In short: in one day in Kraków you can see the Main Market Square, St Mary’s Basilica, Wawel Castle and the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. Spend the second day at the Wieliczka Salt Mine or the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial. The bus from Lviv to Kraków takes about 7–9 hours, and Lviv — Kraków buses run every day.
10 places worth seeing
1. Main Market Square (Rynek Główny)
One of Europe’s largest medieval squares and the heart of the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is lined with cafés, palaces and the Town Hall Tower.
2. Cloth Hall (Sukiennice)
A Renaissance trading hall in the middle of the square. Downstairs are souvenir stalls, upstairs a gallery of 19th-century Polish painting, and under the square an underground museum of medieval Kraków.
3. St Mary’s Basilica
A Gothic church with two towers of different heights. Every hour a trumpeter plays the hejnał from the tower, stopping mid-tune. Inside is Veit Stoss’s famous carved wooden altarpiece.
4. Wawel Castle and Cathedral
The residence of Polish kings on a hill above the Vistula. Monarchs were crowned and buried in the cathedral. Below the hill is the Wawel Dragon’s Den, a favourite with children.
5. Kazimierz
The former Jewish quarter with synagogues, quiet courtyards and the city’s best cafés and bars. It is especially lively in the evening.
6. Schindler’s Factory
A museum in the Podgórze district about life in Kraków under German occupation in 1939–1945. Buy tickets online in advance.
7. Wieliczka Salt Mine
An underground world with chapels carved from salt, about 15 km from the centre. The tour lasts about 2–3 hours and it is cool inside all year.
8. Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial
The former Nazi concentration camp in Oświęcim, about 70 km from Kraków. A visit takes time and must be booked; it is a difficult but important place of remembrance.
9. Floriańska Street and the Barbican
The main pedestrian street from the Market Square to the medieval Barbican and St Florian’s Gate, remains of the old city walls.
10. Vistula boulevards
A riverside promenade below Wawel with the best views of the castle, especially at sunset.
Itinerary for 1 and 2 days
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Market Square, St Mary’s Basilica, Cloth Hall | Wawel and the Vistula boulevards | Kazimierz |
| 2 | Wieliczka Salt Mine or Auschwitz-Birkenau | Schindler’s Factory | Floriańska Street and the Barbican |
How to get to Kraków from Ukraine
Buses from Ukraine usually arrive at the MDA bus station next to Kraków Główny railway station, about a 10-minute walk from the Market Square. Popular routes are Lviv — Kraków and Kyiv — Kraków; from Kyiv the trip takes about 13–17 hours. Carriers include FlixBus and Sem Bus. Remember that the EES system applies at the Polish border.
Practical tips
- The historic centre is compact — you can walk almost everywhere.
- Book Wieliczka, Wawel and Auschwitz tickets in advance, especially in summer.
- A train runs from Kraków Airport to the centre in about 20 minutes.
- From Kraków it is easy to continue to Warsaw or Prague.
FAQ
Two days: one for the Old Town, Wawel and Kazimierz, one for Wieliczka or Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Usually 7–9 hours, depending on the border queue.
Usually at the MDA bus station next to Kraków Główny railway station.
The Market Square, the grounds of Wawel Hill, Kazimierz and the Vistula boulevards.
Updated 22 October 2026. Check opening hours and prices on the museums’ official websites.