Things to do in Krakow

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We’ve divided everything there is to see and do in Krakow into different lists.

Some things – like the Old Town or the Wawel Castle – are so darn important that they get mentioned in multiple lists and come up time and time again. Others will only feature in one list.

First, we thought we’d get through the bucket-list things that we think every visitor to Krakow should see and do at least once. It includes the star attractions, the UNESCO sites, and the most famous daytrip destinations from town. Follow this if you’re visiting for the first time and don’t want to miss something massive. Of course, getting through the lot is a big ask, but it includes the things that we think really showcase the city at its most iconic.

After that, we have sub-sections that look at individual aspects of Krakow, from the main sites in the Old Town area to more off-the-beaten-track local secrets or even outdoorsy things to do (Krakow is a GREAT city for exploring the Polish backcountry and mountains, did ya know?).

Basically, pick the section that tickles your wanderlust the most and take inspiration from it. We’ll try to put in some practical info so you can plan your trip and see how each activity will logistically fit into a week or weekend away.

And we’ll be honest with you. If we think something’s overhyped we’ll say so. If we think something is best left for when you have more time, we’ll say so.

It’s not entirely ridiculous to think that first-time visitors would stay in this area and not actually leave over the course of a weekend. Yep – there really is THAT much to do in the Old Town!

Anyhow here are the 5 things that we think are HIGHLIGHTs in the Old Town…

1. Main Square – The Main Square is the central hub of Krakow. It’s home to many of the most iconic landmarks in the city, from the Old Town Hall to the Sukiennice Cloth Hall
2. St Mary’s Basilica – Probably the most iconic church in the city. You can’t miss this one. GO inside to see beautiful painted ceilings. Be sure to learn about the mysterious tales of murder that surround the mismatched towers out front!
3. The Barbican – A centuries-old castle that’s now one of the few remaining portions of the Old Town, the Barbican is a striking addition to the Planty Park.
4. Florianska Street – The main drag of the Old Town and a fantastic shopping and dining area. At its northern end you can see one of the only remaining sections of the historic city walls of the city that date back to the 1100s. They include the elegant St Florian’s Gate, where there’s often a great busker playing and a small museum that lets you scale the ancient fortifications.
5. Collegium Maius – The college in the Jagiellonian University, this is like the Oxford of Poland. The historic part of the institution has now been preserved as a museum and it’s famous for having one student in particular – a certain Copernicus!

There’s been a transformation here in the last 20 years or so. Kazi – as it’s now known – has gone from a kinda’ off-beat area to what’s arguably the liveliest part of the city.

It’s definitely past feeling like an off-the-beaten-track gem (check out Podgorze or Zablocie if you want that sort of thing) but is still less touristy than the Old Town for sure.

Come to see amazing sites like the Old Synagogue and do a walking tour. Stay later on to eat great cuisine from the Levant and beyond and enjoy brilliant nightlife and drinking.

Don’t miss:

1. Plac Nowy – The heart of the district of Kazimierz is the square of Plac Nowy. It’s ringed by more bars and restaurants than you can shake a shot of vodka at and it’s sooooo fun after dark. Some of the latest bars party on here until the early hours (Entropia, Kochanka – we’re looking at you). There are also lengendary beer halls like Alchemia (one of the OG hipster joints in Krak). Plac Nowy also has a flea market on the weekends which is cool. Oh, and it’s THE BEST PLACE IN POLAND to sample the street food that is Zapiekanka.
2. The Old Synagogue – At more than 500 years old, this is the oldest synagogue in the city.  It’s now part of the Historical Museum of Krakow. It contains a moving Holocaust memorial and a beautiful Bimah, a platformed used for recitals of the Torah.
3. Schindler’s List Passage – This charming little alley breaks through the middle of Kazimierz from Plac Nowy. It’s known for one thing really: Featuring as a backdrop in Schindler’s List. There are old photos of the filming on the wall and a couple of good restaurants and bars here where you can sit and take it all in.
4. Plac Wolnica – With the Ethnographic Museum on one side and a line of epic bars (including arguably the wildest late-night spot in the city that is Peikny Pies) on the other, Plac Wolnica is a gathering place with moxie.
5. Corpus Christi Basilica Krakow – The soaring spire of this church stands out of the skyline of Kazi like nothing else. The church below it is OLLLLLDDD. It dates back to the era of Casimir III the Great in the 1300s. The inside was once ransacked by Swedish soldiers but it now contains the largest organ in the city.

