Kraków
- aishacassiewilliam
- Apr 19, 2023
- 14 min read
If you were to ask me for a perfect European long weekend break destination, Kraków, located in southern Poland, will always be my top recommendation. But honestly, you can stay so much longer than that - This Polish gem is a backpackers and weekend-breakers paradise!
I first visited Kraków on a year 10 history trip and was determined ever since to come back. It was one of our 'must visits' when we were planning our Interailling trip and our 3 night visit turned into a week, which turned into a month when we came back later on in the year.
The city was generally spared throughout WWII, so the old town remains well preserved and feels like somewhere designed by Disney - UNESCO seems to agree as the whole old town is listed as a world heritage site. There is a magic to Kraków, I've spent so many hours just wandering around, admiring the architecture and learning about the rich history, myths and legends that surround the city. I've also spent my fair share of time knocking back flavoured vodka, gorging on pierogi and oscypek and singing karaoke until the wee hours. See, theres something for everyone!
Whats best? they don't use the euro baby! Kraków is an incredibly affordable city to travel whether your backpacking or just on a weekend break.
The people are kind, the food is comforting, the nightlife is bumping, the history is rich and fascinating, and there is so much to do - Let me show you our favourite spots and hopefully give you some ideas for exploring this absolute gem of a place on an instant noodle budget.
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Best Time to Go
Any time! Honestly, Kraków is one of those cities where you can visit year round and you'll have a good time. School holidays are generally best avoided (as is the case for anywhere!) but it doesn't matter all that much!
We visited in early May and November - December. The weather was just warming up in May and we spent a lot of time picnicking in the sunshine and wandering around the city. Temperatures generally get up to around 25°c in the summer, so it's not too hot, but still nice to be sat outside sampling the different flavoured vodkas. On the flip side, Polish winters are cold and snowy - Christmas markets set up in Kraków's main square and the whole place looks like it should be on the front a Christmas card. You'll find bars and restaurants with open fires and ultimate cosy vibes! Just remember to bring a good warm coat!
Accommodation
When it comes to accommodation in Kraków, I have a definite favourite place to stay. However, I will still recommend a couple more places that I know to be/heard are also great! Another option I wont delve into properly, but is definitely worth checking out is Airbnb. There are some real stunning options for crazy good prices around the city. This will almost always be your best option if you're travelling as a group.
In terms of location, you cant really go wrong as Kraków is pretty tiny and easy to get around. However, if you want specific locations, I would advise either staying in the old town (centre), or around Kazimierz (the Jewish quarter). That being said, you can stay anywhere on this side of the river and you'll be close to bars/shops/restaurants and the main attractions.
See below for my top Hostel recommendations.
Note, all prices are midweek, for a single person in May 2023. All prices and ratings are from Hostelworld.com.
Name | Price per night | Rating (/10) | Pros | Cons |
Greg&Tom's Beer House | £18 (10 bed mixed dorm) | 9.5 | This is my number 1 pick for Kraków. Huge breakfast, dinner and 1 hour free beer included in your stay. Staff are wonderful, hostel is super clean and incredibly social. Location is fantastic, Internet is great, Kitchen is great, common areas are great - one of my absolute faves! | If I had to say one, it would just be that the beds aren't the most comfy - but that's just nitpicking! |
Greg&Tom's Party Hostel | £17 (10 bed mixed dorm) | 9.2 | Again, huge breakfast and dinner included. Hostel again is super clean, staff are lovely, common spaces are really nice and also has a nice TV room and well equipped kitchen. | Despite being the 'party' hostel, it's not as social as the beer house hostel. There also aren't a huge amount of bathrooms. |
Greg&Toms Hostel | £20 (6 bed mixed dorm) | 9.5 | Again, huge breakfast and dinner included. Close to the train station so super easy to get to! Great common spaces and kitchen. Quieter atmosphere, ideal for older travellers or digital nomads. | Some complaints with the number of bathrooms but your best option if you're working while travelling! |
Little Havana party hostel | £11 (14 bed mixed dorm) | 9.2 | One of the cheapest hostels in the city. Breakfast included and super social. Location is also great! | This is a party hostel and attached to a popular nightclub - expect noise until 3-4am. Some reports of there not being enough bathrooms. |
Let's Rock Party Hostel | £12 (14 bed mixed dorm) | 8.9 | Free breakfast and super social hostel. Location is also great and runs a nightly pub crawl for an additional fee. Staff are super lovely and big party vibes. | Again, this is a party hostel so expect some noise. Some complaints about there not being enough bathrooms. |
Things To do
There are SO many things to do in Kraków, like SO many things. The best part? It's super affordable! So many museums even have free entry days too, so you can do even more on a low Budget!
