Things to do in Warsaw: what to see in Poland's capital
Warsaw rewards visitors who come with curiosity rather than a checklist. The Old Town looks centuries old, but it was rebuilt almost from scratch after the city was nearly levelled in the Second World War — a reconstruction so remarkable that UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List in 1980. A short walk away, a Stalin-era skyscraper faces glass towers, and the Royal Route runs south to palace gardens.
Here are the ten places we'd start with, two itineraries, airport tips and the full list of Warsaw attractions on tripto.pl. We keep opening hours and prices on each attraction page, so check them before you set off.
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Why visit
- The rebuilt Old Town is a UNESCO site precisely because of how it was brought back to life after 1945.
- Two of Europe's most powerful history museums: the Warsaw Rising Museum and POLIN.
- The Royal Route links the Royal Castle, Krakowskie Przedmieście, Łazienki Park and Wilanów Palace.
- Free Chopin piano recitals by the Chopin Monument in Łazienki every Sunday in summer.
- A green, walkable centre with riverside boulevards and a public rooftop garden.
Top 10: what to see first
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Old towns & squares
Warsaw Old Town
Warsaw
Warsaw Old Town (Stare Miasto) is the historic heart of Poland's capital: a pastel-colored Market Square with the Mermaid statue, Castle Square with Sigismund's Column, the Royal Castle, a Gothic cathedral and red-brick city walls with the…
Free entry1. Market Square with the Mermaid statue, the city walls and Barbican — all painstakingly rebuilt after the war.
Castles
Royal Castle in Warsaw
Warsaw
The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Polish: Zamek Królewski, roughly "ZAH-mek kroo-LEV-skee") is the former seat of Poland's kings and parliament, standing on Castle Square at the entrance to the Old Town. Europe's first modern written constitutio…
90–150 min2. The former seat of kings and parliament where the Constitution of 3 May was passed, rebuilt largely from public donations.
Museums
Warsaw Rising Museum
Warsaw
The Warsaw Rising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego) is the place to understand the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 — the single largest military effort by any European resistance movement in World War II, when the Polish underground Home Arm…
3. An immersive museum about the 63 days of the 1944 uprising, set in a former tram power station.
Museums
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Warsaw
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw tells the thousand-year story of Jewish life in Poland, from medieval merchants to the present day, and is one of the most important museums in Europe. It stands in Muranów, the heart of…
4. A thousand years of Polish Jewish history in Muranów; its core exhibition was named European Museum of the Year 2016.
Palaces
Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw
Warsaw
Łazienki Królewskie (roughly "wah-ZHEN-kee kroo-LEV-skyeh"), or the Royal Baths Park, is Warsaw's most beautiful park and the former summer residence of Poland's last king, Stanisław August Poniatowski. Spread over about 76 hectares (190 a…
Free entry5. About 76 hectares of park around the Palace on the Isle, the summer residence of Poland's last king.
Hidden gemPalaces
Palace Museum in Wilanów
Warsaw
Wilanów Palace (Polish: Pałac w Wilanowie, roughly "vee-LAH-noof") is the Baroque summer residence of King John III Sobieski in southern Warsaw, often called the "Polish Versailles." Unlike much of the capital, which was rebuilt after Worl…
6. King John III Sobieski's Baroque residence with formal gardens — often called the Polish Versailles.
Old towns & squares
Krakowskie Przedmieście Street in Warsaw
Warsaw
On Krakowskie Przedmieście you can walk through four centuries of Polish history in an hour: from St Anne's Church, where Pope John Paul II met young people in 1979, past the University of Warsaw and the Presidential Palace, to a pillar in…
Free entry7. Warsaw's grandest street, lined with churches, palaces and the gates of Warsaw University.