Krakow is very much an after-dark city.

Okay, so I’ll just come clean: It was the nightlife that attracted me here waaaay back in 2013. It didn’t – and still does not – disappoint.

There are shed loads of bars and craft beer joints, clubs and music venues.

Plus, there’s a ton of more cerebral nighttime pulls, including jazz shows and vodka sampling…

1. Partaaayy – Apologies to all those early birds out there, but Krakow is a city built for night owls. It’s famed for having some of the wildest nightlife in Europe, with more bars and drinking holes per square meter than just about anywhere. There are tons of places to go and you could party night after night for weeks.
2. TasteVodka – There’s a reason why TasteVodka is one of the highest rated activities in Krakow today, not just in the night but also in the day. These guys have a super-fun but also informative tourthat will take you through the history of vodka, which is Polish, not Russian! There’s food, good people, and good times.
3. Krawl Through Krakow Pub Crawl – Prague recently banned planned pub crawls. Krakow hasn’t though and the KTK is the legendary OG of the city; one of the first in Europe. It’s been going more than 15 years and offers an hour’s free booze followed by something like five venues.
4. Ghost tour of Krakow – Krakow has a very spooky side. The Old Town area is filled with ghosts and ghouls and stories of murderers. Take this well-rated after-dark ghost tour to get into the more macabre.
5. Jazz – I’m a bit of a jazz head so Krakow was a very good home for me. Harris Jazz Bar is one of the most famous spots in Poland, as is U Muniaka. Both are in the Old Town and do shows almost every evening.

Krakow is a fantastic city for the little ones and even the adolescents.

It’s a fairy-tale place with castles and churches and old town streets that’s like something lifted from Harry Potter, so just being here can stoke the imagination of the kiddos.

But that’s just for starters.

There are oodles of things to do here as a family and loads of really great hotels that are perfect for bringing the crew along.

We have a complete guide to Krakow for kids here, but here’s a look at the top attractions at a glance…

Evening ghost tour – One for the older

1. Walking tours – There are walking tours all over Krakow but the best ones to do with the kids go through the Old Town, which is where you can find all the fairy-tale chapels and get educational with like 1,200 years of history. For the most family-focussed tour in the city, book onto this all-ages walk through the Old Town, which also includes a visit to a sweet factory and even a cruise on the Vistula River!
2. The Krakow Dragon – This fire-breathing (and we literally do mean fire breathing) dragon sits below the castle. It’s a fantastic statue that always entertains the kids.
3. Rynek Underground – Probably the most family friendly museum in the city, the Rynek Underground has immersive exhibits and films that reveal the 1,000 year history of the Krakow Main Square. It’s like going into a time machine.
4. Krakow Zoo – Giraffes, elephants, wolf packs and loads of monkeys await at Krakow Zoo. It’s a great summer option because it occupies a lovely plot of land in the Las Wolski forest just outside of Krakow. An uber there will take <10 mins.
5. Cracow Chocolate Factory – Sweet-toothed visitors should check out the choco factory on Szewska Street. You can watch them make blocks of Krakow themed choco. Nothing massive but it’s good for a rainy spell.

You might also want to consider a full-on day trip out to Energylandia. It’s Poland’s largest theme park, is perfect for kids, has coasters and family rides alike, and is a mere 1h15 from the city. You can even book ticket and transport combos that include a pickup at your hotel.

If you ask me the reason I love this city so much, it wouldn’t be because of the millennia-old churches or the UNESCO heritage listings. It would be because of the neighbourhoods.

Yep, at it’s heart, Krakow is a city of different areas, each of which bring their own unique vibe and feel.

These are changing fast. Zablocie over the river has recently been ranked as one of the hippest places in Europe by Time Out, for example.

Others are steeped in history but also lived-in – you can see St Mary’s Church in the Old Town and then head to underground karaoke pubs to sing Tina Turner until the early hours.