Auschwitz-Birkenau - For us, this is an incredibly important visit if you come to Kraków. It is of course a sad day out, but when visiting a city so steeped in history - we think it's always worth spending a little more to learn about it. This is a full day trip and absolutely worth the money if you ask us! Most hostels will offer tours including transfers and guides for around the £20 mark. Alternatively you'll find lots of tours on websites like getyourguide.com. Tip! You will need a guide and a transfer. Its incredibly difficult to get to the museum from the city by public transport and having a guide will ensure you get the best out of your visit (for the most part you cant even enter Auschwitz without a guide).
Free walking tours - As always, we love a free walking tour! There are quite a few options for different tours in the city - we did the old town and Wawel castle tour which focused more on the general history of the city - we highly reccommend! If you have time, try to do the jewish quarter and Ghetto tour too - This will give you more information and context on the WWII history. You can book both these tours and more on Guruwalks.com.
Wawel Castle - You can wander around the castle grounds and gardens for free, and its absolutely beautiful! You can pay to enter different parts of the castle, prices range between 5PLN (£1) - 35PLN (£7) depending on the area you'd like to see. However, we were happy enough walking around the gardens and grounds! Keep an eye out for the dragon - and if you hang around you may even catch him breathing fire! (Note, You can enter some areas of the castle for free on a Monday between 9:30am and 1pm. Just collect a ticket from the ticket office at the castle.)
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory Museum - Fascinating museum detailing the history of kraków prior to and during WWII. You can learn about Oskar Schindler (and the real 'Schindlers List' story) in Schindlers actual office. There is also a lot of information here about the Jewish Ghetto during WWII. Super informative museum - You can get a tour for an extra 30 PLN (£5.70) but it's easy to navigate yourself - just leave yourself quite a lot of time because there is a lot of information on display! Standard tickets are 32 PLN (£6.10). Note, there are a limited number of free entry tickets available on Mondays, you can get these online here.
Eagle pharmacy museum - Located in the Jewish Ghetto area, this small museum details the role of the pharmacy in saving many Jews from being sent to the death camps. The museum is still in the style of the pharmacy and you open draws/cabinets to learn about individual stories and the history of the Ghetto. Standard adult tickets are 14PLN (£2.60). Note, Entry to this museum is free on Thursdays.
St. Mary's Basilica - After a wander around the main square and the cloth market, you can call in St. Mary's Basilica for a look around. It's absolutely beautiful and a UNESCO world heritage site (a UNESCO within a UNESCO, UNSECOception!). You can enter the church Monday - Saturday between 11:30am - 6pm and on Sunday between 2pm - 6pm. A donation of 15PLN (£2.88) is required. Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled though, every hour on the hour the bugle player will appear in the windows at the top of one of the towers and play his famous bugle call (and give you a wave after - precious!) just make sure to be standing in the main square to spot him!
Viewpoints - There are three towers in the main square in Kraków's old town which you can climb for panoramic views over the city. Two are located within the church, these the Bell tower and the Bugle tower. The Bugle tower is open from April - December and entry is 20PLN (£3.84) whereas the Bell tower is open December - April and entry is 15PLN (£2.88). The other option is the Town Hall tower, also located in the old town square, entry is 14PLN (£2.69).
