Things to do in Kraków: what to see on your first visit
Kraków was Poland's royal capital for centuries, and it shows: a medieval street plan, a hilltop castle and cathedral, and a former Jewish town that is now the liveliest district in the city. Its historic centre — the Old Town, Wawel Hill, Stradom and Kazimierz — was among the very first places inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.
Below you'll find the ten places we'd put on any first-timer's list, two ready-made itineraries, how to get in from the airport, and the full catalogue of Kraków attractions on tripto.pl. Opening hours and ticket prices change, so we keep them on each attraction page — check them before you go.
Audio guide
Explore Kraków with an audio guide
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Why visit
- Most of the big sights sit within walking distance of each other — you can see a lot without a single tram ride.
- Wawel Hill packs a Renaissance royal palace, the coronation cathedral and the famous Sigismund Bell into one visit.
- Kazimierz, founded as a separate town in 1335, tells the story of Christian and Jewish Kraków side by side.
- World-class museums deal honestly with the 20th century, from Schindler's Factory to Nowa Huta, a planned socialist-realist district.
- It's an easy base for day trips to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.
Top 10: what to see first
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Old towns & squares
Kraków Main Square
Kraków
Kraków's Main Market Square (Rynek Główny, say: RIH-nek GWOO-vnih) is the heart of the Old Town and one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe – roughly 200 by 200 meters, about 10 acres, laid out when Kraków received its town char…
Free entry1. One of Europe's largest medieval squares, laid out in 1257 — Cloth Hall, Town Hall Tower and St Mary's all in one frame.
Landmarks
Wawel Hill, Kraków
Kraków
Wawel Hill in Kraków is the limestone rise above the Vistula River where Polish kings lived, were crowned and were buried for more than five centuries. Crowned by the Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral, it is Poland's most symbolic historic…
120–240 min2. The hill where Polish kings lived and were crowned. Walking the courtyards is free; you pay only for the exhibitions you pick.
Castles
Wawel Royal Castle
Kraków
Wawel Royal Castle (pronounced "VAH-vel") in Kraków is the former seat of Polish kings and the single most important historic site in southern Poland. Its Renaissance palace, wrapped around an arcaded courtyard, crowns a limestone hill abo…
120–240 min3. State rooms, private royal apartments and the Crown Treasury with Szczerbiec, the coronation sword.
Churches & monasteries
St Mary's Basilica in Kraków
Kraków
Every hour a trumpeter plays the hejnał, a short bugle call, from the taller tower of the basilica – and breaks it off mid-phrase. A few dozen metres below, in the chancel, stands the greatest work of Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz in Polish): a l…
45–60 min4. Home to Veit Stoss's carved altarpiece (1477–1489); listen for the bugle call played from the taller tower every hour.
Cities & towns
Kazimierz, Kraków
Kraków
For almost five hundred years Kazimierz was not a district of Kraków but a separate town — with its own market square, town hall and walls, cut off from Kraków by a branch of the Vistula. King Casimir the Great founded it on 27 February 13…
Free entry5. Synagogues on Szeroka Street, Baroque churches and the best cafés and bars in town — come back after dark.
Museums
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory in Kraków
Kraków
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory in Kraków is the building where the German industrialist made famous by Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List employed and ultimately protected more than 1,100 Jews during World War II. Today it houses a bran…
6. Not a film set but a powerful museum about the whole city under German occupation, in Oskar Schindler's former enamel works.
Museums
Rynek Underground Museum in Kraków
Kraków
The Rynek Underground (Podziemia Rynku, "pod-ZHEM-ya RIH-neh-koo") in Kraków is a museum hidden beneath the city's Main Market Square, one of the largest medieval squares in Europe. Below the cobbles around the Cloth Hall, archaeologists u…
7. Walk on medieval paving stones a few metres below the Main Square — an interactive museum that works well for kids too.
