10 Reasons to Book a Long Weekend in Krakow

Kraków is one of those cities that sneaks up on you. You book a little weekend break thinking it’ll be cute, cheap, and probably full of pierogi, and before you know it, you’re trying to figure out how to move there permanently and survive on nothing but vodka and pickled herring.

I’ve been to Kraków more times than I can count (that’s not hyperbole – I really have), and I think it’s one of the best city breaks in Europe – not just because it’s pretty (though it is very pretty), but because it’s got a bit of everything.

So, if you’re on the fence about Kraków, I’m here to give you all the convincing you need.

Here are 11 reasons to spend a long weekend in Kraków.

10 Reasons to Book a Long Weekend in Kraków

1. You will eat so well

Regular readers of this blog will know that I always travel for food, and city breaks to Krakow are no exception.

From pierogi stuffed with mushrooms and sauerkraut to hearty zurek soup served in a bread bowl, and crispy potato pancakes that will ruin hash browns for you forever, Polish food feels like a hug from the inside.

Read: 18 Polish Foods You Need to Try

Take your pick from underground, medieval-style restaurants that serve huge portions of pork knuckle with horseradish and red cabbage, or head to one of the more elegant restaurants that are putting a contemporary spin on traditional Polish cuisine.

A couple of my favourite restaurants in Kraków are Starka (Kazimierz) and Morskie Oko (Old Town), but the list of incredible restaurants in Kraków is endless (you can read it here).

2. It’s affordable

I’m all about my cheap holidays, and Kraków is one of the rare places in Europe that is super popular, but still manages to be affordable.

While it’s certainly not as cheap as it was a few years ago, you can still Uber across town for less than a Starbucks, and dine at some of the city’s best restaurants with change from a twenty.

Even the attractions in Kraków are affordable, with many of them being free on certain days of the week.

You can save even more money by getting the KrakowCard, which gets you free access to over 40 of the city’s best museums and monuments. This is what I did on my most recent trip, and it’s something I highly recommend if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing in Kraków.

3. Package holiday options make it super convenient

On my most recent trip to Kraków, I went with a few other bloggers on a press trip with Jet2.

Flights to Krakow with Jet2 leave from a bunch of UK airports (we got flights from Manchester airport), and hotels that you can choose from are always super nice – this was actually my fourth time on a Jet2 package holiday and I’ve never been disappointed!

For this trip, we stayed at the 4 Star Jet2Holidays Golden Tulip Krakow City Centre, which was just a few steps away from the Old Town and made for a lovely stay (we even got bubbles with breakfast!).

4. There are tonnes of great museums

Kraków is home to some excellent museums, and even if you’re not usually a museum person, I promise that you’ll find something that tickles your pickle in Kraków.

A must-visit is the Rynek Underground Museum (it’s actually under the main square), where you can walk through medieval ruins and learn about vampire prevention burials (!) and you should also be sure to dedicate a couple of hours to Schindler’s Factory (tickets here) for a comprehensive breakdown of Kraków’s history.

If you want something a little different, check out the Museum of Illusions, have a nosy around the torture museum, or try to control your laughter in the waxwork museum, which may actually be the worst of its kind in the world (and the absolute highlight of my recent visit to Kraków).

You can find my full guide to Kraków’s museums here.

Don’t sleep on Kraków’s art scene either.

The Czartoryski Museum houses the actual ‘Lady with an Ermine,’ by Leonardo da Vinci (which is such a lovely painting!) as well works by Rembrandt.

MOCAK is Kraków’s contemporary art museum and even if you’re not an art buff, you’ll be sure to get a laugh here (when I visited, there was a video of a sausage dog eating a sausage that had me in stitches).

5. The nightlife

If you like a night out, Kraków is the place for you.

Kraków’s nightlife has something for everyone, from bougie nightclubs to underground techno dens, dingy dive bars, and even bars dedicated to absinthe.

Start with some £1 vodka shots at Pijalnia Wódka i Piwa or BaniaLuka before dancing the night away at Teatro Cubano, or sign up for one of Kraków’s legendary pub crawls.

I actually used to run pub crawls in Kraków, and can absolutely vouch for them – not only do they get you free entry into about five clubs, but they also let you skip the line – after seeing how long the lines can get, I would never go clubbing in Kraków if I wasn’t on a pub crawl.

If you prefer something a bit more lowkey, Kazimierz is the place to head to for a more gritty, artsy vibe. My favourite bars here are Alchemia, Singer, and Eszeweria.

If you want a more in-depth guide to nightlife in Kraków, check out my guide here.

6. Kraków is beautiful

Kraków is a walking postcard.

Between the fairytale Old Town with its pastel buildings and cobbled streets, and Wawel Castle looking like something out of a Disney film, it’s impossible to take a bad photo here.

The main market square is particularly photogenic, with St. Mary’s Basilica and the iconic Cloth Hall competing for attention, and if street art is more your thing, you can’t go wrong in Kazimierz.

You could honestly walk around for hours taking in the magnificence of Kraków without getting bored.

7. You’ll never run out of things to do

There is an endless amount of things to do in Kraków, and despite having spent months of my life in this city, I still feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface.

Want to learn about Jewish history and WWII? Book a walking tour of Kazimierz and the former Jewish ghetto.

Fancy getting deep underground and seeing a chapel made of salt?

Head to Wieliczka Salt Mine.

You should also visit Auschwitz and Birkenau to pay your respects (here are the rules for visiting Auschwitz).

Other must-dos: Rynek Underground Museum, Schindler’s Factory, Wawel Castle (and the Wawel Dragon), and seeing the trumpet player at St. Mary’s Basilica.

For a full list, check out my MEGA list of 56 things to do in Kraków.

8. It’s super easy to navigate

One of my favourite things about Kraków is how easy it is to get around. The Old Town and Kazimierz are basically made for walking, and most of Kraków’s main attractions are pretty close together.

However, if you’re not in the mood to walk, or if you have mobility issues, the public transport in Kraków is cheap, easy, and reliable, and you can get an Uber or Bolt right across town for £3-4.

9. The coffee scene

When the weather is bad, it’s the perfect excuse to find a cosy coffee shop to curl up in, and Kraków’s coffee shops are some of the best I’ve been to.

Whether you prefer Scandi minimalism or a dark academia aesthetic, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Kraków.

Some of my go-to spots include Mleczarnia, Camelot, Cytat Café, and Massolit Books & Coffee (they’re all rather bookish themed – you have been warned!).

10. It’s a year-round destination

Whether you visit in summer and bask in the sunshine by the riverside, or come in winter and soak up the Christmas magic (check out my guide to the Christmas Markets in Kraków here), Kraków is a wonderful city at any time of year.

I’ve visited Kraków in all seasons, and there’s truly not a bad time to go.

It does get very cold during winter, but there are so many indoor activities (and so much mulled wine), that as long as you bring a warm coat, it really doesn’t matter.

A Long Weekend in Kraków | Final Thoughts

Kraków is one of those places I keep coming back to, and I don’t see that stopping any time soon.

Whether you’re travelling for history or gastronomy, vodka shots or coffee shops, Kraków has something for you.

So go.

Book the flight.

Eat all the pierogi.

And fall head over heels for Europe’s most incredible city.

Until next time,

XOXO

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Disclaimer: I visited Krakow on a press trip with Jet2. This article also contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase on a recommended site, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.