School Trips to Poland
With its storied history, vibrant culture and wealth of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Poland is a perfect setting for any school trip.
The picturesque cities of Warsaw and Krakow are perhaps the most well-known, though there are countless other must-see sites dotted all around the country. NST have been arranging school trips to Poland for decades, so you’ll certainly be in safe hands when deciding a bespoke itinerary that meets the specific requirements of your class.
Krakow is one of the nation’s oldest cities and an unforgettable destination for any group focussing on history or religious studies. A school trip to Krakow will provide an in-depth study of the Jewish community in the city, one of the most important centres of Jewish life in pre-war Europe. The evidence of the wartime experience of Europe’s Jewish population in ghettos such as Podgorze, coupled with a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, will enable pupils to develop a thorough, rounded picture of the experience of Jewish communities and discrimination in central Europe during the 20th century.
Guided tours take classes through the cell block structures, exhibits and various points of interest. The site is also not too far from the enamel factory owned by Oskar Schindler – the Nazi businessman who famously saved the lives of thousands of Jewish people by demanding them from the concentration camps. His good deeds would eventually go on to achieve worldwide acclaim through the book Schindler’s Ark and subsequent film Schindler’s List. This is a thought-provoking religious school trip to Krakow that your pupils are likely to remember for many years to come.
Krakow is also steeped in history beyond Auschwitz, particularly across the beautiful Old Town which is known as the historic centre of the city. Here you’ll find meandering cobbled streets, interesting museums and galleries. There’s also the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a massive expanse of caverns, lakes and crystalline sculptures that have been growing for 900 years. It’s easy to see why these areas were named among the first urban UNESCO world heritage sites.
Poland has a distinct gastronomic reputation and is famous for merging cuisine from foreign countries, notably Italy and other Baltic nations. It’s safe to say that the country’s multitude of restaurants really do cater to every possible taste. Couple that with the number of wonderful concert halls, performance venues and language-learning experiences on offer and it’s easy to see why Poland is one of Europe’s top cultural destinations.
Learn more about our school trips and tours to Poland
Krakow
Krakow
Krakow offers groups an unforgettable experience through one of the most historically and culturally rich cities in Europe.
Warsaw
Warsaw
The capital of Poland offers a wide variety of Holocaust-related visits that highlight the story of the city's Jewish population up to the end of WWII. With sites of historical importance and architectural beauty to rival Krakow. The remains of the Death Camp at Treblinka and the fascinating city of Łodz with its important wartime ghetto are both easily visited as day excursions from the city.
Poland school trip experts
Hundreds of students travel with NST to Poland every year, and members of our team regularly visit Krakow and Warsaw to really get to know the ins-and-outs of both areas, from logistics and visits to our range of student-friendly accommodation.
Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their knowledge to create an itinerary that’s tailor-made, perfectly timed and meets your exact school travel needs.
They’ll be able to share their first-hand experience, suggest options you might not have considered and give you insight into the feedback other teachers have given us too.
Planning your first school trip?
If you're planning your first school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process...
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Additional support, resources & information
Tour planning service
Tour planning service
With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:
- Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
- Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
- Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals
You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.
Free school trip promotion pack
Free school trip promotion pack
We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:
- Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete A3 posters to promote your trip around school
- PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
- Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment support including preview visit
Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour.
Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.
Planning first school trip
Planning first school trip
Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process.
If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way.
Our helpful guide covers the following:
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track.
With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.
With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.
What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.
Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here
Free classroom resources
Free classroom resources
We've created a range of free geography resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!
Take a look at our downloadable posters here
Why choose NST...
Here's why hundreds of teachers choose NST each year...
- Unrivalled knowledge
Your dedicated tour co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise of Poland to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.
- Making it easier for you
With our online school trip organiser, travel app, free classroom posters to support in-school promotion.
- FREE group leader inspection visits
We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning.
- Value for money
We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.
- More than 20 years’ experience
With over 20 years’ experience, with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.
- Risk assessment guidance
Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.
- Peace of mind
Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away.
- Offsetting carbon emissions
For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions.
Looking for protection on your next school trip?
Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.
Financial protection from the moment you book
NST are fully bonded & licensed:
- ABTA
- ATOL
- IATA
- Commission for Aviation Regulation
Managing safety on school trips
For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:
- 24-hour emergency cover
- Audited accommodation & transport
- Excursions & school visit assessment
- Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning
Package Travel Regulations 2018
Don't forget - if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial.
We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured
For groups travelling from Northern Ireland... the Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.
