Here are my picks for the 18 best things to see and do in Krakow, with prices, opening hours and tips on what to book before you go. Prices are in zloty, and at the time of writing, 1 zloty is worth about €0.23. Many of the city’s museums have a fixed free day each week, and several of the big sights now only sell personal tickets for set time slots, so read the sections before you plan your days.

1. Rynek Główny and Sukiennice

Rynek Główny was laid out in 1257, when Krakow received its town charter, and each side of the square is just over 200 metres long. It was the largest square in medieval Europe and is still one of the largest. Here you’ll find St Mary’s Basilica, the Town Hall Tower and the small St Adalbert’s Church, which is older than the square itself, and every walk around the city starts and ends here.

In the middle of the square stands the Cloth Hall, Sukiennice, with market stalls on the ground floor. On the first floor, the National Museum has a gallery of 19th-century Polish art. It costs 35 zloty (around €8), is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm and is free on Tuesdays. The Town Hall Tower next door costs 22 zloty (around €5) and is free on Mondays. The stairs up are narrow and steep.

The square looks its best early in the morning, before the groups arrive, and again in the evening, when the façades are lit up. From late November to early January, it hosts a Christmas market. If you’d like the stories behind it all, a guided walking tour is a cheap way to get your bearings on your first day.

Book a guided walking tour of Krakow’s Old Town.

2. Rynek Underground

Beneath the square lies one of Krakow’s most modern museums. Rynek Underground is an archaeological excavation of almost 4,000 square metres, which opened in 2010 a few metres below the cobblestones. You walk on glass walkways above the medieval roads and the cellars of the old market stalls and see workshops, coins, dice and arrowheads from the time when the Tatars attacked the city.

The exhibition is full of screens, holograms and films, and there are play areas and a mechanical theatre for children, so it’s a good museum for families. There’s a lift down. The ticket office is on the opposite side of Sukiennice from the entrance.

A ticket costs 45 zloty (around €10). The museum is open every day until 7pm or 8pm, except on Tuesdays, when it closes at 3pm, and it’s closed on the second Monday of the month. Tuesday is the free day, but free tickets can’t be booked and are only handed out in limited numbers on the day. Last entry is 75 minutes before closing. The museum also closes on some public holidays, so check the opening hours before you go.

Book a guided tour of Rynek Underground.

3. St Mary’s Basilica

St Mary’s Basilica, with its two towers of different heights, is Krakow’s landmark. Every hour, a trumpet call, the hejnał, is played over the city from the taller tower, which is 82 metres high. The melody breaks off abruptly in the middle of a note, and according to legend, it’s in memory of a watchman who was hit by a Tatar arrow while he was sounding the alarm. You can hear it for free from the square below on the hour, every hour.

Inside the church is the altarpiece that the woodcarver Veit Stoss made between 1477 and 1489. It’s opened Monday to Saturday at 11.50am and on Sundays at 2.10pm, so arrive a little before. Tourists use the side entrance on the south side, and the 20 zloty (around €4.50) ticket is sold at the visitor centre at Plac Mariacki 7 opposite the entrance. You can visit the church Monday to Saturday from 11.30am to 6pm and on Sundays from 2pm.

You can also climb the trumpeter’s tower for 20 zloty (around €4.50). Tickets are only sold on the day and in limited numbers, there’s no access on Mondays, and the tower is closed from November to April.

4. Wawel Castle

On the rock above the River Wisła stands Wawel, where the Polish kings lived and were crowned. You can walk up the hill and into the large arcaded courtyard for free, but each exhibition has its own ticket for a set time, and numbers are limited. So you’ll have to choose.

The main route through the castle’s first and second floors with an audio guide costs 95 zloty (around €22). If you only want to see the royal chambers on the second floor, it costs 57 zloty (around €13), and the Crown Treasury, with the coronation sword Szczerbiec, and the Armoury cost 47 zloty (around €11) each. Two or three exhibitions are enough for one visit. Children love the Dragon’s Den beneath the castle, where you walk 135 steps down a spiral staircase and come out by the dragon statue down by the river. It costs 15 zloty (around €3.50) and is only open in the summer season.

The exhibitions are open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. You can buy tickets on the castle’s website up to a month ahead, and if they’re sold out online, there may still be tickets at the ticket desks. Backpacks have to be left in the cloakroom. It’s a ten-minute walk from Rynek Główny.

Book a guided tour of Wawel Castle and the cathedral.

5. Wawel Cathedral

Next to the castle stands the Gothic cathedral where Poland’s kings were crowned and buried. It has its own ticket and its own ticket office, so a castle ticket isn’t valid here.

A ticket costs 26 zloty (around €6) and covers the cathedral itself, the bell tower with the great Sigismund Bell, the royal tombs in the crypt and the cathedral museum. Allow 40 minutes for the church and the bell tower, 10 minutes for the tombs and 20 minutes for the museum. The stairs up to the bell are narrow and wooden, but the view over the city from the top is worth the climb.

From April to October, it’s open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and from November to March until 4pm. Ticket sales stop half an hour before closing. On Sundays, tourists can’t get in until 12.30pm, and the cathedral museum is closed, so you get less for your money that day.

6. Kazimierz

Kazimierz was founded as a separate town by King Casimir the Great in the 14th century, and from the end of the 15th century, Krakow’s Jewish town was here, centred on Szeroka Street. In the 1930s, one in four of Krakow’s residents was Jewish. Since 1989, the district has come back to life, and today it’s the best place in the city for a night out, with bars, cafés and a flea market on Plac Nowy.

On Szeroka stands the Old Synagogue, which is now a museum of the history and culture of Krakow’s Jews. It costs 22 zloty (around €5) and is free on Mondays, although it closes at 3pm that day. A few steps away is the Remuh Synagogue from the mid-16th century, which is still in use, and the old cemetery behind it, with a wall built from fragments of destroyed gravestones. The Tempel Synagogue on Miodowa has a colourful Moorish interior.

