4 Nights Cultural Break to Krakow with Auschwitz Day Trip, City Tour, Weliczia  Salt Mine & Foodie Tour.

Meet the group at the airport and board our flight to Poland 

Upon our arrival in Krakow we will take aur private  transfer to the hotel the Jordan Pokoje Goscinne

Our small, elegant hotel is conveniently located in the city centre close to the main market square, just a 5 minute walk away.

The area also features excellent transport links as the hotel is 500 metres from the stations, providing swift access to all that the city has to offer. The perfect position means we are within easy walking distance of the main historical monuments such as the Cloth Hall, St. Florian’s Gate and Wawel Royal Castle.

Housing comfortable accommodation with a bright and colourful decor, fashionably designed to create a homely atmosphere, the hotel also contains a unique restaurant situated in  the cellar where breakfast is served.  The hotel’s interiors are smart yet traditional with artistic touches.

Breakfast is included each morning

Throughout the tour we will be staying in twin rooms but there is an option to have a room to yourself for the trip. If you wish to have a room to yourself for the 4 nights the supplement will be £100 The supplement will be payable at the same time as the balance.  

The Travel Buddies trips work on the basis that as long as you are having a good time then that is what matters, if you don’t feel like coming on one of the excursions or joining the rest of the group for dinner one evening then that is absolutely fine. This is an adventure for everyone and there is nothing worse than having to go somewhere/do something that you don’t really fancy!

Feel free to do as much or as little research as you like, some members will know what they would like to visit as soon as they book the trip, Others will just turn up at the airport and have not researched at all. Either is absolutely fine. We all have different ideas as to what constitutes a great time away! 

After getting to the hotel and settling in we will head out to eat locally at a traditional restaurant. 

After an early breakfast we will be collected from our hotel and will take the 1.5-hour drive by minivan to Auschwitz located outside the town.

Our tour is a small group tour limited to 15 people. Please make sure to dress in warm clothes as much of the tour is outside. There will be no specific lunch stop so please bring snacks with you. Our tour includes hotel pick up/drop off and will last around 7 hours in total. 

The complex, today a UNESCO World Heritage-listed museum, comprises the Auschwitz I camp and the Birkenau (or Auschwitz II) camp with a total of about 150 buildings and 300 ruins. Auschwitz was only partially destroyed by fleeing Nazis when the camp was liberated, so we will be able to see many of the original brick buildings as we walk around. We will explore the exhibitions, housed in some of the prison blocks, some of which are dedicated to victims from particular countries and also see Birkenau. Most of this camp was destroyed, but we will get an idea of the vast size of the area, fenced off with watchtowers, and can enter some of the surviving barracks.

Free time before enjoying dinner locally

This morning after breakfast we will get acquainted with Krakow, cover some serious ground and see all sorts of top sites (over 20)  on a group tour where we travel from place to place in an electric golf cart. We will  have both an English speaking driver and an English audio guide, so we’ll have witty commentary from our driver, and learn even more about each place from our audio guide. 

Free Afternoon

These are some of the places we will cover on our golf buggy tour that we can explore further during our free afternoon. 

The Main Market Square
The main square of the Old Town of Kraków, Lesser Poland, is the principal urban space located at the centre of the city. It dates back to the 13th century, and at roughly 40,000 m² is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe. You can take a horse driven carriage ride around the square too, which is really quite special.

The public transport is easy to use and very reasonable. Feel free to amble off on your own if you fancy it!

Wawal Castle.
As the political and cultural heart of Poland through the 16th century, Wawel Castle is a potent symbol of national identity. It’s now a museum containing five separate sections: Crown Treasury & Armoury; State Rooms; Royal Private Apartments; Lost Wawel; and the Exhibition of Oriental Art. Each requires a separate ticket. Of the five, the State Rooms and Royal Private Apartments are most impressive. There’s also a special display here of the city’s most valuable painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Lady with an Ermine.

St Mary’s Basilica
Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century, adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Standing 80 m tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss.

No visit to Krakow would be complete without a tour of Kazimierz, the Jewish district. Numerous cosy art cafes, galleries and antique shops, paved streets and monuments of Jewish culture draw tourists with a magnetic force. Perhaps a great place to grab lunch or a coffee and watch the world go by for a while.

This evening we will take taxis (or walk 31 minutes)whichever you prefer) to the Kazimierz district (Jewish Quarter) whis=ch is well known for its foodie scene. You can’t go to Poland and not try the dumplings!

Here we will enjoy a 3 hour fun, flavorful walk through Krakow’s food scene! Try traditional Polish dishes like pierogi, zapiekanka, bigos, and śledź — paired with cherry liqueur and homemade shots, culture and stories. 

After breakfast today we will take the 30 minute public transport ride to go on a guided tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine, with entrance fees included. Explore winding tunnels, vast chambers, salt-hewn chapels, crystal-clear underground lakes, and intricate carvings along the official tour route.

Hear stories from our expert guide 135m underground, like how miners once held ballroom dances in the salt-carved chambers! Headsets ensure we can catch every detail as we  wander through this UNESCO-listed marvel.

Free afternoon  to explore locally 

Dinner locally at a traditional restaurant.

After having breakfast and checking out we can store our luggage safely. 

Then we have the day to choose as we please. There are many museums and art galleries if you like that kind of thing, even a Banksy museum, perhaps a spot of souvenir shopping?

Today would be a good day to book a tour of Schindler’s factory if you so choose. Guided tours can be booked online. The factory is around 30 minutes walk from the hotel and tickets need to be booked in advance. 

Take our private transfer to the airport for our flight home.