Your itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Krakow
Fly to Krakow and transfer by coach to the centrally located four-star Novotel.
Day 2
Krakow
After breakfast, enjoy a guided walking tour of Krakow’s Old Town, including the Rynek (Main Square) with the Cloth Hall, St. Mary’s Church, the Florian Gate and medieval fortifications, plus the university and Collegium associated with Copernicus, and the church where Pope John Paul II held Mass. Pause for a traditional Polish dessert and coffee. Later visit the Wawel Castle district—the Royal Palace, Cathedral, Treasury and Armoury—with time to explore the Renaissance courtyard and Europe’s largest collection of tapestries. Free time follows, with an optional afternoon tour to the famous Salt Mines (bookable locally).
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3
Auschwitz & Birkenau
Morning guided visits to Auschwitz and then Birkenau, including the watchtower. Return to Krakow in the afternoon for free time, or choose to stay in Krakow for the full day instead.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4
DAY 4
Return home
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Wieliczka Salt Mine Underground Tour
Descend into the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO-listed labyrinth carved over seven centuries. Wander cathedral-like chambers, mirror-still saline lakes, and corridors shimmering with crystallized salt.
Marvel at the subterranean Chapel of St Kinga with its glittering salt chandeliers, while hearing miners’ legends and the story of Poland’s “white gold.” This optional excursion is at additional cost (approx £25), bookable on tour with your Tour Manager and payable locally.
Wawel Castle Complex: Royal Palace & Cathedral
Explore hilltop Wawel as you visit the Wawel Castle complex overlooking the Vistula. Step inside the Royal Palace State Rooms to see Renaissance interiors, Flemish tapestries, and ceremonial halls that reflect centuries of Polish statehood.
Cross to Wawel Cathedral, burial place of Polish monarchs and national poets, where chapels rise around royal tombs and the Sigismund Bell hangs overhead. Time within the three-tiered Renaissance courtyard reveals the harmony that made Wawel a powerful symbol of Poland’s culture and crown.
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Visit
Experience a guided visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, conducted with care and respect. Walk through preserved barracks and watchtowers and along the rail spur into Birkenau, confronting the scale and mechanics of Nazi persecution.
Interpretive exhibits offer historical context to the occupation and the Holocaust, encouraging quiet reflection at this UNESCO World Heritage site. The visit deepens understanding of twentieth-century Europe and honours the memory of those who suffered.
Krakow Old Town Walking Tour: Rynek Glówny, Cloth Hall & St Mary’s Basilica
Discover Krakow’s UNESCO-listed heart as you join a guided walking tour through Rynek Glówny, Europe’s grand medieval square, framed by townhouses and cafés. Pause by the Cloth Hall’s Renaissance arcades and admire the twin-spired St Mary’s Basilica.
Hear the hourly bugle call, learn how merchants once traded amber and cloth, and stroll past the defensive Florian Gate and Jagiellonian University’s Collegium Maius. This compact introduction blends headline sights with stories that bring Poland’s former royal capital to life.
