Malbork Castle And Westerplatte Tour With Lunch

I would highly recommend this excursion. Lucas our guide contacted us before our excursion and told us where he would pick us up. He was on time and waiting for us in an air conditioned car which was great since there was a heat wave. Our trip to Malbork Castle was filled with information about Poland. The castle tour was great and Lucas picked us up when we were finished. We went to a local restaurant and had pierogis. They were made in the restaurant and were delicious. A true Polish experience. We left and went to Westerplatte where Lucas did a great job of explaining the first battle of World War II This excursion exceeded our expectations. I was so glad we had a personalized tour. It was one of the best tours of our trip.

A long day but we'll worth it! The travel between stops provides a respite. Lucas was engaging, entertaining, informative and friendly. When the tour was halfway he was feeling like family.

First, the Malbork trip: the guide/driver drives me to the Malbork and the guiding is through audio guide, not through this guide/driver. The guide/driver then drives me to lunch and then Westerplatte. Most of the explanation done by the guide/driver is at Westerplatte. The guide/driver is very helpful and enthusiastic about sharing both serious and fun facts about Gdansk and Poland in general

Great historical place. Our guide was fantastic! She was on time, very knowledgeable, and completely competent. A five star rating is not even good enough! I have taken many tours and this was the best I’ve been on ever! Our lunch was at a restaurant that served us a wonderful lunch in a restored building with an interesting history. If you want to find out the history of Gdansk and the surrounding area this is your chance. When the weather didn’t cooperate (Westerplatt) she even offered us options . We chose to accept a change and were thrilled. A wonderful day in Gdansk!

The Malbork Castle and Westerplatte tour is a must for activity while in Gdansk. Our guide - Bozena, was absolutely outstanding. We spent the entire day with her. She was professional, knowledgeable, and very passionate about Gdansk. Shes an excellent ambassador for Gdansk and all of Poland. I highly recommend her for tours - she’s incredible!

Wonderful tour! Marek was a great guide, very knowledgeable and fun. The Malbrock audio guide that is included is excellent. The audio tour is very well organized and took about 3 hours to tour the castle. The restaurant stop was delicious, and a tour of Westerplatte was a great way to end the day, highly recommend.

Bożena Was a wonderful guide. Full of information and tidbits of information. She was very patient with us as we liked to read the details of exhibits at Marlboro castle. She picked a most amazing place for lunch with delicious pierogi, Better than even our Babcia’s.

Sebastian is an excellent tour guide with a great command of the English language. As a retired history teacher, I can tell you that his knowledge of Malbork and Polish history is first rate. He manages to hit the sweet spot between being informative and saturating you with too much information. For people who are not familiar with Polish history and culture, he helps you to see Malbork and Westerplatte within the larger context of Polish history and culture. When we visited Westerplatte, he not only knew the history well, but he also helped us to understand why this place is so important to Polish people. I left with a much deeper understanding of Polish history and culture and I am sure you will too. I am also a guide of historic walking tours so I really appreciate the find job Sebastian did.

I really enjoyed touring the castle and learning the history. Boz’ena was a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who kept me riveted as she shared the story of the gallant soldiers at Westerplatte. I loved the dumplings and the warm red wine. I ‘m also particularly fond of Boz’ena’s warmth. She shared Polish dumpling recipes and a funny video reciting Baz Luhrmann’s essay on Sunscreen! It was a memorable tour.

