3-day Kraków itinerary

Three days is the itinerary length that keeps coming up for Kraków, and for good reason – it's enough for the Old Town, a proper look at Kazimierz, and one full day trip out of the city, without rushing any of the three.

Day 1: Old Town and Wawel

Start at the Main Market Square, Europe's largest medieval square, and work through St Mary's Basilica and the Cloth Hall before heading underground into the Rynek Underground Museum beneath the square itself. A guided Old Town walking tour is the easiest way to link all of this into one morning with the history explained as you go. In the afternoon, walk up to Wawel Castle – pick your exhibition tickets ahead of time, since the State Rooms and cathedral sell out on busy days.

Day 2: Kazimierz and Podgórze

Spend the morning in Kazimierz, Kraków's former Jewish quarter – either a Jewish Quarter walking tour covering its synagogues and history, or a slower wander through Szeroka Street on your own. Cross the river into Podgórze in the early afternoon for Schindler's Factory, the museum of the city's wartime occupation, then come back to Kazimierz for the evening – it's Kraków's strongest district for food and bars, and a Kazimierz food tour is a good way to make the most of it rather than guessing where to eat.

Day 3: one day trip, not two

This is the day that gets over-planned. Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine are Kraków's two biggest day trips, and both run roughly half a day once you count transport – but combining them into one 11-hour day means a sobering morning followed immediately by an unrelated underground visit, which most visitors find is too much tonal whiplash for one day. Pick one: Auschwitz-Birkenau (or self-guided if you'd rather skip the group), or Wieliczka and its quieter sibling Bochnia. If you'd rather spend the day outdoors instead of underground or at a memorial site, Ojców National Park is the lighter alternative.

Stretching it to 4 or 5 days

Extra time is easiest to spend on a second day trip rather than a fourth day inside the city – Ojców if day 3 went to Auschwitz or Wieliczka, or vice versa. Check tours and tickets for whichever day trip you haven't already booked, and see our best time to visit Kraków guide before locking in your dates, since summer and the Christmas weeks need everything booked further ahead.