The Main Square in Kraków with the Cloth Hall

Updated 2026

12 best things to do in Kraków

A medieval market square, Wawel Castle, a fire-breathing dragon and the streets of Kazimierz.

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These picks cover royal and medieval Kraków: the Main Square with the Cloth Hall and St Mary’s Basilica, Wawel Castle and Cathedral, the Barbican, Collegium Maius and the Planty, Kazimierz and Schindler’s Factory, plus day trips to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial. For each: honest cost, time needed, best time and when to skip it.

Things to do in Kraków: tap a number to open it in Google Maps. Out of town (not on the map): 12. Day trip: Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.

Tickets & tours in Kraków: compare before you buy

Official sites are often cheapest for single museums; resellers are handy for skip-the-line combos, tours and free cancellation.

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Main Square (Rynek Główny)

Old Town

Laid out in the 13th century, this is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe, at about 3.8 hectares. It was rebuilt in 1257 after the Mongol attack of 1241. Around it stand the Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Basilica, the Town Hall Tower, the Mickiewicz Monument and the small church of St Adalbert.

Cost: Free. Town Hall Tower PLN 22, reduced PLN 16; free on Mondays; open 8 March–30 November (2026, check)
Time needed: 1–2 hours
Best time: Early morning or evening

Insider tip: Below the square, the Rynek Underground museum shows the medieval market (opened 2010). It costs PLN 45, reduced PLN 35, and is free on Tuesdays (limited) and closed on the 2nd Monday of the month (2026, check).

Skip it if: Never – everything starts here.

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St Mary’s Basilica

Main Square

A 14th-century Brick Gothic church with the great wooden altarpiece by Veit Stoss and wall paintings designed by Jan Matejko. Every hour a trumpeter plays the hejnał from the taller tower. The tune breaks off mid-melody, and at noon it is broadcast on Polish Radio.

Cost: PLN 20, reduced PLN 10 (ticket desk at Plac Mariacki 7). The Bugle Tower is a separate ticket, PLN 20/15 (2026, check mariacki.com)
Time needed: 45–60 min
Best time: Just before the altarpiece opens

Insider tip: Visits run Monday–Saturday 11:30–18:00 and Sunday 14:00–18:00; the altarpiece is opened at 11:50 (Sunday 14:10). Tower tours leave about every 25 minutes from the Floriańska side (2026).

Skip it if: Never – at least hear the hejnał from the square.

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Cloth Hall (Sukiennice)

Main Square

Once a hub of international trade in spices, silk, leather and wax, with Kraków exporting textiles, lead and Wieliczka salt. It was rebuilt in Renaissance style after a fire in 1555; look for the carved masks on the parapet. Today the ground floor has souvenir stalls and the upper floor holds the Sukiennice Gallery of 19th-century Polish art.

Cost: Arcades free. Sukiennice Gallery PLN 35, reduced PLN 25; free on Tuesdays (2026, check)
Time needed: 30–60 min
Best time: Any time

Insider tip: The gallery terrace has a good view over the square.

Skip it if: You’re not into 19th-century painting – the arcades are still worth a walk.

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Wawel Castle & Cathedral

Wawel Hill

The seat of Polish kings for centuries. The castle has a Renaissance arcaded courtyard whose top arcade is taller than the lower ones. The cathedral next door was the coronation church; it holds the Royal Tombs, the golden-domed Sigismund Chapel and the Sigismund Bell, installed in 1521.

Cost: Castle 1st + 2nd floor PLN 95, reduced PLN 71, including an audio guide; one floor PLN 57/43. Cathedral PLN 26, reduced PLN 18, or PLN 41/29 with an audio guide (2026, check wawel.krakow.pl and katedra-wawelska.pl)
Time needed: 2–4 hours
Best time: Opening time

Insider tip: The castle is open Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00; on Mondays (10:00–16:00) selected exhibitions are free. The cathedral is open Monday–Saturday 9:00–17:00 and Sunday 12:30–17:00 from April to October, closing an hour earlier in winter; ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing (2026).

Skip it if: Never – it’s the heart of Polish history.

Wawel tours Compare on Viator

Wawel Dragon & Dragon’s Den

Vistula boulevard below Wawel

Legend says a dragon lived in a cave under Wawel Hill until it was tricked with a carcass stuffed with sulphur. Bronisław Chromy’s metal dragon has stood at the cave exit since 1972 and breathes fire every few minutes.

Cost: Statue free. Dragon’s Den PLN 15, reduced PLN 10, under-7s free (2026, check)
Time needed: 20–30 min
Best time: After Wawel

Insider tip: The den is open 24 April–31 October, 9:00–17:00 (July–August until 19:00). It has 135 spiral steps and exits on the river bank by the statue (2026).

Skip it if: Never with kids.

Tickets & tours

Kazimierz

South of the Old Town

Founded by King Casimir III in 1335 as a separate town, Kazimierz was for centuries the centre of Jewish life in Kraków. The Old Synagogue is the oldest standing synagogue building in Poland. In 1941 the German occupiers forced the Jews into the ghetto in Podgórze, and most were murdered in the Holocaust. Today the district is also known for cafés and Plac Nowy’s zapiekanki stands.