Krakus Mound - Great for a free view over the city and the perfect picnic spot if the sun is shining.
Wieliczka Salt Mine - Not an essential visit and maybe a little high for the budget traveller budget - however I LOVE the salt mines. They are super beautiful and a fun day out. Plus you can easily get there on public transport! Head to the train station and get the blue and orange Koleje Malopolskie train to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia and walk 10 minutes to the mine from there (trains run every half an hour and cost 5.50PLN (£1.06) one way! You can buy tickets to the salt mine online here, costing 116 PLN (£22.14) for a guided tour of the tourist route (recommended).
Wander Around! - This city is an absolute gem for just strolling around. You can walk around the old town centre, the Jewish District (Kazimierz), the old Jewish Ghetto, the castle district - just take in all the sights, sounds, memorials - I've noted a few points of interest worth seeing on my google map below!
Places to Eat/Drink
Kraków is known for its nightlife - people flock to the city over the weekends to experience the city's buzzing party scene and sample all the flavours of vodka. I love the absolute abundance of quirky bars and restaurants where you can get some insanely good food and drink in really cosy, kooky settings. If you fancy spending a couple of quid more, there a number of Michelin guide (and one Michelin star) restaurants around the city - I'm not about to include them in a budget guide, but you can find them here if you're interested (and want to try some fancy food at cheaper than normal prices!).
I'll give you a run down of what you'll find in particular areas of the city, and some specific recommendations a little further down!
Areas
Old town - Here you'll find most accommodation and most nightclubs/more generic bars. As is always the case, avoid eating on the main square - it looks nice but the quality is lower and prices are so much higher than necessary! There are great restaurants and places to eat in the old town, just avoid the main square!
Kazimierz - This is the jewish district and definitely the home of the best and cheapest food as well as the coolest quirky bars and pubs! Prices are lower and its definitely my preferred area for a night out!
Restaurants
Resto Bar Pierogarnia Zielony Kredens - Our friends discovered this little gem as it was featured on the 'Travel Man' episode! Located in the Old Town you can get a soup and Pierogi for just 30PLN (£5.70) expect a warm welcome from the lush staff and ultimate cosy vibes!
Okrąglak - More of a street food kind of vibe - located in the centre of Kazimierz you can get cheap takeaway style food - perfect for lining your stomach before hitting the bars. be sure to try Zapiekanka (Polish 'pizza').
Przystanek Pierogarnia - A great little place where you can try a selection box of 10 pierogi in a variety of flavours for 20PLN (£3.82). Be sure to try the strawberry ones too!
Restauracja Polska - Traditional polish food for great prices - we didn't actually get in here because it was so busy! Try to go earlier/on a weekday to ensure you get a table!
Milkbar Tomasza - Milkbars were opened in Kraków during the communist era and provided government subsidised, local food in a cafeteria style setting. Today, they're a great place to try some traditional food at super low prices - they're also great places for breakfast! This is a particularly good one in the old town.
Glonojad - A fully vegetarian/vegan restaurant serving more international dishes at low prices! We haven't been but reviews are good and it sounds like a great option for all the veggie/vegan pals out there.
Bars
Banialuka - My sweet sweet Banialuka!! There are 3 of these Banialuka pubs in the old town, they are essentially the Wetherspoons of Kraków, but they firmly have my heart. You can get a pint for 7PLN (£1.34), shots for 6PLN (£1.15) and some insanely cheap food! They're open until like 6am too? perfect for pres, afters, or just staying all night (but there deffo are some nicer spots in town!)
Alchemia - This was a discovery by my parents! This beautiful bar in Kazimierz is candle lit and super quirky - you access the back rooms by stepping through a wardrobe! There's even a club underneath if you fancy a boogy! Drinks are pretty cheap and the place is just such a vibe! Highly recommend!
Propaganda Pub - Another quirky pub in Kazimierz - and one of the oldest too! Decor is super eclectic and fun, drinks are cheap, vibes are great!
