Summer 2026

"Turystyczna Ósemka" (The Tourist Eight) Returns to Podlasie. And It Might Just Be the Best Idea for Summer Slow Travel

There are places you simply cannot explore in a rush. Podlasie is definitely one of them. Here, the journey itself matters far more than the actual “attractions”. A stop in a tiny village. The scent of wood after rain. The morning silence over the Narew River. A chat with someone you happen to meet outside a local shop or by a wayside shrine. And that is exactly why the return of “Turystyczna Ósemka” is such great news.

For the 2026 season, these unique summer bus lines will run from 2 July to 30 August, operating every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

turystyczna 8 bialowieza

Comfortable Travel Without a Car

“Turystyczna Ósemka” is a network of holiday bus lines operating as a regular scheduled service, linking the region’s most fascinating corners. Operated by the PKS Nova carrier, the buses run along fixed routes and pull up at official, public bus stops located along public roads.

The concept is simple:

  • Choose your preferred route.
  • Buy a ticket online, at a ticket office on the route, or straight from the driver.
  • No need to sort out parking.
  • No need to head back for your car.
  • No need to plan everything down to the minute.
  • Travel peacefully and enjoy special discounts and benefits from official project partners valid on your ticket’s date of travel.

Practical tip: Passengers buying tickets at brick-and-mortar ticket offices receive unique, beautifully printed souvenir tickets featuring regional graphic motifs. It is also worth noting that due to technical reasons, receipt-tickets printed on the bus do not explicitly display the name “Turystyczna Ósemka” – the validity of the ticket is verified simply by the printed date and the fixed departure time of your chosen journey. Current information and timetables can be found here: 
Tourist Eight Official Website

This Is Not a Guided Tour. It Is a Way of Travelling

“Turystyczna Ósemka” does not work like a classic tour bus. Nobody rushes you. There is no plastic flag or running after a tour guide. You get off at a public stop wherever you fancy.

  • Go for a walk.
  • Grab some lunch.
  • Sit by the river for an hour.

And when it is time to move on, just check the scheduled departure times, hop on the next planned bus along the route, and continue your journey. Simple. And perhaps that is precisely why this project fits Podlasie so perfectly.

What Is Worth Seeing Along the Way?

This season, the bus network covers three perfectly planned routes that will take you to the most fascinating corners of the Podlaskie Voivodeship:

ROUTE A – Around Białystok (Western Loop A1 and Eastern Loop A2)

A single, shared ticket covers both loops below (A1 + A2)!

Route A1 (Western Loop): Białystok Coach Station – Pomigacze – Turośń Kościelna – Kurowo – Tykocin – Choroszcz – Białystok (Branicki Palace) – Białystok Coach Station

  • Departure times from Białystok Coach Station: 09:00 | 12:30 | 15:00
  • Highlights: Tykocin (historic synagogue, atmospheric market square, quiet streets and the charm of old borderlands – great for a slow stroll) and Kurowo (wetlands of the Narew River, wooden boardwalks, observation towers, birds, marshes and absolute silence – a place where your phone suddenly becomes irrelevant). A fixed point is also Białystok itself with the magnificent Branicki Palace, packed with cafes and restaurants ideal for kickstarting your trip.

Route A2 (Eastern Loop): Białystok Coach Station – Sielachowskie (Wasilków) – Supraśl – Kopna Góra – Poczopek – Kruszyniany – Poczopek – Kopna Góra – Supraśl – Sielachowskie (Wasilków) – Białystok Coach Station

  • Departure times from Białystok Coach Station: 08:30 | 12:00 | 15:00
  • Highlights: Supraśl (Icon Museum, monastery, a small Podlasie spa town wrapped in forest – ideal for a quiet weekend) and Kopna Góra (arboretum, primeval forest vibe – an excellent option for families with children). The route also reaches deeper into the east, stopping at the Silvarium in Poczopek and in Kruszyniany, famous for its Lipka Tatar traditions.

ROUTE B – Suwałki Region and Augustów

Route path: Augustów Coach Station – Augustów (Al. K. Wyszyńskiego) – Płociczno – Suwałki – Krzywe – Stary Folwark – Wigry – Sejny – Augustów (Studzieniczna) – Augustów (Al. K. Wyszyńskiego) – Augustów Coach Station

  • Departure times from Augustów Coach Station: 08:45 | 12:15 | 16:00
  • Highlights: Picturesque Augustów, Płociczno (famous for the Wigry Narrow-Gauge Railway), the pristine lakes and nature of the Wigry National Park around Krzywe and Stary Folwark, the historic Camaldolese Monastery in Wigry, multicultural Sejny, and the enchanting Sanctuary in Studzieniczna.

ROUTE C – Białowieża Primeval Forest and the Land of Open Shutters

If you want to travel deeper into Podlasie, this line takes you right into the heart of extraordinary tradition and nature.

Route path: Hajnówka (ul. Dworcowa) – Hajnówka (Osiedle JW) – Białowieża (Reserve) – Białowieża (ul. Kolejowa) – Białowieża (Reserve) – Hajnówka (Osiedle JW) – Hajnówka (Church) – Narew (Centre) – Trześcianka – Puchły – Bielsk Podlaski (Town Hall) – Bielsk Podlaski (In front of the Railway Station) – Hajnówka (ul. Dworcowa)

  • Departure times from Hajnówka (ul. Dworcowa): 08:30 | 12:30 | 16:00
  • Highlights: Hajnówka, Białowieża (including the European Bison Show Reserve), the Narew River and the spectacular Land of Open Shutters – including the villages of Trześcianka and Puchły, which delight with their unique, intricately decorated wooden architecture on houses and Orthodox churches. The historic town of Bielsk Podlaski is also on the route.

Current timetables, detailed bus stop locations and full information about the project run by the Podlaskie Regional Tourism Organisation can be found on the official website: www.turystyczna8.podlaskie.travel.

turystycna 8 tickets

And this is where a completely different kind of travel vibe begins. Because the Białowieża Primeval Forest is not a place you just “sightsee”. It is a place you experience.

That is why at TotemExpeditions, we organise intimate, small-group expeditions through the ancient forest:

  • Wolf tracking
  • Night-forest expeditions
  • Bison tracking
  • Wildlife and photography trips
  • Strict Reserve tours

And honestly? What people usually remember afterwards are not specific landmarks, but the emotions.

  • The morning mist over the meadow.
  • The call of the cranes.
  • The first wolf tracks discovered.
  • A fire crackling in the evening somewhere on the edge of the woods.

These are exactly the things that make you want to return to Podlasie.

Read in Polish.