If you’re planning a trip to Krakow this winter, keep on reading. By the end, you’ll know the best things to do, the food you can’t leave without tasting and the top places to enjoy them, how to get around the city, three incredible day trips and the easiest ways to get from the Krakow airport to the city centre, including an option most people don’t even think about.
Best Things to Do in Krakow Poland
Visit St Mary’s Basilica Krakow
St. Mary’s Basilica on Rynek Główny, Krakow’s main square, is one of those places that you can’t skip. It’s free to enter and a must if you love visiting churches, cathedrals, and basilicas around Europe like we do.
The interior is stunning, full of beautiful gold details and unique architecture. It’s actually the second most beautiful basilica we’ve ever seen, right after St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest. The thing that really caught our eye was the statue of Jesus on the cross. Almost hovering high above everything, with the starry midnight blue ceiling in the background. It’s definitely worth stepping inside.
When we first walked in through the main door, they were holding Sunday mass, which you can join if you want since it’s open to everyone, so we were only able to see the main foyer from behind a short fence.
To see the main sights inside, you’ll want to use the tourist entrance on the side of the church, not the main entrance that faces the square. The tourist entrance lets you explore the altar, side chapels, and beautiful artwork up close. There’s usually a small fee for the tourist ticket used for the Basilica’s maintenance.
Explore Wawel Cathedral and Wawel Palace
The Wawel Cathedral and Wawel Palace are right next to each other, so you can easily visit both in one day. You can either buy both tickets combined online or separately at the ticket offices. We only went to the cathedral and paid 25 PLN per person.
The cathedral, from the 11th century, is an important part of Polish history, with royal coronations and tombs. Before going inside, there’s a viewpoint overlooking the river and city, and when it snows people make all different kinds of mini snowmen along the wall, which are really fun to look at and you can even make your own.
The cathedral on the inside is beautiful, but unfortunately we realised we weren’t allowed to film most of the areas. Inside, you can climb the bell towers through narrow wooden stairs and small entryways and see the huge bells up close, which was such a fun experience, and you can also visit the underground tombs. Just follow the arrows and they will take you through the whole route.
The Wawel Palace used to be home to Polish kings and queens, with beautiful Renaissance architecture. We didn’t have time to go inside, since we booked a river boat tour for the same day (more on that in a minute), but it’s worth a visit. We’ve linked tickets to see both in the description.
Take a river boat tour at night
You might think a boat tour isn’t the best idea in winter, but it’s actually such a fun way to see Krakow from a different angle. The tour goes along the Vistula River, and the boat has an indoor area with tables if you prefer to stay warm. We sat upstairs outside because the views are so much better. The snowy riverbanks, the snow on the boat, the Wawel Palace and Cathedral, and passing right under the bridges while the trams go over them. We booked our tour on Get Your Guide. It lasts about 45 minutes, and it’s a really easy addition to your itinerary. Just make sure to dress warmly. You can also ask for a blanket or order a warm drink like a hot chocolate at the bar with whipped cream and crushed biscoff cookies on top.
Visit the Oskar Schindler Museum
If you loved the film Schindler’s List, definitely visit The Oskar Schindler Museum in Krakow. It is set in his former enamel factory and tells the story of Krakow during World War II, especially the lives of Jews under Nazi occupation. It’s connected to the movie Schindler’s List, but focuses on the real history, using photos, artifacts, and immersive exhibits. You’ll see the factory, Schindler’s office, and displays about the people he saved. Tickets are around 28 PLN for adults and 22 PLN for students. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm, and it takes about 1.5–2 hours to explore.
Visit the Christmas market in Krakow
Krakow also has a stunning Christmas market. This year, it runs from 28th November to 1st January in the Main Square by the Basilica, with extra stalls at Mały Rynek. We missed it by a few days but saw them setting up and really kicked ourselves for not coming a bit later, but then again, we might have missed the first snowfall. For more info on this market and our top picks across Europe, check out this video or the blog post.
Browse Christmas shops in Krakow
As we mentioned, Floriańska Street, and other surrounding ones, at this time of year is full of shops selling beautiful handmade and hand painted items, Christmas decorations and teddy bears in little Christmas outfits. We loved browsing the different stores and even picked up a few ornaments for our Christmas tree, like we do on all our trips.
Best places to eat in Krakow and what food to try
Traditional Polish Food
Pod Aniołami
Pod Aniołami is a traditional Polish restaurant with a really unique vibe. The space had many different rooms and levels, all decorated in a rustic yet sophisticated style. Every wall and shelf was filled with vintage items and antiques. Dishes, homeware, wine bottles, artwork, and tapestries. Giving the place a cozy, lived-in feel.
