Krakow 7-Day Itinerary

How this 7-day Krakow plan works

Poland grand loop — Krakow + Warsaw + Gdańsk

Each day below is grouped geographically so you spend your time in Krakow rather than in transit. MPK tram + bus network: 20-min PLN4, 60-min PLN6, 24h PLN17, 72h PLN35. Old Town is car-free + best walked; Kazimierz 15-min walk south. Uber + Bolt + FreeNow reliable (PLN15–30 typical). Kraków Główny station runs Pendolino to Warsaw 2h30, direct to Prague 7h + Budapest overnight. Balice airport S3 train PLN17 (20 min).

Day by day

• Day 1

  Day 1–3 — Krakow classic.

• Day 2

  Day 4 — Auschwitz day.

• Day 3

  Day 5 — Pendolino to Warsaw (2h30) + Stare Miasto + POLIN.

• Day 4

  Day 6 — Warsaw Rising Museum + Praga + Łazienki.

• Day 5

  Day 7 — Train Gdańsk (2h30 Baltic) + Solidarność Museum + Old Town + departure.

Where to base yourself

• Stare Miasto (Old Town)

  Rynek Główny + Cloth Hall + St Mary's + Wawel — Hotel Copernicus, Bonerowski Palace, Grand Hotel, Stary Hotel.

• Kazimierz (Jewish Quarter)

  Plac Nowy + Schindler's Factory + 6 synagogues — Metropolitan Boutique, Rubinstein Residence, Hotel Kazimierz.

• Podgórze

  Former WWII ghetto + MOCAK contemporary art + Ghetto Heroes Square — Qubus Kraków, Novotel Centrum.

• Nowa Huta

  Stalinist planned socialist city 6 km east — Communism-era architecture tours.

Best time to run this itinerary

May–June + September for warm sun (18–24°C) + St John's Fair + Wianki summer solstice festival. July–August peak (Jewish Culture Festival late June; Pierogi Festival mid-August). December for Christmas markets + szopka nativity-scene contest. January–February coldest (–5°C, snow) — cheapest hotels + magical Old Town in snow.

Before you go

• Book Auschwitz entry 3+ months ahead — free ticket but timed slots sell out fast in summer.

• Beware overpriced-drink 'stag party' bars on Floriańska + Szewska — bill scams enforced by bouncers.

• Rynek Underground Museum (medieval city under the square) PLN32 — book online, closed 2nd Monday of month.