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Krakow is well worth a visit; it has a fascinating history dating back over a thousand years. The city boasts a variety of eclectic architectural gems that showcase influences from Renaissance, Baroque, and Gothic periods.
There is so much to do in Krakow, with a fair amount concentrated in the city centre. We spent a week in Krakow and had quite a relaxed itinerary, but you can definitely fit the main sights within a standard city break of four days on average.
So, read on to find out what we got up to…
Day 1
We arrived at John Paul II International Airport around 9am; I always prefer landing early as it means you have more time to explore.
After checking in at our accommodation, we went to the city centre to get our bearings. We got lunch from McDonald’s (which, for those of you that are new – is something I insist upon when we visit a new country).
It started raining while we were exploring, so we ran back to our apartment to wait it out. After the rain stopped, we returned to the centre, where we bought tickets to enter St. Mary’s Basilica.
St Mary’s Basilica
St Mary’s Basilica is a church in the heart of the Old Town which played a key role in Krakow. A five-note bugle call would be played at dawn and dusk from the tallest tower to signal the opening and closing of the city gates.
Nowadays, the fire brigade is responsible for keeping this piece of history alive. A five-note bugle call is played from the tower every hour on the hour. This is done four times, once in each of the four cardinal directions.
When the bugler finishes playing, give them a wave, and they’ll wave back!
The interior of the church is breathtaking with its intricate stained glass windows, beautiful ceiling, and ornate High Altar.
The entry fee was 15 PLN per person when we went. Tourists cannot enter through the main door, as it is reserved for prayer only. Instead, they need to use the South entrance, located opposite the ticket office.
Visiting hours can be found on the official website, as well as information on tours of the Bugle Tower.
After we visited St Mary’s Basilica, we wandered around some more before going to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. Yeah, I know, Maccies and Hard Rock in one day, but we had to get the US food out of the way! Anyway, I’m pretty sure it’s the only Hard Rock we’ll ever go to because the exchange rate made it too cheap to not try!
Day 2
For our first full day in Krakow, we decided to take advantage of the walking tours offered by Krakow Explorers.
The meeting point for the tours was outside St Mary’s Basilica. While walking there in the morning, we stopped by one of the many blue food carts you will see in Krakow, selling obwarzanki (a traditional bread ring which tasted like a cross between a bagel and a pretzel to me), a must-try for you foodies out there!
Krakow Explorers – Free Walking Tours
Our first tour started around 10am and was of the Old Town and Wawel Castle. As you might have guessed, this took us all around the Old Town where we learned the history of landmarks such as St Mary’s Basilica, the Barbican and the Cloth Hall before ending the tour atop Wawel Hill.
At 3pm, we met again with the Krakow Explorers for the Jewish Quarter tour. During the tour, we gained significant insights into the Jewish culture, religion, and history. Although some parts of the tour were difficult and emotional, it was definitely worth it. We learned so much and valued the experience.
Bartek guided us on both tours, and he was truly fantastic. We found him to be incredibly knowledgeable, and he never bored us on our tours. He provided us with so much information and interspersed the tours with his own stories and personal anecdotes. We highly recommend checking out this group.
Once the tour was over, Hayden and I crossed the river and popped into an Irish bar to have a drink and decide where to go for dinner.
Unfortunately, it started raining (I’m sensing a theme here), but luckily, the woman behind the bar told us there were some food trucks down the road, and said we were welcome to bring our food back!
Food Squares
There are several food squares in Krakow where a variety of different food trucks are parked up, serving delicious treats.
We wound up in Judah Food Square, where I opted for a mixed box of pierogi, which included sweet and savoury. Meanwhile, Hayden went for Maczanka po Krakowsku, which is basically a pulled pork bun, with cheese and lots of pickles!
You can read our thoughts over at our Food in Krakow post!