Fun fact: Many restaurants in Krakow are underground because the city’s older buildings were built with deep cellars, and over the years the street level slowly rose, turning those original floors into today’s basements. These spaces stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and the old brick walls give them a cozy, historic vibe that restaurants like to keep.
The food was delicious. To start, we had bread served with a traditional Polish spread called Smalec, made with pork fat, fried onions, apples, and pork cracklings. It was so good we immediately asked for seconds. We paired it with a Polish wine, a Silesian Cuvée Colorée, which we highly recommend. It’s soft with notes of blueberry and cranberry.
For the main dishes, we tried some meals considered classics of Polish nobility. The Bigos, a traditional Polish stew, was full of flavor with cabbage, seven types of meat (including boar and deer), smoked plums, mushrooms, wine, and herbs. We also loved the herb-marinated turkey served with onion confiture, cranberries, and grilled potatoes. Another standout was the shashlik, a skewer of different meats like pork tenderloin with smoked bacon, peppers, and onions, served with a grilled apple stuffed with cranberries and homemade horseradish. Apples and cranberries are something you see in Polish dishes a lot.
For dessert, we tried the apple pie and raspberry crumble. Both were tasty, but in general, we noticed Polish desserts are not very sweet compared to what we’re used to.
Morskie Oko restaurant
Morskie Oko is a traditional Polish restaurant in the city centre, named after a lake south of Zakopane. The decor was by far our favorite of all the restaurants we visited. It is underground with many rooms and levels. It has a very rustic, almost alpine feel, with wooden benches, furry blankets, exposed brick walls, and antique ski equipment and homeware. Plus, they often have live musicians and singers performing traditional Polish Music.
Here, you definitely have to try the Żurek soup served in a bread bowl. The soup is made from a fermented sourdough base with meat like sausages and boiled egg. It’s delicious, and as a bonus, you get to eat the bread bowl soaked in all that flavor.
We also ordered the half duck with warm cherry sauce. Served with a side of roasted potatoes. This is a classic example of how much Poland loves cooking with berries. The duck was cooked perfectly, but it’s a lot of food, so if you’re not super hungry, consider sharing it or ordering something lighter.
After a good meal, Polish people like to finish with flavored vodka. This restaurant even offers a tasting option with cherry, lemon, quince and clear vodka.
Just a heads up on dessert: the cheesecake here has a strange fluffy yet grainy texture. If you’re expecting a typical cheesecake, this one is different and we didn’t personally enjoy it.
Czarna Kaczka (“The Black Duck”)
The Black Duck or Czarna Kaczka. This place serves traditional Polish food in a more modern setting. The decor wasn’t our favorite of the three Polish restaurants we visited, but the food and service were definitely the best.
The highlight was the whole duck for two. It comes on a tray with a duck stuffed with apples and cranberries, purple steamed cabbage with pickles, roasted potatoes, Silesian potato dumplings, a grilled apple filled with cranberries, and both mushroom and cranberry sauces served in little gravy dishes. The staff cut and serve the duck at your table, explaining each part in detail. It was absolutely delicious and more than worth the price (150 zł for two people).
For dessert, we loved the chocolate gingerbread cake with caramelized walnuts, pears, and sticky plum sauce. Honestly, it tasted like Christmas.
Hard Rock Café in Krakow
Hard Rock Café, which has an incredible view of the Basilica and the square, and we got a table right by the window. The Thanksgiving meal with turkey, gravy, stuffing, and Brussels sprouts (all the classics) was delicious. We also had the surf and turf burger with Bangkok fried shrimp and sweet potato fries, and it was so, so good. We also recommend the mulled wine, which also comes in an alcohol free version. Although it’s not a traditional Polish restaurant, it is worth it for the views and the food.
Simon Rolls
Right by the Basilica, there’s a beautiful street called Floriańska, full of shops (we’ll get to those later), cafés, and bakeries. One place we loved so much we went back twice was Simon Rolls. This bakery has amazing cinnamon rolls in a ton of flavours, like the classic, caramel and walnuts, roasted plums with crumble or chocolate oreo. The real standouts were the lotus biscoff roll and the classic cinnamon roll with orange-flavoured cream on top, they were incredible.
Tipping in Poland
What we noticed in Poland is that some restaurants automatically add a 10% service charge to your bill, while others don’t. So it’s worth double-checking when you get the bill. If it’s not included, tipping isn’t required, but it’s generally expected and appreciated.