We would highly recommend this tour from 'Poland by Locals' but before I explain why it's worth pointing out that this is a very small, passionate local family business so if you do intend to book, do so directly with them. The trip is based around 3 locations, first you visit Malbork Castle, then a beautiful restored Mennonite House (Maly Holender) in a stunning rural area and then onto Westerplatte where World War 2 began and thus the horrors that followed. The trip takes a whole day and your guide will collect you around 9am from your accommodation, drop you back around 5pm and you will be given an authentic Polish lunch as part of the trip as well as offers of bottled water. All entrance fees and admissions are covered in the price and there are no further additional costs. There are toilets throughout the tour but depending on when you visit Westerplatte they may or may not be open there so relieve yourself when leaving the Mennonite House. This is very much a Gdansk-region history trip and our guide Bożena's passion and knowledge of her country and region not only fulfilled this prerequisite it also turned it into a political, social, cultural and even (at times) gastronomic tour of the area as well. Bożena herself is funny, engaging and charming but her kindness and welcoming nature coupled with her excellent English speaking skills made this a really authentic trip and at the end of it, my partner and I were both hugged and wished well - lovely. The trip was on our last day in Gdansk and it was an incredible end to the trip, the fact that we visited a castle on Halloween also had a nice symmetry to it. After you are collected from your accommodation there is an approximate 45 minute drive to Malbork where you guide will talk to you about Poland's geography, its history, its wildlife and start to introduce the castle and its surroundings. Upon arrival at the castle you will be taken in, set up on the walking tour (which is somewhat free-roaming and you can do in your own way) and then you are collected 2-3 hours later which is just the right amount of time to see the castle grounds and the high castle cathedral area. I won't write a spoiler-laden review and suggest you just visit and enjoy all there is to offer, we have visited many European Castles of different eras and this is definitely worth visiting. If you like History, Art, Architecture, Weaponry, Landscapes or just whimsical stories you will enjoy all it has to offer. Upon leaving the castle you walk across the impressive Nogat River across a foot bridge and get to see the scale and sprawl of the castle against the river which is a great opportunity to take more photos at the unlimited envy of all your friends left working back at home! You get back into the large and comfortable SUV/4x4 vehicle and then onwards to the Mennonite House to learn about their order and the contributions to the area including a particularly local and famous liqueur which the city of Gdansk will have great pleasure introducing you to. I won't spoil what the lunch on offer is but I can tell you it was the best version I had of it on my trip to Gdansk and if you are good to your guide you may even get to leave with a recipe card on how you can make your own versions at home. If you get Bożena as your guide do ask her about them and she will tell you about her family's relationship to this great polish food! You can also enjoy a delicious drink from a Polish brewery on the tour and it was interesting to hear about Poland's brewing history and how it was hijacked by the Russian occupation. The final place on the tour is Westerplatte and the start, the initiating battle, of the Second World War. As with many of these European monuments to war it is sombre, harrowing and reflective throughout but unlike other trips on this subject it is not German or Hitler-centric in how the war began and is a Polish story in Poland. Continuing the theme of this review and not spoiling the trip, if you are planning to do this in advance of your arrival do not plan this on your last day and leave enough time to visit the Museum of the Second World War and the European Solidarity Centre afterwards which we regret not having time to do and which no doubt continue on and further fill out what we learned on the day. In closing we would highly recommend this trip and it was good value for money. In the spirit of honesty and sharing with travellers we nearly didn't book this trip. It was more expensive than others and we were worried on a private tour that all the attention would be on us, we would have to engage with someone all day even if we weren't in the mood and we had a bit of 'holiday fatigue' by the end of our time there. If you feel the same please ignore this instinct, all the similar tours offer the same places but the personal, local and passionate touch really matters. When you factor in lunch, travel, pick-ups, admissions and authenticity the 'extra' is a bargain. We had the benefit that Bożena was approximately our age and at a similar phase of her life and had we lived locally would have tried to add her to our friend group. Thank you.

Rozena is the best tour guide. She is timely, friendly and very well educated. Her knowledge of Poland is second to none. She took us to a family owned restaurant that had excellent dumplings (pierogi). We would never have found this gem on our own. I would highly recommend her.

Fantastic private tour with pickup at the cruise port in Gdynia. Had a wonderful local guide who picked us up and took us through Sopot, Gdansk and the Polish country side to Malbork Castle. Malbork castle was brilliant. Well worth a visit if staying in Gdansk. The castle is beautiful and massive to walk around with plenty to see. Beautiful grounds. Normally don't like self guided tours, but the electronics used on this tour made it easy and the flexibility to stop or repeat when you wanted was great. The best part of the this tour was our guide Michael (a lawyer on holiday) and lunch at a local country restaurant (Maly Holender) where our guide made recommendations for beer and local Polish favorites. Great choices! Traffic between Gydnia and Gdansk can be heavy and slow going and our guide adjusted accordingly so we were back to the ship well before the all aboard time.

