My husband and I will be in Krakow and Prague in the latter part of September. We wondered if anyone had done a walking tour of the city and could either recommend or steer us away from a particular tour company. Also, is there a particular tour company you recommend for Auschwitz and the Salt Mines? Thank you so much.
Posted by
winston salem, nc, usa
1078 posts
Krakow is compact enough that you can do the walking tour by yourself; also I don't think there are particular tours for the Salt mines and Auschwitz.
For Auschwitz, make sure you book the English tour--off season, it's only weekly, in season, I think it's daily, but the hotel will know. There are tour guides that take you through, however, they are part of the monument(I do urge you to tip them as they are really underpaid).Also, it's a pretty powerful event and not recommended for kids under 12. Basically, it was the bus to the locations we paid for, and I can't remember if we were in a tour group for the Salt Mine(SPECTACULAR).
As far as Prague is concerned, we did it on our own.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9101 posts
If you have an interest in the Kazimierz (Jewish district), a walking tour will be useful...Rick's guidebook has recommendations. For the rest of the city, not necessary, the city is a pleasure to stroll through at a leisurely pace. The Salt Mines are just outside the city center very easy to reach via taxi, just make sure you arrive when the English language tours are held. An organized bus tour to the mines is a waste of money, I felt like a fool after I did it:) Tours are now mandatory at Auschwitz (during the summer), even though it's easy to reach the camps on your own via regular intercity buses, an organized tour make more sense at this site nowadays.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Krakow
Posted by
baton rouge, la, US
269 posts
We took a six-hour walking tour of Prague led by ... well, I can't remember the name of the group, but they meet below the astronomical clock at around 10 or 10:30 (you can't miss them -- look for yellow umbrellas). Anyway, the tour we took included a meal, a brief river cruise and a post-walk drink. I learned a lot, and this was during my second visit to the city (I'd spent a month studying there the year before).
Posted by
Atlanta
80 posts
We also used the 'yellow umbrella people' in Prague and was pleased. We did Krakow on our own but would certainly have learned more on a tour. Booked the Auschwitz tour through the hotel and was there on a cloudy, chilly, drizzly day which matched the vibe you feel by being there.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
545 posts
In Krakow, you can join the Free Walking Tour in English at 11:00 in front of St. Mary's Church. One tour cover the Old Town, the other covers the Jewish district. No charge, but tips are appropriate. Lasts about 3 hours.