Krakow Private Walking Tour
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From 180,00€ per group
Krakow, the ancient Polish capital, welcomes you with its perfectly preserved medieval historical centre and a cultural richness that few places in the world can boast. With over 780,000 works of art housed in its museums and four UNESCO sites in the surrounding area, the city offers an unforgettable experience combining millennial history, Renaissance art and vibrant contemporary life.
Your visit will inevitably begin at Rynek Główny, Europe’s largest medieval square at 40,000 square metres, the beating heart of a city that has managed to keep its soul intact through the centuries. From here branch off the streets leading to the majestic Wawel Castle, the atmospheric Jewish quarter of Kazimierz and the numerous Gothic churches dotting the cityscape.
But Krakow is not just history: it is a university city with over 100,000 students who enliven its 11 National Museum sites, its historic cafés and one of the liveliest nightlife scenes in Europe. Its proximity to Auschwitz-Birkenau (70 km) and the Wieliczka Salt Mines (12 km) also makes it an ideal starting point for some of Poland’s most significant excursions.
In this guide you will discover the must-do activities to experience Krakow in its entirety, from its artistic marvels to its underground venues, from cultural tours to gastronomic experiences that will make your stay unforgettable.
Taking a guided tour of Krakow will allow you to discover all the secrets and curiosities that only an experienced guide can tell you. The tours are conducted with guides in several languages and guarantee professionalism and many years of experience in organising tours and excursions in Krakow.
Guided tours usually include a visit to the Old Town with Wawel Castle (exterior), the Market Square and the main sights. The stops are a pleasant time to listen to the stories of the guide – very friendly young people – take photos and make new friends.
You can choose from several options: private tours in several languages to discover the main sights of the Old Town, 3-hour tours of the Old Town with walks through Krakow’s medieval centre, or combined tours that also include the Jewish Quarter and Schindler’s Factory. Guided tours of the Old Town last about 3 hours and take in monuments such as the Market Square, the Royal Wawel Castle and an original street from 1401.
Free tours are a great option for those on a tight budget who don’t want to miss out on a quality guided tour. Discover the history and legends of Krakow with an experienced guide! On this free tour you will see the main sights of the historical centre of the Polish World Heritage city.
You will walk through the narrow streets of the centre, following the traces of the medieval past of this fascinating Polish city. You will visit the Barbican and pass through St Florian’s Gate, the historical entrance to Krakow. The tour continues through the places where John Paul II lived and includes the main legends of the city.
The free tour of the Jewish Quarter will allow you to discover Polish Jewish culture in the Kazimierz district and its Podgorze ghetto. These tours are particularly popular for the historical insight into the Jewish community and the events of World War II.
The free tours do not have a fixed price: each person gives the guide at the end the amount he or she considers appropriate (usually amounts vary from 10€ to 50€ depending on the satisfaction of the tour).
Cruises on the Vistula offer an unprecedented perspective of Krakow, sailing 10 kilometres along the river that saw the birth and growth of the city. The boats depart from the Wawel pier and sail up the river to the 11th-century Tyniec Monastery, perched on a rocky outcrop like a fairy-tale castle.
During the 90-minute tour you will pass under the Lovers’ Bridge (decorated with thousands of love locks), walk along the Jewish quarter as seen from the river and reach the Vistula islands, natural oases where grey herons and wild swans nest.
The sunset tour (available from May to September) is particularly romantic: as the sun sets behind the Wawel towers, the crew serves local aperitifs with homemade vodka and Polish specialities. Cruising at night reveals a different Krakow, with illuminated monuments reflected in the calm waters of the river.
The Museum at Schindler’s Factory tells the story of Kraków during the Nazi occupation through an immersive tour that will take you to the city’s darkest years. Located in the former enamel factory of Oskar Schindler, the museum recreates the atmosphere of the time with scenic reconstructions of extraordinary realism.
The tour starts with the Krakow of 1939, a cosmopolitan metropolis with 250,000 inhabitants of which 65,000 were Jews, and continues through the German invasion, the creation of the ghetto and the deportation of the Jewish population. Schindler’s original desk and documents from his ‘list’ testify to the courage of a man who saved 1,200 lives.
The 14 themed rooms use advanced multimedia technology, original documents and audio testimonies to reconstruct daily life during the occupation. Particularly moving is the reconstruction of the Podgórze ghetto, with the rooms of deported Jewish families and the sounds of the time echoing through the walls.
A visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau is a much-needed moment of deep reflection on your trip to Krakow. This UNESCO site preserves the memory of more than 1.5 million victims of the Holocaust through a museum tour that will take you into the darkest history of the 20th century.
The 3.5-hour guided tour starts at Auschwitz I with the infamous ‘Arbeit macht frei’ gate and continues through the prisoner blocks, punishment cells and preserved gas chambers. The tour continues to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the extermination camp where you can see the remains of the barracks, the railway ramp and memorials dedicated to the different nationalities of the victims.
The tours are conducted by certified guides who have collected first-hand accounts from survivors. Emotional preparation is important: the museum is not suitable for children under 13 years of age and requires respectful clothing. Guides provide earphones to follow explanations even in large groups.
The Wieliczka Salt Mines, active from the 13th century until 2007, are one of Europe’s most spectacular underground wonders. This UNESCO site stretches 287 kilometres of tunnels on 9 levels, reaching a depth of 327 metres underground.
The 3.5-kilometre tourist route takes you through 20 historical chambers carved into the salt, including the astonishing Chapel of St Kinga: a 54×17-metre masterpiece carved entirely out of salt by miners, with chandeliers, altars and bas-reliefs of incredible artistic beauty. Legend has it that the Hungarian princess Kinga brought the wealth of salt to Poland as a marriage dowry.
The mining route offers a more adventurous experience with helmets and overalls, exploring less touristy tunnels and discovering historical mining techniques. The underground saltwater lake at a depth of 135 metres reflects off the crystal-clear walls, creating magical plays of light.
Zakopane, the ‘winter capital of Poland’, lies at the foot of the Tatra Mountains 100 km from Krakow and can be reached on an unforgettable day trip. This mountain town at an altitude of 1,000 metres combines mountain traditions, wooden architecture and breathtaking Alpine scenery.
The tour starts with the Gubałówka funicular, which takes you up to 1,126 metres in 3.5 minutes, offering spectacular views of the Tatras (UNESCO heritage site). The summit is home to an amusement park, traditional restaurants and easy trails for scenic walks. On a clear day, your gaze reaches Gerlach (2,655m), the highest peak in the range.
The historical centre of Zakopane is famous for its ‘Zakopane Style’ architecture: carved wooden villas with unique mountain Gothic decorations. Krupówki Street is a shopper’s paradise for handcrafted products: oscypek cheese from the alpine pastures, kierpce (traditional footwear), regional clothes and the famous mountain honey.
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