Guided Tours in Krakow

It was great to have such an easy going and fun guide with great personal insights from his own and his family's experience. Though it would have been nice to get more info on the history side and how it shaped Krakows society today. Otherwise, it was a refreshing interesting tour, far from the traditional touring experience!

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.

The first tour was the Old town walking tour, our Guide for this was a very knowledgable guy called Jack. We had eight people in this group which was very manageable to keep everyone together as with the free walking tours the groups were huge and people drifted away from the group!! The tour shows the historical buildings and churches a climb up to the Wawel Castle which was breathtaking. The tour takes about three hours but plenty of stops to hear the comments from Jack who was more than pleased to answer any questions. We had our father who had difficulty in walking but managed to keep up with the rest of the group. I think it is a must to go on these tours to find out as much information as possible. The second walking tour was around the jewish quarter which I found more interesting, being shown around where schlinders film had been filmed in the Kazimierz part of the town. We were shown the most popular synagogues and learning the history of the Holocaust. We ended up at the schlinders factory on the other side of the river and saw where the ghetto was. The tour ended at the factory where you could purchase the tickets. This tour was again with Jack, again very very interesting experience.

The first tour was the Old town walking tour, our Guide for this was a very knowledgable guy called Jack. We had eight people in this group which was very manageable to keep everyone together as with the free walking tours the groups were huge and people drifted away from the group!! The tour shows the historical buildings and churches a climb up to the Wawel Castle which was breathtaking. The tour takes about three hours but plenty of stops to hear the comments from Jack who was more than pleased to answer any questions. We had our father who had difficulty in walking but managed to keep up with the rest of the group. I think it is a must to go on these tours to find out as much information as possible. The second walking tour was around the jewish quarter which I found more interesting, being shown around where schlinders film had been filmed in the Kazimierz part of the town. We were shown the most popular synagogues and learning the history of the Holocaust. We ended up at the schlinders factory on the other side of the river and saw where the ghetto was. The tour ended at the factory where you could purchase the tickets. This tour was again with Jack, again very very interesting experience.

We were picked up from hotel at 8am for Auschwitz and Birkenau. We were shown around by a guide with the added advantage of headphones with her delivering her facts of the sites. On the coach you watched a video of the insight of the atrocities of the Holocaust. This was a very moving tour and very well organised. It was quite emotional walking around the various buildings and trying to imagine what awful experiences these prisoners undertook. Everything was original which made the experience so moving. Seeing the shoes and personnel belonging s of the innocent people that were led to their death. We were then taken by coach to the Birkenau camp. I found the feeling of that place different from Austwitz as you see from old photos and films the people getting off the trains and being separated from their loved ones and being sent to different parts of the camp. We were shown the bunk beds where several people had to share them with various diseases waiting for their death. The wash rooms and toilets. So many of the buildings have gone but you still get that feeling of poignant insight into the Holocaust. This took about five hours all in all and very rewarding experience.

My wife and I took 2 tours with this company last week. The first was the Auschwitz and Birkenhau Tour. We were well looked after by the Discover Tour guide and driver. When we got to Auschwitz we were handed over to one of their tour guides. I believe her name was Anna. She looked after us for the Auschwitz and Birkenhau part. She was a very good tour guide who spoke good English. She had a passion in what she was telling us and was very emotional with it. She was very knowledgeable about the 2 sights and was not following a script like some tour guide do. The next day we went with Discover Cracow to the Salt Mine and once again we were well looked after. The company tour guide took us through the Salt Mine with one of the Salt Mine guides and once again we were provided with detailed account of the history of the mine. Both the Auschwitz and Salt Mine tour are well worth doing whist in Krakow and in my opinion Discover Cracow is a good company to do it with.

Having done a similar tour in other Eastern European countries, we were keen to see the communist district of Nowa Huta and learn more about Kraków under communist rule. Our guide, Blazej, was absolutely brilliant - interesting, entertaining and incredibly friendly. He was really great to talk to and made the whole experience very enjoyable. He even managed not to laugh too hard when I fell over (very embarrassing!)
I was really impressed that, even though I booked the communist tour, they gave my friend a chance to drive the trabant on our request. They were very willing to make the tour work for us. The car was great fun and the sites we saw were interesting and provided a good contrast to the old town where we spent most of our time. It was nice also to sit in an unchanged restaurant, have some vodka and chat about both communist life and the more current problems faced by Poland.
A great morning, a great guide and a great experience. Thanks very much.

