Dec 9, 2024
A fantastic day - very memorable. - Bus and driver were great. It was really hot and bottled water was provided with good air con on the bus.
Salt mines were nice and cool. The mines were very interesting and the sculptures beautiful. A fair bit of walking but it was in short bursts. It was a wee bit hard to hear the guide due to the echo, but we got enough to make it an interesting experience.
Auschwitz-Birkenau was extremely moving and the guide was passionate about telling the story and make us understand the truly horrific conditions and loss of life.
There were a lot of groups and we weren't rushed through but the groups at Auschwitz were a bit too close together to take time to linger over the photos and text on the walls. It was peak season so maybe not so bad at others times.
Birkenau was good as the other groups weren't on our tail around the site. The huts and gas chamber ruins and the guide explaining the scale of death was hard to comprehend.
So glad we went and will never forget it.
Review provided by Viator
Dec 9, 2024
Excellent Tour Service - Myself and a friend attended this tour in early December and really enjoyed it, given that the first part of the tour is naturally so somber.
Communication from Christopher via WhatsApp was excellent, he provided full details the day prior, we felt well looked after as he was thorough in advising where we’d need to go for pick up. He also took our lunch order.
We were picked up by our driver, I believe he was called Piotr but I’m starting to forget names I didn’t have written down! He was lovely and friendly, drove safely, and looked after us at drop offs and pick ups.
The tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau was incredibly touching and thought provoking. Auschwitz provided headsets and receivers for the tour, meaning you could always hear and the guide could speak in a measured way. Our guide was excellent, her grandmother had first hand experience of the holocaust, and she was able to provide the stories of many others.
Lunch was provided after Birkenau, at this point we were very hungry! There was also a kiosk at Birkenau if you wanted something hot, or a different drink etc. I would recommend getting the lunch, it included a lovely baguette, chocolate filled croissant, large chocolate wafer bar, apple, banana, water and tissues. You don’t have much time in between stops to queue at official restaurants.
Following lunch we made our way to the Salt Mines, we were able to pop to the loo and get a hot drink whilst Piotr organised collection of the tickets, you can also take hot drinks into the mine. Our guide was again, excellent, with a dry sense of humour we found so funny. It provided levity following the first part of the day, and allowed us to not sit with the sadness of what we had seen. There is a toilet break around 2/3s of the way in, and there are lots of stairs going down, a LOT. There is a disabled lift if needed, enquire with staff at the mine ahead of booking re accessibility.
I would definitely recommend booking this experience with Choose Cracow (we did so via Trip Advisor) as the day ran smoothly, we were well looked after, and we got a lot out of the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 9, 2024
The experience is a... - The experience is a sombering one but an important one. Our group didn’t fully comprehend the scale of both camps and the atrocities that happened.
Review provided by Viator
Dec 8, 2024
Amazing Trip - Amazing trip, well organised with great tour guides very informative. It was a very long day, we booked the packed lunch which was very a very tasty ham and cheese roll, fruit, croissant, chocolate wafer and water, glad we did as the breaks were just long enough for toilet visit and coffee.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 7, 2024
Great trip - Great communication like the trip communicators. , the trio it self was very movings , and the salt mine st the end were uplifting
Review provided by Viator
Dec 7, 2024
Sobering even difficult but well worth time and effort - Be prepared for walking and the weather.
Have an open mind.
Take what you learned and use it to prevent repeats.
I'm grateful for our guide Peter whose 20 years were evident in his factual compassionate sharing.
Review provided by Viator
Dec 6, 2024
Absolutely fantastic tour ! 10/10 thank you. - This tour was absolutely amazing from start to finish. Nick the driver was so lovely and very informative with everything throughout the day. The tour guide we had throughout Auschwitz was amazing, it was very powerful and I felt it was true to the heart. The salt mines were also fantastic, be prepared for allot of walking. I would highly recommend booking with this tour operator as I spoke to loads of brits who had been let down. These were fantastic ! Thank you x
Review provided by Viator
Dec 6, 2024
So glad we booked this tour, leaves a lasting impression - This tour is very well organised, with the bus arriving at the pick-up time given the day before, to the organisation of entry into the two sights, travel between them and the providing of lunches. Peter the coach driver/tour operator was very friendly and helpful.
Remember to wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking, and your photo ID, which is needed to enter Auschwitz. There are plenty of toilets, breaks throughout the day and options to buy food if you do not go with the packed lunch option (though we appreciated the ease of having this provided).
Arriving at Auschwitz mid-morning, we took a 1.5 to 2 hour tour of Auschwitz 1 with an incredible guide called Patrycja who was very passionate and informative about delivering the tour. The museum aspect of the camp is presented very well, and leaves a lifelong lasting impression. After Auschwitz 1 our driver took us to the site of Auschwitz-Birkenau for an hour with the same guide we had previously. No amount of education can prepare you for actually being in such a place. The tour does not hold anything back, confronting you with every horror inflicted there. It is well worth the trip.
After a lunch break we were driven to the Wieliczka Salt Mines which were also very interesting. The chapels and lakes 100m underground were particularly amazing to see. Again our guide Dorota was wonderful and enthusiastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 6, 2024
Worth every penny - A very well organised trip, from the picking us up and dropping us off outside our Airbnb.
Auschwitz was a humbling experience. We had a great guide who had a family member who was in the camp during the war, which made it more poignant.
Just hope we can all learn from the atrocities that went on there and pray for a better world
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 8, 2024
The whole trip was nice.... - The whole trip was nice. It’s long hours since the beginning so have in mind that you have to carry your own food as the breaks between the places are 15 minutes.
It was nice that you can see two places with one bus but I would like the driver to be more polite and happy!
Review provided by Viator