Krakow is the second largest and second oldest city in Poland. Arguably it is one of the most beautiful, being one of the only cities to not be flattened to the ground during world war two and thereby rebuilt.

Ive been to Krakow 3 times already. The first time was for 2 days when a friend and I managed to see the city in one day and the Wieliczka salt mine and Auschwitz concentration camp in the another! It’s manageable. But I’d suggest taking a mental rest after Auschwitz, as doing both in one day was quite exhausting. It sounds odd to recommend going to Auschwitz, however I believe that its an invaluable experience for a person to gain insight into the heart wrenching things that went on during WW2 and pay your respects to the millions of people who lost their lives in places like this.

The second time was for 2 days during Christmas with friends when we got to enjoy Krakow around Christmas time, there’s a beautiful Christmas market at the main square every year where you could feast on Polish Christmas delicacies, drink hot wine and buy Christmas decorations. My third time was just 2 weeks ago with Honza on a 5 hour transit on our way to Sweden. He had never been there before, but I managed to show him the most important sights in the city. We tried Pierogi (traditional polish dumplings) and I made him try warm beer (which is something I’ve only seen thus far in Poland. It’s basically hot beer with a slice of orange, cinnamon and cloves). It’s a change for someone from a beer drinking country like the Czech republic to encounter!) But he liked it.

From this experience I can safely say that you can see a lot even if you get to the city on a short transit. The airport is a 17 minute train ride away from the main train station. The main train station is only a 10 minute walk from the heart of the old town so its definitely do-able even in a 4-5 hour transit between flights.…

From these three trips to Krakow, I think its safe to say that I have experience enough to make a perfect itinerary for Krakow and its surroundings. I really enjoyed my time there and I hope with this guide, you do too.

Lets get to it!

Your ultimate guide on what to see, do, eat in and around Krakow

Your goal for your first day is to walk around the city and take in all the must see sights. And if this is your only day in Krakow, then this is enough to see the city itself but be sure to return to Krakow to experience local life, food culture, night life and visit the surrounding regions, because Krakow provides a good vantage point to get there.

Walking to any direction from the main market square would place you in beautiful old streets with interesting shops, cafes and restaurants where you can try typical food and drink. (tips for places to go down below!)

As you approach the city from any side, you will see the medieval city wall. Planty Park encircles the whole medieval city wall like a green belt. And cobble stoned lined streets of the old city fan out in a star pattern away from the main market square. (its the heart of the old city) If you arrive at Krakow Glowny main station by train from another city or from the airport, it is only a 10 minute walk away.

If you happen to bet there at the turn of the hour, look out for the trumpet call from one of the towers of the St. Mary’s Basilica (these two towers have varied heights and design). People believe that this trumpet call was sounded when it was necessary to close the gates leading into the old city. You can also do something I’m yet to do in Krakow, which is climb 239 steps to get up one of the towers and have a stunning view of Krakow.  

If along Florianska Street which is exceptionally interesting, at the end of it, you will see Barbakan and Florian’s Gate through the medieval city walls.

Wavel Castle is definitely a must see. It’s accessible by walking (15 minutes from the main market square) You can also get there via Grodzka Street.
The castle was built in the 16th century, the cathedral a bit earlier. And it is situated high up over the city making it a good viewpoint.

If you head down the hill in the direction of the river, you will see the famous Wawel Dragon. It actually blows fire every 15 minutes while people gather to see, I am not kidding! You can walk along the river side next to the castle and head over the Lover’s Bridge (due to the love locks on it, or traditionally named Kładka Ojca Bernatka bridge) to the other side where you will find Kazimierz.

You can spend your evening either in Kazimierz, the Jewish district of Krakow, and a declared UNESCO hertiage site, for its atmosphere, architecture, and many places of interest. Don’t be surprised if this region feels a little familiar to you. This maybe because the movie Schindler’s list was filmed mostly in this neighbourhood. While there, you can see the old synagogues, the Jewish cemetery and of course, Schindler’s factory. There are also great restaurants, cafes, bars, and museums. People also enjoy taking pictures of the many graffiti walls. When I was there, I went for coffee and the whole restaurant was full and people were singing Christmas carols and hanging out, it was amazing!

Your plan B for the evening, is experience Krakow’s bustling night life. Or just go try a beer tasting at one of Krakow’s many local breweries (which are usually attached to restuarants, tips below!) If you have more than a day in Krakow, you can expand on these things on your second day. Take a tour inside Wavel castle or Oskar Schindlers factory. See Krakow’s botanical gardens, hike to the top of Kościuszko Mound, and see Krakow’s fortress! You can do a half a day trip to Welicz ka salt mine in the evening! (tours usually take around 2 hours so leave 3 hours for your trip) Think of it as going undergroung when its hard.

Transport

Getting around Krakow is very simple. Its very walkable. However if public transport is needed, their trams run normally until 11pm after which there is a night service. One ticket will cost you less than a euro. Surprisingly Uber is very cheap in Poland, and if you are two or three people, splitting an Uber ride would also pay off.

You would need to take a train or bus to get to other locations around Krakow like Weiliczkaicka (where the salt mine is situated). We took a train to get to Weilicka from Krakow Glowny train station. It isnt hard to figure out. And a bus to get to Auschwitz Berkenau. Buses from many companies also go to other Polish cities from Krakow Glowny bus station.

Where to stay in Krakow

There are plenty of options while in Krakow. The usual AirBnB options, rooms through booking.com, hotels. Hostels are a good choice for groups of friends, travelling and partying. There are hostel types ranging from normal to party hostels, mostly situated in and around the old city walls.

Food to try while in Poland

• Pierogi – traditional polish dumplings filled with meat, onion, all kinds of ingredients. There are even sweet variants (I love all kinds!)
• Barszcz soup – beetroot broth soup, served with mini dumplings or potatoes or just plain like a broth
• Zureck soup – a sour soup served in a bread bowl with sausage, potatoes and egg
• Oscypek  – smoked sheeps milk cheese served with a cranberry jam
• Kielbasa – sausages with a pickle, onion and sauce served as a side
• Bigos – a hearty stew made of varied ingredients, typically suited for winter

Restaurants in Krakow

• Pierogarnia Krakowiacy (the best pierogi in the city in a restuarant that makes you feel like you’ve got back in time)
• Bunkier Cafe – great breakfast!
• Cafe Kładka – cafe in the Kazimierz district, where we had a great time during Christmas listening to carols!
• C.K. Browar restuarant – beer tastings and yummy food
• Pod Aniołami – historic cellar restuarant
• Sąsiedzi – great restuarant in the Kazimierz district

Things to see and do around Krakow

• Zakopane – a beautiful mountain city in the Polish tatra mountains
• Wieliczka Salt mine – an astonishing 327 m above the ground complete with tall chambers and chapels
• Auschwitz concentration camp
• Head to Poland’s capital city of Warsaw
• Gdansk
• Head to Prague, Czech Republic (6 hours away by bus)