Krakow day trips (Zakopane, Auschwitz, Salt Mines Krakow)
Zakopane is one of the most beautiful towns in Poland, and it’s a must during the winter and Christmas season. The town is known for its unique wooden house architecture, which you can only find here. Walking around and seeing these homes up close is already worth the trip.
It’s about two hours from Krakow by train or book a guided day trip with transport included, that includes the thermal baths, a cable car ride and cheese and vodka tasting. Once you’re there, you can spend the day exploring the town, relaxing in the thermal baths surrounded by snow with a view of the Tantra mountains, taking a cable car up to the peaks of the Tatra Mountains, or getting lost in the world’s largest ice maze.
Auschwitz
Auschwitz is one of the most essential places you can visit near Krakow. It was the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp during World War II, and over a million people lost their lives here. The tour takes you through Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II–Birkenau. You’ll see the original barracks, watchtowers, personal belongings that were taken from prisoners, and the railway tracks where people arrived. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s something everyone should see once.
We highly recommend booking a guided tour to understand the full story and context. You can get to Auschwitz from Krakow by train from Kraków Główny, but the guided tour we linked also offers a pickup option from the city if you prefer everything arranged for you.
Otherwise, you can get there by the R SKA3 train from Kraków Głowny, the main train station, and it takes around 1 hour.
You can also rent a car for the day to get to Zakopane or Auschwitz which can give you a lot of freedom to explore at your own pace. We have a link in the description for you if you’re interested.
Wieliczka Salt Mines Krakow
The Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. It dates back to the 1200s and was a major source of salt for centuries. Today, it’s no longer used for mining, but you can visit the underground tunnels and chambers that miners created over hundreds of years.
Inside, you’ll see long walkways, salt sculptures, underground lakes, and even a full chapel made completely out of salt, called the Chapel of St. Kinga. It was carved by miners and still used for special events.
It’s worth visiting because it’s something you won’t see anywhere else. The history is interesting, the spaces are huge, and the whole experience feels very different from the usual museums and landmarks. It’s an easy day trip from Krakow and a great addition to your itinerary.
To get there is easy, just take train SKA1 from Kraków Płaszów to Dworzec PKP Wieliczka-Rynek-Kopalnia.
How to get around Krakow (Krakow public transport)
In Krakow, trams are operated by KP Kraków (KPK) and are a convenient way to get around the city. Tickets cost 4 PLN for a 20-minute ride, 6 PLN for 60 minutes or 8 PLN for 90 mins, and you can buy them at machines, kiosks, or via the JakDojade app. Trams generally run from around 5am to midnight, with most lines passing every 10–20 minutes during the day. You can also get a 24h pass for 17 Pln, a 7 day pass for 56 pln, a 48h pass for 35 pln or a 72h pass for 50 pln.
How to get from Krakow Airport to city centre
The fastest way to get to the city centre by public transport is the SKA1 train from the station connected to the airport. It takes about 20 minutes to reach Krakow Główny, costs 20 PLN, and runs every 30–60 minutes from 4am to midnight.
The cheapest option is the bus, line 300, which takes around 25–30 minutes and costs 6 PLN. It runs every day from 5am to 11pm. Every 15 minutes from 9am to 9pm, and every 30 minutes outside those hours. If you arrive late at night, there’s a night bus, line 902.
Book a private car ride (budget-friendly)
If you’re a family, have a lot of luggage, or just want something more convenient and stress-free, we booked a car from the airport to the centre (and back) through Booking.com. We highly recommend this option. You don’t have to worry about schedules or dragging luggage around. The ride takes about 30 minutes, the driver tracks your flight to arrive on time, waits up to 45 minutes and then meets you at arrivals with your name on a sign.
You don’t have to go outside or look for the car yourself. The driver parks, comes inside the airport, and finds you. Both of our drivers were friendly and even gave great recommendations, like the Black Duck restaurant. Each ride cost around 90 PLN, roughly 21 euros.
Related Reads You’ll Love…
If you want to go even deeper with your planning, we’ve got a few posts that pair really well with this one. Before you do anything else, read our post on the exact steps we take when planning a Christmas market trip in Europe. You can check out the best apps you’ll actually use when visiting Europe, our guide to the top Christmas markets, a full list of things to do around Europe during the holidays, and our favourite tips for travelling Europe on a budget. Each one will help you plan smarter, save time, and make your trip feel a little easier.
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