If you are looking for useful tips about Krakow, you are in the right place, as no one will give you better advice than a local.
There is no city I love more than Krakow.
For six years, I lived there while I studied and worked. I can show you where the locals eat and drink and what to do in and around the city.
After 6 lovely years in Krakow, I moved to Luxembourg to expand my life experience, and I keep coming back to Krakow a few times a year.
I am a person to go for all my friends and colleagues who seek advice on where to eat in Krakow, cheap and best Polish food, and what to do.
I decided to create a blog post with useful tips about Krakow to help my friends and wider audience. Let’s dive in!
Why you should visit Krakow
I always point out Krakow to people who are planning a trip to Poland. Start by saying that Krakow will not cost you a lot of money. It has many bars and a lot of cheap, good food. Being a student city, Krakow needs to have places for students to eat. Despite the large number of tourists in the Main Square, many of the side streets have great Polish food at reasonable prices.
Furthermore, Krakow has a certain atmosphere. Many see it as the most charming city in Poland. After visiting both Warsaw and Krakow, many of my friends said that Krakow was more beautiful and had more things to do. In particular, I adore the Kazimierz district, which has taken on a distinct hipster flavor since its days as a Jewish neighborhood.
To cap it all off, Krakow is a city overflowing with history. Among the many historical sites are the Wawel Castle, which served as the seat of Polish monarchs in the past, and the Schindler’s Factory, which houses artifacts from World War II. There are plenty of museums as well, and one has even a famous Da Vinci painting.
How many days in Krakow is enough?
You should be able to see the main sights of Krakow on a weekend trip. I recommend dedicating 2-3 days to Krakow if you are visiting during the week. When it came to European destinations for tourists who prefer to explore local landmarks on foot, Krakow ranked thirteenth in 2024. You can easily walk to all the major attractions because they are all in close proximity to one another. Having said that, if you intend to extend your stay in Poland beyond two or three days, I can suggest some places to visit outside of Krakow.
I advise spending two days exploring the city of Krakow, followed by a day at Auschwitz and a salt mine in Wieliczka. If you have more time, I recommend visiting Zakopane in the high Polish mountains. Taking a bus from Krakow will get you there in about 2 hours for about 8 euros. Another option is to rent a car at the airport; this should not cost too much. I rented a car for six days, and the total cost was only 112 euros! The easiest place to rent a car in Krakow is at the airport, and I highly recommend the app Rentalcars to anyone looking for a fast and easy rental experience.
What is the best month to visit?
Book a trip to Krakow in June, July, or August for the best weather. What you will get is:
1. A blue sky
2. Temperatures around 30 °C
3. Longer days
4. More things to do outside
However, during that time it might be touristy due to the school holidays, as well as plane tickets being more expensive. To avoid this, opt for May or September:
1. Not as many tourists
2. The weather is still nice, about 25 degrees
I would avoid visiting Krakow in winter because:
1. The temperature is going to be below zero.
2. There is smog over the city, making the sky gray. I found winter time to be very depressing while I was living in Krakow.
Winter is not the time to go (unless, of course, you want to see the picturesque Christmas market).
3. It can be challenging to navigate Krakow in the winter with a suitcase due to the heavy snowfall; therefore, travelers planning to visit during this time should consider bringing a backpack instead.
That being said, go in June or July if it is your first visit, and then come back to Krakow in December for the Christmas market.
What is the currency in Poland?
Even though Poland joined the EU twenty years ago, we have kept using the Polish zloty as our currency.
One euro is equivalent to 4.27 Polish zlotys (zl). Since “zloto” means “gold” in Polish, the name of the currency reads as “polish gold” when translated.
Fortunately, you can use your debit card to pay in euros or other currencies in most hotels, restaurants, and shops in Krakow because it is a highly developed city.
Additionally, there are numerous places to exchange currency known as Kantor. The best place to go to exchange your cash for Polish zlotych is Slawkowska Street, which is right next to the Main Square. Just choose one of the Kantor you will see there. They offer more favorable exchange rates compared to the airport or Main Train station.
As a useful tips about Krakow I can say I always use the Revolut card whenever I fly to Poland. If you don’t have it yet, you simply download the Revolut app on your phone, order your free Master Card, and convert your currency to Polish zloty. Put more money into your account using any of 150+ currencies, including USD, ERU, GBP, and more.
How to get from Krakow Airport to city centre?
Whenever I go to Poland to visit my family, I always take an Uber or Bolt because the fare from Krakow Airport to the city center is about 10 euros.
Alternatively, you can take a more economical train number 33200 from Krakow Airport (KRK) to Krakow Główny, which costs around 4 euros and takes 17 minutes. From there, you can enter the city center’s main shopping mall, Galeria Krakowska.
