Anybody know of any tour packages for 3 or 4 days in Krakow ex Dublin ?

We plan to visit Krakow/Auswich/salt mines etc. within the next few weeks. Have searched for escorted tour packages ex Dublin but nobody seems to do them. We have enjoyed several such tours to other European cities but it seems like you must put your own flights, hotel & local tour itinerary together for Krakow. I know that we can get package deals ex U.K. but with regular flights ex Dublin we don't see the point in going that route. Ideas welcome.

Have a look at www.arrowtours.ie who include Krakow on their European Cities list.

Thanks Gipiman but have checked Arrow & they do not do escorted tours of Krakow area. All they can do is book you a flight & hotel which almost all travel agents will do.

You can book any of these rours when you arrive in your hotel. However, we did it ourselves - got the bus to the Salt mines for a fraction of the tour cost. Went to Auschwitz on the bus from the bus station - again for very little money, i think it was about €14 return for the two of us. You can wander around at your leisure without worrying about missing the organised coach tour and there are frequent buses back into Krakow. You just have to watch you don't miss the last one!

Thanks Joanmul. I guess that is what we will be doing. Thanks !

Great city Battyee,
The main tourist attractions are the salt mines and auschwitz. Both are easy to book on the ground. Id recommend getting a tour guide in auschwitz, it costs a few quid but very informative

It's worth finding a tourist info. office as soon as you get there. Get a local map (free) and mark the nearest tram stop to where you're staying on it. A four or five day tram/bus ticket is worth its weight in gold. You can go to the salt mines on this - a tram journey and then a bus journey.The tourist map comes into its own for place names. Auswischtz is on it with its polish name. This is important because when you go to the bus station there is a destination board with the bus numbers on it. You have to look for Auswischtz under its polish name. Wawel Castle is worth going to see - its within walking distance of the town square. There are 4 or 5 tours in it - we took one with an English speaking guide. This was available at either around 11a.m or 2.00p.m. If you're late you don't get in - or your money back. The Jewish quarter is very worthwhile visiting - again a stroll away. Kazimierz is its name and there is a restaurant in it - The Ariel - where you can have very good food and there is a Jewish concert on every evening as well ( for an extra charge - about €5).Steven Spielberg ate here every night during the making of Schindlers List.There is also a tiny Synagogue there where you can go into and also visit its graveyard where whole young families who were annihilated by Hitler are commemorated. Auswischtz is mind-boggling with its sheer scale and numbers but here you see the names.

Make sure you also visit Birkenau when you go to Auschwitz. Its about a 40 minute walk or short ride by taxi/bus but to me it was even more haunting because of the vastness and scale and its still pretty much as it was then. The watchtower and train track are numbing reminders of the past. You can get flights much cheaper if you book yourself and hotels too. Many hotels arrange transfer too from airport at reasonable prices compared to here. Costs are about a quarter of Irish prices for food, drink, etc. Something like Oswiecim or similar is the local name on the bus you need for Auschwitz. It goes from downstairs at the bus station. Minibuses run every few minutes to the Salt Mines - be prepared for lots of walking but well worth it. The tour companies charge about 25 euro at least for some trips you can do yourself easily for a couple of euro. Lots of restaurants all very good it seemed to us!! Best of all the locals are so nice and helpful and welcoming too!

You could also consider renting an appartment, right in the old town. Try sodispar.com, you pay when you arrive, and if you've a mobile they'll meet you outside the appt. Try bargaining if going off-peak.
There's tours to Auschwitz from about €20 & there's people handing out leaflets on the street, so you'll get info easily enough. I found Birkenau even more horrific than Auschwitz.
If you want to see some classy Communist architecture, i'd recommend Nowa Huta (#4 tram to last stop Parc Centralny). I think it'd be worth doing a tour of it (but only after you've seen Auschwitz/ salt mines / jewish quarter etc) , you may be able to get a visit into 1 or 2 appartments.
It has a big steel mill which at one stage employed 70,000 people.

There's a tram/train that goes right from the airport into city centre, runs every 20 to 30 minutes.