Kraków city break guide: where to stay, things to do & day trips

A By Anna · Updated 20 October 2026 · 3 min read

Airports

Kraków John Paul II (KRK)

Best time to go

May-September; late November-December for the Christmas market

Type

City

Kraków is one of Europe's great city breaks and one of the best value. Poland's royal capital for centuries, it came through the Second World War largely intact, so its Old Town and Wawel Hill look much as they have for hundreds of years. It is also a city of lively bars, cheap and filling food, and some of the most important and moving historical sites in Europe.

Flights from the UK take about two and a half hours. For the bigger picture, see our Poland guide.

Where to stay

• Old Town (Stare Miasto) – inside the ring of the Planty park, steps from the Main Market Square. The most convenient base, though rooms overlooking the square can be noisy.
• Kazimierz – the historic Jewish quarter, now full of cafés, restaurants and bars around Plac Nowy. Atmospheric and about 15 minutes' walk from the square.
• Podgórze – across the river from Kazimierz, near Schindler's Factory. Quieter and slightly cheaper.
• Near Kraków Główny station – practical for early trains to the airport or day trips, with plenty of modern hotels.

Things to do

1. Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) – one of Europe's largest medieval squares, with the Renaissance Cloth Hall in the middle. Underneath, the Rynek Underground museum shows the medieval town.
2. St Mary's Basilica – see the carved wooden altarpiece by Veit Stoss, and listen for the bugle call, the hejnał, played from the tower every hour.
3. Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral – the seat of Polish kings, with royal tombs in the cathedral and state rooms in the castle. Tickets are sold for individual exhibitions, some with timed entry.
4. Kazimierz – visit the old synagogues and the Galicia Jewish Museum, then stay for dinner.
5. Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory – a museum about Kraków under Nazi occupation. Timed tickets sell out.
6. Wieliczka Salt Mine – underground chapels carved from rock salt, about 20 minutes away by train.
7. Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum – about 90 minutes away. Book a timed pass or a guided tour on the official website well ahead, and allow a full day.

Getting there and around

Kraków Airport (KRK) has direct flights from London and many regional UK airports with Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways. Katowice airport, about 75 minutes away, is an alternative. From Kraków Airport, trains run to Kraków Główny station in about 20 minutes, and taxis or Bolt and Uber rides are inexpensive.

The Old Town and Kazimierz are best explored on foot. Trams cover the rest of the city; buy tickets from machines or with a contactless card on board, and validate them. Day trips to Wieliczka are easy by train, while Auschwitz is best reached by organised tour or bus.

When to go

May, June and September offer warm, pleasant days without peak crowds. July and August are hot and busy. Winter is cold and often below freezing, but the Christmas market on the Main Market Square from late November is a highlight, and hotel prices are low outside the festive weeks.

Top attractions in Kraków

Historic site

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Centuries-old salt mine near Kraków with underground chapels, lakes and sculptures carved entirely from rock salt.

Kraków on the map

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