Remuh and Tempel cost 10 to 15 zloty (around €2.50 to €3.50) each and are closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. On Fridays, they close two hours earlier. Men can borrow a head covering at the entrance. The walk from Wawel to Kazimierz takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Book a guided tour of the Jewish Quarter and the former ghetto.

7. Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory

Many people think the museum is about Oskar Schindler, but it tells the whole story of Krakow under the German occupation from 1939 to 1945. In 45 rooms in the factory’s old administration building, you walk through recreated streets, a tram, a flat in the ghetto and the road to the Płaszów camp. Schindler’s own office has been preserved, and in the middle of it stands a monument made of thousands of enamel pots like the ones the factory produced.

A ticket costs 60 zloty (around €14). The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 8pm and on Mondays from 10am to 3pm, and it’s closed on the first Tuesday of the month. Last entry is an hour and a half before closing.

This is the ticket you should book first. Online tickets are personal and valid for a set time, and you’ll need to show ID at the entrance. Sales open 90 days ahead, and the ticket office only sells tickets for the same day. Monday is the free day, but free tickets can’t be booked and there aren’t many of them. Keep your ticket, because it also gets you into the Eagle Pharmacy in the former ghetto within seven days. Take the tram to Plac Bohaterów Getta or Zabłocie.

Book a small-group guided tour of Schindler’s Factory.

8. Podgórze and the Former Ghetto

On the other side of the river lies Podgórze, where the Germans set up the Krakow ghetto in March 1941. More than 15,000 Jews were crammed into just under 20 hectares, and in March 1943, the ghetto was liquidated and its residents were sent to Płaszów, Bełżec and Auschwitz.

The ghetto’s central square is now called Plac Bohaterów Getta. This is where people were rounded up before the deportations, and since 2005, the square has been a memorial of empty metal chairs. On the square stands the Eagle Pharmacy, where the pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff helped the ghetto’s residents with medicine, food and contact with the rest of the city. The pharmacy costs 22 zloty (around €5), is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm and is free on Wednesdays. In the district, you can also see remains of the ghetto wall, whose top is shaped like Jewish gravestones.

Carry on south and you’ll come to Krakus Mound, a 16-metre-high earth mound that, according to legend, is the grave of King Krak, with open views over the city. It’s free and always open. On the site of the former Płaszów camp, there’s a free outdoor exhibition while the new museum hasn’t opened yet. Podgórze is easy to combine with Schindler’s Factory, which is a few minutes’ walk from the square.

9. Planty, the Barbican and St Florian’s Gate

In the Middle Ages, Krakow’s city wall had 7 gates and 47 towers. It was pulled down in the early 19th century and replaced by the Planty park, which today runs as a four-kilometre green ring all the way around the Old Town. It’s the city’s best walk, and it’s free.

Only a stretch of the wall at the northern end was saved: St Florian’s Gate, three towers and the Barbican, a round fortification from the late 15th century. St Florian’s Gate is 34.5 metres high and was the start of the Royal Road, which the Polish kings followed through the city to Wawel. You can walk through the gate for free and down the pedestrian street Floriańska to Rynek Główny.

If you’d like to go up on the wall and into the Barbican, each costs 22 zloty (around €5). They’re open Tuesday to Sunday from April to the end of October and closed in winter. The museum’s own pages give different opening hours, so check them on the day.

10. Collegium Maius

Collegium Maius is the oldest university building in Poland and belongs to the Jagiellonian University, where Nicolaus Copernicus studied from 1491 to 1495. The building is a couple of minutes’ walk from Rynek Główny, and the university still uses it for ceremonies.

You can walk into the Gothic arcaded courtyard for free. Every two hours from 9am to 5pm, the clock above the entrance to the library plays a tune while a row of wooden figures of kings, professors and a beadle parade round. It only takes a few minutes and is fun to watch, so come at 11am, 1pm or 3pm.

The museum shows the old library, the professors’ dining room, the university treasury and a collection of more than 2,000 scientific instruments, including an astrolabe from 1054. It’s also home to the film director Andrzej Wajda’s Oscar and the poet Wisława Szymborska’s Nobel medal. I haven’t been able to confirm the current prices and opening hours, so check them with the university before you go, and expect it to be closed on Sundays.

11. Czartoryski Museum

The Czartoryski Museum has Poland’s most valuable art collection, and it’s built around one painting: Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine. It’s one of only four portraits of women by his hand, and it hangs on the second floor of the palace alongside Rembrandt’s Landscape with the Good Samaritan.

The collection was founded by Princess Izabela Czartoryska around 1800 and came to Krakow in 1876. The Polish state bought it in 2016, and after a major renovation, the museum reopened in stages up to 2023. Some of the works disappeared during the Second World War and are still being searched for.

A ticket costs 65 zloty (around €15) and is valid for a specific day and time. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, with last entry an hour before closing, and it’s closed on Mondays. Entry is free every Tuesday, but free tickets are limited and can only be collected at the ticket desk on the day, so arrive early. The museum is at Pijarska 15, right by St Florian’s Gate.

12. Wieliczka Salt Mine

Ten kilometres southeast of the centre lies one of the oldest salt mines in the world, which was on UNESCO’s very first World Heritage List in 1978. The mine has nine levels and 245 kilometres of passages and reaches a depth of 327 metres. You’ll see about two per cent of it.

The tourist route is just over three kilometres long and goes down to a depth of 135 metres. You walk about 800 steps in total, 380 of them right at the start, and take a lift back up at the end. Along the way, you pass through chambers, chapels and underground lakes, and the highlight is St Kinga’s Chapel, which is carved out of salt from floor to ceiling. The tour is guided, takes two to three hours and ends in the mine’s underground museum. The temperature is 17 to 18 degrees all year round, so bring a jumper.

A ticket for an English-language tour costs about 143 to 159 zloty (around €33 to €36), depending on the season. Buy it in advance on the mine’s website, because the ticket desk only sells what’s left. You’re only allowed to bring a small bag. The train from Kraków Główny to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia takes about 25 minutes, and bus 304 runs from the main station. If you’d rather not plan it yourself, there are tours with transport from Krakow.

