Krakow

Kraków has Poland’s best-preserved medieval centre and sits an hour from Auschwitz, which shapes almost every itinerary. It’s also one of the cheapest major destinations in Europe, and the two things that genuinely need booking ahead are both outside the city.

This page compares live ticket prices and availability for Kraków attractions across our booking partners.

When to visit Kraków

May, June and September are the best months. Warm, the main square is full of outdoor tables, and the day trips are comfortable.

July and August are the busiest and warmest, with the largest crowds at Auschwitz and Wieliczka.

October to April is cold — genuinely so in January and February, often below freezing — but Kraków handles winter well and prices drop substantially. December brings one of the better Christmas markets in central Europe.

Auschwitz in winter is a different and arguably more affecting experience. Much of it is outdoors and exposed.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

An hour and a half west of Kraków, and the most visited site associated with the city.

Entry is free, but during peak hours it requires a booked guided tour, which is paid. Individual entry without a guide is only permitted at certain times, usually early morning or late afternoon.

Tickets must be reserved online in advance — often weeks ahead in summer. This is not a place you can turn up to.

The site has two parts: Auschwitz I, with the brick buildings and museum exhibitions, and Birkenau, three kilometres away, which is the vast open camp. A shuttle connects them. Both take around 90 minutes each.

Allow a full day including travel. Guided tours from Kraków handle transport.

Children under 14 are not recommended. There is a minimum age guidance and the museum is explicit about it.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

A working salt mine from the 13th century, 30 minutes from the city, with chambers, chapels and sculptures carved entirely from salt.

Guided tour only — no independent visits — and tours book out ahead in season.

The tourist route involves around 800 steps down and a lift back up. It takes two to three hours and covers roughly 3km underground.

Constant temperature of about 14°C year-round regardless of the season outside. Bring a layer even in August.

Not suitable for anyone with serious mobility restrictions or claustrophobia.

The Old Town and Wawel

Rynek Główny is the largest medieval square in Europe, free and open, with the Cloth Hall in the middle and the trumpet call sounding from St Mary’s tower every hour.

The trumpet call breaks off mid-note, commemorating a trumpeter shot during a Mongol invasion. It happens every hour, around the clock.

St Mary’s Basilica charges a small entry fee for tourists, with a separate ticket to see the Veit Stoss altarpiece opened.

Wawel Castle on the hill has separate tickets for each section — the State Rooms, the Royal Private Apartments, the Crown Treasury and the Cathedral. Daily ticket numbers are limited for some sections.

The castle grounds and courtyard are free to walk.

Booking ahead vs walking up

Schindler’s Factory is now a museum about Kraków under Nazi occupation rather than about the film. It sells out regularly.

Kazimierz

The former Jewish quarter, and now the most interesting district in the city for food and nightlife.

Several surviving synagogues, the old Jewish cemetery, and the Galicia Jewish Museum.

Across the river, Podgórze was the site of the ghetto, with the memorial of empty chairs in Plac Bohaterów Getta.

Walking tours of both districts are widely available and add substantial context.

Getting around

The Old Town is compact and entirely walkable — you can cross it in fifteen minutes.

Trams cover the wider city cheaply and Kazimierz is a 20-minute walk or a short tram ride from the square.

Kraków is among the cheapest major cities in the EU for food and drink, which is worth factoring into how you plan.

The airport connects to the main station by train in around 20 minutes.

A first-timer’s three days

Day one — the Old Town. Rynek Główny, St Mary’s, Cloth Hall, then Wawel Castle in the afternoon.

Day two — Auschwitz. Full day with a booked tour, returning in the late afternoon.

Day three — salt mine and Kazimierz. Wieliczka in the morning, then Kazimierz and Podgórze in the afternoon and evening.