From its UNESCO-listed historic centre to the echoes of its tragic past, Kraków is an unforgettable city. It’s also a great base for day trips, relatively inexpensive, and one of the top solo travel destinations in Europe.
Four days in Kraków is enough time to hit its highlights at an easy pace. You’ll cover the Old Town, Wawel Castle, a day trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz and Podgorze, and a full day at Auschwitz.
As a solo traveller, budget roughly £900 to £1,200 for four days / five nights, including a 4-star hotel, entry tickets and food, but excluding flights. As the biggest chunk of your spend, your choice of accomodation will largely dictate your budget, and this cost varies with season.
Kraków was the capital of Poland until 1596, and the capital of the General Government during the German occupation. As it was not in the Nazis’ interests to destroy the city’s infrastructure, Kraków made it through World War II largely intact. Its historic centre still has buildings running the gamut from Gothic to Renaissance, Baroque to Art Nouveau.
Here’s my 4-day Kraków itinerary, with tips at the end on getting there and around, and where to eat and stay.
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My 4-Day Kraków Itinerary
I spent four days in Kraków over Christmas, staying at Mercure Stare Miasto. It was the perfect festive break.
This was how my itinerary panned out:
Four days gave me time to see the old town’s squares, churches and castle at an easy pace, plus the most important WWII sites nearby.
If you’re short on time, compress this into three days. Some tour operators run a combined day trip covering both Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Mine, or you could drop the Salt Mine altogether.
If you have a fifth day spare, Nowa Huta, Kraków’s Soviet-planned district on the eastern edge of the city, makes an interesting add-on and is easily reached by tram.
DAY 1: Old Town and Wawel Castle
As many of Kraków’s landmarks are close together and much of the old city is pedestrianised, a walking tour of Kraków’s old town is your best bet.
Starting at St. Florian’s Gate, stroll along Floriańska Street to the Market Square, home to Kraków’s Christmas market.
Dominating this square is St. Mary’s Church, the city’s geographic and spiritual heart. Arrive there at the top of the hour, and you will hear a bugle call (hejnal) sound from the taller of its two towers.
Across the Market Square from St. Mary’s Church is the Cloth Hall, Kraków’s temple to commercialism since 1257.
Exiting the other side of the Cloth Hall, adjacent to the remnants of the old town hall is Eros Bound, Igor Mitoraj’s sculpture of a disembodied head. Although controversial, this has become a popular Kraków landmark.
The next stop is the Collegium Maius (Jagiellońska 15), the oldest college of Poland’s oldest university. Try to catch the courtyard clock’s show at 11am, 1pm or 3pm (plus 9am and 5pm in summer).
Lovers of Art Nouveau should not miss the nearby Franciscan Church (pl. Wszystkich Świętych). Upon entering the church, turn around and look up at the window above the main door. The stained glass masterpiece by Stansilaw Wyspicński – Let It Be – depicts God emerging from the sinuous, elemental cosmos.
Head along Grodzka, past the baroque church of St Peter and Paul, then across Mary Magdalen Square and left down Kanonicza. Taking its name from the canons who lived there from the 14th century onwards, this is one of the oldest streets in Kraków.
At the end of Kanoniczka is Wawel Hill, home to Kraków Cathedral and the Royal Castle. Kraków was the capital of Poland from 1038 until 1596 and Wawel Castle served as the royal residence and seat of power.
Entry to the Cathedral is free, but the Royal Chambers, Crown Treasury and Dragon’s Den each need a separate ticket, so decide in advance which you want to see and buy online if you can, since tickets sell out on busy days.
Don’t leave here without saying ‘hello’ to the fire-breathing dragon standing guard at the foot of Wawel Hill. According to local legend, Kraków was founded on his defeat, and his lair was in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill.
How I did it
- I explored the old town on a guided tour with Walkative!, returning later that day to take a closer look at places pointed out by the guide.
- This old town free tour was excellent. It runs three times a day, even on Christmas Day when I did it.
- As the name suggests it is free but tips are appreciated.
DAY 2: Wieliczka Salt Mine day trip
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the 700-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mine, 12 km southeast of Kraków, is an easy day trip. Just 1% of the mine’s 300 km labyrinthine network of tunnels is open to those taking a guided tour.
You descending 47 flights of stairs to the first chamber, ‘The Bono’, at 64 meters below the surface. The tour then takes you from chamber to chamber, through narrow corridors carved into the mine’s salt base.
You’ll learn how salt shaped the fortunes of the Kingdom of Poland, particularly under Casimir the Great (1310–1370).
Fancy an unusual wedding venue? You can get married at St Kinga’s Chapel, the most spectacular of the mine’s underground chapels, over 100 metres below ground.
To be frank, if time is short, I would dump the Wieliczka Salt Mine from your Kraków itinerary. It’s expensive by Polish standards and feels like a tourist trap. In my view, you would be better off exploring the city’s other, more cultural, activities.
