As someone who grew up eating lazy pierogi every holiday due to my Polish ancestry, I’d always been interested in going to Poland. While I wish I had more time there, I was lucky enough to spend some time in Kraków. I loved the dragon lore, the medieval history, and the delicious food. Kraków is also a sister city of Rochester, New York (very close to my hometown!), meaning the cities foster cultural connection and collaboration.

I am a backpacker and budget traveler, so the itinerary is budget-friendly with free to-do recommendations!

✨The Basics

Language: Many people know English well enough, but it’s good to know some key phrases in Polish, especially if you plan to head more rural.
– Hello: Cześć (cheshch)
– Good morning/good day → Dzień dobry (jen DOH-brih)
– Thank you → Dziękuję (jen-KOO-yeh)
– Do you speak English? → Pani po angielsku? (pah-nee poh an-GYEL-skoo)

Currency: Poland uses the złoty (PLN). The symbol is zł. While cards are widely accepted in Kraków, it’s always good to have some cash handy anywhere. The złoty is equivalent to ~0.27 USD and 0.24 euro. 

*Always choose to be charged in złoty (not your home currency) to avoid dynamic currency conversion fees on your card.

Getting around: Kraków has a great tram system, and buses where there are no tram lines. The tickets are valid on both trams and buses. They’re split into 20 min, 60 min/single journey, and 24 hour tickets. The city is also super walkable. Driving isn’t recommended for visitors.

*The kiosks at tram stations can be finicky with foreign cards. I recommend using the Jakdojade app to purchase tickets on your phone. Ticket inspectors can work in regular clothes, so you never really know if you’ll come across one. If you do, they’ll charge a fine if you do not have a valid ticket.

Below is my personal itinerary for my four day stay in Kraków. At the bottom, I include links for other interesting sights, food, and museums that you should definitely check out if you have longer to explore!

🗓4 Day Itinerary

Day 1:
1.) Explore the Old Town area
– Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) is Europe’s largest medieval
square
– St Mary’s Basilica has an hourly trumpet call, called hejnał
2.) Walk up Wawel Hill
– Tour the Wawel Castle – it has Royal Apartments and a Treasury
– See the Wawel Cathedral’s royal tombs
– Watch the Dragon Statue (Smok Wawelski) breathe fire every ten
minutes
3.) Eat pierogis at a traditional Polish restaurant (and try the strawberries and cream for something different!)

4.) Stroll along the Vistula River boulevards at sunset

Day 2:
1.) Take a half-day guided tour through Auschwitz and Birkenau.
This tour is an emotional and difficult one, but it’s incredibly important to remember and reflect upon this piece of history
2.) See the Old Synagogue and Remuh Synagogue in Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter. This district is also full of beautiful street art!
3.) Go to Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum 

Day 3:
1.) Morning trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Enjoy salt sculptures and the biggest underground chapel in the world!

2.) Afternoon Vistula River Cruise to relax see the city from a different point of view
3.) Try Kielbasa at “Sausages from the blue Nysa”. This is a blue food truck on the side of the road, and seriously the best kielbasa…I even came back the next day for it!
Since they don’t open until later, I’d recommend wandering into Kraków’s night markets beforehand. There are lots of artisan markets, and themed ones (like the pierogi festival where you can try Oreo pierogis).

Day 4:
1.) Collegium Maius Museum visit (oldest university building in Poland, founded in the 1300s). You can enter the courtyard and see the architecture even if you skip the paid museum.
2.) Walk down Ulica Kanonicza, one of Kraków’s oldest streets, to see Renaissance houses and museums 
3.) Enjoy the National Museum in Krakow 
4.) Stroll through the Planty Gardens
5.) Dinner at a milk bar. Milk bars are where the locals go to eat, and you get a whole lot of delicious Polish food for a good price…great for budget-traveling!

🍽 Restaurants To Try

– Restauracja U Babci Maliny → hearty Polish comfort food, try the potato pancakes

– NOAH → blend of Polish and Israeli foods

– Pod Aniołami → medieval vibes and grilled meats

– Starka (Kazimierz) – try the homemade vodka

– Pod Róża → quality Polish dishes

🖼 Other Free Activities (click the links for more information)

– Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) – window shop and enjoy the historic architecture

– Florańska Street & Royal Route – take the path kings once took to Wawel Castle

– Dragon’s Den (Smocza Jama) – peek into the cave near the river…Poles love their dragon lore

– Have a picnic at Błonia Park

– Check online for concerts and cultural events – many churches and squares will offer free events on certain days

– Check online for local festivals

– Church of St Francis of Assisi for beautiful frescoes

– Explore Nowa Huta, a communist-era district with unique architecture

– Galeria Krakowska sometimes has free art exhibitions or installations

– MOCAK Sculpture Garden – the outside is free

🎨Other Museums in Kraków, because I’m a museum gal (click the links for more information)

– Rynek Underground – located beneath the Main Market Square, you can go on a journey through Kraków’s medieval history

– Galicia Jewish Museum – focuses on the history and culture of Galicia Jews

– MNK Czartoryski Museum – da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine is housed here

– Ethnographic Museum – Polish folk culture and traditions

– Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology – traditional and contemporary Japanese art works

– Eagle Pharmacy – exhibits the fascinating story of the pharmacy that operated during WWII

– Geological Museum – for anyone who (like me) loves rocks

– Polish Aviation Museum – one of the largest aviation museums in the world

– The Jan Matejko House – former residence of the famous Polish painter, now a museum dedicated to his life and art

I hope you enjoy your time in Kraków, Poland as much as I did! Follow my Instagram @emmathibodeauu and TikTok @stepsineverycorner to follow my journey and get varied recommendations. Thanks for visiting!

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Enjoy your time in Kraków! Follow my Instagram @emmathibodeauu and my TikTok @stepsineverycorner for travel updates and dives into other topics.

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