Pijalnia wódki i piwa - Okay this is a polish chain (maybe this one is actually the polish Spoons?) - there are two in the old town and one in Kazimierz and all serve drinks and food starting at 5zl (95p).
Wodka Cafe bar - Vodka bar located in the old town perfect for sampling different flavours of vodka! 6 sample tasting trays start at 49PLN (£9.36) and single shots start at 8PLN (£1.53)
Cafe Szał - This is such a hidden gem! Go into the museum entrance in the cloth hall in the main square, instead of entering the museum, go up the stairs to this hidden cafe. You get the best views over the square and can sip some tasty cocktails for really good prices! Note, the cafe is completely open air so it's only open when the weather is good!
If You Fancy a Dance or a Sing
Let's sing Karaoke bar - This cracking underground Karaoke bar is free entry and has nightly drink offers. The staff are lovely and the vibes are fun and bouncy. It's more of a touristy bar so expect to hear/sing songs you know! Note, the Krakow Animals crawl will arrive at around 11-11:30pm, its a tiny bar so expect it to get super busy at this time!
Klub Kulturalny - This is another karaoke bar, but is more of a locals place - but still super welcoming! Don't expect to hear many songs you know, but expect good times and the occasional string quartet (?) to appear! Note, if you start singing High School Musical - you're gonna get some confused looks!
La Bodega del Ron - Okay, there are loads of clubs in Krakow, but that's not really my scene! I have highlighted a few that I can remember on my map, but expect higher drinks prices in Kraków's nightclubs! As far as clubs go though, I remember this place being a laugh!
Krakow Animals Bar Crawl - Not a bar or a club, rather a bar crawl. These guys will show you around Kraków's clubs and is a great opportunity for meeting fellow travellers! You can Pre-book online for 69PLN (£13.17), or 45PLN (£8.59) on Thursdays. Tickets include a hour free drinks (spirits and beers) and drinking games in Lets rock party hostel, free entry to 4-5 clubs and welcome shots in each place. Note, this is definitely an 18-30 kind of vibe (or if you're young at heart!) and is more of a 'club crawl' than a 'bar crawl'.
Getting around
It's important to note that much of the old town is pedestrianised - so there aren't too many options for getting 'door to door' transport if you're staying/planning on visiting somewhere within the old town. Just be aware that you may need to walk from tram stops/roads to get where you need to be!
The City Centre
Fortunately kraków is a really small city and super easy to navigate on foot! Always good for saving those pennies! That being said, if you'd prefer to travel by public transport/taxi, you have quite a few affordable options.
There is an extensive tram network that serves the city. There are 22 daytime lines and 3 nighttime lines which run every 5 - 20 minutes. Single tickets start from 3.80PLN (70p), timed tickets start at 20 minute tickets for 3.40PLN (60p) and 24 hour tickets start at 15PLN (£2.86). Single journeys can be bought from the driver, whereas travel cards can be purchased from ticket vending machines and ticket offices.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to travel by taxi, you can use Uber and generally prices are low outside of peak hours!
From The Airport
The cheapest, and quickest way into the town centre from the airport is via the airport train. The train station is basically inside of the airport and the journey only takes around 20 minutes. Tickets cost 17PLN (£3.25) and trains run every hour from 5am til midnight. The central train station in Kraków is called Krakow Glowny and the line is SKA1.
Alternatively you can get a taxi from the airport. Again, Uber will be your cheapest option - but this does depend on the time of day!
From The Train Station
Kraków Glowny is the main train station and is located in close proximity to the old town! If you're staying here, you'll most likely be within walking distance!
That being said, there are several tram stops just outside the station which serve the city - just use google maps' public transport directions function to find the correct line!
Currency and ATMs
Just the basics when it comes to money
Currency: Polish Zloty (PLN/zl) - approx 5zl≈£1, 4.50zl≈€1, 4zl≈1USD, 3zl≈1AUD.