Day 3
We started the day off right, with breakfast at a local café, Od Jajka Do Jabłka, where I had an amazing feta and chorizo shakshuka. Shakshuka, a North African dish, traditionally consists of a base of seasoned tomatoes with poached eggs and vegetables! A must-try for sure!
All fuelled up, we made the hour’s walk to Kościuszko Mound.
Kościuszko Mound
Built in honour of Tadeusz Kościuszko, the Kościuszko Museum is essentially a homage to his achievements. The museum, a former Austrian fort, surrounds the mound. The mound was built over three years and used Polish and American soil from where Kościuszko fought.
The museum features a host of multimedia exhibits, which is great for those travelling with children as it helps immerse them in the history!
It took us approximately an hour to explore the exhibits, reach the mound’s summit, and grab a quick refreshment at the museum café. If you’re passionate about history, plan for a longer visit.
The views from the mound were stunning and well worth the walk for us.
We paid around 20 PLN (£3-£3.50) each to go through the museum and up the mound, which I think is an absolute bargain for the views alone!
We walked back into the Old Town, where we meandered through the Cloth Hall market, shopping for souvenirs.
Sukiennice
The Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall, has an array of stalls selling souvenirs, amber jewellery, and other assorted goods.
We enjoyed looking at each stall, just taking our time walking up one side and then back down the other. In the end, we bought a little model of St Mary’s Basilica, and I bought two pairs of earrings.
We finished the day in yet another Irish pub for dinner and then headed to a bar for a cocktail before bed.
Day 4
After walking past it on our Old Town tour, we decided to visit The Princes Czartoryski Museum.
The Princes Czartoryski Museum
The main draw for me was the presence of a Leonardo Da Vinci painting, ‘Lady with an Ermine’, one of the only four surviving portraits that Da Vinci painted of a woman.
Tickets cost us 60 PLN each, so about £20-£25 for both of us to enter.
After purchasing our tickets, the staff directed us to store our bags in the lockers, which were provided free of charge.
It took us about an hour to walk around the museum and look at the exhibits, although the time spent there will vary depending on your interests.
We went for lunch at Tivoli, a lovely little Italian restaurant just a short walk from the main square.
Hayden had the lasagne pasticciate while I opted for the Italian chicken fillet; the food was super tasty. I recommend eating here if you fancy some Italian cuisine while in Krakow.
After our relaxing lunch, we crossed the river to the observation balloon. We had to wait for the next flight, so we had a drink outside one of the bars near the ticket cabin.
Balon Widokowy
The Balon Widokowy, a tethered observation balloon, allows passengers to rise to a height of around 150m with a steel cable anchoring it to the ground.
Our flight was under an hour – about 45 minutes, give or take – and was a great way to see more of the city! We had stunning views across Krakow; of course, where you stand in the balloon makes a difference!
Since we went on a Friday, it cost 99 PLN per adult (if you go Mon-Thurs, it costs 79 PLN per adult!), so it came to just under £20 each for this experience.
Despite Hayden being the one who doesn’t like heights, I was the one struggling to maintain composure!
After our flight, we popped into Pino River, just a short walk from the balloon, for a cocktail to calm my nerves. Please do NOT ask me what this drink was – all I can tell you is it was enjoyable and looked so pretty!
We headed to the New Square in Kazimierz to try the renowned zapiekanka from the round market hall, the Okrąglak.
Zapiekanka is often referred to as “Polish pizza”. The traditional dish, which originated in the 1970s, consists of a baguette topped with mushrooms and cheese, then grilled to melt the cheese.
Navigating through the multitude of stalls offering zapiekanka, priced between 10-20PLN, proved to be an adventure. Each stall boasted unique topping combinations, leaving us torn between choices. After much contemplation and a quick glance at some Google reviews, we finally took the plunge. We easily could have shared one as they were huge! And that may have worked out in Hayden’s favour since he’s not the biggest fan of mushrooms… I loved the crunch of the baguette contrasted with the juiciness of the mushrooms and combined with the plethora of other toppings, it was a culinary treat.
