Explore Krakow in a Day: Private Full-Day Walking Tour

Previously Poland’s capital, Krakow is one of Europe’s hubs for history and culture. On this full-day highlights tour, you will dig up that history as you explore the best of Krakow, including the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter. 

On your private tour, you will:

• Have the personal attention of a private, licensed tour guide accompanying you throughout your day;
• Visit Wawel Castle, which was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world (tickets included);
• Admire the rich decoration of the State Rooms, the medieval residence of Polish kings;
• See the Wawel Cathedral, Poland's national sanctuary and former coronation site (tickets included);
• Tour Krakow’s Old Town, where you will see many of its highlights, including the Royal Road,  the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and St Andrew’s Church among others;
• Wander around Market Square, and admire the Cloth Hall, the Town Hall Tower and other medieval monuments; 
• Visit St. Mary's Basilica with tickets included, and like in the old days, you may hear the legendary St Mary’s Trumpet Call played from its towers;
• Enjoy a lunch break in the Old Town at a café recommended by your guide (Lunch not included);
• In the afternoon, visit the courtyards of the Jagiellonian University, one of the world’s oldest universities whose alumni include the Renaissance polymath Nicolaus Copernicus;
• Explore Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter while learning about the Jewish history in Poland;
• Enter the Old Synagogue, one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Europe, built in the 15th century (tickets included);
• Walk through several of the filming sites used in Spielberg’s Schindler's List, including the iconic passageway;
• Finish your tour at a café, where your guide will happily share recommendations for you on how to best spend the rest of your time in Poland. 

Your full-day tour is the perfect way to see the city in a day, where you will learn about the country’s medieval history and Jewish history, see all of its highlights, and visit several historic sites, including Wawel Castle, the Old Synagogue, and Jagiellonian University. Your tour begins at one of Krakow's most renowned locations: Wawel Castle, the massive structure sits upon Wawel Hill, overlooking the Vistula River. 

The castle served as the royal and political centre of Krakow for centuries, dating back to the eleventh century. Before becoming a museum in 1930, the castle was also a hospital, a military barracks, and a governmental residence. 

After your tour of the castle, follow in the footsteps of the kings of Poland as you explore the famous Royal Route from Wawel Hill to the Old Town. Here at Market Square, you will see some of the finest examples of medieval architecture now filled full of shops, bars, and cafes. 

Then your guide will take you into St Mary’s Basilica, where you’ll see one of the finest examples of Polish Gothic architecture and see the spectacularly ornate, multicolour altarpiece which dominates the front of the church. Next, enjoy a lunch break in the Market Square, at a local establishment recommended by your expert local guide. 

After lunch, pass by the Jagiellonian University, one of the world’s oldest universities, which has been operating since the eleventh century. Then, your private guide will take you to the Jewish District, where you will walk through Schindler’s Passage and visit the Old Synagogue—now a museum, which is the oldest still standing in Poland, having been built in the 15th century. While there, your guide will share with you the Jewish experience after the German invasion of 1939, and what the synagogue now means to Jewish people in Poland. 

Your tour ends at a traditional Jewish café, where your guide will give you recommendations about the best local bites before departing with you.

Tour duration
8 hours

Type of tour
Walking tour: no transportation is included

Tickets included

- English Speaking Guide
- Entrance tickets to the Wawel Royal Castle State Rooms and Wawel Cathedral
- Entrance ticket to St. Mary’s Basilica 
- Entrance ticket to the Old Synagogue

Other inclusions

- Gratuities optional
- Food and drink are not included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off are not included

Suitable for
Family

Attractions along this route:

Main Square (Rynek Glowny)
A gigantic medieval square, Rynek Glowny is Kraków’s beating heart.

Town Hall Tower
This colossal 13th century Gothic tower is the focal point of Main Square.

St Mary’s Basilica
A model of Brick Gothic style, this church is home to the Poland's national treasure: the gigantic wooden Altarpiece of Veit Stoss.

Wawel Castle
This castle perched atop Wawel Hill was the centre of power in Poland for centuries, and is the country's most important historical site.

Wawel Cathedral
Over 900 years old, this gorgeous cathedral is the coronation and burial site for Polish Kings and Queens.

Cloth Hall
The beautiful Renaissance 'Sukiennice' at the centre of Main Square was the commerical hub of Kraków.

St Andrew’s Church
The oldest in Kraków, this 11th century church is a fine example of Romanesque architecture and a rare 'fortress church' survivor of the 1241 Mongol invasion.

Oskar Schindler's Factory
The factory where Oskar Schindler sheltered hundreds of Jews over the course of the Second World War.

Kazimierz Jewish Quarter
A historic district that was formerly the Jewish centre of Kraków.

Schindler's List Passage, Jozefa Street
Small passage that was used for the filming of Schindler's List.

Krakow Old Town
Krakow Old Town is the historic centre of Krakow. It is one of the most visited and famous old districts in Poland today.

Church of Saints Peter & Paul
St. Peter and Paul's Church is one of the most exquisite examples of Baroque architecture in Poland.

Tempel Synagogue
Tempel Synagogue is one of the first built landmark in Kazimierz district in Krakow.

Old Synagogue Krakow
Old Synagogue Krakow is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue situated in the Kazimierz district of Krakow, Poland.