3 Days in Krakow

Ready-to-Use Guide for your first weekend in Krakow!

Krakow is definitely one of the most amazing European cities!

That’s why to visit Krakow is a great idea.

You don't have much time?
Don't worry!
Krakow is a perfect city to spend the weekend!

Although there are many places to explore, you can see the most important sights and attractions in just 3 days. For your convenience, I've prepared a 3-day plan for you, so you can get the most out of your time spent in Krakow.

Ready?

Let's begin!

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Plan of your Weekend in Krakow

Although the weekend starts on Friday, I really recommend coming to Krakow already on Thursday. Not only will you experience more of this amazing city, but you'll have a chance to attend a Folk Show! That's something that will definitely get you in a good mood and will make you feel the great Polish vibe :)

Thursday evening (bonus day):

• Main Market Square (2h)
• Folk Show (3h 15min)

Friday:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum (7,5h)
• Krakow pub Crawl (2h) 

Saturday:

• Wieliczka Salt Mine (4h)
• Schindler's Factory (1,5h)

Sunday morning:

• Wawel Castle (1,5h)
• A wander by Vistula River

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And now let me tell you about each and every of those attractions:

Main Market Square

The city centre of Krakow is something that you definitely can not skip! It’s created by the network of lovely streets, rich architecture, important monuments of Polish history and crowded cafes that will totally steal your heart!

Krakow Market is the largest square in the city, and one of the largest in Europe at the same time (its edges are 200 meters long!).

On the Main Market Square you can find numerous important monuments. I dare to say without any doubts, it is the very heart of Krakow. And if you only have three days in Krakow for sightseeing you cannot miss places such as:

The Krakow Cloth Hall – a building for trade in which stalls most often sold cloth (“cloth”=“sukno” – hence the name: Sukiennice). It is worth emphasizing that for centuries Krakow's Cloth Hall has undergone many changes and the building that we can now admire is from the 19th century. Inside the building, you can admire the walls decorated with the coats of arms of Polish cities, guild emblems and seals.
Presently, in the lower part of the Cloth Hall, there are two rows of stalls – primarily offering souvenirs, Polish handicrafts and jewelry (including artworks made of amber).

Upstairs, the first floor houses the Gallery of Polish Painting and Sculpture of the 19th Century, which is a branch of the National Museum.

St. Mary's Church – is a Gothic church, one of the largest and most important churches in Krakow. The building has two towers – an 82-meter high tower and a slightly shorter 69-meter tower.
Something you must do in Krakow is to hear the bugle call which is played from the higher tower of St. Mary's Church. The characteristic melody of the bugle call is played four times at every full hour, towards the four corners of the earth. Inside the church, be sure to take notice of the beautiful 15th-century main altarpiece made by Veit Stoss.

The Church of St. Adalbert (Wojciech) – is a small baroque church located near the Cloth Hall. Tradition has it that it was here that St. Wojciech delivered his sermons and a wooden church was built to commemorate this. It is worth visiting, at least for a few moments, to see its interior and the exhibition of the history of the Main Square, which is located in the underground.

Main Square Underground – is a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow located under the eastern part of the Main Market Square. The facility presents both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The permanent exhibition is a must-see if you are going to spend three days in Krakow – it offers a pleasurable and exciting multimedia show. Visiting the Underground of the Market Square is like setting off on a journey through time back to the Middle Ages where you learn about the history of Krakow.

It is also worth noticing that the Royal Road, which was the main communication route of the medieval city, leads from the Florian Gate to the Wawel Royal Castle and runs through the Main Market Square. Following the Royal Road is a perfect idea for an afternoon walk - it is worth including in a Krakow 3 day itinerary.

The Main Market Square is also a place of numerous festivals, concerts, fairs and presentations.

Nowadays Krakow Main Square is the most buzzing place in the city with a unique artistic and folk atmosphere. The market itself is worth a few hours of exploring. While you're in there, take a look at the beautiful Cloth Hall, Saint Mary's Basilica and the Town Hall Tower!

Polish Folk Show and traditional dinner

Get ready to feel some amazing Polish culture!

Meet Polish cuisine, music, dances and see for yourself what does it mean to experience Poland entirely. 

Enjoy a wonderful evening in a beautiful scenery, admire traditional live Polish music, dances, and taste delicious food, see the cottage style restaurant with a view of Kryspinów lake. 

After such a party you'll feel like a true Pole!

Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum  

Krakow offers a lot not only in the city centre area but also around it. In this way, it’s good to seize the opportunity and see Auschwitz Concentration Camp when visiting Krakow.

Why is it worth to leave the city for that trip?

Auschwitz-Birkenau is probably one of the saddest proof of human cruelty in the world. We recommend you to visit Auschwitz as you may have the most remarkable history lesson in your life.

The museum hosts both a permanent main exhibition and several smaller exhibitions prepared by other countries to commemorate their citizens. In Auschwitz, you can see over 150 buildings, about 300 ruins, authentic fences and roads, and a huge collection of items that remained after the evacuation of the camp – including prisoners’ clothes, everyday items, suitcases and glasses.

Krakow Pub Crawl

Now something really fun! 

Don't Google best bars and pubs in Krakow, don't stand in queues in front of trendy clubs. Visit the best bars, where you'll be offered a free first shot, to feel Polish hospitality! 

Taste the best alcohol, see the most interesting places and have the most fun!

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Wieliczka Salt Mine was opened in the 13th century as one of the world oldest salt mines located near Krakow. It reaches almost 327 meters below the ground and has over 287 kilometres. That's a lot of walking!

But it's so worth it! You'll get to know some history, see the beautiful interiors of the mine and breathe in clean, therapeutic air!

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Poland – even if you only have 3 days in Krakow, it's worth visiting. Especially when you consider that it only takes about 30 minutes ride by a direct train or bus to get there.

A dozen or so underground chambers are open to visitors, where among others, you can see chapels, an underground lake and numerous salt sculptures carved by miners who worked in Wieliczka. The biggest jewel of the mine is the chapel of St. Kinga which is decorated with beautiful crystal chandeliers (made of salt, of course), and  with unique reliefs carved on its walls.

What's more, the Wieliczka Salt Mine offers several sightseeing options. Many tourists choose the most classic option, that is, the Tourist Route. It leads through all the most important chambers of the mine, and during the journey the guide tells the story of the place and explains how salt was once extracted. Of course, tours are conducted in various languages – not only English, but also German or French and so on.

Another interesting option – especially for those who need more excitement, is the Mining Route. Following this trail takes the form of an active hike. First, participants receive mining gear – a protective suit, helmet and a lamp. Secondly, they follow a completely different paths than in the Tourist Route, so for example they do not visit Saint Kinga's Chapel, but instead they are able to perform real mining tasks assigned to them by an experienced guide. By choosing the Mining Route, you will be able to examine the level of methane concentration, try your hand at salt transport or rope braiding and see for yourself how salt mining was once performed.

A cross one of the UNESCO World Heritage place off your list :)