3-day itinerary

Kraków

Wawel Castle tickets sell out — book online several days ahead, especially for the State Rooms. Once that's sorted, this 3-day Kraków itinerary builds outward from the castle and the vast medieval Rynek Główny, through Kazimierz (the Jewish quarter turned best food-and-bar district in the city), and out to one major day trip: Auschwitz-Birkenau, 75km west, or the Wieliczka Salt Mine, 14km south. Both require advance booking and a full day. Skip the tourist restaurants on the main square and find a milk bar (Bar Mleczny) — the kopytka and beet soup are the orders, and you'll pay a quarter of the price.

Day 1

Wawel Castle, Old Town, and the Main Square

Wawel Castle tickets sell out — book online several days in advance, especially for the State Rooms and the Royal Private Apartments. The Main Square (Rynek Główny) is the largest medieval market square in Europe.

Morning

Wawel Castle

Established

The royal castle on the hill above the Vistula — the seat of Polish kings from the 14th to the 17th century. The State Rooms, the Royal Private Apartments, and the Treasury are the main ticket categories. Book online.

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Wawel Cathedral

Established

The Cathedral where Polish kings were crowned and buried — 18 chapels and the tombs of every monarch from the 11th century. The Sigismund Bell, cast in 1520, is in the tower. Included in the castle area, separate ticket for the crown treasury inside.

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Afternoon

Rynek Główny (Main Market Square)

Established

The largest medieval market square in Europe — 200 by 200 metres, surrounded by merchants' houses, churches, and the central Cloth Hall. The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) still sells amber and crafts in the ground floor galleries.

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St. Mary's Basilica

Established

The Gothic church on the Main Square with the famous Veit Stoss altarpiece — the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world, carved from 1477 to 1489. A trumpeter plays from the tower every hour on the hour in a tradition that dates to the Mongol invasion of 1241.

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Evening

Szara Gęś

Established

A traditional Polish restaurant on the Main Square serving elevated versions of the classics — żurek (sour rye soup), duck in plum sauce, and bigos. The interior is Gothic vaulted cellars. Reserve ahead for dinner.

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Days 2–3