Why Krakow?
I've actually been to Krakow once before on a solo trip and although I said I wouldn't go to the same place twice I really wanted to show Adam the city I fell in love with! The flights were incredibly cheap and so was the accommodation- it was perfect! I've done most of the pricing in this blog in the local currency but at the time we went 1GBP =5.31PLN.
Quick tips
Take out some cash from a cashpoint for tips and free walking tour
Don't always stick to places you've seen online! Our favourite bar I hadn't seen on any social media!
The weather can get cold- especially when visiting Auschwitz, so I'd recommend layers and a waterproof coat
Everything is within walking distance so I'd recommend comfy shoes!
It's good to know the conversion rate before you go!
If you can, book activities/restaurants/bars before you go- places get full pretty quickly!
Try traditional food- we loved Zapiekanka
Where we stayed….
We had a few different options to stay in Krakow that were just outside the old town but chose 'HOUSEHOST Apartment: Miodowa 42/8a Street'. it's located near the centre of Kazimierz (The Former Jewish District) and is about a 10min walk from the old town. The room is small but good for a few nights. It even has a balcony! The whole place cost us PLN50.28 for 3 nights, was clean and when we had a problem the owner was quick to fix it!
Day 1- Arrival, free walking tour and Vodka tasting!
It was an early start on the Thursday getting the train from Brighton station at 6:14 for our flight at 9:05. We had a full English at the airport and were delayed by about 20 mins. When we arrived at Krakow the plan was to get the train but due to a late arrival and having to be in Krakow at 2 pm for our free walking tour, we jumped in a Uber which cost us £19.45 (It was originally cheaper on the app but due to traffic the driver took a different route which cost a bit more).
Our tour started at the Barbican and there was a small group of us. We were told all about the border of Krakow, the main market square, the university and the castle. We found the tour to be a lot about history and religion but still a good way to see the city.
We ended up at the castle (there is a cashpoint here but it only gave us PLN100 notes) and made our way to our hotel. On the way, we stopped off at Pizzatopia and each had a pizza and shared a homemade lemonade (PLN36 for one pizza). This is such a good idea! You pay one price and choose whatever toppings and sauces you want! You can even get ½ and ½! We also popped into a supermarket to stash up on water and snacks for the next few days.
Once in the flat and unpacked, we headed to Wodka bar. We managed to go straight in and find a seat (but this was at around 5 pm and it did get busy later on!). We actually ended up meeting loads of lovely English people in there and tried basically every single vodka shot they had (mostly, PLN60 for 6 different flavours) our favourites were definitely chocolate, caramel, grapefruit and coconut. After feeling a little tipsy we headed to McDonald's and got the chicken share box, a wrap and the potato slices(PLN70.80 altogether). I think the chicken share box would work so well in the UK! We then headed back to the flat and munched on our favourite chocolate bar (a Tuc Milka).
Day 2- Taco pancakes, illusion museum, cocktail making and Cosmic games!
We started Friday off with breakfast at Mo-Ja, a fab cafe that's recommended on the Restaurant Guru 2023. The menu is huge and the hot drinks are great! I had a maple syrup soya latte and it was HUGE! For food, I got the breakfast tacos- which were pancakes, cheese, bacon, scrambled egg, spring onion, fried onion and a type of chipotle sauce in a taco shape! It was so good and everything went perfectly together - I was stuffed after though. Adam got the breakfast burger and said that tasted really good as well!
After breakfast, we headed to the illusion museum (PLN98.00 for a student and adult) and spent about an hour there. They have lots of interactive bits and we had a good laugh!
Our next stop was Skinny Creme which I had seen on Instagram for the Insta-worthy lattes. The cafe itself is super cute and the lattes come in all different colours and flavours. I went for the 'Emily in Paris' which was white chocolate topped with marshmallows. Adam got the hot chocolate and said it was the best he ever had! (Both drinks together- PLN48.00)
For lunch we headed to Mama Mia, we didn't book but the server said they were fully booked for the rest of lunch and dinner (so definitely book before). Adam got a pizza and I got the carbonara. The food was good, the service was good and the price was cheap but we've had better Italians and I genuinely think it might just be the TikTok hype- a couple next to us even said 'we've already eaten but we saw it on TikTok and wanted to see what it's like'.
After lunch, we made our way to the Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory (PLN60.00 for a student and adult ticket). We used the lime scooters to get there and although I'm not a fan of the scooters they have in cities; I decided to give it a go and go along the riverside. With the sun and flat paths, I actually had a really good time and would recommend it to anyone who loves scooters/is a bit nervous but wants to give it a go!
We stopped off at 'The Empty Chairs of Krakow' and walked the rest to the museum. I was a little worried as we didn't book, but luckily there were a few spaces available. The museum is really informative and really puts everything into perspective.