We have a more in-depth guide to the best neighbourhoods in Krakow over in our hotels section, which is a must-read if you’re looking for the area of the city that suits you the most.

1. Old Town – The most obvious place that you MUST explore is the Old Town. This is the heart of Krakow, the liveliest and busiest district, and home to the majority of the most historic locations. The Main Square – the largest medieval square in Europe – is at its centre and it hosts major landmarks like St Mary’s Basilica and the Cloth Hall. It’s a must-see and we’d recommend all first-time visitors stay here, or….
2. Kazimierz – The more moody area to the south of the Old Town is the historic Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz. We LOVE this area. It’s bohemian and edgy but has also got a bit of class in the last few years with wine bars and hummus holes in the wall. It’s really, really great for nightlife if you like more local, late-night partying and gritty dive bars. Some fantastic hotels too and you’re only 15-20 minutes’ walk from Old Town to boot.
3. Podgorze – Over the river, Podgorze is more lived-in and local than the above but it’s really beautiful. There’s a dark history as Podgorze was covered by the ghetto in WWII. Today, it’s quite artsy and studenty, with lots of upcoming wine bars and international eateries, especially along Nadwiślańska Street right by the river.
4. Zablocie – One of the hottest districts in the city right now, Zablocie has been named among Europe’s hippest hoods by the likes of Time Out and we can see why: It’s got wine bars, the amazing Hala Lipowa food hall, and new urban parks beside the Vistula. It’s a former industrial area and home to the must-see museum of Schindler’s Factory. It’s about 40 minutes’ walking from here to the Old Town but there are also direct trams.
5. Nowa Huta – Don’t stay in Nowa Huta but do visit it. Built in the post-war era by the Russians, it was planned as a utopian communist city. It’s a blast from the past walking around, not only because the streets have names like Ronald Reagan Square, but also because it’s all USSR-style tenements and retro Polish milk bars that have hardly changed a jot since the 80s. Cool place to be. The best way to see it has to be on a guided tour in an old-school Polish FIAT 126 or a Soviet army van – they’re great walkthroughs of the history with a bit of fun on the side.

Krakow is like an overpacked pierogi when it comes to museums. The town has something like 52 separate exhibition spaces and galleries, covering everything from medieval Polish art to modern photography.

Basically, if you’re a museum buff then you will not be disappointed here.

Personally, I’ve been slowly ticking off the museums over the years.

I’m not huge on spending lots of time inside looking at artefacts and things; a bit here and there suits me better.

Krakow is great for that too, though I’d recommend picking what museum you’d like to see before you arrive rather than be tempted off the cuff because some are pretty niche and it’s better to optimise what museums you see rather than waste your museum capacity on something strange.

Either way, you’ll definitely want to focus on the city’s most iconic museums:

1. Auschwitz-Birkenau – The vast complex of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is one of Krakow’s most infamous and sobering exhibits. It’s now a managed historical monument and memorial where over two million people go each year to see the destruction the Nazi regime wrought on the Jewish people and other minorities throughout the Second World War. Auschwitz-Birkenau is likely to take a full day and you probably won’t want to plan much else.
2. The Rynek Underground – This is my favourite museum in the whole city. It whisks you back in time by taking you literally below the Market Square to the uncovered ruins of the plaza circa 1,000 AD. Amazing ruins and amazing stories of old trading routes are told there. It’s great for kids, too.
3. Schindler’s Factory – The actual site of Schindler’s Enamel Factory from the iconic Steven Spielberg movie is now preserved in the district of Podgorze. The most famous parts of it tell the story of the Schindler Jews, but there are also sections that offer super informative intros to the history of Krakow as a whole and as a city going back millennia.
4. Pharmacy Museum – On Florianska Street is this old pharmacy building preserved almost as it was back in the late 1800s. Vintage vats and bottles of all shapes and sizes abound, plus there’s an exhibit upstairs that chronicles the life of pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz, who ran the iconic Eagle Pharmacy in Krakow’s ghetto during the war.
5. Collegium Maius – Fascinating buildings in the oldest part of the Jagiellonian University where you can see the exact rooms and instruments used by Copernicus while he was studying the cosmos.