Day 5
One of the main places people visit alongside Krakow is Auschwitz. We booked a guided tour through Tripadvisor which was basically a taxi service to and from Auschwitz. It’s important to note that third-party operators like Tripadvisor do not offer guided tours within Auschwitz itself. Instead, the Auschwitz Museum provides licensed Tour Guides, known as Guide-Educators.
It is worth noting that you can visit Auschwitz Museum without hiring a Tour Guide, however this depends on the availability of free entry passes; which can be booked online through the official website up to three months in advance. However, there’s a daily limit to the number of passes available, and entry times vary monthly, so it’s essential to plan ahead.
For more information on this, as well as different tour options such as study tours and online tours, I’d recommend checking out the official website for more detailed and the most up-to-date information.
Guided Tour of Auschwitz
The day started with a minibus picking us up from our accommodation, along with several other people. The travel time lasted just over an hour, during which we watched a documentary on the liberation of Auschwitz.
Upon arrival, we received our tickets and went through security which took 20 minutes at most. We received a set of headphones and started our guided tour led by a Museum-approved Guide-Educator.
Auschwitz was divided into three main camps; Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II – Birkenau, and Auschwitz III – Monowitz. Monowitz was a labour camp, and housed prisoners who were sent to work at the IG Farben factory, which produced nitrile rubber and chemicals including Zyklon B (primarily used in the gas chambers). While the camp no longer exists, there is a memorial for Monowitz located in the town of Monowice.
The vast majority of tours, ours included, focus on Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau. There is no doubt that the atmosphere weighed heavy on everyone throughout the tour. Each structure bore witness to the harrowing tales of the past, offering glimpses into the shear atrocities endured within the somewhat unsuspecting brick buildings.
As controversial as this may seem, one of the ‘cons’ of the tour was that each tour group was fairly close to one another. While we had our headphones to allow us to hear our Tour Guide, I found myself at the back of our group at one point and became distracted by the Tour Guide behind me speaking to their group. This made it challenging to concentrate on the tour at times, resulting in some knowledge gaps throughout the experience.
Following our tour of Auschwitz I, our organiser provided us with a packed lunch before we headed to Auschwitz II – Birkenau, where we once again met with a Tour Guide.
The tour of Auschwitz II was mostly outdoors, with notable features such as the haunting railway tracks and the solemn rows upon rows of barracks.
After this portion of the tour, we were led to the exit, where there was a bookshop selling autobiographical works by survivors of the camp. I bought two, and I would recommend them if you want to expand your learning by delving into a narrative written in the first-person.
We then met with our organiser, who transferred us back to our accommodation.
Naturally, Auschwitz can be quite a day of heavy emotions, so when we returned to our apartment, we had a little break and planned what to do with our evening. We decided to go for food, a few drinks and mini golf as a lighter way to close out our day.
For drinks, we went to two different bars, Singer and Alchemia; Singer is pretty cool because the tables are actually old Singer sewing machine tables.
After a few drinks, we shared a meal at a Mexican restaurant to sober us up a bit before going to Cosmic Minigolf. But this was in vain since we continued drinking there, which may have hindered our desperate attempts to win. We had a great time at Cosmic Minigolf. While we did have to wait for the group in front of us a few times, we had a good laugh, and the pub also had games such as Jenga to keep us entertained.
Feeling giddy after playing minigolf, we returned to Singer and Alchemia… As you may have guessed, that initial plan of a few drinks turned into more than a few, and in typical Brit fashion, we wound up going to a kebab stall found around the Okrąglak before toddling back to our accommodation.
Day 6
Full disclosure, I started this day horrendously hungover (thank you, Polish vodka!). Despite the fact that I wanted to lie in bed feeling sorry for myself, Hayden suggested that we go to the Polish Aviation Museum.
But first, we went to breakfast, where Hayden ate, and I sat staring at the table, willing myself to simply survive the day.