Great tour of the castle, informative guide. Westerplatte is interesting too. Door to door service. Great food and experience at Maly Holender restaurant - what a historically interesting spot (Polish Mennonite culture!)

Our travel guide was wonderful! Her knowledge and kindness was appreciated. The lunch she shared with us was incredible. She is very good at making people feel welcome.

Our day began with a little bit of stress because the tour operator was ~15 minutes late due to traffic (she tried texting me, but I have no int’l data). If this happens to you… Have faith — they are coming. The tour guide, Bozena, quickly recovered. She picked us up in her 8-person VW van, and took us on a lovely Baltic tour. I ask hard questions — obscure factoids on all sorts of things — Bozena had answers. True to its name, this was a tour of ‘Poland by Locals’. Does Gdansk have a native beer? Why yes, Jopenbier, which botanical archaeologists reconstructed recipes from a hidden stash of forgotten 15th century bottles. Why don’t I see more oak trees? I only see Linden and Locusts… she knew the history of trade deals that describe the Polish lumber market. Why was Westerplatte the opening salvo for WW2? Why Gdansk and not Danzig? … She knew. AND — she was kind and tolerant of the two-tweens with us. Also — the ‘lunch’ mentioned here is a pretty bland advertisement for the really neat, local spot they take you. I had no ideas that they had a Mennonite Enclave that has excellent pierogi as well as… Crawdads like the Mississippi Delta (!!) because, Gdansk (whose name is derived from lower wetlands!), is that kind of place, too. 100% Recommend.

What a lovely time through the Polish countryside and seeing a truly remarkable medieval complex. Our guide was fantastic and super friendly. Highly recommended!

This company is awesome! I received email of my Guide and a contact number days before!! Bożena was amazing!!! She is so knowledgeable about Gdańsk!!! She was prompt at pick up from my hotel lobby as agreed!! Her directions and meeting locations were clear and I felt the trip was well organized! Malbork was an audio guide which is a once in a life time experience! It really felt like an adventure! Westerplatte was rich in history, and the lunch was the best pierogis. Just a great day! I feel like I rode around with a long time friend!!

Everything about the tour was perfect. The castle is so impressive, steeped in history. Our guide Bozina was very knowledgeable and always helpful. Lunch was the best part of the day, perfect in every way.

Great trip with a lovely guide Who told us a lot about history and The stories behind everything. Would recommend this trip!

This tour lived up to and then surpassed our expectations. The castle is amazing, lunch was delicious and Westerplatte was sobering, but all of these experiences were improved by Sebastian’s knowledge and experience. I’m so glad we decided to book this tour.

