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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted tour

Railways, River Cruises and World War II History in Poland

9-day escorted Polish history tour from Krakow via PKP Intercity rail

Illustration of Railways, River Cruises and World War II History in Poland

The Railway Touring Company offers a 9-day escorted tour combining Poland's World War II history with First Class rail travel, based throughout in Krakow. The itinerary blends train journeys on PKP Intercity services with visits to major historical sites: Oskar Schindler's Factory and the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter in Krakow, a day-trip to Warsaw by high-speed rail to visit the Warsaw Uprising Museum, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp near Oświęcim, the 19th-century fortresses and palaces of Przemysl, and the Gliwice Radio Tower, Europe's tallest wooden structure. The tour also includes a sunset dinner cruise on the River Vistula, the UNESCO-listed Wieliczka Salt Mine, heritage tram rides, and a narrow-gauge steam train charter at Rudy. A Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout, and complimentary public transport tickets in Krakow and Warsaw give you flexibility to explore on free afternoons. Ideal for history enthusiasts and rail travellers seeking a guided, inclusive experience in Central Europe.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure listed: July 2026. Confirm availability directly with The Railway Touring Company.
  • The ground-only price (GBP 1850) excludes all rail and flight services from the UK and hotel transfers on arrival and departure days.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Krakow

    Arrive to Krakow

    Fly direct from London to Krakow, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and your base for the entire tour. After a welcome lunch at your centrally located hotel, you are free to explore the Old Town with its expansive main market square. You are given a complimentary public transport rover ticket valid for all days of the tour.

  2. Day 2overnight: Krakow

    Kazimierz Jewish Quarter in Krakow and visit to Oskar Schindler's Factory in the former Ghetto, Sunset dinner cruise on the River Vistula

    Today you visit the Jewish Quarter Kazimierz, with its preserved synagogues and Jewish cemeteries and other relevant WWII sites, then over the River Vistula to the former Jewish Ghetto, where the main square has been turned into an evocative memorial with vacant chairs. The trip concludes at Oskar Schindler's enamel factory, made famous by the film 'Schindler's List', now a museum. After free time, there is an evening sightseeing cruise on the River Vistula and below Wawel Castle, with full dinner catering and complimentary drinks included.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Krakow

    Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow and Wieliczka Salt Mine

    Today you visit the Polish Aviation Museum, one of the finest collections of 1930s and 40s aircraft in Europe, showcasing 22 rare war planes built before 1941. In the afternoon you take the train from Krakow main station directly to Wieliczka to visit the famed Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the unique St. Kinga's Chapel inside. In the evening there is a buffet dinner back at the hotel.

  4. Day 4overnight: Krakow

    Heritage tramways and leisure in Krakow

    On Sundays during the summer, Krakow's popular museum tramway is in regular service. You have a complimentary rover ticket for unlimited rides on the heritage trams, with the day otherwise dedicated to free time to explore the city's cultural attractions.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Krakow

    Day-trip to Warsaw by high-speed rail, Warsaw Uprising Museum

    Thanks to Poland's main high-speed line, Warsaw is just over two hours by Intercity train from Krakow. You make a day-trip to the capital and visit the most important WWII monuments, including the museum dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising from summer 1944, plus a vintage tram ride over the bridges of the Vistula and the rebuilt Old Town and Royal Palace. You return by high-speed train to Krakow in the evening in First Class.

  6. Day 6overnight: Krakow

    Trip to Oświęcim and visit of the Auschwitz concentration camp

    The town of Oświęcim is located west of Krakow. Today you have a direct transfer from the hotel to the memorial sites and a guided visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The hotel provides an on-the-go lunch to take with you.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Krakow

    World War I history and the fortresses and palaces of Przemysl near the Ukrainian frontier

    After breakfast you take a PKP Intercity train two hours east to Przemysl, the Polish frontier post with western Ukraine, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. You visit the impressive 19th century forts and splendid residential palaces, reliving both World War I and World War II history, with lunch at a local restaurant. In the late afternoon you return to Krakow by direct, locomotive-hauled Intercity train.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Krakow

    Visit to the Gliwice Radio Tower and narrow gauge steam train in Rudy

    Today you travel westbound by Intercity train from Krakow to Gliwice, in the Silesian coal-mining region, German until 1945. Gliwice Radio Station is a 118 m tall wooden Radio Tower built by the German Reichspost in 1935, the tallest wooden structure in Europe. After lunch at a typical Polish restaurant, you visit the nearby heritage railway at Rudy, with one of the most attractively refurbished narrow gauge yards in Poland, enjoying a private steam charter train through the rural scenery of Silesia with photo stops and run-pasts. In the late afternoon you return directly to Krakow by coach.

  9. Day 9

    Return to London

    You have a direct coach transfer from the hotel to the airport and then a return flight from Krakow to London.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Sunset dinner cruise on the River Vistula below Wawel Castle after visiting Oskar Schindler's Factory and the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter.
  • Day 3Train journey from Krakow main station to Wieliczka to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Salt Mine and St. Kinga's Chapel underground.
  • Day 5High-speed PKP Intercity train from Krakow to Warsaw in just over two hours, then a vintage tram ride over the Vistula and visit to the Warsaw Uprising Museum.
  • Day 8Narrow-gauge steam train charter at the Rudy heritage railway yard in the Silesian coal-mining region, after visiting the 118-metre Gliwice Radio Tower.

Included

  • Return flights from London to Krakow
  • 8 Nights accommodation with breakfast at a centrally located hotel
  • 4 Lunches
  • 2 Dinners
  • First Class rail travel on PKP Intercity services with seat reservations, Standard Class travel on local trains when First Class is not available
  • All privately chartered river cruises and steam train rides as detailed in the itinerary
  • Complementary public transport rover tickets in Krakow and Warsaw
  • City sightseeing rides and local transfers
  • Museum and site admissions to all the attractions as detailed in the itinerary
  • The services of a Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
Yes. The Standard price (GBP 1995) includes return flights from London to Krakow and First Class rail travel on PKP Intercity services with seat reservations. The Ground only option (GBP 1850) excludes international flights and rail services to and from the UK.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. The Railway Touring Company provides a Tour Manager throughout the 9 days. You stay in one centrally located hotel in Krakow for all eight nights.
What trains are used?
PKP Intercity First Class services run from Krakow to Warsaw (high-speed), Przemysl, and Gliwice. You also ride heritage trams in Krakow and a privately chartered narrow-gauge steam train at Rudy.
What is included in the price?
Return flights, eight nights' hotel with breakfast, four lunches, two dinners, First Class rail travel with reservations, all river cruises and steam train rides, museum and site admissions, a Tour Manager, and complimentary public transport rover tickets in Krakow and Warsaw.
How much walking is involved?
The tour includes city walking tours in Krakow, Warsaw, and Przemysl, stairs in historic buildings and the salt mine, and guided visits to memorial sites. There are also free afternoons in Krakow.
When does the tour depart?
The only listed departure is in July 2026 at GBP 1995 per person (Standard with flights).

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