Krakow in 5 days: our complete city trip itinerary

Our first stop was the Main Market Square, or Rynek Główny. From here we started to explore the historic centre at a relaxed pace.

One of the first sights we visited was the Bazylika Mariacka (St. Mary's Basilica). The church is right on the Main Market Square and is one of the places you will quickly come across on a first walk through Krakow.

A fun fact about this basilica: every hour a trumpeter plays a traditional tune that stops abruptly, the Hejnał. The story goes that long ago the watchman in the tower wanted to warn the residents about the Mongols surrounding Krakow. While he was warning the residents with the melody, he was shot with a bow and arrow. To this day the Hejnał is still honoured by having a real trumpeter play the melody every hour.

After walking around, it was time for a drink. We went to Bierhalle and enjoyed a drink there while we slowly got into the rhythm of Krakow. Definitely recommended if you want a really good beer in Krakow.

In the evening we ate at Morskie Oko. A Polish restaurant, and for us straight away a great opportunity to get to know Polish cuisine.

Among other things we tried pierogi, one of the best-known Polish dishes: dumplings with different kinds of filling. You can get them filled with meat, cheese, potato or spinach, for example. After that we ordered a meat platter. The menu said it was for 2 people, but the four of us struggled to finish it.

A delicious first taste of Polish cuisine.

We had booked a bike tour in advance with Mijn Krakau Tours. This company was founded by a young Dutch couple and offers various tours in Krakow.

We started with the Complete Krakow bike tour.

On this bike tour you discover various highlights of Krakow in about three hours. The route is about eight kilometres long and mostly flat. In our experience that makes the bike tour very doable, even if you are not a keen cyclist.

What we especially liked was that we went out with a Dutch-speaking guide. The guide knew an enormous amount about Krakow and told the history of the city in a fun and humorous way. So no boring history lesson.

During the tour you not only get information about the famous sights, you also learn more about the city itself. That made it a great way for us to get to know Krakow quickly. There is a short break halfway. We used this time to try a typical Polish bread, the obwarzanek krakowski. This is a braided ring-shaped bread that is boiled and sprinkled with salt and sesame or poppy seeds. Very tasty.

⚠️ Good to know: We recommend a bike tour at the start of your city trip. You see a lot of the city in a short time and immediately get a better idea of where you want to go back to later on your own.

After the first bike tour we were asked whether we would also like to join the Hidden Krakow bike tour in the afternoon.

We hesitated for a moment. After all, the first tour had already taken about three hours and this tour also takes about three hours. Still, we decided to join. Looking back, we were glad we did.

This bike tour is about twelve kilometres long and here too the route is mostly flat. The big difference with the first tour is that you go looking for the lesser-known places in Krakow.

You cycle with a Dutch-speaking guide to places that many tourists would not come across by themselves. That way you not only get to know the famous side of Krakow, but also learn more about the story behind the city.

We therefore found this bike tour absolutely recommended and a great addition to your city trip to Krakow.

It is possible to do both tours in one day, but bear in mind that you will be on the bike for about six hours.

We found that very doable, but for some people it may be quite a lot. You are not only cycling a lot; you also get quite a bit of information during both tours.

We actually loved the combination: first discovering the most important places in Krakow and then looking at the lesser-known sides of the city.

Besides bike tours, Mijn Krakau Tours also offers other tours, including walking and drinks tours and tailor-made tours. If you would rather explore the city by bike on your own, you can rent bikes from Mijn Krakau Tours from 10 euros per (half) day.

Our bike tours ended in Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter of Krakow. Since we were there anyway, we decided to spend the evening in this neighbourhood.

We first went to Nowy Kraftowy, a beer bar with lots of different beers on tap.

Other nice places nearby are Mleczarnia Ogródek, a café with a garden, and Wódka Café Bar, where you can do a vodka tasting.

For dinner we went to Hevre. We also recommend this restaurant, although it does not serve typical Polish food. They have a beer here called Rżnięte, where you get 2 kinds of beer in 1 glass. The top layer is a bit sweeter and the bottom layer more bitter, which makes for a surprisingly tasty beer. For dessert we had an iconic Polish dessert: the kremówka. It is best compared to a Dutch tompouce (a custard slice), but with crispy puff pastry.

💰 Budget tip: By eating street food during the day and choosing a restaurant in the evening, you can easily alternate between cheaper and more extensive meals during a city trip.

Through Mijn Krakau Tours we got in touch with Travelmine.pl. They offer various tours, including visits to the salt mines, day trips to Zakopane and various other activities.

For Auschwitz-Birkenau there are several options. For example, you can choose a private transfer, a guide with a larger group or a smaller group. You can also choose an earlier or later departure.

We chose a private transfer with an early-morning visit to Auschwitz in a small group on site.

At 6.15 am our driver picked us up in a smart, new minivan. From Krakow we drove straight to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The drive took about an hour and a half.

Our driver arranged the tickets and we could skip the queue for ticket control and security via a separate entrance.

After ticket control and security we met our guide and formed a group of about fifteen people. The tour was in English.

