The historic centre is compact, but you’ll very quickly realise the difference between a room right above a noisy bar and a quiet hotel a ten-minute walk from the Rynek.

If you’re visiting Kraków for the first time and don’t want to overcomplicate things, look for accommodation in the Old Town, in the northern part of Kazimierz, or between the city centre and Kraków Główny railway station.

You can walk to most of the sights, and you’ll mainly need public transport for journeys to the airport or to more distant locations.

However, I wouldn’t automatically pay extra for a hotel right on the Main Square. It’s usually cheaper and quieter just one or two streets away, and you can still walk to the square in a matter of minutes.

Compare prices for all hotels in Kraków

Where to stay in Kraków

What you’re looking for in your stay	Best area	Specific tip
First-time visit and sightseeing on foot	Old Town	Hotel Jan
Restaurants, bars and nightlife	Kazimierz	PURO Kraków Kazimierz
Arriving by train and exploring the surrounding area	Kraków Główny	Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto
Peace and quiet, a swimming pool and easy access by car	Podgórze	Qubus Hotel Kraków
Luxury, a spa and an excellent location	Between Wawel and Kazimierz	Stradom House Hotel & Spa
The lowest possible price near the city centre	Near the main railway station	ibis budget Krakow Stare Miasto

If I had to pick three all-round options without looking any further, I’d go for Hotel Jan for its location, PURO Kazimierz for its atmosphere, or Mercure Stare Miasto if you’re arriving by train and planning trips outside the city.

The Old Town: best for a first visit

Do you want to step out of your hotel in the morning and be at St Mary’s Basilica, the Cloth Hall or on your way to Wawel in just a few minutes? Then stay in the Old Town.

It’s the most convenient, but usually also the most expensive part of Kraków.

A good all-round choice is the Hotel Jan, which is about 100 metres from the Main Square. If you want more space and your own kitchenette, take a look at the Aparthotel Stare Miasto.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t choose the Old Town if you’re travelling by car. Many streets are pedestrianised or have restricted access, and hotel parking tends to be expensive.

View hotels in the Old Town

Kazimierz: best for food and nightlife

I’d choose Kazimierz if you don’t want to end up in the touristy Rynek every evening.

The neighbourhood is full of restaurants, cafés, bars and smaller establishments, and has a more relaxed atmosphere than the historic centre.

Depending on your hotel’s location, you can walk to Rynek in 15 to 25 minutes, and to Wawel even quicker. The area around Plac Nowy is the liveliest, where it can be noisy long into the night. If you’d prefer a quieter room, look for accommodation a few streets away from the square or at least facing the inner courtyard.

I consider PURO Kraków Kazimierz to offer the best combination of design, service and location. A classically furnished alternative right in the neighbourhood is the Metropolitan Boutique Hotel.

Choose accommodation in Kazimierz

The Kraków Główny area: best for the station and day trips

The area around the main station isn’t as romantic as Rynek or Kazimierz, but it’s very practical.

You can walk to the Old Town in 10 to 15 minutes and you don’t have to lug your luggage around on a tram or in a taxi.

I’d choose this area particularly in the following cases:

• You’re arriving or departing by train or bus
• You’re planning day trips to Wieliczka or Auschwitz
• You want easy access to the airport
• You’re looking for a cheaper hotel that’s still within walking distance of the city centre

The most convenient option is the Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto, right opposite the railway station and the Galeria Krakowska shopping centre. The ibis budget Krakow Stare Miasto is usually the cheaper option.

A more stylish alternative in the Kleparz district is the TRIBE Krakow Old Town.

View hotels near Kraków Główny railway station

Podgórze and Zabłocie: more peace and quiet, and often better value

On the other bank of the Vistula, you’ll find more modern hotels and apartments, and, above all, fewer tourists. Kazimierz is just across the footbridge, and you can reach the city centre on foot or by tram.

Podgórze and Zabłocie are good options if you want to visit Schindler’s Factory, are arriving by car, or don’t mind spending a few extra minutes travelling to Rynek.

An excellent compromise is the Qubus Hotel Kraków, which has an indoor swimming pool, a spa and its own car park.

For families or longer stays, the Lwowska 1 apartments are a good choice.

When booking, check the distance to the tram stop or the footbridge over the Vistula. Podgórze is a large area and some of the cheaper options are unnecessarily far from the centre.

Find accommodation in the Podgórze district

The areas around Wawel and Dębniki: a quieter night’s sleep and views

Hotels by the river between the Old Town, Wawel and the Dębniki district are a good choice for couples and travellers with a car.

It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to walk to Rynek, yet it tends to be considerably quieter here.

The Hotel Kossak offers views towards Wawel and an excellent location on the edge of the city centre. On the opposite bank stands the more affordable Hotel Poleski, whose main attraction is the view across the river.

If you’re looking for a modern hotel with on-site parking and don’t mind a walk of about twenty minutes to the city centre, do also check out the Hilton Garden Inn Krakow.

