Things to do · Kraków · Poland
19 best things to do in Kraków
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Kraków are Main Market Square, Cloth Hall and St. Mary's Basilica. Of the 19 picks below, 8 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Main Market Square
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Rynek Underground
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Market Square | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Cloth Hall | Old Town | 30 minutes to 1.5 hours | Free |
| St. Mary's Basilica | Old Town | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Wawel Castle | Wawel | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Wawel Cathedral | Wawel | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Kazimierz Jewish quarter | Kazimierz | Half a day | Free |
| Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory | Podgórze | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Dragon's Den and Wawel Dragon | Wawel | 20–30 minutes | Low cost |
| Rynek Underground | Old Town | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Ghetto Heroes Square and Pharmacy Under the Eagle | Podgórze | 45 minutes | Free |
| Planty Park | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Barbican and St. Florian's Gate | Old Town | 30–45 minutes | Low cost |
| Collegium Maius | Old Town | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Czartoryski Museum | Old Town | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| MOCAK – Museum of Contemporary Art | Podgórze | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Kościuszko Mound | Zwierzyniec and Salwator | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Krakus Mound | Podgórze | 1 hour | Free |
| Nowa Huta | Nowa Huta | Half a day | Free |
| Vistula boulevards | Wawel | 1 hour | Free |
The 19 best things to do
Landmark · Old Town
1.Main Market Square
Laid out in 1257, the Rynek Główny is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe, ringed by townhouses, café terraces and the Town Hall Tower, with the Cloth Hall in the middle and the small St Adalbert's Church in one corner. The statue of the poet Adam Mickiewicz is the city's favourite meeting point.
Listen for the hejnał bugle call played every hour from St. Mary's taller tower; it stops abruptly mid-tune.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- Photo spot
Market · Old Town
2.Cloth Hall
The Sukiennice, a Renaissance market hall with an arcaded loggia and carved parapet, still has stalls inside selling amber, wood carvings, lace and leather. Upstairs, the National Museum's Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art shows large historical paintings, and its terrace looks over the square.
Browse the ground-floor stalls for an overview, but compare amber prices with shops elsewhere before buying.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes to 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Shopping
- Architecture
Religious site · Old Town
3.St. Mary's Basilica
The brick Gothic basilica on the Main Square has a deep-blue, star-painted vault and the great altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss between 1477 and 1489, the largest Gothic altarpiece in Europe, with life-size limewood figures. Its two unequal towers are the symbol of the city.
The altarpiece's wings are opened ceremonially each day just before noon; arrive a little early for a good view.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Art
- Architecture
- History
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Castle · Wawel
4.Wawel Castle
The seat of Polish kings for five centuries, the castle on Wawel Hill has a Renaissance arcaded courtyard and several separate exhibitions: the State Rooms with King Sigismund Augustus's Flemish tapestries, the Private Royal Apartments, the Crown Treasury and Armoury, and the archaeological Lost Wawel.
Pick two or three exhibitions rather than trying to see everything; the State Rooms and Treasury are the highlights.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Each exhibition has its own timed ticket and daily limits; buy online or early in the day, especially in summer.
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
Religious site · Wawel
5.Wawel Cathedral
Polish kings were crowned and buried in this cathedral, whose chapels range from Gothic to Baroque. The gold-domed Sigismund Chapel is a Renaissance masterpiece, the crypts hold the tombs of kings and national heroes such as Tadeusz Kościuszko and the poet Adam Mickiewicz, and you can climb the tower to the huge Sigismund Bell.
Climb the narrow stairs to the Sigismund Bell for a view over the castle courtyard and river.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
Neighbourhood · Kazimierz
6.Kazimierz Jewish quarter
Szeroka Street is lined with the Old Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue building in Poland and now a museum, and the Remah Synagogue with its old cemetery, still used for worship. Nearby are the Tempel Synagogue, the Isaac Synagogue and the Galicia Jewish Museum, while Plac Nowy's round market hall and bars bring the district alive in the evening.
Visit the synagogues in the morning, then return in the evening for dinner and drinks around Plac Nowy.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Food
- After dark
- Iconic
Museum · Podgórze
7.Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory
Oskar Schindler's former factory in Zabłocie houses a Museum of Kraków exhibition on the city under Nazi occupation from 1939 to 1945. Reconstructed streets, ghetto rooms and testimonies tell the story of Kraków's Jewish and Polish residents, with Schindler's office preserved.
Allow at least two hours; the exhibition is dense and moving, and it pairs naturally with Ghetto Heroes Square nearby.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets sell out, especially from spring to autumn; book online several days ahead.
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Wawel
8.Dragon's Den and Wawel Dragon
A short spiral staircase leads down into a limestone cave under Wawel Hill, the legendary lair of the Wawel Dragon. You exit by the river beside a bronze dragon statue that breathes real fire every few minutes, a favourite with children.
Visit the cave on your way down from the castle; the exit by the river leads straight onto the Vistula boulevards.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
Museum · Old Town
1.Rynek Underground
Beneath the Main Square, excavated medieval market stalls, roads and foundations form a museum about Kraków's trading past, with holograms, touchscreens and finds such as coins and tools from the excavations.
It is a good choice for a rainy afternoon; buy a timed ticket early in the day, as slots fill up.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Entry is by timed ticket in limited numbers; reserve online at busy times.