Tickets for museums in Krakow vary in price. Some places have massive queues; others have none.

That’s why we usually reccomend you get a Krakow City Card. It offers access to 48 museums across town for just one price and a queue skip in each.

Financially, the City Card is only worth it if you’re going to visit like 3-5 museums in a day but I’d say the simplicity of being able to rock up and just waltz in is worth something in its own.

Of course, this is just a glimpse at the museums that exist in Krakow. As we’ve mentioned, there are over 30 in the city, so you shouldn’t get bored. Some can be seen in like an hour max, like the Hipolit House in the Old Town. Others need a whole half a day or more.

Shh! – these hidden gems constitute our secret tips for Krakow. They’re kinda the things only locals love to do. Maybe they aren’t bucket-list sights but they are fun and they aren’t touristy…

• Go swimming in Zakrzowek – Once an out-of-bounds quarry, Zarkzowek has changed my life in the summer because it offers a swimming spot in the middle of the city. A recent revitalisation of the area has turned it into a park and there are floating decks that let you jump off the side into crystal-clear spring water that’s cold and refreshing.
• Walk around Las Wolski – A forest to the west of the city, Las Wolski has a web of walking trails where you can escape and be totally alone. Some take 30 minutes others 2 hours. It’s fantastic in the autumn when the trees change colour.
• Food halls – There’s a whole bunch of really great food halls popping up in Krakow. The best is probably largely unknown Hala Lipowa in Zablocie but you’ll also find others in Kazimierz and on Krupnicza Street.
• Sunset on the Krakus Mound – This is my fav of the five mounds in Krakow. It’s an ancient one, looming high on a hillside to the south of the town. Get up here on a summer’s evening and you can BBQ (though that’s not technically allowed, I’ve done it many a time, but it will still be at your own risk!) and watch the sunset over the Gothic church spires, the Wawel, and the distant hills of central Poland. Amazing views on a clear day.
• Shopping in Stary Kleparz – Just north outside of the Old Town is this curious little bazaar. It’s always been a favourite haunt of mine on a weekend morning when the place is abuzz with locals shopping for pickles and hams and eggs and whatnot. In the last two years, I’ve watched it become a bit more edgy than that, but there’s a great clash of the old and the new in Stary Kleparz – this artisan bread shops right next to babushkas selling homemade jam.

The obvious place to go is Zakopane. It’s the gateway to the Tatra Mountains, which are nothing short of STUNNING.

You can get there for a short exploration in a single day trip from the city. They’re very slickly organized these days, with pickups at your hotel in Krakow and a direct transfer to the mountains for a short hike, thermal baths, and then a walk around Zakopane.

Obviously, doing it in a day isn’t ideal if you really like to escape and explore the country but how long you can spend in the mountains will depend on how long you have – two or three nights is probably minimum for really enjoying Zakopane to the full.

That said, there are enough hikes in the Tatras to keep you going for a whole month, but there are also options nearer to Krakow, like the peak of Babia Gora and Ojcow National Park.

Here’s a closer look at the whole lot…

• Zakopane – Home to the most striking mountainscapes in the country, Zakopane is two hours’ drive south of Krak. Get a car hire to make the most of it, alternatively there are buses. Hiking is incredible here, with the likes of the Five Lakes Valley and Morskie Oko the most famous of all. Stay in Zako a night to make the most of it. You can also do a day trip from Krakow.
• Ojcow National Park – Often overlooked, the Ojcow National Park is the smallest reserve in Poland and the closest to Krakow. There are direct buses that can take you there in about an hour, or you could get an Uber up. It’s not massive but has a few walking routes that will take 2-4 hours. Great in autumn with the forests changing colour. Amazing for castles, as the area is known for its medieval fortifications.
• Babia Gora – The witches’ mountain is a haunting place. Part of the Western Beskids on the Slovak-Poland border, it offers a pretty challenging hiking option that’s bound to be less busy than the hikes in the Tatra National Park. Public transport isn’t great to the base station, so a hire car is a good shout for this one.
• Skiing in and around Krakow – Krakow is just north of the best ski resorts in Poland. You can do a day trip to ski from the city in the winter time, or you can head to somewhere like Zakopane or Bialka Tatrzanska to stay a few days and ski in the resorts. Generally, Polish skiing is great for beginners, though resorts like Kasprowy do have something a bit more challenging.
• Cycle to Tyniec – Hire a bike in Krakow and cycle the route along the Vistula River to Tyniec Abbey. It’s idyllic on a summer’s day, with wildflower meadows and views of the Las Wolski forest on offer. Takes 1-2 hours each way and is largely flat and paved for the whole route.

