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History Trips to Krakow

For students of modern history, the interest in Krakow is undoubtedly its place at the centre of World War II.  Students can really get to grips with life under Nazi occupation as they tour the streets that formed the Krakow Ghetto which achieved notoriety as a place of starvation and disease.  Follow on to Auschwitz-Birkenau, perhaps the best known and preserved camp, where students follow the Jewish story to its grim Final Solution. A visit to Krakow is both poignant and enlightening and sure to add depth to your students understanding of the subject.

Explore all of our educational trips to Poland

Curriculum Topics Key Stage 4

  • Poland 1956-1990
  • The people and the state
  • The origins and outbreak of WWII

Curriculum Topics Key Stage 5 

  • The Cold War in Europe: 1941-1995
  • The German invasion of Poland in 1939

Prices start from£535pp

Popular itinerary

Our sample itinerary provides you with an idea of the visits you can cover during your trip. We can tailor-make an itinerary to support your specific learning outcomes.

Morning Afternoon Evening
1 Check in to UK airport for flight to Krakow Arrive and transfer to your accommodation Guided Walking Tour of Krakow
2 Visit to the Galicia Jewish Museum to meet a Holocaust Survivor Guided visit to the Salt Mines Evening meal in a local restaurant
3 Visit to Auschwitz - Birkenau Concentration Camp Visit to Wodny Waterpark Evening meal
4 Guided Tour of Schindler's Factory Transfer to Krakow airport for return flight Arrive UK, onward travel to school
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
Morning Check in to UK airport for flight to Krakow
Afternoon Arrive and transfer to your accommodation
Evening Guided Walking Tour of Krakow
Morning Visit to the Galicia Jewish Museum to meet a Holocaust Survivor
Afternoon Guided visit to the Salt Mines
Evening Evening meal in a local restaurant
Morning Visit to Auschwitz - Birkenau Concentration Camp
Afternoon Visit to Wodny Waterpark
Evening Evening meal
Morning Guided Tour of Schindler's Factory
Afternoon Transfer to Krakow airport for return flight
Evening Arrive UK, onward travel to school

Price Shown includes

  • Return Air Travel
  • 3 nights B&B Accommodation
  • Specialist Group Travel Insurance
  • Bespoke itinerary planning service
  • Free Place Ratios
  • Live Trip Tracking
  • Online trip organiser & Travel App
  • 24/7 support whilst you are away

Places to Stay


Reasons to Visit

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Arguably Krakow's "must see" visit. The site of the Auschwitz concentration camp is a moving memorial to the over 1.5 million Jews who died there during WWII. Students see a short film about the liberation of the camp before visiting some of the surviving prison blocks, gas chamber and crematorium. One of the most horrific acts in human history is presented with a level of tact, poignancy and professionalism that is profound.

Plaszow Concentration Camp

The Plaszow camp established in 1942, was initially a forced-labour camp for Jews. The original site of the camp included two Jewish cemeteries. It reached its maximum size in 1944, the same year that it became a concentration camp. This can be combined with a visit to the glazery established by German industrialist Oskar Schindler.

Oskar Schindler Museum

This modern museum, on the site of Oskar Schindler’s enamel factory, is devoted to the events that took place during 5 years of Nazi occupation during World War II. A guide is recommended to accompany your group round the ingenious exhibits, artefacts, photos and documents.

Galicia Jewish Museum

This museum located in the Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz exists to commemorate and celebrate Jewish culture in Polish Galicia from pre-war to present day. Your guide will take you around the exhibition presenting Jewish history from a new perspective.

Talk with a Holocaust Survivor

We are able to arrange specialist talks for student groups upon request from survivors of the Holocaust. This is a rare opportunity to hear their account of events and will give your students a fascinating insight into life at that time.

Krakow History Museum

The first floor houses a large and varied collection relating to the historical development of the city. Interspersed among the historical exhibits is an interesting spread of paintings by artists with connections with the city.

Kazimierz: Jewish Quarter

Kazimierz was the historical centre of Krakow’s Jewish religious and social life and was incorporated into Krakow in the 18th century. The tour takes you to the most important monuments in this area including the Old Synagogue, the Remuh Synagogue and Remuh Cemetery.

Crazy Communist Tour to Nowa Huta

Discover Krakow’s centrally planned Socialist district of Nowa Huta. This unique project was meant to be a model Communist city, but later came to be a centre of revolution and resistance within Poland. During the tour you will discover how the average Pole lived, worked and played under Communism.

Wawel Castle & Cathedral

The Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral on Wawel Hill was built at the time of Casimir III the Great, who reigned from 1333 to 1370. It is the most historically and culturally important site in Poland. The castle is a combination of Medieval Romanesque, Renaissance styles all brought by different rulers and houses extremely valuable museum collections.

Cloth Hall

The Cloth Hall in the Old Town Square was built in the 1550’s is one of the most distinctive sights in Krakow. Once the main focus of Krakow’s trade, the hall is still used today with stalls and shops on the ground floor. A great place to purchase trip souvenirs!

Folklore Evening

Folklore Evening with Dinner, music and Dancing: Held in a cellar restaurant your students will experience an atmospheric evening enjoying traditional Polish cuisine accompanied by folklore music and dancing.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Wieliczka is one of the oldest salt mines in Europe, which has been working for over 700 years. The oldest part of the mine has been opened to the public as a museum. A tour of the mine takes in the galleries, chambers and chapels on three upper levels, between 64 and 135 metres below ground. All exposed figures and monuments are carved of salt. The high-light is the richly ornamented Chapel of Blessed Kings.

Day trip to Zakopane

Zakopane, the winter capital of Poland is located about 100km south of Krakow, close to the Slovak border and on the edge of the Tatra Mountains National Park. It has gradually evolved from a little village, to the region's primary health-resort and the undisputed winter capital of Poland. It is popular for activities such as skiing, mountaineering and tourism.

Water Parks and IMAX Theatre

There is an IMAX theatre in Krakow as well as Water Park Wodny which is Polands biggest indoor aquapark and offers slides, flumes and wave pools. Both these visits are often booked after a visit to Auschwitz to offer your students some light relief.


We Make Trip Planning Easy

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  • Free Resources and templates to help launch your trip
  • Email reminders to keep you on track
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  • Locate My Trip designed to provide reassurance to parents and teachers
  • Risk Assessment advice so you can make an informed decision on every tour component
  • Teacher Inspection Visits

What You Say

We visited the Plaszow site. This was actually quite straight forward to get to and a good addition to the visit. 

The Chauncy School

The meal in Krakow at the restaurant was excellent and I would highly recommend there for future groups as the quality of food was excellent (Browar Lubicz). 

Maricourt Catholic High School

Perfect sequencing of activities- we were very pleased to visit Auschtwiz on the first day as some students were a little apprehensive about the nature of this visit. It also worked really well to visit the salt mines the next morning to lift the mood a little before continuing to explore the Holocaust at Schindlers factory. 

Colmers School & Sixth Form College

On behalf of the students of SUA I would like to thank you for making our journey and stay a complete success. 

Staffordshire University Academy

A very well organised itinerary that worked very well for the group and fitted very well with our curriculum. 

The Skinners School

The trip was absolutely fantastic and the students really enjoyed it. Thank you for the ease of booking. 

The Nuneaton Academy

The tour guide at Auschwitz was outstanding and explained facts in great detail. 

Banbury and Bicester College