A fast train from Warsaw drops you next to the Old Town. Two days cover the Main Market Square, Wawel Hill and the Kazimierz district, and you can do it all on foot without a car.
Trip plan
Weekend plan
Saturday
- 09:00 — Arrive at Kraków Główny and walk through the Planty park to the Main Market Square.
- 10:30 — Cloth Hall, St. Mary's Basilica and the bugle call from its tower.
- 13:00 — Lunch in the Old Town, then follow the Royal Road towards Wawel.
- 15:00 — Wawel Hill: cathedral, castle courtyard and views over the Vistula.
- 19:00 — Dinner and drinks in Kazimierz.
Sunday
- 10:00 — Kazimierz: Szeroka Street, the old synagogues, Plac Nowy.
- 12:30 — A zapiekanka at Plac Nowy or a late breakfast.
- 15:00 — Stroll along the Vistula boulevards, then take the train home.
What to see
- The Main Market Square with the Cloth Hall, one of the largest medieval squares in Europe.
- Wawel Hill with the royal castle and cathedral.
- Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter, now full of galleries and cafés.
- The Planty, a ring of green park around the Old Town.
- St. Mary's Church and its altarpiece by Veit Stoss.
Where to eat
Try pierogi, żurek served in a bread bowl and an obwarzanek, the local ring-shaped bread sold from street carts. Kazimierz is the place for zapiekanki and Jewish-style cooking. Around the Market Square, order regional dishes rather than the tourist set menus.
Where to stay
The Old Town is the most convenient base but gets loud on weekends. Kazimierz has more atmosphere and bars, while Stradom and Podgórze are quieter and usually cheaper.
Photos: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 4.0; Igor123121, CC BY 4.0; Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0