Oh yea, and just in case you simply wanted to use up some energy while city breaking, we also have a guide to the best gyms and hotels with gyms in Krakow.

1. Planty Park – Don’t miss this place, park lover or not. It encircles the Old Town area marking the location where the city walls once stood. There are places to sit and people watch, good running loops, and even some open-air places for a coffee and a beer.
2. Park Jordana – A local’s park about 15-20 minutes’ walk from the Old Town, Jordana is fnatastic for kids as there’s a playground and open-air cafe in the summer. Winter brings an ice-skating rink. It’s next to the Blonia Meadow if you want to do a run and you can also come here to see the big Krakow football stadium.
3. Krakus Mound – A prehistoric burial site that’s now an amazing place to watch the sunset over the whole city. You’ll see church spires and watch the light fade over the surrounding hills.
4. Ojcow National Park – The smallest national park in Poland is only 20 minutes by car and an hour by bus out of Krakow. Regular buses go in the summer, too. It’s an eye-watering place, with proud medieval castles and mythical rock formations.
5. Tatra National Park – The biggest and most awesome park of them all is actually about 2 hours south of Krakow in Zakopane. This is where you can wander epic trails like the one to Morskie Oko and see the 2,000-meter-high Polish Carpathians in all thier glory. Can be done in a day trip, but best to have a night at least in Zakopane itself, because that’s LOVELY too!

Krakow reigns as one of the most popular winter city break spots in Europe.

That’s not a surprise to me one little bit.

The town actually enamoured me during the depths of a winter, when it was -25 degrees out and there was snow on the pavements. Whoever said your holidays have to be sunny?

From the snow-dusted trees of Krakow’s parks to the enchanting underground bars that abound, there’s just something uniquely lovely about this city during the winter.

Plus, Christmas in Krakow can be as magical as they come – think snowy, festive, but also cheap.

Granted, the smog can be bad and winters can be dark and long, but there are plenty of reasons to visit when it’s colder…

1. Krakow Christmas Market – Regularly voted one of the best festive markets in Europe, this big bazaar of gingerbread and mulled wine and sizzling sausages takes over the Main Square in early December and sticks around until after New Year’s. It’s a bit pricy but fantastic for buying festive souvenirs and street food like osypek cheese and pierogi.
2. Thermal baths – The region south of Krakow is known for its mineral springs and hot baths. They hit a zenith in the winter months because you can go there to soak in 40-degree pools surrounded by the snow and the mountains. The best of them are at Terma Bania in Bialka Tatrzanska, in the lovely mountain village of Bukowina Tatrzanska, and in Chocholow, but there are also options in Zakopane town itself. Day trips are possible but you could also combine it with skiing in one of the many resorts in the region and take a few days.
3. Cosy cafes and bars – Krakow has loads of these. We have a soft spot for Eszeweria in Kazimierz, where the dark alcoves are lit with candles, andLes Couleurs on Plac Nowy, which has a back area and a bit of a Parisian feel.
4. Spas and spa hotels – As we’ve mentioned above, the best place to go in Krakow for a spa is actually not Krakow itself – the mountains to the south of town are famous spa destination territory. However, Krakow does have some spas, plus a veryyyy fine selection of spa hotels that offer you a sauna-hot tub-pool combo right on site. You can walk the snowy city taking in the sights and return to unwind in your private spa.
5. New Years – Krakow is a party city and so it does not disappoint on the most party-mad night of the year. You can watch fireworks on the riverside and join thousands of revelers on the Main Square, or go to a private party until the dawn hits.