Krakow Tourist Attractions | Krakow is the second largest city in Poland and the most attractive for tourists. It is a city with a rich history and many tourist attractions, and a 3-4 day getaway in this city is recommended to all lovers of vacations and City Breaks.
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Where are you staying - Accommodation Krakow
The simplest option for searching for accommodation is Booking.com or Airbnb. If you go by car, be careful that the location of the hotel or apartment has parking. In the center, there are both private and public parking lots on the street. A day of parking can reach around 60-70 zlotys.
Depending on the budget, I recommend an accommodation in the central area, so that you don't have to use the car or other means of public transport. The tourist attractions in the center of Krakow are quite close, and can be reached on foot.
Activities and sights in Krakow - What to see in Krakow
We left with a program already well established, for days. My recommendation is to think in advance what you want to visit, so you can reserve tickets online in advance. Thus, you will have access to the desired tourist attractions, without having to wait in lines. Keep in mind that on Mondays, most museums and tourist attractions may be closed.
Day 0
- arrival in Krakow, accommodation and leisurely walk through the city center, in recognition, and to take the pulse of the city
- The central square of the city is very chic and full of tourists. The main attractions are represented by the church St. Mary and the hall of flags (The Cloth Hall).
Basilica of St. Mary - it is a church built in the 13th century in Gothic style and has a height of 80m. It is famous for its two tall towers and their different structure. Every hour, a trumpeter sings the hymn Hejnal mariacki from the big tower, 4 times, from each window of the tower.
Hall of Flags (The Cloth Hall or Sukiennice in Polish) - is the central point of the market, a building with an impressive architecture, which was in the past an important center of international trade. Currently, the purpose of the building is a tourist one: on the ground floor visitors can find many boutiques with souvenirs, and on the first floor and underground there are various museums (Sukiennice Museum, or Underground Museum).
- The central square is also full of restaurants and various interesting places. The prices do not differ much from those in Romania, so a meal in the city in Krakow costs as much as in Cluj-Napoca. I recommend you stop by Hard Rock Café or the cafe Camelot, these being some of the most famous places in the city.
Day 1
- We started the day with a walking tour through the city. I recommend these guided tours through the cities, they are a perfect opportunity to get to know and recognize all the city's objectives. The tour lasted 2 hours, and the information received from the guide was interesting and useful.
- After the tour, a short lunch break, and then visit, at your choice, between the castle Wawel or his factory Schindler, depending on everyone's interests. We, being more interested in the history of the Second World War, preferred to visit Schindler's factory. I bought the tickets online, ahead of time, and they cost around 8 euros a ticket. There is the possibility of a guided tour of the factory, as well as without. We, following the reviews read on the Internet, preferred to do the tour without a guide.
- We chose to walk from the center to Schindler's factory, so we had the opportunity to pass through the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. The Jews lived here until they were sent to the ghetto, during the Second World War. Incidentally, the movie was also shot in this neighborhood Schindler's List. Currently, the neighborhood is full of restaurants and pubs, I recommend a leisurely stroll through the streets of this neighborhood and visiting various tourist attractions.
- Schindler's factory it became famous after the film Schindler's List, directed by Steven Spielberg in 1993. Currently, the factory has been transformed into a museum, being dedicated to the period when Krakow was under Nazi occupation.
- After the factory, I quickly visited Rynek Underground Museum, taking advantage of the extended program that this museum had (open until 8 in the evening). The museum is located in the underground of the central square, and presents recently discovered archaeological sites of medieval Krakow.
Day 2
- After visiting Schindler's factory, we decided to dedicate the next day to visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp. Entrance is free, but the guided tour is paid. The recommendation is to book a guided tour in the desired language in advance, the guide will be able to cover all the important information about Auschwitz in 3 hours.
- The distance between Krakow and Auschwitz is about 70 km, and you need to pay the highway toll, if you go by car. Another option would be to go on a guided tour from Krakow, by coach, and thus get rid of the stress of the car.
Day 3
- The day was dedicated to visiting the Wieliczka salt mine. Since during the time we were there it gets dark pretty quickly (at 4 p.m.), we decided to take advantage of the first part of the day in the light to walk around the center of Krakow. I visited the church of St. Mary, I walked around the shops in the center and bought souvenirs and gifts. The entrance ticket to the church was 10 zlotys
- From 3 p.m. I had the ticket to enter the mine. It was bought online for 100 zlotys. The tour lasts 2 hours and is with a guide. But be careful, there is a lot of walking through the mine, so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
- The distance between Krakow and the mine is 20 km, and you can go by car. You also pay for parking there, around 20 zlotys.
- The Wieliczka salt mine is one of the oldest salt mines in the world, built in the 13th century. It is an impressive mine, with nine levels and galleries stretching for approximately 300 km. Tourists have the opportunity to visit the first 3 levels.
Day 4
- The way back home
This is an idea of a day program for visiting Krakow in 72 hours.
If there is availability, we also recommend going up to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. There is a distance of 300 km between Krakow and Warsaw, and it takes 3 and a half hours on the highway.
Where do you buy the tickets to the objectives?
We recommend that you buy them from the official websites of each objective, where possible, because that's where you can find them the cheapest.
There would also be the option of buying them from intermediaries, such as getyourguide, where you have the advantage of being refunded, if you cancel up to 24 hours before.
- Auschwitz: https://visit.auschwitz.org/. There is no entrance fee here, but you have to reserve a seat. If you want a guided tour, it is paid for.
- Wieliczka Salt Mine: https://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/
- Schindler's Factory: https://www.getyourguide.com/…/krakow-schindler-s…/ or https://www.getyourguide.com/…/oskar-schindler-s…/, if you want a guided tour.
To the other objectives, such as St. Mary's Church or Rynek Underground Museum, we took directly from the spot. It should be mentioned that at the church you can only pay in cash (about 10 zlotys a ticket)
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