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Historic site · Podgórze
2.Ghetto Heroes Square and Pharmacy Under the Eagle
The square at the heart of the wartime Podgórze ghetto is filled with 70 oversized empty iron chairs, a memorial to the deportations. On one side, the Pharmacy Under the Eagle, run during the war by the non-Jewish pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz, is now a small museum about life in the ghetto.
Walk here from Kazimierz across the Father Bernatek footbridge and continue to Schindler's Factory, about 10 minutes away.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Park · Old Town
3.Planty Park
A ring of gardens about 4 kilometres long replaced the medieval city walls in the 19th century and now encircles the Old Town. Tree-lined paths, benches, fountains and monuments make it the easiest way to walk between the sights away from the crowds.
Walk the full loop in autumn, when the chestnut and maple trees turn gold.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
Historic site · Old Town
4.Barbican and St. Florian's Gate
The round brick Barbican, built around 1498 with seven turrets, guarded the northern approach to the city. Behind it, St. Florian's Gate marks the start of the Royal Road, and the surviving stretch of wall beside it is hung with paintings for sale by local artists.
Walk the wall-top passage between the Barbican and the gate in the warmer months for a view down Floriańska Street.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Museum · Old Town
5.Collegium Maius
The oldest building of the Jagiellonian University, where Copernicus studied, is a 15th-century Gothic college around an arcaded courtyard. Its museum shows old lecture halls, scientific instruments and the Jagiellonian Globe, one of the earliest to show America, and a musical clock in the courtyard parades carved figures several times a day.
The courtyard is free to enter; the interiors are seen on a short guided tour.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
6.Czartoryski Museum
Part of the National Museum, this collection founded by the Czartoryski family displays Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine in a darkened room of its own, alongside European paintings, ancient art and decorative arts.
Go early or late in the day to spend a few quiet minutes with the Leonardo.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Podgórze
7.MOCAK – Museum of Contemporary Art
Built into the former workshops of Schindler's factory complex, MOCAK shows Polish and international contemporary art in changing exhibitions and a permanent collection, with a good café and bookshop.
Book Schindler's Factory first, then fill the time before or after your slot here next door.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Zwierzyniec and Salwator
8.Kościuszko Mound
Raised by hand in the 1820s to honour the national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko, the 34-metre mound stands inside a 19th-century Austrian fort on the western edge of the city. A spiral path leads to the top, with views over Kraków and, on clear days, the Tatra Mountains.
Take the tram to Salwator and walk up through the leafy streets, about 30 minutes.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Outdoors
- History
- Active
Viewpoint · Podgórze
9.Krakus Mound
A prehistoric earth mound in Podgórze, said to be the burial place of the city's legendary founder Krakus, gives a free, open panorama of the Old Town, Wawel and the river. It is quieter than Kościuszko Mound and especially beautiful at sunset.
Bring a drink and arrive about 30 minutes before sunset, when locals gather on the slopes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Neighbourhood · Nowa Huta
10.Nowa Huta
Built from 1949 as a model socialist town for steelworkers, Nowa Huta has grand socialist-realist avenues radiating from Central Square, Renaissance-inspired housing blocks and the Lord's Ark church, built by residents in defiance of the communist authorities. It is about 30 minutes from the centre by tram.
Take the tram to Plac Centralny and walk the main avenue, then visit the Lord's Ark church.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Waterfront · Wawel
11.Vistula boulevards
Riverside paths run beneath Wawel Hill along both banks of the Vistula, with lawns, cycle paths and moored barges serving drinks in summer. The Father Bernatek footbridge, decorated with acrobat sculptures, crosses to Podgórze.
Walk from the Dragon's Den along the river to the footbridge at dusk, when Wawel is lit up.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- After dark
- Views
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | St. Mary's Basilica, Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, Rynek Underground and Collegium Maius |
| History | St. Mary's Basilica, Wawel Castle, Wawel Cathedral and Dragon's Den and Wawel Dragon |
| Views | Wawel Castle, Kościuszko Mound, Krakus Mound and Vistula boulevards |
| Outdoors and nature | Planty Park, Kościuszko Mound, Krakus Mound and Vistula boulevards |
| Food and markets | Cloth Hall and Kazimierz Jewish quarter |
| After dark | Main Market Square, Kazimierz Jewish quarter and Vistula boulevards |
| With children | Dragon's Den and Wawel Dragon, Rynek Underground, Planty Park and Barbican and St. Florian's Gate |
| On a rainy day | Rynek Underground, Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, Collegium Maius and Czartoryski Museum |
What to book ahead
- Wawel Castle: Each exhibition has its own timed ticket and daily limits; buy online or early in the day, especially in summer.
- Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory: Timed tickets sell out, especially from spring to autumn; book online several days ahead.
- Rynek Underground: Entry is by timed ticket in limited numbers; reserve online at busy times.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Kraków?
Main Market Square. Laid out in 1257, the Rynek Główny is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe, ringed by townhouses, café terraces and the Town Hall Tower, with the Cloth Hall in the middle and the small St Adalbert's Church in one corner.
+What can you do for free in Kraków?
Main Market Square, Cloth Hall, Kazimierz Jewish quarter, Ghetto Heroes Square and Pharmacy Under the Eagle and Planty Park. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Kraków when it rains?
Head indoors to Rynek Underground, Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, Collegium Maius and Czartoryski Museum.
+What is there to do in Kraków at night?
Main Market Square, Kazimierz Jewish quarter and Vistula boulevards are best after dark.