Warsaw Old Town Tour

This walking tour explores the Old Town, called Stare MiasBest of Warsawto in Polish. During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85 percent of the Old Town was destroyed by Nazi troops, but it was rebuilt from the ground up after the war using pre-war paintings, photographs, and architectural drawings. The Historic Centre of Warsaw was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1980, recognized as one of the only complete reconstructions of a historic urban core anywhere in the world.

After meeting your guide, you start your tour in Castle Square. In the center of the square stands the Zygmunt Column, raised in 1644 to honor King Sigismund III Vasa, who moved the capital of Poland from Krakow to Warsaw in the early 1600s. On one side of the square are the Old Town Houses, and on the other, the Royal Castle. Your guide leads you on a private tour of the castle, which served as the official residence and offices of Poland's monarchs for centuries. Also destroyed in the war, it reopened as a National Monument and Museum in the 1980s and today stands as a symbol of Polish statehood.

After visiting the castle, you walk to the Old Town Market Place, the heartbeat of the area. Some of the most beautiful buildings in Warsaw line this square, which dates back to the 13th century. In past centuries, merchants and guilds met in the Town Hall here, and public markets, and even executions, once took place in this square. Today you find locals and tourists enjoying the many restaurants, cafes, and shops.

Next your guide takes you through the small streets of the Old Town, where you can admire the medieval architecture, the surviving city walls, and St. John's Archcathedral, one of the oldest churches in Warsaw. You end your tour near the fortifications known as the Barbican. When the entire city was surrounded by walls, this was once one of the main entries into the Old Town. The fortification is built in a semicircular design so that neither arrows nor cannonballs could easily penetrate its multiple doors, and it remains a top draw for visitors today.

After visiting the Barbican, your tour ends just outside the Old Town at the entrance to the New Town, another popular part of Warsaw with many cafes of its own. Depending on timing, your guide may take you through part of the New Town as well.

• Mobility: Due to uneven surfaces, steps, and walking distances, this itinerary is not suitable for guests using wheelchairs. Please contact us for alternative sightseeing options, including private driving tours that may better accommodate your needs.