Cultural & History Tours in Krakow

This museum covers the Nazi occupation of Krakow during World War 2. It shows how Oskar Schindler treated the Polish and Jews he employed and what he did to save as many of them as he could. When you first start your visit there is a cinema where a few of the Schindler Jews tell what he did to help them and save them. You start on the second floor and work your way down. There are lots of displays and videos of people describing what life was like during the occupation. This museum has wheelchair access and you can pay for a guided tour even though all displays have Polish and English descriptions. There is only a slight mention of the movie Schindler's List and that is right at the end near the cafe. A limited number of free lockers are available for you to store bags and jackets during your visit. Purchase your tickets in advance as those people are let in first. If there are any spots left then walk in visitors are allowed. We didn't purchase tickets in advance but got there 20 minutes before opening time so were near the front of the queue and were allowed in. We did hear people saying the museum was full by 11 am the previous day and lined up early this time. The #3 tram will get you from the old town across the river to the museum. Get off at the first tram stop after you cross the river and exit to the right behind the tram. Follow the signs on the street poles for a short 5 minute walk to the museum. Allow around 3 hours to properly visit the museum. Entry to the factory is free on Monday but is closed the first Monday of each month.

All of the guided tours were filled. We obtained our self guided tickets at the ticket office at the back of the Cloth Hall with a set time to arrive. We were so glad we were not with a guided tour. Everything has written explanations & you can go at your own pace. Actually when there is a group it tends to clog up the path as at some places the path is narrow. The museum is not just about the story of Oskar Schindler. It tells the story of Poland & the Jewish people. Some pictures & sounds were graphic but you leave knowing the truth about the suffering of the people.

Ticket line incredibly long. Arrived without pre purchased tickets early afternoon, one ticket window open only, on line probably an hour behind possibly 150people. Took English speaking tour. Guide extremely knowledgeable. Wear sneakers! Cobblestone-like walking surface leads to tired feet. Beautiful, beautiful, carvings etc. very informative and amazing tour. We didn’t eat at restaurant but food looked and smelled delicious. Don’t miss museum tour at end. More to see outside mine when you exit. Leave a little time to walk around outside. Highly recommended.

...do this!!!

Fantastic tour: see beautiful countryside, learn things about Nazi culture that you've never heard or read, view the magnificent beauty of hundreds of years of labor in the salt mine.
Our driver picked us up at our door, spoke great English, stopped us at a great restaurant, and dropped us wherever we wanted to go.
One thing: you need a soft schedule that allows for 10 hours OR MORE. There are a lot of people in both locations so the timing is variable.

I'm so glad we paid for this and didn't just go to the factory on our own. The guide turned up bang on time and was really knowledgeable, spoke good English and told us so many facts as we went round. Its not just about Schindler, we were immersed in the horrible history of the war. Really recommend this trip. Also note that if you want to go without the pre booked guided tour they only allow so many in each day so you need to get there early.

An excellent guided tour! Thank you Anna. Very informative and the personal touch , stories of your grandparents was appreciated. We learnt far much with you than if we had gone round on our own. I can't quite believe how quickly Krakow was occupied over that week in September 1939. And how people were treated.

I'd recommend this tour to anyone visiting! Popped next door to the art museum after for coffee and cake! Nice.

This is a must visit. It totally explains what happened before the holocaust really took hold. The story of everyday people and the changes made to every single life.. everyone was effected in some way. The very beginning through to the end of a terrible era of atrocity... we had a superb guide called Anya who explained it all and really brought the brutality Home to us. I would recommend a guide wholeheartedly

It was a nice thing to see. The castle makes a really good impression. My favourite place here is this one close to dragon.

The tour guide was exceptionally well informed, passionate about her presentation and also had a wonderful sense of humor!

The tour guide was terrific!

Very knowledgeable guide

* First, this is NOT a tour of the Schindler Factory, as it is titled. We were expecting to see the factory, how it was run, learn about how Schindler accomplished what he did, etc. Of the two hours, the guide discussed this aspect for about 10 minutes. The remainder of the tour was history of and role of Krakow in the war. At the very end of the tour, the guide pointed out the window to the roof of the adjacent building and said "That's the factory." The tour should be renamed.
* Second, the tour group was too large for the logistics and delivery. Our group was between 20 and 30 people. The museum venue is broken into small vignettes that can accommodate about 10 people at a time. Therefore, if you were in the back half of the group, you could not see what she was talking about while she was talking. Additionally, she was not microphone/earphone assisted, so many times we simply couldn't hear what she was saying. By they time the back half of the tour progressed up through the material being displayed, we may or may not have remembered (or been able to figure out) what the guide was referencing.
* Thirdly, the museum is chock full of artifacts, photos, letters, interesting presentations - but we were not permitted time to explore it. As soon as the guide was finished talking, she moved us along to the next stop.
And finally, because of the tiny vignette set-up the guide was constantly motioning us out of the way to allow other visitors (unguided) move through the exhibitions. I completely understand that other visitors should be able to move freely through the museum. But I paid for this tour, and I felt like I was a constant inconvenience, always trying to get out of someone else's way.
* Bottom line - this tour needs to be renamed to accurately represent the contents and should be reduced to a MUCH smaller group size.
* Having said all of this - if you are interested in a museum on Krakow's history during the war (NOT Schindler and his factory), it is an interesting museum. It uses an engaging and atmospheric layout and has plenty to look at and experience - on your own.