Book a tour of Wieliczka Salt Mine with transport from Krakow.

13. Auschwitz-Birkenau

The former German concentration and extermination camp lies by the town of Oświęcim, an hour and a half’s drive from Krakow. It isn’t a sight in the usual sense, but for many people, the visit is the most important reason to travel to Krakow. The memorial doesn’t recommend visits with children under 14.

Entry is free, but everyone needs a personal entry pass, and it can only be booked on the memorial’s own booking site. No passes are handed out at the entrance, and you’ll need to show ID. For most of the day, you can only get in with a guide. The official guided tour in English lasts about three and a half hours, covers both Auschwitz I and Birkenau and costs 150 zloty (around €34). Without a guide, you can only get in late in the day, and the time changes with the season.

Book as early as possible, because the guided tours sell out. Arrive at least 30 minutes early and only bring a small bag of no more than 35 by 25 by 15 centimetres. The bus from the MDA bus station in Krakow goes right to the museum car park in about 1 hour and 25 minutes and costs 27 zloty (around €6) each way. A free shuttle bus runs between the two camps. If the official guided tours are sold out, or you’d like transport included, an organised tour from Krakow is the easiest option.

Book a guided tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau with pickup in Krakow.

14. Nowa Huta

In 1949, the communist regime decided to build a huge steelworks and a brand new model town on the fields east of Krakow. Nowa Huta was meant to be the ideal workers’ town and Poland’s showcase to the world, and today the district is one of the best-preserved examples of socialist realism in Europe.

Start at Plac Centralny, which was built from 1952 to 1956. The square has five sides, and five wide avenues radiate out from it between monumental housing blocks with arcades. Walk up Aleja Róż, where a huge statue of Lenin stood until December 1989. Further out is the Arka Pana church, which played an important role for Solidarity and the protests against the regime in the 1980s.

More than 250 air-raid shelters were built beneath the housing estates in the 1950s, and two of them on Osiedle Szkolne are now exhibitions. The Nowa Huta Museum itself is temporarily closed for renovation. Trams run from the centre to Plac Centralny. If you’d like to go inside the steelworks’ administration buildings and down into their bunkers, you’ll need to join a guided tour.

Book a guided tour of the Nowa Huta steelworks and shelters.

15. Kościuszko Mound

Krakow has several man-made mounds, and Kościuszko Mound, west of the centre, is the one with the best view. It was built in the 1820s in honour of the national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko. From the top, you can see Wawel, St Mary’s Basilica and Rynek Główny, and on a clear day, you can see all the way to the Tatra Mountains.

The path to the top has no steps, but it’s quite steep. A ticket costs 34 zloty (around €8) and also covers the exhibitions in the old fort at the foot of the mound, including a multimedia exhibition about Kościuszko and a trail for children. It’s open every day from 9am, and the closing time changes with the season. Entry is free on three days a year, including 15 October.

Take bus 100 from Salwator or bus 101 from Rondo Grunwaldzkie. If you’d rather have a free view, Krakus Mound in Podgórze is the best alternative. It’s lower, but it’s closer to the city and open around the clock.

16. Zakrzówek

Zakrzówek is an old limestone quarry that was flooded in 1990, and the water has a turquoise colour that’s earned the place the nickname Poland’s little Croatia. In 2023, the city opened a park of more than 50 hectares around the lake, with five floating swimming pools connected by wooden walkways.

The pools range in depth from 40 centimetres to 3.5 metres, and swimming is free. The bathing season normally runs from June to September, with lifeguards every day. No more than 600 people are allowed on the walkways at a time, so there are queues on hot weekends, and you’ll need to arrive early. On Mondays, the pools don’t open until 2pm. Jumping in and swimming outside the pools aren’t allowed, because the lake is up to 30 metres deep.

Out of season, the park is still open, and the paths along the cliff edge have great views over the water, so it’s worth the trip all year round. Take the tram to the Kapelanka or Norymberska stop and walk the last stretch.

17. The Wisła Riverside and Tyniec Abbey

Wide promenades run along the River Wisła below Wawel, where Krakow’s residents walk, cycle and sit on the grass in summer. Follow the river from the castle towards Kazimierz and cross the Kładka Ojca Bernatka footbridge to Podgórze. It opened in 2010, and ten balancing acrobat sculptures hang above the bridge.

If you’d like to go further, the Benedictine abbey in Tyniec sits on a cliff above the river on the southwestern edge of the city. Monks settled here in the mid-11th century, and the abbey is considered the oldest one still standing in Poland. The museum in the old cellars costs 15 zloty (around €3.50) and displays Romanesque capitals and finds from the abbey’s earliest days.

The guided tour is better, because it takes you into the parts you can’t see on your own, including the cloister and the remains of the 11th-century church. It costs 30 zloty (around €7) in Polish and 50 zloty (around €11) in English, and English tours have to be arranged with the abbey in advance. Take a tram or bus to Rondo Grunwaldzkie and then bus 112. If you’d like to see the city from the water, sightseeing boats leave from the quay below Wawel.

Book a Wisła river cruise with an audio guide.

18. Day Trip to Zakopane

Zakopane is Poland’s winter sports town, and it lies at the foot of the Tatra Mountains on the border with Slovakia. Buses from Krakow run about 15 times a day from early morning, and the journey usually takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. The train is slower.

The town is known for its wooden houses in the local mountain style, the pedestrian street Krupówki and oscypek, the smoked sheep’s cheese that’s sold from stalls everywhere. The funicular up Gubałówka runs all year and takes you up to 1,122 metres in a few minutes, with views of the whole mountain range.

The town itself and Gubałówka make an easy day trip. The mountain lake Morskie Oko is the most famous excursion in the Tatras, but it means another bus ride and a long hike each way, so from Krakow it makes for a very long day. If you want to see the lake, you should stay overnight in Zakopane, and you can see hotels in Zakopane here. The most popular organised day trips from Krakow combine the town with the funicular and a visit to the hot springs nearby.