Buses 252 and 208 are also available, but they are slower; however, at approximately 1.5 euros, this is the most budget-friendly option.
There is a luggage storage facility available at the Galeria Krakowska entrance, accessible from Krakow Glowny, where you can leave your bags for a day or hours. Thereafter, you can stroll the mall for some shopping or go strait to the city center, as it is about 10 minutes walk to the Krakow Main Square.
What part of the city is best to stay?
The Kazimierz district is where I always suggest my friends stay. Personally, I think it is the best area. You can reach anywhere on foot, and the Main Square is only a seven-minute walk away. Kazimierz is home to many charming cafes and restaurants, including Hamsa, which serves vegan and vegetarian fare.
Since Krakow is easily navigable on foot, any accommodation option near the Main Square would also be ideal.
In the Kazimierz neighborhood, my go-to spot for breakfast is Kolanko nr. 6. From that point, it is a breeze to stroll along the banks of the Wisla River or up to the Wawel Castle. Whereas the Main Square is a little pricey and has way too many tourists, Kazimierz is where you are more likely to meet locals at places like Alchemia Bar.
Where to find cheap Polish food
Polish food is amazing; everybody loves our pierogi, Żurek, and kotlet schabowy (in Germany it is called schnitzel).
I prepared a list of places where I usually eat cheap and good Polish food:
For breakfast, Polish breakfast in Krakow
Kolanko nr. 6: I have a long-standing ritual of enjoying their breakfast buffet whenever I visit Krakow.
You can eat all you want from the buffet until 12:00 for about 9 euros.
They also have a charming wooden garden that is covered in grape leaves that hang from the ceiling. Between May and September, I always have my meals in their garden.
The photos below show the buffet table and garden at Kolanko nr 6.
For lunch: "milk bar"
Every place called “Bar mleczny” is a great and really cheap place to eat Polish lunch or dinner. It is a self-service canteen for locals and students. However, if you are planning a cheap weekend in Krakow, you should go there to try some of our traditional dishes.
My favourite and close to the city centre is Bar mleczny “Pod Temidą.”
Just a short 5-minute walk from the Main Square, this place is on Grocka 43 Street.
Traditional Polish dishes such as Żurek sour soup, pierogi, kotlet schabowy (schnitzel), and more are available there.
Price range: 4 to 5 euros.
The best and cheap Pierogi in Krakow
“Pierogi,” meaning “dumplings,” is the name of a famous traditional Polish dish. You can eat them sweet, with blueberries and strawberries covered by sour cream and sugar. And salty, like pierogi with spinach, meat, or cabbage. My favorite is “Pierogi Ruskie,” which has potatoes and cottage cheese inside and a fried onion on top.
The place to go for the best pierogi in Krakow is called ”Pierogi MR Vincent.”
Located on Bożego Ciała 12 street in the heart of Kazimierz district.
A plate costs about 7 euros, which is very low price.
A Polish lesson:
Because “pierogi” is a plural noun, the “s” suffix is superfluous. It is incorrect to write “pierogis,” as I have seen in a few blog posts.
One dumpling is called a “pieróg.”
Multiple of them are “pierogi.”
The reason they are called pierogi is because they are always served in multiples of 8 to 16 piecies.
Polish dinner next to the Wawel Castle
To have dinner, the best place is at a Polish restaurant called “Pod Wawelem Kompania Kuflowa.”
They have a huge schnitzel and a great sour soup called Żurek. Look at the pictures below. Additionally, they have fantastic pierogi and large, locally brewed Polish beers.
The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and as a complimentary shot of Polish cherry sweet vodka is always brought to the table with a bill, it is the perfect finishing touch.
Because it gets crowded, it is best to either book a table ahead of time or wait a while. They should quickly find one for you.
It is located right next to the Wawel Castle on Świętej Gertrudy 26/29 street.
Price range: 9 to 18 euros.
The best place for a drink in Krakow
Forum Przestrzenie is where I usually meet up with friends when the weather gets nice. You can come there to sunbathe on their comfortable loungers, have a drink, eat something, or even take a balloon flight. The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful.
With a view of Wawel Castle, this place is right on the Vistula River. There is a wide variety of food and drink available inside.
During the communist era, it used to be a top Polish hotel. Upon its opening in the late 1980s, it was likely the most avant-garde structure of its type in the nation. Unfortunately, after only 12 years of operation, the facility was shut down. The nearby Vistula River soaked the foundations and flooded the cellars, causing structural defects that were listed as the reason for closure.
These days, it is a popular spot for Polish people and many tourists looking for a good time.