Very well thought out, hassle-free, informative, and excellent value tour with interesting and enjoyable descriptions (in English) at every stage of the tour. We received an email prior to the trip with our guide’s contact number and confirmation of pick-up time. Our trip started with a prompt pick up at the lobby of our hotel in Gdansk by our guide Sebastian. Sebastian gave us a brief overview of the day and inquired about our needs. We had no special requests other than we wanted to help him take a few pictures for us from the trip; were happy to take the tour as advertised. We got into a comfortable and air-conditioned small van (we were the only passengers) where Sebastian offered us bottled water. First, we first visited the historic site of Westerplatte. On a way there, Sebastian told us about the history of Gdansk and Westerplatte. Here on September 1, 1939 the WWII started. The remains of the structure were very powerful description of what happened and of bravery and heroism of the Polish people. Sebastian also showed us a monument dedicated to the site with an excellent commentary highlighting soviet influences on that region after the WWII. Sebastian invited questions and comments, and when asked, he was happy to take several pictures for us. Next, we drove to Malbork castle. Again, Sebastian gave us an overview of pertinent history and invited questions on a way to the site. The castle was built by Teutonic Knights and is considered to be the largest castle in the world (area wise). When we arrived, there were lots of people there in lines. We were so happy we did not have to figure out transport or stand in lines. Sebastian gave us the tickets, gave us more specific details about the castle pointing to specific areas on the outside, and walked us to the gate where he would pick us up later, after our tour. We walked to the entrance to the castle, and took an excellent self-guided tour through the castle (the self-guided tour uses both, a gps system and pictures so it is very easy to navigate various spaces around the huge castle). We took about 3 hours inside, but could easily spend more time there. Sebastian was waiting outside for us. Immediately after, he walked us to the most beautiful and picturesque view point, where he took several pictures for us with the castle in the background (using our camera). He really knew where to take a picture; our friends commented that we should frame one of the pictures (it is so beautiful). Finally, we drove through an area where we learned about Mennonite paths which concluded with a simple lunch with locally brewed beer in a Mennonite-type house restaurant. Finally, Sebastian drove us back to our hotel and we chatted along the way asking him a multitude of questions. Everything was extremely well organized from beginning to the end, and we have many pictures to remember the day. We got a lot from the trip. It was a fantastic day! Please note, if you have a physical handicap, the trip may be very difficult. In any case, be prepared for lots of walking and make sure you have good walking shoes. We very highly recommend this tour.

Interesting! We received individual audio guides which gave us info and history about the area we were in. This allowed us to go at our own pace. Definite must see!

Sebastian was a wonderful guide going over and above what we expected. Since there were only two of us we ate lunch at a restaurant near the castle rather than bbq but we had a very quality day trip and highly recommend Poland by Locals.

This tour was the highlight of our trip to Gdansk. The tour of Malbork Castle, lunch and the visit to Westerplatte were excellent. But, the attention to Mennonite history was really exceptional. My father's side of the family is from this area so it was very meaningful to me that Sebastian focused on Mennonite history as well. He picked us up on time in a nice vehicle and we found him to be an engaging guide. Truly one of the best we have ever had! I highly recommend this tour.

We were picked up at our hotel on time and Sebastian went over and above what had been advertised for the tour. Not only did we go to Malbork Castle but we visited an old Mennonite cemetery, and Westerplatte as well as other quiet spots along the way. He spent more time with us than was advertised and we really enjoyed our day.

A very well organized and guided tour - more is hard to get out of a day. Highly recommended!

Najlepszy przewodnik, z jakim mieliśmy okazję współpracować. Pan Łukasz świetnie łączy fakty historyczne z ciekawostkami, dbając o dobrą atmosferę w grupie przez cały dzień.

The trip was great! We were personally picked up by our driver and tour guide at the hotel. He took care of everything, no queue at Malborg Castle. The tour of the castle was great with audio guide. Afterwards we went to a nice authentic restaurant for dinner and then to the Westerplate. There he was able to tell us a lot of exciting stories about the story. We can highly recommend the trip!

Not much needs to be said about the deep impression that a three-hour tour of the castle complex makes. Rather about its historical classification through a knowledgeable, empathetic and eloquent LOCAL, which gradually brings a Polish perspective to neighbouring German, including modern Poland: We thank Sebastian Mayszczyk from the bottom of our hearts. His almost friendly tour stays with us for a long time and can be considered a recommendation. Z poważaniem - Monika&Jochen (on 21.5.2025)

Historically informative. After a nice tour, enjoy a delicious meal at the castle and shop at the market. You can also browse the small shops.

Guiden snakket bra engelsk. Hun var flink både til å svare på spørsmål og vise oss hvor ting var. Var audioguide på slottet, men skulle man høre den ferdig burde man hatt en time til. Fikk sett det meste. Var en kul statue på Westerplatte, men det var det. Hadde en kjempe god lunsj der vi smakte på to typer pierogi og hyllebær lemonade, øl til gutta. Alt var inkludert. 2 flasker med vann fikk vi også på turen. Alt i alt en vellykket privat tur.