Krakow itinerary
7 days, hour by hour · PolandOctober–May
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 33
- Per day
- ≈ 293 PLN
- First stop
- 09:00
Short answer
The TripWalkers Krakow itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 33 stops, hour by hour, for October–May. The first three days:
- Day 1 Old Town and Wawel
- Day 2 Kazimierz and Podgórze
- Day 3 Auschwitz-Birkenau
Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Days 3, 4 and 5 are day trips out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about 293 PLN a day (excluding accommodation and flights).
Day 1 · 09:00–16:30
Old Town and Wawel
Landmark
Rynek Główny
Europe's largest medieval square. The St Mary's bugle call (hejnał) breaks off mid-note every hour.
FreeCulture
St. Mary's Basilica
Veit Stoss's wooden altarpiece opens at 12:00. The tower costs 15 PLN.
≈ 20 PLN per person- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
Rynek Underground Museum
Medieval Krakow beneath the square. Multimedia displays, closed Tuesdays, book online.
≈ 32 PLN per personFood
Przystanek Pierogarnia
Handmade pierogi (ruskie, mushroom). It's on Bonerowska.
≈ 30 PLN per personCulture
Wawel Royal Castle & Cathedral
The royal castle. State Rooms 35 PLN (online), cathedral with the Sigismund Bell and royal tombs 25, Dragon's Den, courtyard free.
≈ 50 PLN per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Bar Mleczny Pod TemidąA milk bar (bar mleczny) on Grodzka. Cheap Polish home cooking.
- Collegium MaiusCopernicus's university. Courtyard and clock show at 13:00.
Day 2 · 09:30–16:00
Kazimierz and Podgórze
Culture
Old Synagogue Kazimierz
Poland's oldest synagogue (15th century). Museum inside, on Szeroka Square.
≈ 18 PLN per person- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Food
Plac Nowy Zapiekanka
Zapiekanka (half-baguette pizza) from the windows of the Round Market. Endzior is the classic.
≈ 15 PLN per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
Schindler's Factory Museum
Krakow under Nazi occupation. Book online (sells out), restricted on Mondays, in Podgórze.
≈ 40 PLN per personLandmark
Ghetto Heroes Square Chairs
A memorial of 70 empty chairs. Nearby is the Eagle Pharmacy Museum (Pod Orłem).
FreeNature
Bernatka Footbridge & Vistula
A suspension footbridge and the riverside promenade. Walk back to Kazimierz.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Hamsa KazimierzIsraeli cuisine and hummus, on Szeroka.
- MOCAK Museum of Contemporary ArtContemporary art next to the factory. A good option if you have no Schindler ticket.
Day 3 · 09:30–18:00Day trip
Auschwitz-Birkenau
Culture
Auschwitz I
Bus or tour takes 1.5 hours (70 km). A guided tour is MANDATORY between 10:00 and 16:00 (book online weeks ahead, 90 PLN). See the 'Arbeit macht frei' gate, the blocks and the gas chamber. Not recommended under 14.
FreeCulture
Auschwitz II Birkenau
A shuttle covers the 3 km. See the ramp, barracks ruins and the site where 1.5 million victims died. Keep silent.
FreeFood
Oświęcim Town Restaurant
A quiet lunch in town. The Auschwitz Jewish Center (synagogue) is optional.
≈ 30 PLN per person- 2 h 30 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Planty Park Evening Walk
On your return to Krakow, walk the park that rings the Old Town. A chance to breathe.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Auschwitz Jewish CenterThe town's surviving synagogue and its museum.
- Restauracja Starka KazimierzHomemade vodka and duck in the evening.
Day 4 · 09:00–17:00Day trip
Wieliczka Salt Mine and Nowa Huta
Culture
Wieliczka Salt Mine
20 minutes by train. A salt cathedral 135 m underground, chandeliers, 800 steps (lift back up), 14°C. Book online (foreign-language tour about 140 PLN).
≈ 140 PLN per personFood
Karczma Halit Wieliczka
A karczma (inn) next to the mine. Try żurek (sour rye soup) and placki (potato pancakes).
≈ 35 PLN per person- 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Nowa Huta Central Square
A Stalinist ideal city (1949). Take tram 22 to see socialist realist boulevards and the Ark Church.
FreeFood
Stylowa Restaurant Nowa Huta
A communist-era restaurant unchanged since 1956.
≈ 25 PLN per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Nowa Huta MuseumA bunker and an exhibition on communism.
- Ogrodowa WieliczkaAn alternative restaurant in town.
