24 Hours in Krakow

My mum grew up in Poland and I love this country. Whilst my family is from the Sopot area, a special place in my heart belongs to Krakow. This is arguably the main tourist attraction to Poland and when you visit, it isn’t hard to see why! There is plenty to see and do and the weather is usually pretty good. If you find yourself wondering what to do with only 24 hours in Krakow, look no further. As usual, my blog posts have you covered…

As a disclaimer, I am assuming that you arrive late one evening and stay for 24 hours. I am also assuming (and would recommend) that you are staying in the Old Town.

Day 1 – Evening

You arrive late in the afternoon in Krakow. If you have arrived by plane, take the 300 bus from John Paul II airport to the city centre (old town). This will usually take 19 minutes. If you are taking the train, then the public transport links are trams and it will take you a similar time. Walking is also an option as there isn’t a great difference between timings.

Once you have dropped your bags off at the hotel and freshened up, head on out to the Old Town. The entire area is encircled in Planty Park, which by itself is lovely to walk around during the evening. Your first stop has to be the main square. You won’t be able to miss St. Mary’s Basilica; a giant church surrounded with legends. Across the square is the Wawel Hall, an old marketplace that has lots of shops to see. Spend time walking around this area and head down through the cobbled streets to Wawel Castle. Have a quick walk around the castle grounds, before heading back to the main square. There are plenty of other things to see, but we’ll come back tomorrow when more things are open.

You will find plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from. I would definitely recommend Polish cuisine for night one. Pierogi, dumplings filled with cheeses and meats, are delicious. Eat and drink locally brewed beer, before walking through the romantic Old Town at twilight. Head back to the hotel and prepare yourself for a busy day tomorrow.

Day 2 – Morning

This morning, head down for breakfast and enjoy a full-continental. The Polish breakfast is typically European, but with an emphasis on the meats and cheeses. Once you are full and fuelled on coffee, leave the hotel and head to the Kraków Grzegórzki bus stop. Take the SKA1 bus heading towards the Wieliczka Salt Mines, one of the most famous destinations in Poland.

Tickets are a reasonable 122PLN (£24 approximately) and include a full tour of the mines. The tour starts with a winding staircase heading down into the mines, before exploring the mines. Remarkably, there are 245 km of winding tunnels here, but you will only do a few. The most spectacular part of the journey is seeing the chapels carved entirely out of salt. St. Kinga’s and St. Anthony’s Chapels are both awe-inspiring and look like something out of Middle Earth. If you ever find yourself with just 24 hours in Krakow, this is a must.

Day 2 – Afternoon

After a few hours of exploring the mines, head up to the surface and catch the SKA1 bus again. This time though, don’t catch it back to the Old Town. Instead, get off just before at Kraków Zabłocie. About 300m away is the famous Oskar Schindler’s factory, made famous by Steven Spielberg. Of course, the film is based upon the harrowing true story of the Nazi occupation in Poland. Nowadays the factory acts as a museum and memorial to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. I found it really interesting to learn about what Schindler did and thought that the exhibition was tastefully done. As you go back to the bus stop, just over the road is the Jewish Ghetto Memorial. Again, it is really interesting to read about and adds a different layer to what you would read in the factory.

As the afternoon gets later, catch the SKA1 back into the Old Town again and spend some more time exploring. Perhaps go to the University where Copernicus himself read, or spend some more time meandering down the paths of the park. For an early dinner, I cannot recommend La Campana enough. The quality of the food, alongside the price, makes it the perfect end to your 24 hours in Krakow.

24 Hours in Krakow – Final Thoughts

24 hours really isn’t enough to explore all that Krakow has to offer. However, if you are only able to spend this short time here, I hope that this post helped you. Keep your eyes peeled for my longer itineraries about Krakow coming soon.