Dunajec River Gorge and Niedzica Castle from Krakow

Krakow, Poland

Undoubtedly Dunajec River Gorge is one of the Poland's prime tourist attractions and this great day trip from Krakow gives you the chance to admire some amazing scenery as you float down the river, as well as a visit to Niedzica Castle in the Dunajec Valley.

Begin your excursion with a visit to Niedzica Castle (also known as Dunajec Castle), originally built in the 14th century by the Hungarians to protect an important trade route through the Dunajec Valley. The castle towers over a large water reservoir with an impressive dam built in mid 1990s. While visiting the castle you can admire the delightful view over the artificial lake and learn the amazing story of Inca refugees who found shelter here.

After your visit of the castle, continue to Sromowce Nizne to board your wooden raft to drift at a leisurely pace along the Dunajec River. The river runs from northern Slovakia to southern Poland and is at its most picturesque passing through Dunajec River Gorge. Your adventure down the winding Dunajec River offers breathtaking views of mighty limestone cliffs plunging into the water and stunning native flora, you may even spot some rare bird species such as the Black Stork.

Your highly experienced guide ensures you have a smooth ride, pointing out the sights along the way and teaching you the history of the gorge. Your 2 to 3 hour voyage ends 15 kilometers later in Szczawnica. It is advisable to bring suitable rainwear or a sun hat depending on the weather.

USD $101.81

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Eileen P	May 2012
What an incredible day! First, we were the only ones who had booked this trip. Thank you, Viator for not cancelling it! Instead we were given the private services of Andrew, our amazing guide. The wharf area was crowded but inside of 15 minutes of our arrival, we were on a raft floating down the river. Yes, it's true the raftmen do not speak English but we were given a map with explanations in English. Our raftman helped us orient ourselves by pointing out where we were so we could follow along. At one point I commented on a particular sight and it was important enough for one of the passengers to try to explain what it was in broken but understandable English. The late Pope John Paul II had gone swimming there! Another highlight was when the raftman took off his hat and vest and turned them and the pole over to my husband who became the raftman for a few minutes. Throw in the gorgeous scenery and this was a highlight of our week in Poland!

Review by: annajewell	August 2011
WEATHER STOPPED THE RAFTING ON THE RIVER BUT THE GUIDE DID HIS BEST TO ENRTERTAIN US, WALKING INTO SLOVAKIA AND GIVING US A LOVELY LUNCH. THE CASTLE WAS QUITE GOOD.

Review by: Miss Susan L	August 2011
Castle wasn't so interesting as very few original artefacts were left, the River Gorge was really nice to do, although cold. I had an excellent guide for the day in Andrew.

Review by: Robert Albert B	September 2010
Wonderful scenery extremely peaceful environment a most enjoyable raft ride . It was a pity that our English speaking guide did not accompany us on the raft and the commentary was in Polish we ,therefore felt we missed out.

Review by: Anonymous	August 2010
I was the only guest that day. I did like the beauty of the landscape and the rafting. The visit of the castle was fair.

Review by: Anthony G	July 2010
Very well organised, though an English speaking guide would have been appreciated.

Review by: Eileen S, United States of America	June 2010
This tour had very beautiful scenery but our guides did not speak any English. So other than the beautiful scenery we were not able to understand what they were talking about for two hours.

Review by: Kathryn C, United States of America	October 2009
Our guide was great, very knowledgeable. The castle was pretty typical I think I've been to too many European castles but the countryside is gorgeous. The Dunajec River Gorge is beautiful but here's the problem. We were the only English speaking people on the raft. The guide, who sometimes rides the raft with the tour group, didn't on this occasion. So the two of us spent 3 really long hours on the river not understanding a single thing the boatsman was telling the group about what we were seeing. I was ready to get off the river about an hour into the trip. I would not do this trip again.

Review by: airportbabe	October 2009
Our guide was great, very knowledgeable. The castle was pretty typical I think I've been to too many European castles but the countryside is gorgeous. The Dunajec River Gorge is beautiful but here's the problem. We were the only English speaking people on the raft. The guide, who sometimes rides the raft with the tour group, didn't on this occasion. So the two of us spent 3 really long hours on the river not understanding a single thing the boatsman was telling the group about what we were seeing. I was ready to get off the river about an hour into the trip. I would not do this trip again.

Review by: Karen W, United States of America	August 2009
Very nice way to see the southern Polish countryside and mountains. Niedzica Castle is fairly small, with narrow passages and small rooms. There are great views from the top. The river raft ride is a unique experience. Beautiful views along the river of limestone and soapstone cliffs, the Three Crowns, and occasional small villages along the way. Bring a jacket to use as a seat cushion or to wear if you get chilly. The wooden seats on the boat get uncomfortable after sitting for so long, and it can get a little chilly out on the water, even when it is warm on shore.

Review by: Diptanshu P, United Kingdom	June 2008
Fabulous. If you are expecting white water rafting, don't go! But if you want to see a medieval castle and do a two hour rafting tour on the river Dunajec on the border of Poland and Slovakia amidst beautiful gorges, it is a must see! I certainly enjoyed it and took some wonderful snaps there.