⚠️ Good to know: Bring your ID card or passport when you visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. Without valid identification you will not be allowed onto the site.

In about an hour and a half we walked through Auschwitz and visited several barracks. Several rooms still contain personal belongings of people who were deported to the camp during the Second World War.

The stories of our guide, combined with what you actually see, made a deep impression.

After Auschwitz we had a short break. Then it was time to go to Birkenau.

With our driver it took about five minutes to get from Auschwitz to Birkenau. Our guide was waiting for us there again.

The tour of Birkenau took about an hour.

We walked across the enormous site and were told what took place here during the Second World War. We also visited some of the barracks that still remain. This camp and the guide's stories also made a deep impression on us.

After the visit it was time to head back to Krakow. It was quiet in the minivan. Everyone was clearly busy with what we had just seen and processing it. We were back in Krakow around 1.30 pm.

⚠️ Good to know: After Auschwitz-Birkenau, consciously plan some free time in your day. We had not planned any heavy activity for the afternoon and found that pleasant. After a visit like this you may want some time to let everything sink in.

In the afternoon we wanted to see a completely different side of Krakow again. We started at Stary Kleparz, a local market.

Here you see locals doing their shopping and you can find vegetables, meat, cheese and other local delicacies, among other things.

From the market we walked towards the Barbican, Krakow's former fortification and city gate. From here a straight route runs towards the Main Market Square and eventually the Wawel Castle complex. This is known as the Royal Route.

Along the way you pass various shops. So if you like shopping, this is a great place to have a look around too.

From the Royal Route we walked towards the grounds of the Wawel Castle complex.

Wawel Royal Castle is a fortified castle on a hill. It was built in the 14th century and later further embellished in various styles. We walked around the grounds and also took a look at the inner courtyard.

On the advice of Mijn Krakau Tours we decided not to buy a ticket for the castle. We did buy a ticket for Wawel Cathedral. You can buy this ticket directly at the ticket office near the cathedral. During our visit a ticket cost 26 złoty, about €6.

Inside, the cathedral is all splendour and grandeur. You can also climb the bell tower. That is about seventy steps, going up via wooden stairs and narrow passages. A small challenge, but at the top you are rewarded with a beautiful view over the city.

The cathedral crypts are also open to visitors. Here you will find the royal tombs and the graves of Polish kings, queens, national heroes and poets, among others.

📸 Photo tip: At Wawel, do not just take your time for the castle and the cathedral, but also look around as you walk across the grounds. From the hill you have beautiful views over the surroundings.

After visiting the Wawel Castle complex it was time for dinner.

We sat down at Miód Malina, an atmospheric Polish restaurant. Among other things we ordered placki ziemniaczane with goulash. These are crispy potato pancakes served with stewed meat. Very tasty and another great introduction to Polish cuisine.

After dinner we moved on to the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. We had bought tickets here for a small-scale classical music concert by the Cracow Chamber Orchestra of St Maurice.

The orchestra has a different programme every day. We went to The Best Classics, with works by Handel, Chopin and Vivaldi, among others.

We are not big fans of classical music ourselves, but we still enjoyed experiencing it. The acoustics of the church in particular made it special.

The concert lasted about an hour. You can buy tickets during the church's opening hours or, if it is not yet sold out, just before the concert. During our visit tickets cost 80 złoty, about €20.

Afterwards we ended the evening with a drink at House of Beer. This is a traditional bar with a range of beers from Poland, Lithuania, Belgium and Germany, among others.

Before our trip we had bought the Time to Momo Krakow travel guide. It describes three walks, including a walk through the Jewish quarter. We decided to follow this route for the most part.

We started the day at Cytat Café, a coffee house full of books. A lovely place to start the day calmly with a good cup of coffee.

Then we continued the walking route through Kazimierz. Along the way we passed various sights, authentic streets, churches and synagogues. Here you can clearly see the combination of historic buildings, restaurants and today's street life in Kazimierz.

One of the synagogues we visited was the Tempel Synagogue. Definitely worth a visit!

The streets themselves are worth a visit too. We especially enjoyed walking along Józefa Street, near Eszeweria, and Szeroka Street, near Once Upon A Time.

As far as we are concerned, one place you should not skip when visiting Kazimierz is Plac Nowy.

The square is not very big, but it has a great atmosphere. You will find various stalls here and there is a flea market.

But for us there is an even more important reason to come here: zapiekanka. Zapiekanka is a popular Polish street food dish that looks like an elongated pizza or a well-filled, warm baguette from the oven.

The base consists of fried mushrooms and lots of melted cheese. Then you can choose from different variations and toppings.

For us this is absolutely something you have to try on a city trip to Krakow.

💰 Budget tip: Zapiekanka is a fun way to get to know Polish street food without having to eat an elaborate meal in a restaurant.

For our last evening we had chosen Boscaiola.

This is an Italian restaurant where you can eat in an atmospheric cellar. After all the Polish dishes of the past few days, we decided to go for Italian food that evening.