What is there to do in Kraków? Where can you go on day trips or for a spot of shopping? What activities are worth travelling to Kraków for?

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Krakow isn’t the sort of city where you have to rush from one sight to the next. It’s best explored on foot, with a few stops for a bite to eat, a coffee or an evening drink.

Set aside at least two full days for the city itself. If you want to include Wieliczka or Auschwitz-Birkenau, allow three to four days instead.

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Walk through the Old Town from the Barbican to Wawel

Start at the Barbican and St Florian’s Gate, continue along Floriańska Street to Rynek Główny and from there via the Collegium Maius to Wawel.

This route takes you past practically everything you’ll want to see on your first visit to the city centre.

Without visiting any interiors, you can cover it in 2 to 3 hours. However, if you add a visit to St Mary’s Basilica, the Sukiennice, a coffee or lunch, it can easily take a whole day.

If you’ve had enough of the crowds on the main streets, head into Planty Park. This green belt encircles the entire historic centre and is also ideal for a peaceful evening stroll.

Set aside at least half a day for Kazimierz

Whilst the Old Town has a polished and stately feel, Kazimierz has a much more relaxed atmosphere. During the day, it’s a place to explore Jewish history; in the evening, the restaurants, bars and outdoor terraces around Plac Nowy fill up.

Start at the Old Synagogue, continue to the Remuh Synagogue and, if you’re interested, add the Galicia Jewish Museum to your itinerary.

From Kazimierz, you can cross the Bernatka footbridge to the Podgórze district and continue on to Schindler’s Factory. Without visiting the museums, this walk will take you half a day; with a visit to the exhibitions, it could easily take a whole day.

Taste Kraków

The restaurants right on the Rynek have the best views, but you’re mainly paying for the location.

For a regular lunch or dinner, it’s worth heading to the side streets of the Old Town, to Kazimierz or to one of the traditional milk bars.

What to try in Kraków?

• Obwarzanek krakowski, a ring-shaped pastry sold at stalls throughout the city centre
• Zapiekanka, a baked baguette with various toppings; the stalls on Plac Nowy are the best known
• Pierogi, stuffed dumplings prepared in both savoury and sweet varieties
• Żurek, a distinctive sour soup made from rye sourdough
• Gołąbki, pork knuckle or bigos – classic, hearty dishes of Polish cuisine

The greatest classics are the Polish milk bars. They function more like simple canteens, where you can quickly choose from a selection of local dishes at a reasonable price. And they’re absolutely everywhere.

For an evening drink, head to the area around Plac Nowy and Józefa Street. There are so many venues here, and they’re so close together, that you don’t really need an organised pub crawl.

Choose a museum based on what interests you

In Kraków, there’s no need to visit every museum just because they’re listed in the guidebook.

Pick one or two that match your interests and spend the rest of your time exploring the city itself.

• The Market Square Underground, if you’re interested in medieval Kraków and archaeology
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• Schindler’s Factory, if you’re interested in the German occupation of the city and the Second World War
• The Galicia Jewish Museum, if you want to gain a better understanding of the Jewish history of Kraków and the surrounding region

For the most popular museums, we recommend buying tickets in advance, particularly at weekends and during the peak season.

Take a stroll along the Vistula

After a full day of sightseeing, a simple stroll along the river is just the thing. Start below Wawel and continue towards Kazimierz and the Bernatka footbridge. The riverfront is usually bustling, but it’s generally not as crowded as the Main Square.

If you’ve still got some energy left, carry on through Podgórze to the Krakus Mound. The view from here isn’t as picture-postcard perfect as from the towers in the city centre, but you’ll see Kraków from a completely different perspective, and entry is free.

In summer, there are also short sightseeing cruises on the Vistula. We don’t consider them a must, but on a warm afternoon they’re a pleasant way to take a break from walking for a while.

Where to shop for souvenirs

The easiest place to buy souvenirs is the Sukiennice, right in the middle of the Rynek. The range is rather touristy, but you can find pottery, jewellery, small decorations and classic fridge magnets all in one place.

For groceries and a less touristy atmosphere, head to the Stary Kleparz market north of the historic centre. For practical shopping, visit Galeria Krakowska, which is connected to the main railway station.

However, we wouldn’t set aside a whole day just for shopping in Kraków.

Think of street art as a bonus to your stroll

You don’t need to head to the other end of the city to see street art. You’ll find several well-known murals right in Kazimierz, such as ‘Judah’ on Św. Wawrzyńca Street or the painting by the Broken Fingaz group on Plac Bawół.

You can also view legally created graffiti at the KRK Walls site beneath the railway line between Dietla and Miodowa Streets.

Murals change constantly, and older lists quickly become out of date. So treat street art more as a pleasant addition to your stroll through Kazimierz than as a fixed plan for the whole day.

Day trips from Kraków: choose according to the time you have available

Wieliczka and Auschwitz-Birkenau are almost a must-see on any visit. At least one of these places.

If you’re only coming for the weekend, I’d recommend Wieliczka, which you can easily manage in half a day.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is an easy half-day trip and is suitable even in bad weather. The tourist route leads through underground chambers, past salt lakes and through the famous Chapel of Saint Kinga.

The tour itself takes 2 to 3 hours. The temperature in the mine is around 17 to 18 °C all year round, and there are over 800 steps along the route, though most of them lead downwards. Ticket prices start at 131 pln and you can find the latest information on the mine’s official website.

The most convenient way to get there is by the SKA1 commuter train from Kraków Główny station. The journey to the terminus, Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia, takes about 25 minutes, and it’s just a short walk from the station to the entrance.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial

A visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial is not a typical tourist trip. The site of the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp is emotionally taxing, and we recommend setting aside a whole day for it.

All admission tickets must be booked exclusively online via the official booking system.

Guided tours can be booked up to three months in advance, whilst free admission tickets without a guide are released no later than seven days before your visit. Do not travel to Auschwitz without a confirmed booking.

Direct buses run from Kraków’s MDA coach station right to the main entrance of the museum. The journey takes approximately 1.5 hours, and some services are also operated by FlixBus.

By train, you’ll arrive at Oświęcim station, which is about 1.5 km from the entrance. A free shuttle bus runs between the Auschwitz I and Birkenau sites. You can find details on the official transport page.

We wouldn’t recommend combining Wieliczka and Auschwitz-Birkenau into a single day. Although such day trips are available, the itinerary is very long and, after visiting the memorial, there is almost no time left to properly reflect on what you’ve seen.

Before you travel, you’ll also find the sections on Accommodation in Kraków, Transport in Kraków and How to get to Kraków useful.