That said, it’s not often that you are given the opportunity to visit a Disneyfied mine complete with chapels made from salt, so embrace the kitsch if you have the time.
Expect to pay around 159 PLN (roughly £31) for the standard Tourist Route tour, and set aside two to three hours underground.
How I did it
I caught a train from Kraków Glówny (the central station) to the end of the line at Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia. The salt mine is a five-minute walk from the train station; the route is clearly signposted.
Buy your train ticket for the 30-minute journey from the machines at the station. Check the train timetable here.
If you’d rather someone else handled the logistics, you can visit on an organised day trip from Kraków. This well-rated option includes your Tourist Route ticket, transfer from your hotel and drop-off in Kraków city centre.
DAY 3: Tracing Kraków’s Jewish history
My third day in Kraków was one of two halves. I spent the morning exploring Kazimierz, the old Jewish Quarter, and the afternoon in Podgorze, site of the ghetto and Schindler’s Factory.
As in other Polish cities, the human cost of the Nazi occupation here was immense. In 1941, the city’s Jews were forced from Kazimierz across the Vistula River to a ghetto in Podgorze. Immortalised in Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List, the Nazis emptied the Kraków Ghetto in three waves, including deportation to Auschwitz.
You can walk to Kazimierz and Podgorze from the old town; it’s 15 minutes from Wawel Castle to Kazimierz. Or catch tram #3 or #24.
Morning: Explore Kazimierz
Kazimierz was founded in 1335 by Casimir the Great as a separate city, only becoming a district of Kraków in the 19th century. With its own town hall, defensive walls and large churches, it once rivalled Kraków in position and wealth.
Kazimierz’s history is closely tied to that of Poland’s Jewish population.
Although Jewish merchants started to arrive in Poland as early as 966, the first extensive emigration was at the time of the Crusades in the 11th century. However, it was King Jan Olbracht (1459 – 1501) who was responsible for Kazimierz’s distinctive nature. In the wake of anti-Semitic protests in the late 15th century, he moved the Jewish population here under his protection and Kazimierz became an important centre of Jewish culture.
To the west is Kazimierz’s Christian section, centred on Plac Wolnica, the site of a popular Sunday flea market and also a filming location for Schindler’s List. The nearby Corpus Christi Church has an extraordinary 15th-century altar.
To the east is the Jewish half, centred on Szeroka, home to the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland. The aptly named Old Synagogue dates from the 15th century, with later remodelling in the 16th and 18th centuries. It now houses the Galicia Jewish Museum, chronicling the history and culture of Kraków’s Jews.
That harmony between the two faiths ended with WWII. Before 1939, an estimated 60,000 Jews lived in Kraków. After the German occupation, those who remained or couldn’t leave were forcibly relocated across the river to Podgorze. Today, officially, just 840 Jewish people live in Kraków, 100 of whom are Orthodox.
Afternoon: Visit Podgorze, the Eagle Pharmacy and Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory
Traces of the former Jewish ghetto in Podgorze are still visible today.
Cross the Bernatek footbridge from Kazimierz and keep going until you reach Plac Bohaterów, the heart of the Kraków Ghetto. A memorial of evenly-spaced wooden chairs now fills this square, symbolising the furniture destroyed by the Nazis during the liquidation of the ghetto
At No. 18 is the Eagle Pharmacy. Tadeusz Pankiewicz, the Polish owner of Apteka Pod Orłem as it was then known, and his staff were the only non-Jews living and working in the ghetto during the occupation.
They risked their lives to help the ghetto’s inhabitants, acquiring food and falsifying documents. Along with Oskar Schindler, the pharmacist is today one of the ‘Righteous Among the Nations‘, honoured by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
Today, the Eagle Pharmacy has been restored and is an interactive museum charting the lives of those in the Kraków Ghetto. It is well worth spending an hour there.
Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory is a ten-minute walk from the Eagle Pharmacy.
Since the release of Schindler’s List, the story of Oskar Schindler has become well known. Along with his wife, Emilie, this German industrialist risked his life to save more than 1,200 Jews from the gas chambers by employing them in his factories.
The site of his former factory is now an absorbing museum chronicling life in Kraków under the Nazi Occupation, through a series of documents from the archives, photos, artefacts and multimedia. MOCAK, Kraków’s contemporary art museum, is in the adjacent, larger part of the factory.
Visiting Schindler’s Enamel Factory
- The museum is located at 4 Lipowa Street. It’s open on Monday, 10 am – 3 pm; Tuesday – Sunday, 9 am – 7 pm, closed on the first Tuesday of the month.
- A standard ticket costs 60 PLN, bookable online here (highly recommended – this sells out). Admission is free on Mondays, available on a first-come-first-served basis (they can’t be booked online).
- Plan on spending at least a couple of hours here, more if you can manage it.
- Backpacks are not allowed into the museum and you will need to check these in. Bring a smaller bag if possible.