Day 5 · 10:00–18:30Day trip
Zakopane
Landmark
Krupówki Street Zakopane
2 hours by bus (FlixBus/Majer). The main street of the mountain town, with oscypek (smoked sheep's cheese) stalls.
FreeNature
Gubałówka Funicular
1,120 m. Tatra panorama, hiking in summer, skiing in winter.
≈ 35 PLN per personFood
Karczma Zapiecek Zakopane
A Górale (highlander) inn. Try kwaśnica soup and oscypek with cranberry jam.
≈ 40 PLN per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Morskie Oko
In winter, a frozen lake and snowy road (2.5 hours). Bring ice grips for your shoes, or take a horse-drawn sleigh.
≈ 30 PLN per personCulture
Willa Koliba Museum of Zakopane Style
Witkiewicz's wooden villa. Zakopane architecture, return bus at 19:30.
≈ 20 PLN per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Kasprowy Wierch Cable CarCable car to the 1,987 m summit. An alternative to Morskie Oko (book online).
- Bąkowa Zohylina ZakopaneA well-known Górale inn with live music.
Day 6 · 09:30–21:30
Copernicus, Below Wawel and Zwierzyniec
Landmark
Barbican & Florian Gate
A medieval city gate and barbican. Floriańska Street, the start of the Royal Route.
FreeCulture
Czartoryski Museum
Da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine, plus Rembrandt's landscape. Free on Tuesdays.
≈ 35 PLN per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Kościuszko Mound
A memorial hill from 1823. Views of the city and the Tatras. Take tram 1 and walk; fort museum on site.
≈ 26 PLN per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Food
Pod Baranem
An Old Town Polish classic. Duck and pierogi.
≈ 55 PLN per person- 3 h 45 min · travel, break, free time
Food
Kazimierz Evening Alchemia
A candlelit Kazimierz bar. Plac Nowy, live jazz.
≈ 25 PLN per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Kraków Zoo & Las WolskiA zoo in the forest. An alternative to the hill.
- Chimera Salad BarA vegetarian buffet on Św. Anny. Cheap.
Day 7 · 09:30–13:15
Vistula morning, gentle farewell
Landmark
Wawel Dragon Statue
A dragon that breathes fire every 5 minutes, on the Vistula bank.
FreeNature
Vistula Boulevards Walk
The riverside promenade. Coffee boats in summer, views of Wawel.
FreeFood
Café Camelot
A bohemian Old Town café. Try the apple charlotte as a farewell treat.
≈ 25 PLN per personFood
Obwarzanek Stand
The Krakow bagel-like ring (UNESCO-listed). Choose poppy seed or salted.
≈ 3 PLN per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Kraków Główny Airport Train
The train to Balice takes 20 minutes. Farewell.
≈ 17 PLN per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Massolit Books & CaféAn English-language bookshop café. Try the cheesecake.
- Manggha MuseumJapanese art, across the Vistula. An alternative to the boulevard walk.
Good to know: 6 things that make a Krakow trip easier
- A 20-minute tram or bus ticket costs 4 PLN, a day ticket 17 PLN; the Old Town is walkable. The airport train costs 17 PLN. Go to Auschwitz, Wieliczka and Zakopane by bus or tour (Auschwitz tour 150-200 PLN).
- In December a Christmas market is set up on the Rynek (one of Europe's best). Winter temperatures are around -5°C with snow; you can ski in Zakopane. April-May and September are ideal; Auschwitz is heavy in any season.
- Pierogi cost 25-35 PLN, zapiekanka 15, obwarzanek 3, a milk bar meal 20, beer 12; tip 10%. Poland is cheap and cards are accepted everywhere.
- An online guided ticket (90 PLN) is MANDATORY for Auschwitz; free entry is available before 07:30 and in the evening. Not recommended under 14. Buy online tickets for Schindler's Factory and Wieliczka; museums have restricted access on Mondays.
- Wawel State Rooms have timed entry. The St Mary's altarpiece opens at 12:00. The hejnał is played to four directions every hour.
- Vodka: żubrówka with apple juice (szarlotka). At night in Kazimierz, head to Plac Nowy.
Spending: ≈ 2,050 PLN per person for 7 days
- Food900 PLN
- Entry and tours700 PLN
- Local transport250 PLN
- Other200 PLN
Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.
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Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Krakow?
This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 3, 4 and 5; skip it on a short stay.
How much does a day in Krakow cost?
In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about 293 PLN per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.
What time should you start the day in Krakow?
The first stop is at 09:00. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.
Which season is this itinerary for?
This page covers October–May. There is a separate plan for June–September: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.