Make your festive season even more magical with this fantastic Christmas market break to Krakow & Zakopane. The short days and cold nights are the perfect excuse to warm up with mulled wine and indulge in some hearty Polish food, which you can find in abundance at the Krakow Christmas market. Not only is this seasonal spectacle the oldest Christmas market in Poland – it’s also one of the biggest in Europe! With many of its stalls selling handmade items from embroidered textiles to traditional Polish pottery, you’re bound to find some fantastic gifts for your loved ones back home. With its castle skyline and beautiful cobbled streets, the Old Town becomes a living Christmas card, especially with a sprinkling of snow. If you love Christmas and festive markets, you will adore this festive break with your fellow solo travellers.
Extras
Welcome to Poland! We will take our transfer to our centrally located hotel and enjoy a welcome drink.
Krakow’s Main Square – one of the largest in Europe – dazzles with its Christmas display. The space has charming wooden booths with a multitude of gifts, street food and stages for cultural events. Start your own evening Krakow exploration on the Main Market Square. Choose your Christmas tree baubles, seek out original gifts and discover the local produce. Taste a typical snack, accompanied by hot wine or beer, or tea flavoured with spices and seasonal fruits.
On this first evening, we gather to enjoy a dinner at the hotel.
We start our day with a Krakow city sightseeing walking tour from the Old Town. Krakow is the cultural capital of Poland, with the Old Town listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site. We will see Barbican and defensive walls with Florian’s Gate, the Main Market Square with Sukiennice Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Church and Town Hall Tower. We then stop by the Jagiellonian University, pass by Archbishop Palace (where John Paul II once lived) as well as St Andrew’s Church and St Peter and Paul’s Church to reach the Wawel Hill.
We can enjoy some free time this afternoon to explore the Krakow further and feel the magical atmosphere of the upcoming Christmas in Krakow.
Following breakfast at the hotel, we transfer from Krakow to Wieliczka – the most beautiful and the oldest operating salt mine in the world (UNESCO Heritage Site). For over 700 years, it was a source of Polish fortune and a physical fundament of culture. Today Wieliczka is the most visited Polish tourist attraction, with magnificent chapels, charming underground lakes and original tools and equipment. During this tour, we can see a number of excavated chambers on three levels adorned with beautiful sculptures made of salt.
In the afternoon, we transfer back to Krakow and have free time for the rest of the day.
We enjoy breakfast at the hotel before joining a full day excursion to Zakopane in the High Tatras mountains.
Breathtaking mountain views, unique folklore, delicious regional cuisine, & welcoming locals all await us there. This charming town is at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. Alpine in character, the range forms the Tatra National Park (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve).
We begin our Zakopane town sightseeing with a stroll along Krupowki Street – one of the best-known Polish promenades. Attracting visitors from all over the world, with dozens of shops and souvenir stalls, regional arts and crafts. Depending on the season, we’ll stop at the manufacture of Oscypek, where the locally smoked cheese is produced.
We then ride by a funicular railway to the top of Gubalowka Hill, admiring beautiful panoramas of high mountains in the Tatra National Park.
After breakfast, we’ll have some more free time to explore Krakow further before transferring to the airport for our return flight home.
INX Design Hotel is located in one of the most recognisable districts of Kraków – Kazimierz. Cobbled streets, historic tenement houses, synagogues and countless cafés and restaurants create a magical atmosphere which will enchant anyone. The street of Starowiślna, where the hotel is located, will take you directly to the main Market Square, while the Vistula Boulevards are perfect for an afternoon stroll along the Vistula River.
The amenities offered by the hotel, include 24 hour front desk, room service, and baggage storage. In addition, guests can enjoy a sauna and breakfast during their visit. The hotel also has a spacious Lobby bar – the perfect place to relax in an informal and welcoming setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Krakow airport to the INX Design Hotel in Krakow is approximately 20 minutes.
The dress code for during the day is casual. In the evenings the dress code is smart casual. Comfortable warm shoes for walking and sightseeing are recommended. Winters in Poland can be extra chilly, so be sure to bring layers that will keep you cozy and warm. Bring a comfortable coat, thick scarf, hat and gloves. Insulated boots and thermal tops are also good idea.
There is often confusion on the question of gratuities, since it frequently depends on the type of holiday, location and, of course, your attitude towards tipping, as to what is normally expected. In order to give you a rough idea, we have given appropriate guidance below. Your Tour Leader will be on hand to offer advice or suggestions if required but gratuities are offered entirely at the sole discretion of the individual. We suggest a group collection to cover drivers, porters and hotel staff of €20.00. Your Tour Leader will collect this on your behalf and distribute it accordingly, thus relieving you of the burden of who, when and how much to tip. The tipping of housekeeping will be left to your individual discretion (a small amount left in your room on departure should cover this and would be much appreciated). As is customary, ‘the hat’ will be passed around for the driver and guide on all optional excursions. For any meals that are not included in your itinerary, or taxi fares, your Tour Leader can advise of an appropriate add on.
Polish złoty
Average Temperatures
| Month(s) | Highest temperature | Lowest temperature |
|---|---|---|
| November | 7 °C | 1 °C |
| December | 1 °C | -5 °C |
“I’m sure you will enjoy it, I have been on three solos holidays to date and the people I’ve met have been great.”
“I’ve been travelling with Solos for nearly 20 years, on and off. The reason is for exactly what you want – you meet like minded people… and have loads of fun!”
“I’ve been on loads of trips with Solos over the years and can honestly say you will not regret booking your 1st one!”
“The feeling you have once you go away on your own is worth all the nerves before! I was so very anxious the first time but now having done it 4 times, I love it!”
