participants, you will be refunded the full deposit amount.
When booking a guaranteed tour within 30 days of departure you will be asked for a full payment instead of just the deposit.
Drop us an e-mail at info@wildpoland.com. I usually reply within two working days.
Promise to be friendly! - Łukasz ;-)
