Tempel Synagogue

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:

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 center 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, multicolor 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, visit one of the world’s oldest universities, which has been operating since the eleventh century. You’ll have the chance to walk through the Jagiellonian University Museum, comprised of grand halls and ancient quads. 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 order you the best local bites before departing with you.

This historic tour takes you through the Jewish story in Krakow, dating back centuries in the city’s Jewish quarter through life under the Nazi regime. On your private tour you will:

Please note, due to Covid-19, the Old Jewish Cemetery may be closed to tourists. If this is the case on the day of your tour, your guide will provide alternative options of places to visit instead. 

On your private tour, you will visit Kazimierz, a district that flourished with Jewish culture as early as the 15th century. Here, you will explore many of the areas that you might have seen in the Oscar-Award-Winning Schindler’s List film. Our journey will end at Oscar Schindler’s Factory, after which your guide can make some fabulous dinner recommendations. 

After learning several centuries of the history of the Jewish people in Krakow, your guide will tell you the history of the Nazi occupation of Poland the devastation experienced by the Jewish people in the country. 

You will be taken through the famed ‘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. 

After, you will visit the Remuh Synagogue and Cemetery – a small sixteenth-century synagogue, and enjoy a small coffee break before continuing on your tour.  From there, your guide will take you to Oskar Schindler’s enamel factory, where your guide will take you on a tour. Here, you will learn of the German industrialist’s efforts to save Jewish people in Krakow from the local ghetto, concentration camps, and death. 

After your tour, you will be driven back to central Krakow and dropped off at your hotel or a location of your choosing.