Landmarks
Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw
Warsaw
The Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki, often shortened to PKiN, "peh-keen") is Warsaw's most famous landmark: a 237-meter Stalinist skyscraper that towers over the city center. Built in the 1950s as a "gift" from the Sov…
8. Love it or hate it, the 1950s Palace of Culture is unmissable — and its 30th-floor terrace has the best view in town.
Museums
Copernicus Science Centre
Warsaw
The Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw (Centrum Nauki Kopernik, roughly "TSEN-troom NAH-oo-kee koh-PEHR-neek") is Poland's largest hands-on science museum, set right on the Vistula River in the city center. Instead of reading labels behin…
180–300 min9. Poland's largest hands-on science centre, right on the Vistula — a sure win with kids.
Landmarks
Warsaw University Library
Warsaw
The University of Warsaw Library (BUW, pronounced "boov") in the riverside Powiśle district is one of the city's most striking modern buildings, and its rooftop garden is free, open to everyone and one of the largest roof gardens in Europe…
Free entry10. The free rooftop garden of the University Library, with views over the river and the bridges.
Top sights on the map
Open the full map1-day itinerary
Morning: Castle Square
Start by Sigismund's Column and tour the Royal Castle for a crash course in Polish history.
Late morning: Old Town
The cathedral, Market Square with the Mermaid and the Barbican on the old walls.
Places: St. John's Archcathedral in Warsaw Old Town Market Square in Warsaw The Warsaw Mermaid Monument
Lunch on the Royal Route
Walk south along Krakowskie Przedmieście past the university towards Nowy Świat, where you'll find plenty of places to eat.
Afternoon: Warsaw Rising Museum
Take a tram or taxi to Wola and allow at least two hours.
Places: Warsaw Rising Museum
Sunset: Palace of Culture
Finish on the observation terrace and trace your route across the city.
2-day itinerary
Day 1: Old Town and 20th-century history
Royal Castle and Old Town
Go early to enjoy Market Square before the crowds.
POLIN Museum
In the heart of the pre-war Jewish district, opposite the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes.
Warsaw Rising Museum
Spend the afternoon in Wola, then head back to the centre for dinner.
Places: Warsaw Rising Museum
Day 2: Royal Route and the river
Łazienki Park
Palace on the Isle, the Old Orangery and the Chopin Monument — time it for a summer Sunday recital if you can.
Places: Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw
Wilanów Palace
Royal apartments and gardens in the south of the city.
Places: Palace Museum in Wilanów
Powiśle by the Vistula
Copernicus Science Centre, the University Library rooftop garden and an evening on the river boulevards.
Getting there
By air: Warsaw Chopin Airport is about 10 km from the centre. Trains run from the underground station by the terminal roughly every 15 minutes (SKM and Koleje Mazowieckie), and bus 175 runs to the centre by day, N32 at night. Some low-cost flights use Warsaw Modlin Airport outside the city instead.
By train: Warszawa Centralna, the main station, is right in the centre next to the Palace of Culture.
Getting around: Two metro lines, trams and buses share one ticket system. The Old Town and the Royal Route are best explored on foot.
When to go
May to September is when Warsaw lives outdoors — in the parks and along the Vistula. Chopin recitals at the Chopin Monument in Łazienki take place every Sunday from July to the end of September and are free (in 2026 at 12:00 and 16:00). Autumn and winter are good for museums and theatre without the crowds.
Note: the Fryderyk Chopin Museum is closed throughout 2026 for a major refurbishment, with reopening announced for 2027.
FAQ
How many days should I spend in Warsaw?
One day covers the Old Town, the Royal Castle, Krakowskie Przedmieście and one major museum. Two days let you add Łazienki Park, Wilanów Palace or POLIN and the Copernicus Science Centre.
Is Warsaw's Old Town original?
Most of it was rebuilt after the Second World War, when the district was almost completely destroyed. The reconstruction itself is why UNESCO listed it in 1980.
How do I get from Chopin Airport to central Warsaw?
Take a train from the station under the terminal — they run roughly every 15 minutes. Bus 175 is a daytime alternative and N32 runs at night.
Is the Chopin Museum open?