Book a day trip to Zakopane with the funicular and thermal baths.

Practical Travel Tips for Krakow

The Old Town, Wawel and Kazimierz are so close together that you can walk between them, and you’ll only need a tram or bus for Podgórze, Nowa Huta and the mounds. A 30-minute ticket costs 6 zloty (around €1.50), a 60-minute ticket 8 zloty (around €2) and a 24-hour pass 20 zloty (around €4.50). Remember to validate your ticket when you board. Wieliczka Salt Mine is outside the city zone and needs a ticket for more than one zone.

From the airport, trains run every half hour to the main station, Kraków Główny, in 17 to 18 minutes, and a ticket has so far cost about 20 zloty (around €4.50). Bus 300 also goes to the centre, and at night, line 902 runs. See the current connections on the airport’s website. I’ve covered all the options in my guide to getting from Krakow Airport to the city centre.

Plan your days around the free days, because you can save a lot of money. Monday is free at Schindler’s Factory, the Old Synagogue and the Town Hall Tower. Tuesday is free at Rynek Underground, the Czartoryski Museum and the gallery in Sukiennice, and Wednesday at the Eagle Pharmacy. Free tickets can usually only be collected at the ticket desk on the day, and they run out early. The National Museum’s branches are closed on Mondays. Because of the free days, the city’s tourist card only pays off if you want to see several paid museums a day, and neither Wawel nor the salt mine is included in the card.

Poland uses the zloty, and you can pay by card almost everywhere. Always choose to pay in zloty if the card terminal or cash machine asks, because otherwise you’ll get a poor exchange rate. Krakow doesn’t charge a tourist tax on overnight stays. Shops and petrol stations aren’t allowed to sell alcohol at night, and drinking in the street is forbidden. The local snack is the obwarzanek, a twisted bread ring that’s sold from blue carts on every street corner and has EU protected origin status.

Book a street food tour in Krakow.

If you’re not sure which area to choose, read my guide to where to stay in Krakow, or see all hotels in Krakow on Booking.com. If you’d like to see more of Poland, I’ve also written about where to stay in Gdansk.

The post 18 Best Things to Do in Krakow: Sights, Prices & Tips appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The city bus is cheaper but slower, and a fixed-fare taxi or an Uber can be worth it if there are several of you or if you land in the middle of the night. The right choice depends on where you’re staying and when you land. Here are all the options with fares and journey times, where to get off, and how to travel straight on to Wieliczka, Zakopane and Auschwitz. For the rough conversions I’ve used about £0.19 and $0.26 per zloty.

If you’d rather drive yourself from the airport, you can compare prices on rental cars at Booking.com.

At a glance

• Train (SKA1): 20 zloty (about £3.90/$5.10), 17 minutes to Kraków Główny, runs every half hour for most of the day, with a few departures at night.
• Bus 300: 6 zloty (about £1.20/$1.50), around 45 minutes to the centre, runs during the day to Jubilat and Rondo Grunwaldzkie, but not to the main station.
• Night bus 902: 6 zloty (about £1.20/$1.50), runs at night to Dworzec Główny Wschód by the main station.
• Taxi: 89 to 129 zloty (about £17 to £25, or $23 to $33) to most addresses in the centre, around 25 minutes, fixed zone fare around the clock.
• Uber and Bolt: Typically 50 to 70 zloty (about £9.70 to £13.50, or $13 to $18), and the app shows the price before you book.

Finding your transport at the airport

The arrivals hall is on level 0 of the passenger terminal, and it has a ticket machine for the city buses. A screen at the information desk in the hall shows the next bus departures. Bus and train tickets are only sold in zloty, but the machines take cards, so you don’t need to change money first.

The railway station is right next to the terminal, behind the multi-storey car park, and a covered footbridge leads from the terminal to the platform. The train operator Koleje Małopolskie has a ticket office on the platform, which is open every day from 08:10 to 19:45, and there’s a ticket machine on every train.

The city buses leave from the stop close to the terminal, where there’s also a ticket machine that takes both cash and cards. Long-distance coaches use the middle shelter, number 2, in front of the terminal by the footbridge. Kraków Airport Taxi is the airport’s own company and the only official taxi, and at the terminal you’ll find a taxi rank as well as zones for private cars and for cars booked through an app. If you book an Uber or Bolt, the app shows you where to meet your driver. You’ll find all the options on the airport’s transport page.

1. Train to Kraków Główny and the Old Town

The train is line SKA1, run by Koleje Małopolskie, and it’s the fastest way into the city. It runs from Kraków Lotnisko/Airport station to the main station, Kraków Główny, in 17 minutes, and you can take the first train that leaves, because the trains from here all go to Kraków Główny. From there, it continues through the city via Kraków Grzegórzki, Kraków Zabłocie and Kraków Płaszów to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia, which it reaches 44 minutes after leaving the airport. So you can simply stay on board if you’re staying in Kazimierz or Podgórze, or if you want to go straight out to the salt mine.

For most of the day, the train runs every half hour. The first morning train leaves the airport just after 04:00, and from around 06:00 to 22:00 there are two departures an hour. Late in the evening, the trains are about an hour apart, and the last ones run after midnight and terminate at Kraków Główny. The times of the night trains change with the timetable, so check them with Koleje Małopolskie if you’re landing late.

The trains have air conditioning, power sockets and Wi-Fi. Luggage that fits above or under your seat doesn’t cost extra, while larger items cost 3 zloty (about £0.60/$0.80) according to the operator’s fare table. The train suits almost everyone who’s staying in the centre. The catch is the ticket, because you need a dedicated train ticket, and the city’s combined 70-minute ticket for trains and city transport isn’t valid to or from the airport station. If you don’t have a ticket when you board, buy one from the machine on the train or speak to the staff straight away.