Accommodation near the airport

I’d only stay near the airport if I had a very early departure, a late arrival or during a stopover.

For a standard visit to Kraków, the city centre is more practical, and you can easily get there from the airport by train.

The Hilton Garden Inn Krakow Airport is situated right next to the terminal. It’ll save you the stress of an early morning flight, but its location doesn’t make sense if you’re spending several days exploring the city.

Cheap accommodation in Kraków

Don’t look for the cheapest rooms right on the Main Square. Hotels near the main railway station, in Dębniki or on the outskirts of Podgórze usually offer a much better balance of price and location.

Reliable, cheaper options include:

• ibis budget Krakow Stare Miasto, simple rooms near the main railway station
• B&B HOTEL Krakow Centrum, a modern hotel by the river, about a 15-minute walk from the centre
• Hotel Poleski, a quieter location opposite Wawel

When looking for the cheapest apartments, check that they have an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, a lift and the method of key collection. A low price sometimes means a room on the fifth floor without a lift or accommodation without a reception.

Hotels with a swimming pool and spa facilities

A swimming pool is not a given in Kraków’s hotels and is usually only found in the upper-mid-range or luxury categories.

• Qubus Hotel Kraków, best value for money, indoor swimming pool, hot tub and sauna
• Stradom House Hotel & Spa, luxury spa and a 20-metre swimming pool between Wawel and Kazimierz
• H15 Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, a five-star hotel with a swimming pool right in the Old Town
• Hotel Stary, a historic luxury hotel just a few steps from Rynek

Accommodation with parking

If travelling by car, I wouldn’t start by choosing a neighbourhood, but by filtering for parking.

In the Old Town, a hotel may have a great location but no on-site parking, or only an expensive arrangement with a public car park.

Also bear in mind that the label ‘with parking’ almost never means free parking. For hotels near the city centre, you’ll typically pay around 60 to 160 pln per night.

Approximate prices:

• Qubus Hotel Kraków, 80 pln per day
• PURO Kraków Kazimierz, 120 pln per day
• Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto, 120 pln per day
• Stradom House Hotel & Spa,160 pln per day

Hotel car park capacity is often limited and prices are subject to change. You should therefore always check before booking whether a space can be reserved and whether the charge is per calendar day or per 24 hours.

If hotel parking is too expensive, it may be cheaper to use a municipal car park or park outside the paid parking zones and travel by tram.

We describe the specific options in the chapter ‘How to get to Kraków by car and where to park’.

Hotel or flat?

For one or two nights, I’d recommend a hotel. You’ll have a reception, luggage storage, and won’t have to worry about handing over keys or cleaning.

An apartment really starts to pay off for families, groups or for stays of at least three nights.

Having your own kitchen can save you money on breakfast, and a larger flat is often cheaper than two separate hotel rooms.

Before booking an apartment, check:

• The actual number of beds, not just the maximum number of guests
• Air conditioning during the summer months
• A lift in older buildings
• Reception opening hours and how keys are handed over
• Street noise levels
• Any cleaning charges

Good apartment options are offered by Aparthotel Stare Miasto in the city centre and Lwowska 1 in Podgórze.

Hotel prices in Kraków

Krakow is no longer strictly speaking a cheap destination, but it still offers good value for money.

For a similar price to that in other European cities, you can often get a higher-category hotel or a better location.

You’ll usually pay the following per night:

• A bed in a hostel: 70 pln to 150 pln per person
• A basic private room or flat: 220 pln to 400 pln
• A well-reviewed mid-range hotel :300 plnto 600 pln
• High-quality four-star hotel 450 pln to 800 pln
• Five-star hotel 700 pln to 1 300 pln

Prices are indicative for a double room and vary significantly depending on the date.

Weekends from May to October, Easter, the Advent season and New Year’s Eve tend to be the most expensive.

For a standard period, I would book approximately 4 to 8 weeks before your trip. For a summer weekend, Christmas markets or New Year’s Eve, it’s better to book 2 to 3 months in advance. It’s handy to book with free cancellation, as you can check the price again later.

Check hotel prices by date

Where I wouldn’t stay in Kraków

For a short stay, I wouldn’t choose distant outlying neighbourhoods just to save a few dozen zlotys. The time spent commuting every day is usually not worth it.

I’d also avoid the following options:

• A room right on the Rynek or above a bar if you’re a light sleeper
• A hotel near the airport for a standard sightseeing trip
• An apartment in the Old Town without air conditioning in the middle of summer
• Accommodation far from the tram in the outlying areas of Podgórze
• A hotel without confirmed parking if travelling by car

If you’re still undecided, choose a hotel between the main railway station, the Main Square and the northern edge of Kazimierz. This area works best for a first visit, and you’ll be able to explore most of Kraków on foot.

Before booking, do take a look at the guide to transport in Kraków, especially if you’re considering a cheaper hotel further from the centre.