Kraków travel guide

At a glance

capital city of Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. For a first visit, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Wawel Cathedral, Lesser Poland are strong starting points. This guide brings together 21 places, practical 1/3/5/7-day routes and a concise food shortlist so you can understand the city before shaping the trip around your pace.

Highlight stops

• Wieliczka Salt Mine — salt mine (Wieliczka, Poland)
• Wawel Cathedral — cathedral in Kraków, Poland
• Lesser Poland — historical region of Poland
• Free City of Kraków — former city-state
• Wawel — hill in Kraków, Poland
• St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków — church (Kraków, Poland)
• Wawel Castle — castle in Krakow, the former royal seat
• National Museum in Kraków — museum in Krakow, Poland

Food and drink

Use these well-documented flavours as a practical tasting shortlist; open an item to understand it and add it to your trip plan.

• bigos — meat and cabbage stew from Poland
• zupa ogórkowa — traditional Polish and Lithuanian soup made from sour, salted cucumbers and potato
• krówki — toffee-like confectionery that is less sticky than toffee
• lazanki — type of pasta and dishes made with it in Polish, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian cuisine
• Obwarzanek krakowski — braided ring-shaped bread product
• Żubrówka — vodka

1-day itinerary

Day 1 · Local flavours

Old town Market Square in Krakow · Free City of Kraków · Sukiennice · St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków

3-day itinerary

Day 1 · Local flavours

Old town Market Square in Krakow · Free City of Kraków · Sukiennice · St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków

Day 2 · Museums and art

Czartoryski Museum · Planty Park · St. Florian's Gate · Kraków Barbican

Day 3 · History and landmarks

Lesser Poland · St. Andrew's Church · Wawel Castle · Wawel Cathedral

5-day itinerary

Day 1 · Local flavours

Old town Market Square in Krakow · Free City of Kraków · Sukiennice · St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków

Day 2 · Museums and art

Czartoryski Museum · Planty Park · St. Florian's Gate · Kraków Barbican

Day 3 · History and landmarks

Lesser Poland · St. Andrew's Church · Wawel Castle · Wawel Cathedral

Day 4 · History and landmarks

Wawel · National Museum in Kraków · Jagiellonian Library · Kościuszko Mound

Day 5 · History and landmarks

Krakus Mound · Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp · Polish Aviation Museum · Wieliczka Salt Mine

7-day itinerary

Day 1 · Local flavours

Old town Market Square in Krakow · Free City of Kraków · Sukiennice

Day 2 · History and landmarks

St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków · Czartoryski Museum · Planty Park

Day 3 · History and landmarks

St. Florian's Gate · Kraków Barbican · Lesser Poland

Day 4 · History and landmarks

St. Andrew's Church · Wawel Castle · Wawel Cathedral

Day 5 · History and landmarks

Wawel · National Museum in Kraków · Jagiellonian Library

Day 6 · History and landmarks

Kościuszko Mound · Krakus Mound · Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp

Day 7 · Museums and art

Polish Aviation Museum · Wieliczka Salt Mine · Ojców National Park

Before you go

This route distributes nearby source-backed stops across balanced days. Opening times and ticket conditions can change; check the official source before visiting.