Landmarks
Cloth Hall (Sukiennice)
Kraków
The Cloth Hall in Kraków (Sukiennice, say "soo-kyeh-NEE-tseh") is the long Renaissance market hall standing in the middle of the Main Market Square – one of Europe's largest medieval town squares and the centerpiece of Kraków's UNESCO-list…
60–120 min8. Souvenir stalls downstairs, and upstairs the National Museum's gallery of 19th-century Polish painting.
Cities & towns
Nowa Huta
Kraków
In 1949 work began on fields outside Kraków on a city built from scratch – for the people who would work in a gigantic steelworks. Nowa Huta ("New Steelworks") was meant to be a model socialist town without a church and with a central squa…
180–360 min Free entry9. A whole socialist-realist town built from 1949 around a steelworks — a fascinating contrast to the Old Town.
Monuments & mounds
Kościuszko Mound
Kraków
Kościuszko Mound in Kraków (say "kosh-CHOOSH-ko") is a 34-meter earthen hill raised by hand in 1820–1823 in honor of Tadeusz Kościuszko — the Polish-Lithuanian general who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later led the 1794 upr…
10. A memorial mound raised in 1820–1823 with one of the widest views over Kraków and the Vistula valley.
Top sights on the map
Open the full map1-day itinerary
Morning: the Royal Route
Start at the Barbican, pass through St Florian's Gate and follow Floriańska Street to the Main Square — the route of royal processions.
Places: Royal Route in Kraków Kraków Barbican
Late morning: Main Square
See the altarpiece in St Mary's Basilica, browse the Cloth Hall and catch the hourly bugle call. Book the Rynek Underground ahead if you want to go in.
Places: St Mary's Basilica in Kraków Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) Rynek Underground Museum in Kraków
Midday: Wawel
Walk down Grodzka and Kanonicza streets to Wawel. Choose one or two castle exhibitions plus the cathedral, and allow at least two hours.
Places: Wawel Royal Castle Wawel Cathedral
Afternoon: Dragon's Den and the river
Exit through the Dragon's Den cave to the riverside statue of the Wawel Dragon, then follow the Vistula to Kazimierz.
Places: Smocza Jama
Evening: Kazimierz
Dinner around Szeroka Street or Plac Nowy, and an evening stroll through the old Jewish quarter.
Places: Kazimierz, Kraków
2-day itinerary
Day 1: Old Town and Wawel
Main Square and St Mary's
Go early, before the tour groups. Add the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art above the Cloth Hall.
Places: Kraków Main Square St Mary's Basilica in Kraków Cloth Hall (Sukiennice)
Collegium Maius
The oldest surviving building of the Jagiellonian University, a few minutes from the square, with a Gothic arcaded courtyard.
Places: Collegium Maius in Kraków
Wawel Hill
Castle, cathedral and royal crypts, then down through the Dragon's Den to the river.
Day 2: Kazimierz, Podgórze and Nowa Huta
Kazimierz synagogues
The Old Synagogue — the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland — and the Remah Synagogue, both on Szeroka Street.
Across the river to Schindler's Factory
Cross the Father Bernatek Footbridge with its balancing figures and plan about two hours for the museum, and book ahead in summer.
Places: Father Bernatek Footbridge Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory in Kraków
Nowa Huta by tram
End the day at Central Square in Nowa Huta to see how the socialist ideal city was planned.
Places: Nowa Huta
Getting there
By air: Kraków John Paul II Airport in Balice is about 11 km west of the centre. A train links the airport with Kraków Główny, the main station, in under 20 minutes; buses 209 and 300 (and night bus 902) also run from the terminal.
By train: Kraków Główny sits right next to the Old Town — it's a short walk to the Main Square.
Getting around: The Old Town and Kazimierz are best on foot. Trams are the easiest way to reach Podgórze, the mounds and Nowa Huta, and at rush hour they're often quicker than a taxi.
When to go
May–June and September are ideal: long days, comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds than in high summer. July–August is peak season, so book museum tickets in advance. December brings the Christmas market to the Main Square, and indoor museums make winter visits easy.
Weekday mornings are the calmest time for Wawel and St Mary's.
FAQ
How many days do you need in Kraków?