Fares and tickets

A single ticket between the airport and any station with Kraków in its name costs 20 zloty (about £3.90/$5.10), so the fare is the same to Kraków Główny, Kraków Grzegórzki and Kraków Zabłocie. To Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia, it costs 24 zloty (about £4.60/$6.10). The ticket is valid for three hours and not just for one particular departure. There’s also a return ticket for 40 zloty (about £7.70/$10), but it’s no cheaper than two singles and is only valid on the same day. The fares are listed on the airport’s train page.

Children under 4 travel free, but they need a free ticket, and you have to be able to prove the child’s age. Young children from the age of 4 who haven’t yet started pre-school get a 37% discount and pay 12.60 zloty (about £2.40/$3.20) when you can show their age. The discount for schoolchildren requires a Polish school ID card, so expect to pay the full fare for older children.

At weekends and on public holidays, there’s a family ticket called Małopolski bilet dla rodziny, which costs 80 zloty (about £15.50/$20.50) between the airport and the stations in Krakow. It covers two to six people, with no more than two adults and at least one child under 16, and it’s valid all day until midnight.

How to buy your ticket

The easiest option is the ticket machine on the train. It takes both cash and cards, and you don’t pay extra for buying your ticket on board. You can also buy it at the ticket office on the platform at the airport or from the train staff, who take both cash and cards.

If you’d like to have the ticket ready on your phone, it’s sold in apps such as KOLEO and Jakdojade and in the iMKA app, where a single ticket for the airport train costs 19 zloty (about £3.70/$4.90). All the places to buy tickets are listed by Koleje Małopolskie.

Where to get off

Kraków Główny: The main station is around a ten-minute walk from the Rynek Główny square, so this is where to get off if you’re staying in the Old Town, which is called Stare Miasto in Polish. The station concourse is beneath the tracks, with exits towards Pawia street and the Galeria Krakowska shopping centre. The MDA bus station is right next door, and trams and city buses stop close by if you’re travelling on.

Kraków Grzegórzki: The stop after the main station is on Grzegórzecka street, just over five minutes’ walk from Kazimierz. Get off here if you’re staying in the Jewish quarter. There’s a lift down from the platforms, and trams and buses stop right by the station.

Kraków Zabłocie: The next stop is in the Zabłocie district, close to the River Vistula, Oskar Schindler’s factory and the MOCAK art museum. It’s the stop for you if you’re staying in Podgórze, and the journey from the airport takes 25 minutes.

Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia: The end of the line in Wieliczka, where the salt mine is. The journey from the airport takes 44 minutes with no changes.

2. Bus 300 and night bus 902 to the city centre

The city buses are the cheapest way into the city, and the airport puts the journey to the centre at around 45 minutes. During the day, route 300 is the one you need. It runs between Kraków Airport and its terminus, Os. Podwawelskie, on the other side of the Vistula opposite Wawel, and the stops along the way include Cracovia Błonia, Jubilat, Konopnickiej and Rondo Grunwaldzkie. The bus doesn’t pass the main station, so it’s mainly useful if you’re staying west of the Old Town, near Wawel or south of the river.

The route through western Krakow has been changed several times, so check the stops in the MPK timetable before you board. Route 209 also calls at the airport, but it links the Salwator tram terminus with the villages west of the airport and is rarely the best choice.

From around 23:00, night bus 902 takes over. It runs between Kraków Airport and Dworzec Główny Wschód, which is the stop on the east side of the main station, and it’s the cheap alternative to a taxi at night. Check the departure time in the timetable before you walk out to the stop.

Fares and tickets

A single-journey ticket costs 6 zloty (about £1.20/$1.50) and is the same as the 30-minute ticket. It’s enough if you stay on the same bus all the way. If you need to change to a tram or another bus, a 60-minute ticket for 8 zloty (about £1.50/$2) or a 90-minute ticket for 9 zloty (about £1.70/$2.30) is the safe choice. They’re all valid in zones I, II and III, which means the whole network.

If you’ll be using buses and trams for several days, there are tickets for 24, 48 and 72 hours. The 24-hour ticket costs 20 zloty (about £3.90/$5.10) for zone I and 25 zloty (about £4.80/$6.40) for all three zones, and the 48-hour and 72-hour tickets cost 40 zloty (about £7.70/$10) and 55 zloty (about £10.50/$14). If you want your day ticket to cover the airport bus as well, choose the version for all three zones. The fares are listed by the transport authority ZTP.

Children travel free up to and including 30 September of the year they turn 7, and you need to be able to state or show the child’s age. After that, and until they turn 16, they travel half price with a document showing a photo and date of birth. Foreign students up to the age of 26 get the same discount with a valid ISIC card, and if you’re over 70, you travel free with photo ID.

How to buy and validate your ticket

You can buy your ticket from the machine in the arrivals hall on level 0, from the machine at the bus stop, which takes cash and cards, or from the machine on the bus, where you should expect to pay by card. A paper ticket has to be validated on the bus as soon as you’ve boarded, because otherwise it isn’t valid.

If you buy your ticket in an app such as Jakdojade, mPay, SkyCash or moBiLET instead, you need to buy it as soon as you’ve boarded and select the number of the bus, which is shown on a label above the ticket validator. An app ticket is validated the moment you buy it.

Where to get off the bus

Jubilat: The stop is by the Vistula, a short distance west of Wawel and the Old Town. Get off here if you’re staying in the south-western part of the Old Town or near the castle.

Rondo Grunwaldzkie: The stop is on the other side of the river by the ICE Kraków congress centre, where several tram lines cross. From here, you can walk across the bridge to Kazimierz or change to a tram.

Dworzec Główny Wschód: Night bus 902 terminates here, on the east side of the main station by the MDA bus station. From here, you walk through the station to the Old Town.

3. Taxis, Uber and Bolt

Kraków Airport Taxi is the airport’s own taxi company and the only official taxi at the terminal. The fare is fixed and applies per car. It depends only on the distance from the airport to your address and not on the traffic, the day of the week or the time of day. The zones range from 29 zloty (about £5.60/$7.40) for the shortest trips to 169 zloty (about £32.50/$43) for trips of 23 to 27 kilometres.