Polish Aviation Museum
We took an Uber to the museum, and honestly, what a place! Despite not being an aviation enthusiast, I had such a fun time.
It was a quiet place; we didn’t encounter many people. We liked that there wasn’t a set route to follow, so we could just wander around and explore at our own pace.
There was a range of aircraft ranging from agricultural use to military, although the agricultural ones were my favourite!
This is a great way to spend a few hours; with a collection of over 200 aircraft, there’s so much to see and a wealth of information on offer.
If I remember rightly, it cost us 27 PLN each, a little over £10 for two of us.
Feeling revitalised after a fun half-day perusing aircraft, we got an Uber back to the Old Town, where we looked around the Town Hall Tower.
Town Hall Tower
Outside the tower, there is a model depicting how the town hall once looked; all that remains now is the tower itself.
Tourists can enter the Krakow Town Hall Tower at an entry fee of 18 PLN per person. Inside are a multitude of exhibits, some of which shed light on the tower’s historical significance and the role of the town hall in governance.
Climbing to the top can be a challenge as you navigate the steep, dimly lit staircases, dodging out of the way of other tourists going in the opposite direction. We were rewarded with some beautiful views, which made the challenging climb worthwhile.
We stopped at one of the restaurants surrounding the main square for some pizza, and then, when it got dark out, we wandered around, taking pictures of the city at night.
Day 7
A trip to the salt mines is an absolute must when visiting Krakow. These mines are a key attraction and an essential part of the city’s history and culture.
Wieliczka Salt Mine
On our last day, we took an Uber to the Wieliczka Salt Mines and bought our tickets for the Tourist Route, which cost around 232 PLN, so around £40ish, which feels super cheap for two people.
The Tourist Route is 3.5km and takes you through various chambers, each showcasing a unique feature, like a particular statue or a story that reveals the mine’s history.
Of course, the highlight for many is the Chapel of St Kinga, a large chamber carved entirely out of salt with beautiful chandeliers and amazing salt sculptures and artwork recreations.
On the Tourist Route, you can dine at Witolda Budryka, located 125 metres underground, which serves Polish cuisine for a reasonable price.
At the end of the main tour, the guide informed us about the Museum Trail, and we took the opportunity to explore it. This part of the journey was quieter than the main tour, with only about six of us remaining. It allowed us to dive deeper into the history and cultural significance of the salt mines. It was definitely worth the time, especially since this trail was included in our ticket!
We caught an Uber back into the Old Town, where we wandered around looking at different shops (mostly bookstores for me!) before heading to the Hard Rock terrace for a drink.
After having our final meal at an Indian restaurant in the Old Town, we went back to the apartment to pack for our flight the next day.
Krakow City Pass
I don’t know if the Krakow City Pass (or Krakow Card) was available when we visited in late 2022, but it sounds pretty handy, almost like the Combined Attraction Ticket Hayden and I used in Athens.
From my understanding, the Krakow City Pass offers one, two or three-day durations (which must be used consecutively). This gives you access to over 40 museums and attractions within Krakow. Free public transportation may be included depending on the pass you buy, including a bus service to and from the airport.
You can see which museums and attractions are included in this pass on the official website, and the ticket options available. Have a look and decide whether this will be a worthwhile investment for you.
Final Thoughts
This is by no means a complete list of everything to do in Krakow, and we would happily revisit this beautiful city.
I didn’t even mention Planty Park in this post! This is the largest park in the city and actually follows the path of the old Medieval walls. But I feel it’s a space you walk through without even taking it in fully.
And so, while you will no doubt find a lot of websites sharing the “best itinerary” and “must-see places in Krakow”, there is something to be said about just strolling around and taking in the space around you; we found ourselves aimlessly wandering quite a bit but stumbling upon yummy treats (like Pączki) makes it all worth it! Be sure to check out our post on Food in Krakow.