One full day covers the Old Town and Wawel. Two days let you add Kazimierz, Schindler's Factory and Nowa Huta at a relaxed pace. With three or more days, add a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine or the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.
Is Wawel Castle free to visit?
Walking around Wawel Hill and its courtyards is free. The castle exhibitions and the cathedral with its crypts require tickets; check current rules and prices on the official Wawel website.
How do I get from Kraków Airport to the city centre?
The fastest option is the train to Kraków Główny, which takes under 20 minutes. Buses 209 and 300 are an alternative, and night bus 902 runs when trains don't.
Can I visit Auschwitz from Kraków?
Yes — the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Oświęcim is the most common day trip from Kraków. Plan a full day and book your entry in advance through the museum.
What is there to do in Kraków with kids?
Children usually love the Dragon's Den and the fire-breathing dragon statue by the river, the interactive Rynek Underground and climbing one of the mounds for the view.
Is Kraków walkable?
Very. The Main Square, Wawel and Kazimierz are all within a 20–30 minute walk of each other, and the main railway station is next to the Old Town.
All attractions (88)
Churches & monasteries
Wawel Cathedral
Kraków
Polish kings were crowned and buried in this cathedral – from Władysław the Elbow-high, crowned in 1320, to Stanisław Leszczyński. It holds the remains of 17 monarchs (including Queen Jadwiga and Anna Jagiellon), as well as national poets…
60–120 min
Churches & monasteries
St Mary's Basilica in Kraków
Kraków
Every hour a trumpeter plays the hejnał, a short bugle call, from the taller tower of the basilica – and breaks it off mid-phrase. A few dozen metres below, in the chancel, stands the greatest work of Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz in Polish): a l…
45–60 min
Landmarks
Wawel Hill, Kraków
Kraków
Wawel Hill in Kraków is the limestone rise above the Vistula River where Polish kings lived, were crowned and were buried for more than five centuries. Crowned by the Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral, it is Poland's most symbolic historic…
120–240 min
Castles
Wawel Royal Castle
Kraków
Wawel Royal Castle (pronounced "VAH-vel") in Kraków is the former seat of Polish kings and the single most important historic site in southern Poland. Its Renaissance palace, wrapped around an arcaded courtyard, crowns a limestone hill abo…
120–240 min
Cities & towns
Nowa Huta
Kraków
In 1949 work began on fields outside Kraków on a city built from scratch – for the people who would work in a gigantic steelworks. Nowa Huta ("New Steelworks") was meant to be a model socialist town without a church and with a central squa…
180–360 min Free entry
Landmarks
Cloth Hall (Sukiennice)
Kraków
The Cloth Hall in Kraków (Sukiennice, say "soo-kyeh-NEE-tseh") is the long Renaissance market hall standing in the middle of the Main Market Square – one of Europe's largest medieval town squares and the centerpiece of Kraków's UNESCO-list…
60–120 min
Monuments & mounds
Krakus Mound
Kraków
Between 1934 and 1937 archaeologists dug right down to the base of Krakus Mound, looking for the grave of the legendary founder of Kraków. They found no grave. What they did find was just as intriguing: the mound has a carefully planned st…
20–40 min Free entry
Landmarks
Kraków Barbican
Kraków
The Kraków Barbican (Polish: Barbakan, "BAR-bah-kahn") is a Gothic brick fortress with seven slender turrets, standing in Planty Park just outside St. Florian's Gate. Built at the end of the 15th century as the northernmost outpost of the…
Churches & monasteries
St Andrew's Church in Kraków
Kraków
The lower part of the façade of St Andrew's Church has no windows — only narrow arrow slits. They are not decoration: according to the chronicler Jan Długosz, in 1241, during the Mongol invasion, the people of Okół, the settlement below Wa…
Landmarks
Sigismund Bell on Wawel Hill
Kraków
The Sigismund Bell (in Polish Dzwon Zygmunta, roughly "dzvon zig-MOON-tah") hangs in the tower of Wawel Cathedral in Kraków and is Poland's most famous bell. Cast more than 500 years ago, it rings only on the most important religious and n…
