Poland’s touring landscape is anchored by Krakow — one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Central Europe — and by the sites that make it one of the most historically significant destinations on the continent. These five tours cover the experiences that define a Poland visit, from the solemnity of Auschwitz to the extraordinary underground world beneath Wieliczka.
All are bookable through GetYourGuide with verified reviews.
1. From Krakow: Auschwitz-Birkenau with Transport
From Krakow: Auschwitz-Birkenau Transportation and Entrance (from $25 per person)
The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum preserves the largest Nazi concentration and death camp complex — Auschwitz I (the original camp with its infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate) and Auschwitz II–Birkenau (the vastly larger extermination complex two kilometres away, where the gas chambers and crematoria were located). Transport from Krakow is included; the entry includes a guided audio tour or standard entry depending on time slot selected.
Duration: 6–7 hours from Krakow | Difficulty: Easy — flat site walking
Best time: Book weeks in advance; timed entry is required and slots fill quickly
Includes: Return transport from Krakow, site entry, audio guide
This is Poland’s most visited site after the Krakow Old Town. Entry is timed and requires advance booking — do not attempt a walk-in visit in peak season.
2. Krakow: Auschwitz Guided Tour with Optional Hotel Pickup
Krakow: Auschwitz Guided Tour with Optional Hotel Pickup (from $85 per person)
A fully guided version of the Auschwitz visit with a licensed memorial guide (required for official guided tours at the site — independent guides are not permitted inside). The guide leads the group through both Auschwitz I and Birkenau, explaining the camp’s administrative structure, the selection process at the Birkenau ramp, the documentation of individual prisoners, and the liberation in January 1945. Hotel pickup in Krakow is optional.
Duration: 7–8 hours | Difficulty: Easy
Includes: Licensed memorial guide, transport, all site entries
The difference between a guided and self-guided visit at Auschwitz is significant. The licensed guides are trained specifically for this site and carry the weight of its documentation appropriately.
3. Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour with Fast-Track Ticket
Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow (from $32 per person)
The Wieliczka Salt Mine — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — has been operating continuously since the 13th century and descends to 327 metres across nine levels. The tourist route covers 3.5 kilometres underground, passing through enormous natural salt chambers, underground lakes, and the extraordinary Chapel of St. Kinga — a cathedral-sized chamber carved entirely from salt rock by miners between 1895 and 1963, with bas-relief artworks, sculptures, and a functioning chandelier all made from salt crystals. Nothing else in Poland prepares you for the scale of what miners created underground over seven centuries.
Duration: 4–5 hours | Difficulty: Easy — underground, cool temperature
Includes: Return transport from Krakow, fast-track mine entry, licensed guide in the mine
The fast-track ticket is worth the marginal extra cost in peak season — standard entry queues can be long.
4. Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine Half-Day with Skip-the-Line
Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine Half-Day Guided Tour with Skip the Line (from $65 per person)
An alternative Wieliczka ticket with skip-the-line access and a half-day format, fitting more easily into a Krakow day that also includes the Old Town or Wawel Castle. The route covers the same main chambers — the Chapel of St. Kinga, the Erazm Barącz Chamber, and the underground lake at the Weimar Chamber — with the same licensed mine guide. The skip-the-line component is the main differentiator from standard entry.
Duration: 3–4 hours | Difficulty: Easy
Includes: Skip-the-line entry, mine guide, transport from Krakow
Works well paired with a morning in Krakow Old Town before an afternoon mine visit.
5. Warsaw: Old Town Guided Walking Tour
Warsaw: Old Town Guided Walking Tour (from $20 per person)
Warsaw’s Old Town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is among the most extraordinary historical reconstructions in Europe. The Nazi Wehrmacht deliberately destroyed 85% of Warsaw building by building after the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, leaving the city in rubble. Post-war Polish architects and citizens rebuilt the Old Town from paintings, photographs, and architectural records to within 3 centimetres of the original structures. Walking the Royal Square, Barbican, and Cathedral Square today means walking through a city that does not technically exist — it was rebuilt from memory and resistance.
The walking tour covers the reconstruction history alongside the medieval origins: the Royal Castle, the Cathedral of St. John, and the Old Town Market Square with its 18th-century townhouses.
Duration: 2.5–3 hours | Difficulty: Easy
Includes: Licensed guide, walking route through the full Old Town
Warsaw’s Old Town is frequently underestimated by travellers rushing to Krakow. The reconstruction story alone makes it one of the most unusual UNESCO sites in Europe.
How to Choose
| Tour | Duration | Best for | From Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auschwitz-Birkenau with Transport | 6–7 hrs | Memorial site access | $25 |
| Auschwitz Guided Tour | 7–8 hrs | Full licensed guide | $85 |
| Wieliczka Salt Mine + Fast Track | 4–5 hrs | Underground cathedral | $58 |
| Wieliczka Skip-the-Line | 3–4 hrs | Half-day mine visit | $55 |
| Warsaw Old Town Walk | 2.5–3 hrs | Reconstruction history | $20 |
Prices are per person, in USD, as of 2026. Most tours offer free cancellation; check individual listings. Browse all Poland tours on GetYourGuide.