Cost: Free to walk; synagogues and museums charge separately (check on site)
Time needed: 2–3 hours
Best time: Late morning or evening

Insider tip: Dress respectfully for synagogues and cemeteries; some close on Saturdays.

Skip it if: Never – it’s essential to understanding Kraków.

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Schindler’s Factory

Podgórze

A Museum of Kraków branch in Oskar Schindler’s former factory, telling the story of the city under German occupation in 1939–1945. Ghetto Heroes Square, with its memorial of empty chairs, is on the way.

Cost: PLN 60, reduced PLN 45, family PLN 120; Mondays free (same-day tickets only) (2026, check muzeumkrakowa.pl)
Time needed: 1.5–2 hours
Best time: Book a morning slot

Insider tip: Open Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–20:00 and Monday 10:00–15:00; closed the first Tuesday of the month; last entry 1.5 hours before closing. Bring ID if you booked online. The ticket also covers the Eagle Pharmacy within 7 days (2026).

Skip it if: You have only one day.

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Collegium Maius

Jagiellońska Street

The oldest building of the Jagiellonian University, from the 14th century, with a late-Gothic arcaded courtyard. Copernicus studied here in the 1490s. A musical clock over the courtyard shows a parade of figures, including Queen Jadwiga and King Jagiełło.

Cost: Courtyard free. Museum guided tour PLN 26, self-guided PLN 17; self-guided free on Wednesdays (2026, check maius.uj.edu.pl)
Time needed: 30–60 min
Best time: When the clock plays

Insider tip: The clock plays at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 16:00, and the courtyard is open daily 9:00–18:00 (2026, check).

Skip it if: You’re short on time – just peek into the courtyard.

Tickets & tours

Barbican & St Florian’s Gate

North edge of the Old Town

The round Gothic Barbican, built around 1498, is one of only three such fortified outposts surviving in Europe and the best preserved. Behind it, St Florian’s Gate (first mentioned in 1307) is the only one of the eight medieval city gates still standing.

Cost: Free from outside; the Barbican interior has a small ticket in season (check)
Time needed: 20–30 min
Best time: Start of an Old Town walk

Insider tip: Walk from here down Floriańska Street to the Main Square: it’s the start of the Royal Road.

Skip it if: Never – it’s on the way.

#10

Planty park

Around the Old Town

A 21-hectare ring of gardens about 4 km long, laid out in 1822–1830 where the medieval city walls once stood.

Cost: Free
Time needed: 30–60 min
Best time: Morning or a sunny afternoon

Insider tip: Use it as a green shortcut between sights instead of the busy streets.

Skip it if: You’re short on time.

#11

Day trip: Wieliczka Salt Mine

About 12 km south-east of the centre

A historic salt mine with chapels and statues carved out of salt. The Tourist Route covers about 3.5 km, goes down to 135 metres and has around 800 steps.

Cost: Tourist Route with a non-Polish-language guide PLN 169 in July–August, PLN 159 in September (2026, check other months at wieliczka-saltmine.com)
Time needed: Half day (route about 2 hours)
Best time: Morning

Insider tip: Book a time slot in summer. The route has many stairs; wear good shoes.

Skip it if: You don’t like being underground for two hours.

Wieliczka tours Compare on Viator

#12

Day trip: Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial

Oświęcim, over 50 km west of Kraków

The Memorial and Museum at the site of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, where more than a million people were murdered. A visit is demanding, and important.

Cost: Entry is free, but a named entry pass must be reserved in advance at visit.auschwitz.org. A guided visit in languages other than Polish costs PLN 150, reduced PLN 140 (2026, check)
Time needed: Full day including travel
Best time: Reserve as early as possible

Insider tip: Free self-guided passes can be reserved up to 7 days ahead and guided ones up to 90 days ahead. Arrive 30 minutes early and bring ID. This is a place of remembrance: dress and behave respectfully.

Skip it if: You are travelling with young children; the museum does not recommend visits for under-14s (check).

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Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Kraków?

Two days covers the Old Town, Wawel and Kazimierz. Three days adds Schindler’s Factory or a day trip to Wieliczka; four lets you also visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.

How much does Wawel Castle cost?

In 2026 a ticket for the castle’s first and second floors costs PLN 95 (PLN 71 reduced) including an audio guide; one floor is PLN 57. The cathedral is a separate PLN 26 ticket.

How do I get from Kraków airport to the city?

Take the SKA1 train to Kraków Główny: about 17 minutes for PLN 20 (2026, check). City-transport tickets are not valid on the train.

Do I need to book Auschwitz-Birkenau in advance?

Yes. Entry is free, but every visitor needs a named entry pass reserved at visit.auschwitz.org. Guided visits in English cost PLN 150 (2026).

Does Kraków use the euro?

No. Poland uses the złoty (PLN). Cards are widely accepted.

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