Itineraries for Your Trip to Krakow
3 Days in Krakow for First Timers
Whether you’re on a whirlwind tour of several European countries or have more time to spend in Poland, the southern Polish city of Krakow deserves a few days of your time. I traveled to Krakow when I was studying abroad in Prague, just over the border in the Czech Republic, and as a history major and culture enthusiast, I found the differences and similarities between the neighboring places fascinating.
Krakow has a lot to entice travelers, with a UNESCO World Heritage–listed Old Town, the historic Wieliczka Salt Mine, and the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum nearby, plus natural attractions such as hot springs and mountains within easy reach. Whatever your interests, here’s how to spend three days in Krakow.
Krakow experiences cold, snowy winters, but it can really heat up in summer, which is a lovely time to visit.
If you only have time for one thing, make it a walk through the Old Town and Kazimierz Jewish quarter, which are both full of beautiful architecture.
Spend your first day in Krakow getting to know its historic neighborhoods—such as the Old Town and Kazimierz Jewish quarter—and visiting some top museums and galleries. Start at the Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square) and market inside the Cloth Hall, and look out for St. Mary’s Basilica, Wawel Castle atop Wawel Hill, and the 15th-century Great Barbican gate as you stroll—they’re all within walking distance.
Art enthusiasts should head to the National Museum in Krakow, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine, while history (and film) buffs can head to Oskar Schindler's Factory Museum—made famous by the 1993 movie Schindler’s List.
Delve deeper into Polish history today, on a guided tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, one of Europe’s most notorious sites. The memorial and museum on the site of the concentration camp is located in the town of Oswiecim, west of Krakow. It can be a hard place to visit, but its messages are important. Some day trips stop at the fascinating Wieliczka Salt Mine, too, for a varied day out.
Back in Krakow for the evening, decompress after a heavy day during a relaxing piano concert featuring music by one of Poland’s finest composers, Frederic Chopin.
Southern Poland contains some beautiful natural attractions, too. Enjoy a day out in nature today on a trip to Zakopane, a town in the Tatra Mountains south of Krakow. Zakopane is a popular destination in both summer and winter, and day trips to the resort town near the Slovakia border typically stop at rural villages along the way, and give you ample time to relax in the Chocholow Baths hot springs complex.
This evening, celebrate a fantastic three days in Krakow with a leisurely evening cruise on the Vistula River. Put your feet up and relax as you float past the city’s illuminated landmarks.
