5-day itinerary

Kraków

Five days in Kraków gives you the full picture without rushing any of it. This plan covers Wawel Castle, the enormous medieval square, and the Kazimierz Jewish quarter — but the two days that define the trip are Auschwitz-Birkenau (book guided tours months ahead in summer; the self-guided visit is possible but much less meaningful) and the Wieliczka Salt Mine, 14km south, where 300km of tunnels end in a cathedral carved entirely from rock salt. Day four is a mountain day in Zakopane. The Alchemia bar in Kazimierz — mismatched furniture, candlelight, krupnik vodka — is the right place to spend your evenings.