3 days in Warsaw

Day by day

1. Day 1: Old Town Market Square and Royal Castle

   Old Town Market Square, Royal Castle and Castle Square and Sigismund's Column, then Palace of Culture and Science in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old Town Market Square

      Warsaw's central square was almost completely destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt in the 1950s using old photographs, drawings and Bernardo Bellotto's 18th-century paintings.

   2. Late morning

      Royal Castle

      Spend time in the Canaletto Room comparing the paintings with the streets outside; they guided the city's reconstruction.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pierogi

      Milk bars, pierogi restaurants around the Old Town and Nowy Świat, and food halls such as Hala Koszyki.

   4. Afternoon

      Castle Square and Sigismund's Column

      The triangular square in front of the Royal Castle is anchored by Sigismund's Column, raised in 1644 to honour King Sigismund III Vasa, who moved the capital from Kraków to Warsaw.

   5. Evening

      Palace of Culture and Science

      Go up at dusk to see the city lights come on; there is a saying that it is the best view in Warsaw because you can't see the Palace.

2. Day 2: Royal Route: Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat and Łazienki Park

   Royal Route: Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat, Łazienki Park and National Museum in Warsaw, then Praga and the Koneser Centre in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Royal Route: Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat

      Look out for the musical benches along the route; press the button to hear a piece by Chopin.

   2. Late morning

      Łazienki Park

      Warsaw's most beautiful park was the summer residence of the last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, whose Palace on the Isle stands in a lake.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pyzy

      Traditionally sold from jars at Bazar Różyckiego in Praga, and at Polish restaurants and milk bars.

   4. Afternoon

      National Museum in Warsaw

      Start with the Faras Gallery, unique outside Sudan, and finish in the 19th-century Polish painting rooms.

   5. Evening

      Praga and the Koneser Centre

      Book a Polish Vodka Museum tour for the late afternoon, then stay in Praga for dinner and drinks.

3. Day 3: POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and Warsaw Rising Museum

   POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw Rising Museum and Wilanów Palace, then Vistula boulevards in the evening.

   1. Morning

      POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

      Built on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto, opposite the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, POLIN tells a thousand years of Jewish life in Poland in a core exhibition that includes a reconstructed painted wooden synagogue ceiling.

   2. Late morning

      Warsaw Rising Museum

      Arrive early to avoid school groups, and climb the observation tower at the end for a view over Wola.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Żurek

      Traditional restaurants and milk bars across the city, sometimes served in a bread bowl.

   4. Afternoon

      Wilanów Palace

      King Jan III Sobieski, victor at the Siege of Vienna in 1683, built this baroque palace as a summer residence.

   5. Evening

      Vistula boulevards

      On a summer weekend, catch the fountain show, then walk south along the boulevards to the bars near Powiśle.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Copernicus Science Centre (Powiśle): Plan a whole morning or afternoon, and add a planetarium show if you have time.
• Swap in Fryderyk Chopin Museum (Powiśle): Combine it with the Holy Cross Church on the Royal Route, where Chopin's heart is kept.
• Swap in Neon Museum (Praga): It is small, so combine it with a walk around Praga or a visit to the Koneser Centre.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Old Town and New Town keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Śródmieście ($$$) suits first-timers, shopping, budget and nightlife. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 20–28 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.7 hours in December to 16.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Warsaw
• 2 days in Warsaw

Questions travellers ask