For the city centre, three zones are relevant: 8 to 11.9 kilometres costs 89 zloty (about £17/$23), 12 to 14.9 kilometres costs 109 zloty (about £21/$28), and 15 to 18.9 kilometres costs 129 zloty (about £25/$33). Expect to end up in one of the three, depending on where in the city you’re staying, and ask the driver which zone applies before you set off. The journey takes around 25 minutes, the cars take all types of payment card, and if you’re going to more than one address, the rest of the trip is charged on the meter. The full fare table is on the airport’s taxi page.

Uber and Bolt also operate from the airport. The app shows the price before you book, and it shows where to meet your driver, which isn’t always at the nearest exit. According to Uber’s own figures, an UberX from the airport to Krakow has cost 56 zloty (about £11/$14.50) on average, and an UberXL with room for six has cost 81 zloty (about £15.50/$20.50), so you can typically expect to pay 50 to 70 zloty (about £9.70 to £13.50, or $13 to $18) for a standard car. The price goes up when demand is high. See more at Uber.

Private transfer

If you’re landing late with children, or there are several of you with lots of luggage, you can book a private transfer from Krakow Airport here. The driver takes you to the door, and the price is agreed in advance.

Onward travel around Poland straight from the airport

If you’re heading to the salt mine in Wieliczka, you don’t need to change. The airport train continues through Krakow to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia in 44 minutes, and the ticket costs 24 zloty (about £4.60/$6.10). A few late departures terminate at Kraków Główny, so check where the train is going before you board.

Long-distance coaches stop at shelter number 2 in front of the terminal. FlixBus runs from here to Zakopane and Katowice, and Neobus runs to Katowice and Wrocław. The airport has an overview of operators and routes on its long-distance coach page, and you buy your ticket from the coach company.

Auschwitz-Birkenau is near the town of Oświęcim, and to get there you have to go via Kraków Główny. From the main station, Koleje Małopolskie runs line SKA3 to Oświęcim in around an hour for 18 zloty (about £3.50/$4.60), and the museum is around 1.5 kilometres from the station. The alternative is Lajkonik’s buses from the MDA bus station next to the railway station, which run directly to the museum’s car park in 1 hour and 25 minutes. You’ll find the timetables at Koleje Małopolskie and Lajkonik.

If you’d rather be driven straight from the airport, you can book a private transfer to Auschwitz, Wieliczka or Zakopane here. FlixBus also has a route between the airport and Gdansk, and if you’re heading that way, you can read my guide to where to stay in Gdansk.

Getting back to the airport

The train to the airport runs from Kraków Główny every half hour for most of the day, and the journey takes 17 minutes. Early in the morning, the departures are further apart, because the first trains leave at around 03:30, 04:30 and 05:30, and it’s only from around 06:00 that they run every half hour. There’s also a train shortly before 01:00. The times change with the timetable, so check your departure with Koleje Małopolskie the evening before.

Buy your ticket from the machine on the train or in the station concourse. If you buy it from the train staff after boarding at Kraków Główny while the ticket office is open, it costs 5 zloty (about £1/$1.30) extra. The station at the airport is right by the terminal, and you walk across the covered footbridge to reach the terminal.

If the train doesn’t work for you, night bus 902 runs from Dworzec Główny Wschód to the airport. The airport’s fixed taxi fares apply to journeys from the airport, so for the trip back you either book Kraków Airport Taxi in advance online or by phone, or you take an Uber or Bolt. Uber’s own figures show an average of 58 zloty (about £11/$15) for an UberX from Krakow to the airport.

The airport recommends being in the departures hall no later than 45 minutes before departure, and check-in normally opens two hours before. The terminal is open around the clock, and you can read more in the airport’s FAQ. If someone’s driving you, the first 8 minutes in the airport’s Kiss&Fly zone are free, and after that it costs 5 zloty (about £1/$1.30) for every 4 minutes or part thereof. The rules are on the airport’s page for drivers.

Which option should you choose?

Here’s what I’d recommend based on where you’re staying:

Old Town: Take the train to Kraków Główny. It takes 17 minutes, and you can walk to Rynek Główny in around ten minutes.

Kazimierz: Take the train and stay on for one more stop to Kraków Grzegórzki. The ticket costs the same, and you’re in the neighbourhood after a walk of just over five minutes.

Podgórze: Take the train to Kraków Zabłocie, two stops after the main station, and walk the last stretch or take a short taxi ride.

West of the Old Town and near Wawel: Bus 300 to Jubilat is the cheapest option and drops you closer than the train does.

If you want to travel as cheaply as possible: Bus 300 costs 6 zloty (about £1.20/$1.50), but it takes around 45 minutes and doesn’t go to the main station.

If you land at night: First check whether there’s a night train. Otherwise, night bus 902 runs to the main station, and the airport taxi costs the same at night as it does during the day.

If there are three or four of you: Three train tickets cost 60 zloty (about £11.50/$15.50), and four cost 80 zloty (about £15.50/$20.50). An Uber or Bolt typically costs the same or less and takes you to the door, and the fixed-fare airport taxi isn’t much more expensive than four train tickets.

If you have an early flight home: Take the train from Kraków Główny, where the first departures leave at around 03:30 and 04:30. If those don’t work for you, it’s night bus 902 or a car you’ve booked the evening before.

If you’re going to Wieliczka: Stay on the train all the way to the end of the line.

Practical tips for getting from Krakow Airport to the city centre

Buy your train ticket from the machine on the train. Every train has a machine that takes cards and cash, and you don’t pay extra for buying on board. That way, you don’t need to look for a ticket office when you land.

Don’t use the city ticket on the airport train. The combined 70-minute ticket for trains and city transport costs 10 zloty (about £1.90/$2.60), but it isn’t valid to or from the airport station. For the airport train, you always need the train ticket for 20 zloty (about £3.90/$5.10).