I have rarely seen anything this extraordinary. You start by going down a 'spiral' staircase that is square in cross-section and which seems infinite. There follows a 2 km walk though tunnels that frequently widen into display areas, chapels, ponds, son et lumiere, caverns. It is one wonder after another, difficult to encapsulate in words or pictures. The return to the surface is, mercifully, by a fast lift. Salt carvings, salt chandeliers, Salt statues. Goethe apparently called it a 'wonder of the world' in the 1790s - I have to agree with him. Our trip was marred slightly by a guide who thought that his role was to tell jokes rather than introduce the mine - but the sheer profusion and scale of the exhibits shone through his frail ego. I overheard other guides who were excellent. It is absolutely fascinating - please go! I went as part of a group - a category not included below in trip Advisor's list, so I have had to tick 'solo'.

We spent seven weeks touring various cities in eastern Europe, and our tour in Krakow with Crazy Guides was one of the highlights of our trip. We took the Deluxe Communism tour, which goes to the communist community, Nowa Huta, which was established by Stalin as the "model" communist community after WW2. Our guide was Kornelia, and she was terrific. She was both knowledgeable and personable, and she spoke excellent English. Kornelia picked us up at our hotel in a lime green Trabant, which was fun to ride in, and our tour included lunch at one of the few "milk cafes" left from the time that the communists were in power. It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, and I would highly recommend taking this tour while you are in Krakow. I promise that this is a tour that you will be telling your friends for months after you return home.

A friend and I booked the Communism Deluxe tour in late May 2016. We were picked up at our hotel in a green Trabant by the best crazy tour guide ever...Kuba M. He was relaxed, fun to spend time with. Knew how to be informative and fun throughout the tour. You really got to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Poland during the tough time of Communism. Apart from driving around Krakow in a cool Traby, you went to an old style MilkBar and ate traditional Polish dishes. We visited a typical apartment and drank Polish vodka. If you visit Krakow and have 4 hours to spare, this tour is a must. This was a true highlight of our time in Krakow even though it rained all day. The price of the tour is well worth it. Best money spent during our time in Krakow. Thanks for the memories Kuba, hope to see Krakow again real soon.

Ask at your hotel for a guided tour ( don't be tempted to get a man in a cab taking you there).
Discover Krakow - Day Tours . Were brilliant .
The air conditioned coach picked you up from your hotel at the time they said they would.
Staff spoke perfect English.
Dropped you off at (in our case The Salt Mines). You had a sticker so you knew your group. and which coach to get on after the tour.
Done all the tour tickets ( price was included in picking you up tour admission and dropping you off again).
Arranged your guided tour spoken in your language ( ours was English ).
You felt safe and well looked after.
Very impressed and highly professional.

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.

I can't recommend the deluxe trabant tour enough.

Firstly Nova Huta is a really cool and unique place and not something you are going to see in other ex-comunist cities. It is a soviet version of paris rather than a string of tower blocks.

Secondly our tour guide was really great and we absolutely loved driving around in the Trabant. The deluxe tour gave us extra time to explore and my wife fell in love with the Milk Bar pierogis.

The Communist tour was part of a four day trip to Krakow, and was one of the highlights. Marieck our guide and driver was very enthusiastic and knowledgable. Driving around in an old Trabant, learning about life under communism was so interesting and left us wanting to learn more. The lunch at the milk bar was tasty and different. Would definitely recommend this tour and the guides. Thank you for an interesting and enjoyable morning.

I booked this tour for my parents and me (a little bit difficult for an elderly person to squeeze into the back of the Trabant, but not impossible). Our guide Claudia was very informative and personable. We learned a lot about life in Poland under communism; sampled some vodka and received an excellent recommendation for dumplings. The tour gives you an opportunity to see a totally different side to Krakow. I would recommend.

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.

David ran a terrific tour sharing his unique knowledge of the history of Krakow as we visited sights away from the main tourist hotspots. His passion, enthusiasm and care for his guests was at a level above that I have experienced from any other tour guide. I have done about 40 tours in Europe over the years and this was the best.

If you want a quality experience that you will remember Krakow for take this tour.