Monuments & mounds
Kościuszko Mound
Kraków
Kościuszko Mound in Kraków (say "kosh-CHOOSH-ko") is a 34-meter earthen hill raised by hand in 1820–1823 in honor of Tadeusz Kościuszko — the Polish-Lithuanian general who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later led the 1794 upr…
Monuments & mounds
Wanda Mound
Kraków
In Mogiła, now part of Kraków's Nowa Huta district, stands a mound that nobody has fully explained. Wanda Mound was probably raised in the 7th–8th century, and since the Middle Ages it has been seen as the grave of the legendary daughter o…
Free entry
Churches & monasteries
Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Kraków
Kraków
On 23 June 1597 the Jesuits laid the foundations of a church on Grodzka Street to the music of three choirs, with Mass said under a tent. So began the construction of Kraków's first fully Baroque building, funded by King Sigismund III Vasa…
Museums
Collegium Maius in Kraków
Kraków
Nicolaus Copernicus studied in this building in the 1490s. The Collegium Maius at 15 Jagiellońska Street is the oldest surviving building of the Jagiellonian University and home to its museum: a Gothic courtyard with arcades, rooms where p…
Cities & towns
Kazimierz, Kraków
Kraków
For almost five hundred years Kazimierz was not a district of Kraków but a separate town — with its own market square, town hall and walls, cut off from Kraków by a branch of the Vistula. King Casimir the Great founded it on 27 February 13…
Free entry
Churches & monasteries
Corpus Christi Basilica in Kraków
Kraków
Legend has it that on the spot where the Corpus Christi Basilica now stands, a stolen monstrance was found in a marsh, with mysterious lights burning above it day and night — and the king promised to build a church there. The facts are jus…
Churches & monasteries
St Adalbert's Church (Kościół św. Wojciecha) in Kraków
Kraków
The little church in the corner of Kraków's Main Market Square is older than the square itself — by roughly a century. St Adalbert's Church is one of the oldest stone churches in Poland, with walls dating back to the 11th century. That is…
Churches & monasteries
Old Synagogue in Kraków
Kraków
The Old Synagogue in Kraków, on Szeroka Street in the historic Jewish district of Kazimierz ("ka-ZHEE-myesh"), is the oldest surviving synagogue building in Poland and one of the most important monuments of Jewish architecture in Europe. F…
Monuments & mounds
Piłsudski Mound
Kraków
Into this mound went soil from every First World War battlefield where Poles fought, and since 1981 soil from Second World War battlefields has also rested at its foot — hence its nickname, the "Grave of Graves". Józef Piłsudski Mound, on…
Free entry
Churches & monasteries
Skałka – Pauline Basilica of St Michael the Archangel and St Stanislaus
Kraków
On a small limestone hill above the Vistula, a few hundred metres from Wawel, Bishop Stanislaus of Szczepanów was killed in 1079, according to tradition. The Baroque Basilica of St Michael the Archangel and St Stanislaus, known simply as S…
Landmarks
Juliusz Słowacki Theatre
Kraków
The facade bears the motto "Kraków to the national art", and on the stage behind it, on 16 March 1901, Wyspiański's play "The Wedding" had its world premiere — one of the defining moments of Polish culture. The Juliusz Słowacki Theatre, op…
Nature
Wolski Forest
Kraków
In 1917, in the middle of the First World War, the Kraków Municipal Savings Bank bought the woods on the city's western hills and handed them over to the city as a people's park. That is how Wolski Forest came about — 419 hectares of beech…
Free entry
Zoos
Kraków Zoo
Kraków
Kraków Zoo is not in a city park but on Pustelnik Hill in the middle of Wolski Forest, about 8 km from the Main Market Square. Its 20 hectares are home to around 1,500 animals from more than 270 species, over a hundred of them classed as e…
180–300 min
Churches & monasteries
Tempel Synagogue, Kraków
Kraków
From Miodowa Street, the Tempel looks like an elegant town house with a triangular gable. Inside, visitors find a colourful, gilded hall in the Moorish style, quite unlike the austere Renaissance synagogues of Kazimierz. This Progressive s…