Have a payment card ready. Bus and train tickets are only sold in zloty, but the machines at the airport take cards, so you can get into the city without any cash.

Remember to validate your bus ticket straight away. A paper bus ticket is only valid once it’s been validated, and you have to do that as soon as you’ve boarded.

Check the night departures before you fly. At night, the trains are further apart, and the times change with the timetable. If you land after midnight, check in advance whether a night train or night bus 902 works for you, and otherwise have a taxi or an Uber as your plan B.

Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. If you stay in the Old Town close to Kraków Główny, you’ll be at your hotel about half an hour after the train leaves the airport, and you can see hotels in the Old Town here. If you stay in Kazimierz, you get off at Kraków Grzegórzki one stop later, and you can see hotels in Kazimierz here.

If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Krakow.

Once you’re in the city, my guide to the best things to do in Krakow covers the sights worth your time, plus day trips to Wieliczka and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The post Krakow Airport to the City Centre - Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

In this guide, you’ll get an overview of the best areas to stay in, whether you’re a first-time visitor, a culture enthusiast, or simply looking for authentic local experiences in one of Poland‘s finest cities.

Let’s get started: where to stay in Krakow?

Best Areas in Krakow

Here’s a quick overview of the best areas to stay in Krakow:

• Stare Miasto (Old Town) – UNESCO gem with everything within walking distance
• Kazimierz – Hip Jewish quarter with cafés and nightlife
• Podgórze – Up-and-coming area with local authenticity

Click on the area name to see the best hotels in that neighbourhood.

1. Stare Miasto (Old Town) – Best Area for First-Time Visitors

Stare Miasto is the heart of Krakow and the obvious choice if it’s your first time in the city. Here you’ll wake up to the sound of horse-drawn carriages on cobblestones and have all the major sights right on your doorstep.

The old town is compact and incredibly easy to navigate – you can cross the entire area in under 20 minutes on foot. At its centre, you’ll find the enormous Rynek Główny, one of Europe’s largest medieval squares, surrounded by colourful buildings, cosy cafés, and the iconic St. Mary’s Basilica with its famous trumpet call every hour.

Wawel Castle sits majestically at the southern end, and the entire area is encircled by the beautiful Planty Park, which follows the route of the old city walls.

See the best hotels in Stare Miasto here.

The atmosphere is a blend of touristy charm and genuine Polish cosiness. During the day, the streets buzz with tourists and street vendors, but just head a few side streets away from the main square and you’ll find authentic restaurants and local bars.

The evening brings a magical ambience as the buildings are lit up and restaurants set their tables out on the cobblestones. Think of it a bit like Nyhavn in Copenhagen, but with medieval architecture and Polish prices.

The price level is the highest in Krakow, but still very affordable compared to Western European cities. Expect to pay a little extra for the location, but you’ll save on transport in return.

• The area is extremely safe – you can walk around late at night without any worries.

Quick Info: Stare Miasto

Distance to centre: You’re in the centre!

Nearest station: Kraków Główny (main railway station) – 10 min walk

Time to airport: 20-25 minutes by train

Supermarket: Several within 5 minutes’ walk

Price level: €€€€ (4/5)

Safety: (5/5)

Hotels in Stare Miasto

Hotel Stary

One of Krakow’s finest luxury hotels, housed in a beautifully restored 14th-century historic building. Here you’ll get elegant rooms with exposed brick walls and modern amenities, a fantastic spa with a basement pool, and a location just steps from the main square. Perfect for those who want to treat themselves.

Previous guests particularly highlight: “The location was fantastic – right next to the square, the spa was wonderful, and the breakfast was unmatched.”

See more photos and book here.

Hotel Wentzl

A charming boutique hotel directly on the main square with views of St. Mary’s Basilica. The hotel combines historical elegance with modern comfort – think original beamed ceilings and contemporary bathrooms. Its truly unique location makes it an excellent choice for romantic stays.

A guest recently wrote: “We woke up to views of the square and St. Mary’s Basilica – absolutely magical. The staff were incredibly helpful.”

See more photos and book here.

Best Western Plus Krakow Old Town

A solid and reliable choice for budget-conscious travellers who still want to stay centrally. Modern and clean rooms, good breakfast included, and a location on the edge of the old town, giving you peace and quiet while still being able to walk to all the sights in just a few minutes.

Guests especially love: “Fantastic value for money – clean and comfortable with a really good breakfast. Perfect for a weekend break.”

See more photos and book here.

2. Kazimierz – Best Area for Culture Lovers and Nightlife

Kazimierz is Krakow’s coolest neighbourhood – a fascinating mix of Jewish history, hipster cafés, and buzzing nightlife. If you love exploring authentic neighbourhoods rather than polished tourist areas, this is where you should stay.

The historic Jewish quarter was once a separate city and has today been reborn as Krakow’s cultural epicentre. The streets hum with life between synagogues, galleries, vintage shops, and countless bars and restaurants.

See the best hotels in Kazimierz here.

Plac Nowy is the neighbourhood’s heart – here you’ll find the famous zapiekanka (Polish street food baguette) and a sea of small bars ranging from raw underground aesthetics to trendy cocktail bars.

• It’s a bit like Kreuzberg in Berlin or Nørrebro in Copenhagen – just with more history and cheaper beer.

From Kazimierz, it’s a 15-20 minute walk to the main square in the old town, and on the way you’ll pass Wawel Castle. The area is perfect if you want to experience Krakow like the locals – this is where university students and creative types hang out, and prices are noticeably lower than in Stare Miasto.

The nightlife is undoubtedly the city’s best, so expect some noise at weekends if you’re staying close to Plac Nowy.

For history buffs, Kazimierz also holds important memories from the Second World War – from here it’s just a few minutes’ walk to Oskar Schindler’s Factory and the former Jewish ghetto in Podgórze.

