School Trips & Tours to Krakow

One of the oldest cities in Poland, Krakow’s history still bears the scars of one of the most horrific stories of the 20^th century. Home to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps, in 1940 Krakow quickly became the setting for an onslaught of atrocities against the Jews of Europe. The camps now serve as a poignant reminder of man’s inhumanity, and as a memorial for the 1.1 million prisoners who were slaughtered there in World War II. We offer the following unforgettable school trips to Krakow.

• History
• Psychology and Sociology
• Religious Study Tours

Our guide, Gosha, was simply fantastic. She had a mine of information about Krakow from all eras, her English was excellent and she had a real affinity with the pupils. The high spot had to be meeting the lady who survived the Holocaust at the museum. One pupil said it was a day that “I will never, ever forget as long as I live”. That for me sums up what the trip was about.

Top Attractions

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum 

For any student studying the Second World War, the story of the Holocaust is best told by a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. The largest concentration camp in Nazi Germany, 1.1 million prisoners lost their lives during the camp’s operation from 1940-1945.

A tour around the museum gives students an unparalleled opportunity to learn about the workings of the concentration camps, offering insight into everything from the prisoner categories to punishments and executions.

Galicia Jewish Museum

The Galicia Museum is an amazing centre of information for studies of the Holocaust. We’ll arrange for your group to have a guided tour around the museum, following the story of the Jews in Poland through photography. The guides here are all graduates of Jewish Studies or Holocaust Studies and have a wealth of knowledge to pass on. This is why we arrange your guided walking tours of the city with Galicia Museum guides, so that you’ll get the best learning outcomes.

At the Galicia Museum, you can also have the unique experience of meeting a concentration camp survivor or a member of the Righteous Among the Nations, an enlightening and emotional experience that will stay with you and your students forever.

Krakow’s Main Market Square 

The enormous 10-acre square in the heart of Krakow in one of the largest medieval squares in Europe. Lined with elegant townhouses, the square boasts a number of historical sites to explore. The Cloth Hall, built in the 14^th century, was the world’s first ever shopping centre and is still filled with merchants selling a wide variety of treasures. On the other side of the square you’ll find the 70-metre-high Town Hall Tower where, at certain times of year, you can climb to the third floor of the Gothic building.  

Krakow Accommodation

Location is everything in Krakow. We only work with hotels with good standards and in great locations. Most are a short walk to the Old Town Square, so you’re close to major sites and activities. If you want to try something different or immerse yourself into Jewish culture, consider our hotels in Kazimierz, the former Jewish District of Krakow.

Local Cuisine

Eastern European influences still feature strongly in Krakow. We can arrange a traditional Polish folklore meal and show, a traditional Jewish meal and show or, if you prefer, dining at more traditionally western restaurants. 

Polish cuisine is famous for being hearty and meaty, so you can expect lots of succulent stews and seasoned sausages. Our top traditional Polish dishes to try are Krakowska sausages, which are flavoured with pepper and garlic; Bigos, a rich stew usually containing meat, sausage, onion, mushrooms and garlic; and Golonka, braised or roasted pork knuckle.

Hidden Gems

Kazimierz

Located south of the Old Town, Kazimierz was once the Jewish district of Krakow before it was destroyed during World War II. Today, the area is one of the most exciting regions of the city, bursting with historical sites, bustling cafés and quirky art galleries. Renowned as the best place in Europe to experience pre-war Jewish culture, the area was also used as the backdrop to Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.

Nowa Huta

Offering a fantastic insight into the communist ideology, Nowa Huta lies on the edge of Krakow and was originally designed as a socialist showcase city at the end of the Second World War. At the heart of Nowa Huta you’ll find Central Square, considered to be a masterpiece of Soviet social planning, it was a focal point after the collapse of communism in Poland due to the symbolic dismantling of a monument of Vladimir Lenin. The suburb is also famous for its Steelworks which was built as part of the socialist movement.

Wawel Castle 

Dating back to the 14^th century, Wawel Royal Castle is a national cultural symbol containing one of Poland’s leading art museums, as well as being the previous residence of the Polish aristocracy. A tour through the castle takes visitors past everything from vast art collections to the legendary Dragon’s Den in Wawel Hill.  

St. Mary's Basilica

Situated next to Krakow’s Main Square, St. Mary’s Basilica is a dual-towered brick Gothic church which dates back to the 13^th century. Famous for its elaborate carved altarpiece by Veit Stoss, the religious artwork seized by the Nazis during the Second World War and taken to Nuremberg Castle in Berlin. The altar was returned to Poland in 1946.  

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