Kraków in 5 days: a day-by-day itinerary
5 days in Kraków, planned stop by stop: when to arrive, how long to stay, how to get to the next place and roughly what it costs. Highlights include Rynek Główny (Main Market Square) & St. Mary's, Kazimierz Jewish Quarter & Old Synagogue and Koleje Małopolskie Train to Wieliczka.
- 5 days
- 26 stops
- About $398 per person
- Poland
Costs cover entry tickets and meals, not hotels or getting there. Some links are affiliate links; see the note at the bottom of the page.
Day 1 of 5
Main Market Square, Cloth Hall & Wawel Castle
6 stops · about $77 per person
- 09:0011:30
Rynek Główny (Main Market Square) & St. Mary's
Europe's largest medieval town square; listen to the trumpet call (hejnał) from St. Mary's tower.
Next: walk 2 min to the next stop
- 11:4513:00
Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) & Rynek Underground
14th-century merchant market and subterranean archaeological museum beneath the square.
Next: walk 5 min to the next stop
- 13:1514:30
Przystanek Pierogarnia / Pod Aniołami
Handmade Polish dumplings (ruskie, meat, forest mushroom) and borscht beetroot soup.
Next: walk 10 min to the next stop
- 14:4517:30
Wawel Royal Castle & Cathedral
Seat of Polish kings: Royal State Rooms, Sigismund Bell, and mythical Dragon's Den cave.
Next: walk 10 min to the next stop
- 18:0019:30
Vistula River Walk & Fire-Breathing Dragon
Stroll the riverbank to watch the bronze Wawel Dragon statue breathe real fire.
Next: walk 10 min to the next stop
- 20:0022:30
Restauracja Wierzynek (est. 1364)
Historic royal feast restaurant serving wild boar, venison loin, and traditional mead.
Day 2 of 5
Kazimierz Jewish Quarter & Schindler’s Factory
5 stops · about $40 per person
- 09:0012:00
Kazimierz Jewish Quarter & Old Synagogue
15th-century synagogues, Remuh Cemetery, and vibrant bohemian Szeroka street.
Next: walk 8 min to the next stop
- 12:1513:30
Plac Nowy (The Roundhouse)
Taste Kraków's famous Zapiekanka (giant toasted French bread with mushrooms and cheese).
Next: walk 15 min to the next stop
- 14:0016:45
Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory
Immersive exhibition detailing the Nazi occupation of Kraków and Schindler's rescue list.
Next: walk 10 min to the next stop
- 17:1519:00
Ghetto Heroes Square & Eagle Pharmacy
Monument of 70 empty bronze chairs commemorating the liquidation of the Jewish Ghetto.
Next: tram 15 min to the next stop
- 19:3022:00
Klezmer Hois / Starka
Traditional Jewish-Galician dining with live klezmer music and house-infused flavored vodkas.
Day 3 of 5
Day Trip to Wieliczka Underground Salt Mine
5 stops · about $78 per person
- 08:4509:30
Koleje Małopolskie Train to Wieliczka
20-minute direct train from Kraków Central to the UNESCO salt mine.
Next: walk 5 min to the next stop
- 09:4513:30
Wieliczka Salt Mine & St. Kinga's Chapel
Descend 135m underground to view colossal chapels, crystal chandeliers, and statues carved entirely of rock salt.
Next: train 25 min to the next stop
- 14:1515:30
Gospoda Koko
Generous traditional Polish home cooking: schnitzel, potato pancakes (placki), and sour rye soup (żurek).
Next: walk 10 min to the next stop
- 16:0018:00
Planty Park Green Ring & Barbican
Stroll the lush circular green belt park replacing the ancient medieval city walls.
Next: walk 5 min to the next stop
- 19:3022:00
Szara Gęś (Grey Goose)
Refined Polish gastronomy on the Main Square celebrated for its famous white chocolate goose egg dessert.
Day 4 of 5
Day Trip to Zakopane & Tatra Alpine Mountains
5 stops · about $70 per person
- 08:0010:15
Bus / Car south to Zakopane
Drive into the snowy jagged High Tatra Mountains on the border with Slovakia.
Next: funicular 5 min to the next stop
- 10:3013:30
Gubałówka Hill Funicular & Krupówki Street
Panoramic vistas of the Tatras and bustling highlander pedestrian avenue.
Next: walk 5 min to the next stop
- 13:4515:15
Bąkowo Zohylina Wyznio (Zakopane)
Wooden highlander cabin serving smoked sheep cheese (Oscypek with cranberry) and roasted lamb.
Next: bus 120 min to the next stop
- 17:4519:15
Jaszczurówka Chapel & Chochołów Village
Masterpiece wooden architecture built in the distinctive Zakopane style.
Next: transit 20 min to the next stop
- 20:3022:30
Kogel Mogel
Award-winning Polish culinary dining in quiet gardens serving roasted goose and homemade pasta.
Day 5 of 5
Collegium Maius, Nowa Huta & Fine Dining
5 stops · about $132 per person
- 09:3011:30
Collegium Maius (Jagiellonian University)
15th-century Gothic university courtyard where Nicolaus Copernicus studied.
Next: tram 20 min to the next stop
- 12:0014:30
Nowa Huta Socialist Realist City Tour
Fascinating planned Cold War model communist industrial city and steelworks.
Next: tram 20 min to the next stop
- 15:0016:30
Bar Mleczny 'Pod Temidą'
Authentic retro Polish communist-era 'Milk Bar' serving subsidized traditional meals.
Next: walk 10 min to the next stop
- 17:0018:30
Czartoryski Museum (Da Vinci)
View Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous masterpiece Lady with an Ermine.
Next: walk 10 min to the next stop
- 19:3022:30
Bottiglieria 1881 (2 Michelin Stars)
Poland's first 2-Michelin-starred culinary temple celebrating micro-seasonal Polish produce.
Before you go: Poland
- Currency
- Polish Zloty (PLN)
- Language
- Polish
- Plugs
- Type C, E, 230V / 50Hz
- Cars drive on the
- right
- Calling code
- +48
- Time zone
- UTC+1 (CET), UTC+2 in summer (CEST)
Want your phone to work the moment you land? Get an eSIM for Poland
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