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๐ต๐ฑThings to Do in Poland
From Krakow's medieval old town to the Wieliczka Salt Mine - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Poland pairs a rebuilt, resilient capital in Warsaw with Krakow's largely intact medieval old town further south, and both sit within reach of some of Europe's most sobering and most surprising sights - Auschwitz-Birkenau and a centuries-old underground salt cathedral, both day trips from Krakow. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Krakow Old Town & Wawel Castle
One of the few Polish cities to survive WWII largely intact, with a UNESCO-listed market square (Rynek Gลรณwny) and Wawel Castle overlooking the Vistula River.
๐ Krakow
๐ Nearest station: Krakow Glowny, a 10-minute walk to the Main Market Square, with trams 1, 6 and 8 running down to Wawel Hill at the southern end of the old town.
Auschwitz-Birkenau
The former Nazi concentration and extermination camp, preserved as a memorial and museum about an hour from Krakow. Book a guided tour slot online in advance - entry is by timed group only during peak hours.
๐ Oลwiฤcim
๐ Trains and buses run from Krakow to Oswiecim in about 90 minutes; the museum is a short walk from the station, and a free shuttle links Auschwitz I with Birkenau, 3km away.
Wieliczka Salt Mine
A working salt mine since the 13th century, with chapels, chandeliers and sculptures carved entirely from rock salt by miners over centuries - including an entire cathedral-sized chamber underground.
๐ Wieliczka, near Krakow
๐ Nearest station: Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia, 25 minutes from Krakow Glowny on the SKA1 local train, with the mine entrance a five-minute walk away.
Warsaw Old Town
Almost entirely rebuilt after being deliberately destroyed in WWII, using pre-war paintings and photographs as the reference - a UNESCO World Heritage site specifically for the accuracy of that reconstruction.
๐ Warsaw
๐ Nearest station: Ratusz Arsenal on metro line 1, a few minutes from the Barbican; Warszawa Centralna handles intercity trains, 20 minutes away by tram 4 or 18.
Kazimierz, Krakow
Krakow's historic Jewish quarter, now home to synagogues, museums and a lively bar scene built into the same streets Schindler's List was partly filmed in.
๐ Krakow
๐ Trams 3, 19 and 24 run from Krakow Glowny to Miodowa and Plac Wolnica in the Jewish quarter, about 10 minutes, and the district is small enough to walk from the main square.
Zakopane & the Tatra Mountains
Poland's winter sports capital, at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, with hiking in summer and skiing in winter both easily arranged from the town itself.
๐ Zakopane, Tatra Mountains
๐ Nearest station: Zakopane, about three hours from Krakow by train or two and a half by bus, with local buses and taxis to the Kuznice cable car and the Morskie Oko trailhead.
Malbork Castle
The largest castle in the world by land area, built by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century, near Gdaลsk in northern Poland.
๐ Malbork, near Gdaลsk
๐ Nearest station: Malbork, 30 minutes from Gdansk on the frequent regional and intercity trains, with the castle a 10-minute walk across the river from the platform.
Gdaลsk
A Baltic port city with a colorful Hanseatic old town and a significant role in both the start of WWII and the fall of communism, via the Solidarity movement that began at its shipyards.
๐ Gdaลsk
๐ Nearest station: Gdansk Glowny, at the edge of the old town, with the SKM commuter line running to Sopot and Gdynia and the ferry to Westerplatte from the Motlawa quay.
Mark Poland, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Poland?
A week covers Krakow (with Auschwitz and the salt mine as day trips) plus Warsaw. Ten days lets you add Gdaลsk or the Tatra Mountains.
What's the best time to visit Poland?
May-September has the warmest weather for city sightseeing. December brings Christmas markets in Krakow and Warsaw; winter is cold but ski season in Zakopane runs roughly December-March.
Is Poland good for a first-time visit?
Yes - Krakow and Warsaw are both well set up for tourists, with English signage common in major sites, and trains connecting the main cities quickly and cheaply.
Do I need a visa to visit Poland?
Poland is part of the Schengen Area, so citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: gov.pl.
What are some things to do in Poland on a tight budget?
Walking the old towns of Krakow, Warsaw and Gdaลsk costs nothing, milk bars (bar mleczny) serve traditional Polish food at very low prices, and Poland's trains and intercity buses are inexpensive relative to Western Europe.
Can I rent a car in Poland, and what licence do I need?
Yes, though Poland's trains link every city on this list and are cheap. EU and EEA licences are valid as issued; visitors from elsewhere may drive on a home licence for up to six months, and should carry an International Driving Permit with it, which is required if the licence is not in the Latin alphabet. Minimum age is 21 with a young-driver fee under 25. Headlights must be on day and night year-round, and motorway tolls are collected through the e-TOLL system. The Ministry of Infrastructure publishes the rules at gov.pl; cars come from Europcar, Sixt and Hertz.