KRAKOW CULTURE TRIPS
Krakow City Break
Krakow is a pearl of architecture and a treasure chest of works of art. The city is both a museum and a scene of a rich artistic life. Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Secession styles have left their mark on the cityscape. To explore it fully and thoroughly would take up a whole week, however, if your time is limited we can guarantee to acquaint you with all the essentials of Krakow and it's surroundings during our city break program. Discover the beauties of the former Polish capital in just 4 days.
Trip Highlights:
- Visit to the St. Mary's Basilica with its famous wooden altarpiece made by Veit Stoss
- Tour of the Wawel Castle - the former royal residence of Poland from the 11th Century
- Visit to the Wawel Cathedral with its royal tombs and Sigismond's Bell
- Excursion to the unique 800-year-old underground salt mine in Wieliczka
- Trip to Auschwitz- Birkenau - the world’s largest Nazi extermination camp
Itinerary:
1st day Old Town
morning Arrival in Krakow, hotel check-in. Guided tour of the Old Town. The program includes one of the most beautiful squares in Europe (Rynek Glowny), the Cloth Hall, the museum of the Jagiellonian University, St. Mary's Cathedral and the Royal Route. Lunch break.
afternoon Tour of the Wawel Castle - the former royal residence of Poland from the 11th Century. Visit to the cathedral with its royal tombs and Sigismond's Bell.
evening Time at leisure, dinner, and overnight at the hotel.
2nd day Kazimierz - the Jewish quarter and Wieliczka Salt Mine
morning Walking tour through Kazimierz - the best-preserved former Jewish quarter in Europe.
The tour begins with a Neo-Romanesque synagogue called the Temple. Then across New Square - the former commercial center of Kazimierz - we will pass by the Kupa Synagogue, the Isaac Synagogue, the Wysoka (High) Synagogue, and the Stara (Old) Synagogue. Upon reaching Szeroka street, the heart of Kazimierz, we will admire the Remuh Synagogue - the final one on the tour - which is still in use. There is a unique 16th-century cemetery adjoining the synagogue.
afternoon Transfer to Wieliczka for visiting the Salt Mine. In 1978, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was added to UNESCO’s 1st World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage. The historic underground chambers, shafts, and caverns, decorated with sculptures and carvings, are connected by 2 kilometers of passage. The chapel of Blessed Kinga is the biggest underground chapel in the world.
evening Return to Krakow, dinner at one of the Kazimierz restaurants and overnight at the hotel.
3rd day Auschwitz Memorial
morning & afternoon A whole day excursion to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp symbol of terror, genocide, and the Holocaust first of all for Jews, but also for Poles and Gypsies. Auschwitz houses - the biggest cemetery in the world, along with a memorial and state museum. Late afternoon return to Krakow and time at your disposal.
evening Individual dinner wherever you please. Overnight at the hotel.
4th day
morning After breakfast transfer to the airport. Departure from Krakow.
Additional excursions for extended Krakow City Break:
option I
A full-day trip to Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains
Originally a 17th-century forestry settlement, Zakopane is now a sprawling town, close to the Slovak border and on the edge of the Tatra Mountains National Park. It has been a center for Polish intellectuals for the past century. The authentic folk culture of the Tatra Highlands’ mountaineers (górale) coexists with the sophisticated repertoire of the “Witkacy” theatre or with frequent concerts of Szymanowski’s music. A short excursion to one of the Tatra valleys.
option II
A visit to Jasna Gora Pauline monastery in Czestochowa
The Pauline monastery in Czestochowa with its most valuable treasure - the miraculous painting of Our Lady. During your stay in the monastery, you can see the Basilica and the Chapel of the Mother of God, the Knight’s Hall, one of the most imposing treasuries, the arsenal and the 600th Anniversary Museum.
Services included:
- 3 night's accommodation in Krakow in a hotel chosen by you on bed and breakfast basis
- All transfers as per above mentioned itinerary
- Private English speaking guide as per the itinerary
- Entrance fees for all sightseeing
- Meals as per the itinerary
Services not included:
- The journey to and from Poland
- Tour guide
- Public transport
- Insurance
- Personal expenditure, tips, etc.
- All other services not mentioned in the itinerary
Price on request.