No. The Fryderyk Chopin Museum is closed for refurbishment throughout 2026 and is due to reopen in 2027. In summer you can still hear Chopin at the free Sunday recitals in Łazienki Park.
What can I do in Warsaw with kids?
The Copernicus Science Centre is the top pick, followed by the Zoo, Łazienki Park and the University Library rooftop garden.
Where is the best view of Warsaw?
The observation terrace on the 30th floor of the Palace of Culture and Science. For a free alternative, try the University Library rooftop garden.
All attractions (56)
Museums
Copernicus Science Centre
Warszawa
The Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw (Centrum Nauki Kopernik, roughly "TSEN-troom NAH-oo-kee koh-PEHR-neek") is Poland's largest hands-on science museum, set right on the Vistula River in the city center. Instead of reading labels behin…
180–300 min
Landmarks
University of Warsaw
Warszawa
Thousands of students walk through the neo-Baroque gate on Krakowskie Przedmieście every day, but few stop at the bronze plaque on its pillar: Fryderyk Chopin lived and studied within these walls from 1817 to 1827. The Main Campus of the U…
30–60 min Free entry
Castles
Royal Castle in Warsaw
Warszawa
The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Polish: Zamek Królewski, roughly "ZAH-mek kroo-LEV-skee") is the former seat of Poland's kings and parliament, standing on Castle Square at the entrance to the Old Town. Europe's first modern written constitutio…
90–150 min
Churches & monasteries
St. John's Archcathedral in Warsaw
Warszawa
St. John's Archcathedral in Warsaw (Archikatedra św. Jana, roughly "ar-hee-kah-TED-rah svyen-TEH-go YAH-nah") is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Warsaw and one of Poland's national pantheons. It stands in the heart of the UNESCO-li…
30–60 min Free entry
Landmarks
Sigismund's Column in Warsaw
Warszawa
When a statue of a king on a tall column went up in 1644 on the square outside the Kraków Gate, the papal nuncio protested: until then, only saints, Christ and the Virgin Mary had been raised so high. Sigismund's Column (Kolumna Zygmunta I…
10–15 min Free entry
Landmarks
Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw
Warszawa
Every year on 1 and 2 November, actors, journalists and musicians stand at the gates of Old Powązki with collection tins. The fundraiser started by Jerzy Waldorff in 1975 pays for the repair of chapels, tombstones and sculptures, and in 20…
Old towns & squares
Castle Square in Warsaw
Warszawa
Warsaw's most famous monument is almost 180 years older than the square it stands on. Sigismund's Column, honouring King Sigismund III Vasa, was raised in 1644 in front of the Kraków Gate, outside the city walls, while Castle Square itself…
Free entry
Castles
Ujazdów Castle in Warsaw
Warszawa
On 12 January 1578, at the wedding of Chancellor Jan Zamoyski and Krystyna Radziwiłł, the manor house at Ujazdów staged the first performance of Jan Kochanowski's "The Dismissal of the Greek Envoys" — regarded as the first tragedy written…
Gardens
Saxon Garden
Warszawa
On 27 May 1727 King Augustus II the Strong opened the garden of his Warsaw palace to the townspeople — creating Poland's first public park. Anyone could come in, as long as they were decently dressed. Today the Saxon Garden covers 15.5 hec…
Free entry
Old towns & squares
Old Town Market Square in Warsaw
Warszawa
The town houses around Warsaw's Old Town Market Square look centuries old, but most are about 70 years old. After the 1944 Warsaw Uprising the square lay in ruins, and in 1949–1953 it was rebuilt so faithfully that in 1980 the Historic Cen…
Free entry
Old towns & squares
Krakowskie Przedmieście Street in Warsaw
Warszawa
On Krakowskie Przedmieście you can walk through four centuries of Polish history in an hour: from St Anne's Church, where Pope John Paul II met young people in 1979, past the University of Warsaw and the Presidential Palace, to a pillar in…
