If the price of a tour package barely covers the airfare, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess that profits for the Travel Agents must be coming from elsewhere like optional tours or shopping stops.
This strategy of trying to "get their price down as far as possible" has been around for years. This may entail cutting down on what is included in the itinerary, and rebranding the activities hived off as optionals. Although these are optional and not a must to participate, most travellers just go along.
For us, we'll factor in all the hidden costs like optional tours, tips for tour guides, airport taxes, etc. Of course, we'll do some background research on the optional tours whether they are worth our time and money.
In our upcoming tour of Eastern Europe with Chan Brothers Travels, there are three optional tours available. Below are some information which we have gathered.
During day six of our tour in Kraków, Poland, we are given an option to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine at Euro 40 dollars per pax (SGD 83).
Located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, Wieliczka Salt Mine lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. The mine had been in continuous operation, producing table salt since the 13th century until 2007 as one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. The mine is a major tourist attraction, with about 1.2 million visitors per year. Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding.
The Wieliczka salt mine reaches a depth of 327 meters and is over 300 km long. It features a 3.5-km touring route for visitors (less than 1% of the length of the mine's passages) that includes historic statues and mythical figures. The oldest sculptures were carved out of rock salt by miners; more recent figures have been fashioned by contemporary artists. Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that has been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, so that the carvings resemble unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look that many visitors expect.
The Wieliczka salt mine reaches a depth of 327 meters and is over 300 km long. It features a 3.5-km touring route for visitors (less than 1% of the length of the mine's passages) that includes historic statues and mythical figures. The oldest sculptures were carved out of rock salt by miners; more recent figures have been fashioned by contemporary artists. Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that has been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, so that the carvings resemble unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look that many visitors expect. 
Also featured is a large chamber with walls carved to resemble wooden chapels built by miners in earlier centuries; an underground lake; and exhibits on the history of salt mining. The Wieliczka mine is often referred to as "the Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland.
"Over the centuries, visitors to this site have included Nicolaus Copernicus, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt, Dmitri Mendeleyev, Bolesław Prus, Ignacy Paderewski, Robert Baden-Powell, Jacob Bronowski (who filmed segments of The Ascent of Man in the mine), Karol Wojtyła (the later Pope John Paul II), former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and many others. During World War II, the salt mine was used by the occupying Germans as facilities for war-related industries.
To get down to the 64-metre level of the mine, visitors must descend a wooden stairway of 378 steps. After the three-kilometer tour of the mine's corridors, chapels, statues and lake, 135 metres underground, visitors take an elevator back up to the surface. The elevator holds 36 persons (nine per car) and takes some 30 seconds to reach the surface. In 1978 the Wieliczka salt mine was placed on the original UNESCO list of the World Heritage Sites.
"Over the centuries, visitors to this site have included Nicolaus Copernicus, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt, Dmitri Mendeleyev, Bolesław Prus, Ignacy Paderewski, Robert Baden-Powell, Jacob Bronowski (who filmed segments of The Ascent of Man in the mine), Karol Wojtyła (the later Pope John Paul II), former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and many others. During World War II, the salt mine was used by the occupying Germans as facilities for war-related industries.
To get down to the 64-metre level of the mine, visitors must descend a wooden stairway of 378 steps. After the three-kilometer tour of the mine's corridors, chapels, statues and lake, 135 metres underground, visitors take an elevator back up to the surface. The elevator holds 36 persons (nine per car) and takes some 30 seconds to reach the surface. In 1978 the Wieliczka salt mine was placed on the original UNESCO list of the World Heritage Sites. That's all folks! In our next post, we'll talk about the other 2 optional tours namely Danube River Cruise and Mozart concert.
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