Winter is a prime time for mammal watching and furthermore, offers a fantastic snowy scenery. Of course we can’t guarantee weather but have planned this tour at the most reliable time – historically highest chances of snow.
You will spend the first four nights in the Białowieża Forest – the last remaining primeval forest in the lowland Europe. It covers an area of over 1500 km2 in the tranquil corner of Poland. Saved from logging, this forest became world’s last refuge for European Bison – the largest land mammal on our continent. This area also holds strong populations of Wolves and Lynx and we will offer day trips at the best sites.
What’s more, you will get a chance to visit the strict protection area of the Białowieża National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site. The pristine, natural forest of huge, centuries-old trees and home to the rarest Black, White-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers. Although there are few birds around at this time, you may get some great views of winter rarities like the mentioned woodpeckers but also a White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Great Grey Shrike, Hawfinch, Kingfisher or Waxwing.
In addition, you will spend two nights in the famous Biebrza Marshes – one of Europe’s last natural lowland river valleys. Saved from drainage by the non-intensive local farming, these fragile habitats became home for hundreds of rare species including a huge population of Elk (Moose), European Beavers, Otters as well as a few packs of Wolves and several Lynx.
We will stay at family-run wooden guesthouses/hotels in comfortable twin or single rooms being served gorgeous, local food.
Our local guides are experienced, have access to the best areas and all the recent sightings. 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 as well as a short visit at the Warsaw old town will add a unique taste to this tour.
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13:00 (at the latest) pick up from Warsaw F. Chopin Airport Okecie (WAW) or your hotel in Warsaw and transfer to Białowieża Forest. After ca. 4 hrs drive we will check in at a comfortable guesthouse/hotel in the Białowieża village.
After a hearty Polish dinner the guide will introduce you to the area and talk about the plans. For the next three full days (Days 2 to 4) we will be exploring the Białowieża Forest and surrounding areas.
If time allows, we may already go on a Bison Safari on the 1st day so that you can get accustomed to the area and possibly see some wildlife!
Bojarski Gościniec guesthouse or similar
Meals included: lunch en route, dinner
At dawns and dusks we will go after wild European Bison, trying to get you close to these magnificent animals.
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. We have seen wild Bison on all our previous trips so far and have had some really close encounters, especially in winter.
At middays, we will take you further into the wild. You will see some of our favourite trails that wind through a variety of different habitats deep in the Białowieża Forest. Species seen on such walks include some of the rare woodpeckers, birds of prey or mammals such as Bison, Red Deer or even Wolves and Lynx.
Bojarski Gościniec guesthouse or similar
Meals included: breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
At dawn and dusk, we will take you further into the wild, deep into the Wolves’ and Lynx territory. There are 4 packs of Wolves and several Lynx in this area and our local guides follow them regularly so we are always up to date with their whereabouts.
Walking along the edge ot the Wolves’ territory we often see numerous footprints, scratching and other signs of their activity. Each year we also find some freshly killed prey near the track. Seeing Wolves or Lynx is rare, but each year some groups do see them! And hearing Wolves howling is an unforgettable experience.
Depending on the season, we may visit two-three or even four different sites for tracking Wolves so you will also see a tremendous variety of different habitats. Species seen on such walks include some of the rare woodpeckers, birds of prey or mammals such as Bison, Red Deer, Wild Boar or Pine Marten.
On one of the days our expert nature guide will also invite you for a walk through the only accessible part of the Strict Protection Area of the National Park in Białowieża, the Man and Biosphere Reserve and a 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. Our expert guide will share his great knowledge with enthusiasm that will change your view of nature. This excursion will awaken and educate. You will feel as if you have been transported into a BBC wildlife documentary.
You will also have a chance to see some of the rare woodpeckers like Black, White-backed or Three-toed as well as other winter birds (Hawfinch, Waxwing, Pygmy Owl). All our guides are experienced birders and will point out everything that there is to see.
After sunset on day 4 we will set off for a ca. 2 hrs journey to the Biebrza Marshes. We will check in at the wooden family-run guesthouse in time for dinner, followed by the introduction to the next days in the Marshes,
Bojarski Gościniec/Dwór Dobarz guesthouse or similar
Meals included: breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
This early morning we will go for an Elk (Moose) safari driving and walking through the pine forest – Elks’ winter habitat. There are over 1000 Elks in this area and our guides know the marshes like the back of their hands. We have had some fantastic close encounters with Elks on most previous trips, especially in winter and early spring.
After a hearty Polish breakfast we will continue visiting the best sites that Biebrza has to offer. You will see some fantastic landscapes as we carefully scan the river edges and frozen marshes looking for Beavers and Otters that surface and come out to feed and groom their fur. Other species we often see are Great Grey Shrikes, Rough-legged Buzzards, Red Fox, American Mink but also White-tailed Eagles.
Dwór Dobarz guesthouse or similar
Meals included: breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
This morning our guide will take you into the restricted area of the Biebrza National Park, the famous Red Bog Reserve, home for one pack of Wolves, a few Lynx and plenty of other wildlife. You will learn the advanced tracking skills and see some of the most stunning landscapes. We will spend some time on the glacial sand dunes at the edge of the marsh and have our packed lunch in the heart of the National Park overviewing the vast marshland.
Depending on the season, availability and wildlife situation we may change the exact route and visit some of the other trails of equal or even better quality, in the middle or southern basin of the Biebrza National Park.
Dwór Dobarz guesthouse or similar
Meals included: breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
This morning, after our usual substantial breakfast (don’t worry, you will get used to it by the end of the holiday) we will set off for a ca. 3 hours journey back to Warsaw. We plan to arrive at Warsaw by 12:00, have a short walk in the Old Town and sit at a small restaurant for a traditional Polish lunch.
The tour ends when we arrive in Warsaw. Participants book a hotel there and flights home at their own expense. Around 16:00 we will drive you to the WAW airport or drop you off at a hotel, if you stay in Warsaw.
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 ;-)