Quick Info: Kazimierz

Distance to centre: 15-20 min walk to Rynek Główny

Nearest tram: Several lines along Dietla Street

Time to airport: 25-30 minutes

Supermarket: Several within 5 minutes’ walk

Price level: €€€ (3/5)

Safety: (5/5)

Hotels in Kazimierz

Hotel Copernicus

A unique luxury hotel on the border between Kazimierz and Wawel, housed in a Renaissance building with original 14th-century frescoes on the ceilings. The rooms are spacious and elegant, and the hotel’s pool and spa in the historic cellars are an experience in themselves. Perfect for couples who want something truly special.

Previous guests particularly highlight: “The historic details in the rooms combined with modern luxury – and the fantastic breakfast with views of Wawel.”

See more photos and book here.

PURO Kraków Kazimierz

A modern design hotel with Scandinavian-inspired décor and a focus on sustainability. PURO offers stylish rooms, a cosy lounge area with a bar, and free guided city walks for guests. Located in the heart of Kazimierz’s bustling scene, but with good windows so you can sleep in peace.

A guest recently wrote: “Fantastic modern hotel with the perfect location. The breakfast was outstanding, and the bar makes the best cocktails.”

See more photos and book here.

Hotel Kazimierz

A simple but cosy hotel in the heart of the neighbourhood. The rooms are basic but clean and comfortable, and its location just steps from Plac Nowy means you have everything within reach. Ideal for budget travellers and backpackers who’d rather spend their money on food and experiences.

Guests especially love: “Good value for money in a fantastic area. The staff were friendly and helped with restaurant recommendations.”

See more photos and book here.

Planning a trip around Poland? Check out my guide on where to stay in Gdansk too.

3. Podgórze – Perfect for the Authentic Experience

Podgórze is Krakow’s best-kept secret – a quiet neighbourhood on the other side of the Vistula River that attracts locals and experience-hungry travellers who want to escape the tourist crowds.

The area was formerly an independent industrial district and holds a dark history as the Jewish ghetto during the Second World War.

Today, Podgórze has reinvented itself with hip cafés, art galleries, and a relaxed atmosphere that feels a world away from the tourist bustle – even though you’re actually only a 20-minute walk from the old town.

See the best hotels in Podgórze here.

The beautiful Kładka Bernatka footbridge connects Podgórze with Kazimierz and offers fantastic views over the river and Wawel Castle.

Here you’ll find some of Krakow’s best restaurants and bars along the riverbank – perfect for an evening beer at sunset with views of the castle. Schindler’s Factory is in the area and has been turned into an excellent museum about Krakow during the occupation.

For the more adventurous, Krakus Mound is a great excursion offering panoramic views over the entire city.

Podgórze is the cheapest of the three recommended areas and offers plenty of space and tranquillity. It’s ideal for digital nomads, long-term travellers, or anyone who prefers a more local pace. The area is perfectly safe, even if it feels less polished than the touristy quarters.

Quick Info: Podgórze

Distance to centre: 20-25 min walk to Rynek Główny

Nearest tram: Several lines along Limanowskiego

Time to airport: 30-35 minutes

Supermarket: Several within 10 minutes’ walk

Price level: €€ (2/5)

Safety: (4/5)

Hotels in Podgórze

Stradom House

Technically located on the border between Kazimierz and Podgórze, but with easy access to both. This 5-star boutique hotel was designed by the people behind Soho House and is considered by many to be Krakow’s finest hotel. The interior is a beautiful blend of historic elements from the 600-year-old building and modern luxurious details.

Previous guests particularly highlight: “An absolutely fantastic hotel – perfect location, beautiful décor, and top-class service.”

See more photos and book here.

Hotel Pod Wawelem

With its location at the foot of Wawel Hill, this hotel offers some of the best views in Krakow. The rooms are comfortable and clean, and breakfast is enjoyed with panoramic views of the castle. An excellent mid-range choice for those who want a great location without paying old town prices.

A guest recently wrote: “The best view we’ve ever had from a hotel room – waking up to the sight of Wawel was magical.”

See more photos and book here.

Where Should You Not Stay in Krakow?

Generally, Krakow is a very safe city and you can walk around everywhere – even at night. But there are some areas I’d recommend avoiding as an accommodation base, simply because you’ll have a better experience elsewhere.

Nowa Huta: This communist model district from the 1950s is interesting for a day visit, but it’s far from the centre (30-40 minutes by public transport) and has limited tourist infrastructure. You’ll simply spend too much time on transport if you stay here. Visit it on a guided tour instead and enjoy the fascinating architecture.

Areas around the main railway station (north of Planty): While conveniently close to trains and buses, this area is less charming and can feel a bit dreary compared to the old town’s atmosphere. You won’t get the authentic Krakow experience here.

The suburbs (Kurdwanów, Bieżanów-Prokocim, and similar): These residential areas are fine to live in, but as a tourist you have no reason to stay so far from the centre. You’ll waste unnecessary time on transport, and there are no sights or restaurants of interest. Book in one of the three recommended areas instead – prices are affordable enough that it doesn’t make sense to save a few pounds by staying on the outskirts.

The great thing about Krakow is that the city is so compact you can easily experience all three areas regardless of where you stay. Trams and buses run frequently, and an Uber or Bolt costs next to nothing. If you’re flying in, my guide to getting from Krakow Airport to the city centre walks you through all the options. So choose the area that best suits your travel style, and enjoy this fantastic city!

One last tip: Book your hotel well in advance, especially if you’re travelling during the summer months or around Easter and Christmas.

Krakow is a popular destination, and the best hotels sell out quickly.

Once you’ve found your base, my guide to the best things to do in Krakow covers what to see in the city, from Wawel and Kazimierz to day trips to Wieliczka and Auschwitz-Birkenau. If your trip around Poland also takes you to the capital, take a look at my guide to where to stay in Warsaw, from the rebuilt Old Town to the area around Warszawa Centralna station.

The post Where to Stay in Krakow? The 3 Best Areas & Places to Stay (+ Avoid!) appeared first on Destination Well Known.