Best ATMs: There are so many ATMs in the city centre that don't charge withdrawal fees! Generally look for ATMs attached to banks, and avoid Euronet ATMs at all costs!
Cash Vs. Card: Almost all shops, bars, restaurants will accept card! There will be some exceptions though, so make sure to have some cash!
Safety
Generally I have always felt safe in Kraków, both in the day and at night, alone and with a group. However I have heard a few horror stories - most of which are alcohol related.
Firstly, avoid strip clubs! You'll see promoters around the city and even in other bars/clubs handing our flyers/inviting you into clubs. Just don't! They generally target drunk men, and once they've got you inside they're either gonna charge you astronomical prices for drinks, or just straight up rob you. I've heard situations even escalating beyond this so just have your wits about you and avoid strip clubs at all costs.
Don't drink in the street! With the popularity of krakow among stag/hen dos I know it will probably come as a surprise to many (Brits) that drinking in the street isn't allowed! But seriously, don't risk it! Drinking in public is illegal in Poland - even as far as you can't bring drinks outside bars onto the street if you're just popping out for a smoke. Police frequently patrol touristy areas handing out fines left right and centre. Just wait until you're safely inside a bar!
Bouncers carry pepper spray and they're not afraid to use it! If a bouncer asks you to leave or move or whatever, don't argue it and don't fight it. If they decide to spray you thats the rest of your night and probably the next day ruined - just do as they say and avoid attracting attention!
Kraków is generally a safe city, just keep your wits about you, don't be a dick and don't drink in the street!
My Map
I've put all of my suggestions above onto this super handy, colour coded (stunning) Google map. Restaurants and bars I have highlighted appear when using the single £ sign filter - hence are some of the cheapest places to eat and drink around the city. Remember to download the map if you don't have a sim card/data in Poland so you always have access!
TLDR - What Are Your Top Tips?
If you can, stay at Greg and Tom's Beer House Hostel - Delicious free breakfast, free dinner, a free hour of beer every night in a super social, clean hostel with 100/10 staff - it doesn't get any better!
Try Pierogi - Make sure you try Poland's national dish! There are so many great places to have it, my personal faves are Resto Bar Pierogarnia Zielony Kredens (pierogi and soup for 30zl in the cutest little restaurant), or Przystanek Pierogarnia (try a variety of different flavours for just 20zl).
Don't miss Kazimierz - AKA, the Jewish quarter. Find Kraków's quirkiest bars and restaurants serving delicious food and drinks for cheaper than most places in the old town.
Hit Banialuka or Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa - Definitley not the prettiest of kraków's bars but great for drinks at bargain prices!
Learn about the Holocaust and WWII at Auschwitz-Birkenau. An incredibly sad, though super important day out, a must do when visiting Kraków. Make sure you book a tour with transfers as it is not easy to get to using public transport. Guides will be included in these tours - You cant really go to Auschwitz without one.
Remember, a lot of museums/attractions have free entry days! Be sure to double check and book tickets online. Schindler's factory museum - free on Mondays, The Eagle Pharmacy - Free on Thursdays, Wawel castle - free on monday between 9:30am -1pm etc.
If you want to discover Krakow's club scene, Join the Krakow Animal's bar crawl. From Just 69PLN (£13.17), you get an hour of free drinking at Let's Rock party hostel and their lovely guides will show you around Kraków's best nightclubs and karaoke bars. Don't expect to be in bed before 5am! You can book tickets here.
Don't drink in the street! Its super illegal and police are always on the lookout - avoid those fines!
Never go to strip clubs! You will get scammed/robbed or worse! just avoid them!
Avoid eating at restaurants directly on the main square - Prices are higher and quality is lower, venture further afield and you'll find better options!
Instant Noodle recommendation - Złoty
Flavour: Veggies (Onion and garlic?)
Rating (/5): 5!
Comments: A true fave! The noodle texture is perfection and the broth is warming and comforting! Its one of our firm favourites and you can even get them in Polish shops/the Foreign food section of most UK supermarkets!
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