One Day Tour – Cracow local tours
While going through the Internet in search of some local tours from Cracow it’s almost certain that some „One Day Tours” offers will come up and draw our attention. Most of the agencies that offer „One Day Tours” invite tourists for the combination of two separate trips: a trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine and a tour to Auschwitz Birkenau. These are, in fact, two the most popular of all local tours organized from Cracow.
Obviously, attending the tours to the Salt Mine and to the Auschwitz & Birkenau Memorial Site separately is less tiring and probably more convenient, however taking part in One Day tour is also a good option especially for those who plan to spent only a few days in Cracow.
How does a typical „One – Day” tour with look like ?
First, it’s good to know that all „one-day” tours can actually last all day (11 – 12 hours), therefore we usually start such tours in early morning hours. In summer, it usually is between 6.00 and 7.30 AM. During the peak of the season there are groups that leave before 6.00 (they are back to Cracow at 5 PM). There is no hard and fast rule as to the schedule of the tour since the itinerary depends on the day of the tour for instance in winter Auschwitz& Birkenau Museum is closed earlier than in summer.
A visit in Auschwitz – Birkeanu Memorial Site takes usually 3,5 hours and the tour around the camps is not shortened anyhow. A separate tour to The Memorial Site takes as much time as a tour during the One-Day trip and no part of the visit in the Camp is skipped. Considering the fact that Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau are separate camps located about 2 kilometres away from each other, there is usually short break (15 min) for a quick lunch and a transport to the next place. Once the tour around Auschwitz and Birkenau is done, tourists are going to the Salt Mine. There, they can have a longer break (up to an hour) but again, depending on the itinerary the longer break can be either in Auschwitz Birkenau or near Wieliczka Salt Mine. (There is a restourant near the Memorial Site as well as a few others near the Salt Mine).
Similarly to Auschwitz- Birkenau tour, during the „One-Day’ trip, a visit in Wieliczka Salt Mine lasts as long as a separate regular tour, that is up to 2,5 hours. At this point it’s worth mentioning that both guides, in the Memoral Site and in Wieliczka Salt Mine are fully qualified employees of those places. Additionally, there is no possibility to visit the Salt Mine on your own and without a guide. As the Salt Mine explains, their quides are trained not only to showing tourist around the place but also to apply first aid, if necessary. Considering the depth (135 meters beneath the ground) of the tourist rout in the Salt Mine it seems reasonable.
After a visit in Wieliczka, a group comes back to Cracow where the tour ends. Wieliczka Salt Mine is located about 40 min away from Cracow but sometimes due to heavy traffic, return to the city can be troublesome.
How to prepare oneself for the tour ?
Regarding the length of the tour it is good to have a lunch or some snacks (even left in a bus) with you. During the summer heats we highly recommend having at least one bottle of water with you. Auschwitz- Birkenau is an open- space Memorial Site and spending almost 3 hours being exposed to sun might cause feel you weak. We also recommend wearing comfortable shoes (not necessarily flip-flops ) because during the tour, in total there is almost 6 hours of walking (including 800 downstairs in the Salt Mine). The air- temperature in Wieliczka Salt Mine is usually between 14-16 Celsius degrees, so we also recommend taking some light jacket or a sweater. Also, it is crucial to take one’s ID or Passport for the tour, the tickets to The Memorial Site are onymous and the Museum needs to confirm visitor’s identity. Additionally, it is important to check your luggage size and make sure that you’ll be allowed to enter the Museum and the Salt Mine with it. And last but not least, dear tourist, remember, Auschwitz& Birkenau Memorial Site is a place where a thousends of people died or were killed, show them your respect by being dressed appropriately (cover your shoulders and knees).
So, this is how a „One-Day Tour” with Legendary Kraków looks like 🙂 We hope that our text will help you in choosing the best option for visiting these two most popular Cracow local tours. Check our offer for one day tour here : One Day tours
See you on „One- Day” tour 🙂