We had a booking for Tawerna Wilczy Dol for 4 pm and so hopped on the tram and went straight there. The whole theme is Vikings and you can buy Dukat (their own currency of the bar/restaurant), which worked out slightly cheaper! Once bought though, you have to use them all or keep them as a souvenir. We didn't eat here but tried all of the Eliixirs cocktails (PLN27-29). You get given a selection of ingredients to make your own cocktail and follow a set of instructions. The magic is definitely in the dry ice! I'd suggest maybe having one or two of the cocktails (definitely the Courage Elixir) as we didn't think they were the best cocktails we've had, but still super strong and such a cool idea!
After the bar, we headed to Pierogarnia Krakowiacy. Perogies are a national dish and we had to try them out! We got 3 plates (PLN99.00) and that was probably too much! I loved the mushroom and cheese pierogies but Adam said the pork and onion ones he had could have done with some sauce or something! These would definitely be such a good snack after a few drinks- meat, carbs and super filling!!
For the rest of the evening, we headed to Cosmic games. Here you pay a set price and get to go on as many of the games they had as much as possible. They had games such as beer pong, air hockey, table football and a ball pit! Cocktails were cheap as well. We then headed closer to the flat and went to the Cosmic golf. Don't expect anything fancy but for PLN32, It did the job. It was pretty busy and the course is basic but it's something fun to do & has cheap drinks!
Day 3- Auschwitz, Zapiekanka and the best cocktails!
On Saturday morning we went on our pre-booked tour to Auschwitz and were getting picked up at 8:50 am. We bought some lunch at the supermarket outside our flat and headed for the coach (a 2min walk away!). Auschwitz was about a 1 hour and 30min journey away and once we got there we had a small break for a quick coffee. Our tour included a guided tour of Auschwitz and then another tour at Birkenau (It's about a 5min coach journey away). I'd recommend the tour to anyone coming to Krakow as it's such an important part of history. I would also recommend warm clothes if visiting in the winter (we went in March and it was freezing!), It was snowing the whole time and our guide said it can get to -10°c due to the mountains close by.
Once back in Krakow, we headed to Kazimierz (the former Jewish district) and got a Zapiekanka each (PLN30 for two). There are so many different options of Zapiekanka to choose from but we ended up at Zapiekanka - Bar Namaxa. I had mushroom, cheese and garlic mayo and Adam had mushroom, bacon, fried onion and ketchup. We both loved them! And wished we'd had more over the trip! We ate on the way to our flat and once there turned all the heating up to defrost (Brrrr…).
Once warmed up, we headed to Osiem miliardów uśmiechów, a Twój jest moim ulubionym. Mexicano cartel for some cocktails. I really, really, really recommend this bar. We actually ended up at the wrong location but I think they have a few in Krakow. We tried the whole main menu again (Suprise!) and also got one of the skull cocktails which is the cocktail and a bottle of cider/beer put upside down inside! All cocktails came in fancy glasses (the Senorita margarita one came in a pig glass!) Or had decorations which suited the cocktail well! It was incredibly cheap as well (PLN27-39 for a normal and PLN35-38 for the skull). Plus, great photo opportunities!
For dinner, we headed to Bestwin RESTO BAR Kraków Adam was craving ribs and I wanted burgers so it was perfect! We both shared the 'Deska WINNER' plater and it genuinely would have fed 4! It was a chicken burger, ribs, wings, nachos, fries, onion rings and 4 sauces for PLN159. The cocktails and staff are nice as well! The food did hit the spot but could have had a few improvements, but for what we wanted and for the price we were pretty happy!
Day 4- Breakfast and flight home
On our last day, we packed up all our stuff and headed to the main square to get a few selfies and went for breakfast at Gossip cafe. We were recommended this café by a follower on Instagram and it really hit the spot! It was less than £10 each for two breakfasts, a hot choc, flat white and orange juice! I got the full English- which was nice! I love the bacon in Krakow, I'm really picky and it was always really crispy. Adam got the bacon and scrambled egg bagel and there was probably enough egg for another 2 bagels!
We had a little time left before we needed to head to the airport for our flight at 12:30 and so we headed back to the main square and grabbed a Costa to share and sit outside in a sheltered tent (the wind was so cold!). We did a bit of people-watching and listened to the trumpet being played from the top of St. Mary's Basilica on the hour.
We got an Uber to the airport (£7.53) and had no delays!!
Overall, we loved our time in Krakow! It's a cheap city, with a range of different things to do and a great hub to see Auschwitz. I think for us 3 and ½ days was plenty but if we wanted to do more tours or take our time a little more we could have possibly done an extra day. I'd also, like to just note how great it is to try places that you haven't seen online! The bar I found on google maps was one of the highlights of our trip.
*The first time I went to Krakow was in 2019. If you are looking to go solo, I'd recommend the 'Greg and Tom hostels'. I stayed in the home hostel and met the most amazing people and had the best time!*
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