DAY 4: Day trip to Auschwitz
Auschwitz was the final destination for many from the Kraków Ghetto.
It was, in fact, a collection of camps. Auschwitz I, a former Polish Army barracks, had its first intake of political prisoners in June 1940. In 1941, to increase capacity from 30,000 to 100,000, the Nazis built Auschwitz II – Birkenau, 3km northwest of Auschwitz I.
Today, Auschwitz I serves as a museum, many of its red-brick barrack buildings housing exhibitions displaying 80,000 artefacts from lives lost during the Holocaust. Auschwitz II – Birkenau, twenty times the size of Auschwitz I, is more of a memorial to those who perished.
From the moment you enter Auschwitz I, under the twisted iron of the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate, a visit to this former death camp is an unforgettable and profoundly moving experience.
Documentary images of its victims stare out at you, frozen in at that moment in time. Their collected belongings – pots and pans, suitcases, footwear, combs and brushes, tins of hair pomade – declare their belief that they were moving onto a different life.
Take time to stop and reflect at the unloading ramp at Auschwitz II – Birkenau, where the cattle-cart transports unloaded their human cargo. With a flick of a finger, the SS Commander decided who would live and who would die
How to visit Auschwitz
Allow a full day to visit Auschwitz, whether independently or as part of a tour group from Kraków.
Independently
Guided tours of Auschwitz II – Birkenau take around 3.5 hours and cost 150 PLN, bookable online on the official website.
You can also choose an afternoon visit without a tour. There is no charge for this, but you must book your slot online. If you are visiting without a guide allow at least 90 minutes to visit Auschwitz I and a further 60 minutes for Auschwitz II – Birkenau.
Both buses and trains run between Kraków and Oświęcim. Taking the bus is more convenient as most will drop you by the entrance to Auschwitz-I. A free shuttle bus runs between Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau every 30 minutes.
On a tour from Kraków
On balance, visiting Auschwitz on an excursion from Kraków is the better option.
The tour I joined was convenient and the guide was excellent, giving far more context than a guidebook could. It did feel rushed at points though, with little space for quiet reflection
This full-day guided tour allows you to explore Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mine on one day. It’s also fantastic value.
Plan Your Trip
When to visit Kraków
Kraków is a year-round destination.
Visit in April, May, September or October for milder weather and fewer crowds. Summer is festival season, with warm temperatures but higher prices and busier streets.
Christmas in Kraków is special. It has one of Europe’s best Christmas markets, a festive atmosphere and, with luck, a dusting of snow.
Getting there & getting around
Getting from Kraków airport to the city centre is easy, thanks to an efficient rail connection. Frequent trains run from the train station at the airport to its central station (Główny).
The 16km journey takes just over 15 minutes. You can buy your ticket from the ticket machine in the passenger terminal or train station.
Kraków’s old city is compact and walkable. For anywhere further out, or if your accommodation isn’t central, the modern, efficient tram network is your best bet. Ticket machines are at every stop, or pay at the machine onboard (the newer ones accept contactless payment).
My favourite places to eat in Kraków
One of the best things about Kraków is that it hasn’t sold its soul to tourism. This is largely thanks to its large student population, 200,000 at the last count, around a quarter of the city’s population. This keeps things real.
Here are a few cafes and restaurants I loved:
Pierogarnia Krakówiacy (Szewska 23) – Cheap, delicious pierogi in a wonderfully old-fashioned cafe. Take a seat, order at the counter, and collect your dish when your number is called.
Klimaty Poludniul (Św. Gertrudy 5) – A friendlier, more upmarket spot on the edge of the old town, with an Italian-leaning menu and the best glass of Primitivo I’ve had (and I have tasted quite a few).
Cafe Camelot (Świętego Tomasza 17) – Tucked down a side street behind Market Square, serving good coffee and food from breakfast through dinner. Try the hot honey vodka.
Cukiernia Cichowsky (Starowiślna 21) – If you are walking between the old town and Kazimierz, stop here for gloriously sinful cake and coffee.
Where to stay
Mid-range – Mercure Stare Miasto
I stayed at this comfortable 4-star chain hotel, conveniently located opposite the train station and a 10-minute walk from Market Square.
Splurge – Balthazar Design Hotel
In the heart of the old town, close to Wawel Castle, this boutique hotel has garnered rave reviews.
Mid-range alternative – N33 Premium Apartments Old Town Kraków – Destigo Hotels
Chose between standard rooms or a deluxe apartment at this centrally-located property that has garnered stellar reviews.
I hope this 4-day Kraków itinerary helps you plan the perfect trip
And that’s a wrap! I hope that you love Kraków as much as I did.
If you need more help with planning your visit, check out a few of my other guides:
- Is Auschwitz Worth Visiting? How to Do it
- Visiting the Wieliczka Mine: Is it worth its salt?
- The Royal Road: A Kraków Walking Tour
Happy travels!
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.