Free entry
Landmarks
Złote Tarasy (Golden Terraces)
Warszawa
From the terrace of the Palace of Culture, Złote Tarasy looks like a glass wave spilling between Warsaw Central Station and Złota Street. Beneath its undulating steel-and-glass roof is one of Warsaw's best-known shopping centres, opened on…
Zoos
Warsaw Zoo
Warszawa
During the war, people hid in the empty cages and the director's villa at Warsaw Zoo. Jan and Antonina Żabiński saved several hundred Jews this way, were honoured as Righteous Among the Nations, and their story is told in the film "The Zoo…
Landmarks
Warsaw University Library
Warszawa
The University of Warsaw Library (BUW, pronounced "boov") in the riverside Powiśle district is one of the city's most striking modern buildings, and its rooftop garden is free, open to everyone and one of the largest roof gardens in Europe…
Free entry
Churches & monasteries
Carmelite Church (Seminary Church) in Warsaw
Warszawa
At the top of the facade on Krakowskie Przedmieście gleams a copper globe wrapped in a serpent and crowned with a gilded host — since the 18th century Varsovians have called it the "bania karmelicka", roughly "the Carmelite bulb". The Chur…
Hidden gemMuseums
Station Museum (Stacja Muzeum)
Warszawa
On the tracks of the former Warszawa Główna station on ul. Towarowa stand more than 50 historic rail vehicles — from early 20th-century steam engines to electric locomotives from the communist era. Among them are Poland's only complete arm…
Hidden gemPalaces
Palace Museum in Wilanów
Warszawa
Wilanów Palace (Polish: Pałac w Wilanowie, roughly "vee-LAH-noof") is the Baroque summer residence of King John III Sobieski in southern Warsaw, often called the "Polish Versailles." Unlike much of the capital, which was rebuilt after Worl…
Hidden gemPalaces
Wessel Palace (Saxon Post Office), Warsaw
Warszawa
For nearly a hundred years this was the point from which distances from Warsaw were measured, and on 2 November 1830 Fryderyk Chopin handed in his luggage at the post office here, not knowing he was leaving Poland for good. Wessel Palace (…
Hidden gemOld towns & squares
Grzybowski Square, Warsaw
Warszawa
A monumental 19th-century church, the surviving townhouses of Próżna Street and the 160-metre Cosmopolitan tower all stand around a single square. Grzybowski Square (Plac Grzybowski) is one of the few places in Warsaw where you can clearly…
Free entry
Monuments & mounds
Warsaw Uprising Mound
Warszawa
This 31-metre hill in Czerniaków was piled up from the rubble of destroyed Warsaw, and for years maps simply called it "Rubbish Hill". Today the Warsaw Uprising Mound (Kopiec Powstania Warszawskiego), crowned by a giant Fighting Poland anc…
Free entry
Gardens
University of Warsaw Botanic Garden
Warszawa
The University of Warsaw Botanic Garden on Aleje Ujazdowskie is the third-oldest botanic garden in Poland and a green enclave in the centre of the capital, right next to the Royal Łazienki. On about 5 hectares grow some 5,000 plant species…
Fortifications
Warsaw Barbican
Warszawa
The Warsaw Barbican (Barbakan, pronounced "bar-BAH-kahn") is a red-brick fortified gateway from the mid-16th century that links the Old Town and the New Town in the heart of Poland's capital. Almost every walk through the Old Town passes t…
Free entry
Palaces
Belweder Palace
Warszawa
The name comes from the Italian "belvedere", a beautiful view: the palace stands on the highest stretch of the Warsaw escarpment, above Łazienki Park. Grand Duke Konstantin lived at Belweder, insurgents stormed it on the November Night of…
60–90 min
Historic sites
PAST Building in Warsaw
Warszawa
On the night of 19–20 August 1944 insurgents captured this building with the help of a fire pump: they forced thousands of litres of a crude oil and petrol mixture inside and set it alight. The PAST building at Zielna 39 is one of Europe's…
Free entry