St Mary's Basilica. Krzysztof Dydynski/Lonely Planet
While Poland is not a massively expensive destination overall, there's no shortage of alluring reasons to live it up in Kraków. Overload on this popular city's terrific museums, stylish boutique hotels, fascinating tours and many of the country’s best restaurants and your visit could have you drifting into insolvency.
But with very little sacrifice, like picking less pricey days to visit the most popular attractions, using public transportation and eating and drinking like locals, you can make the most of your stay and become immersed in Polish culture. Here's how to visit Kraków on a budget.
Take public transportation from the airport
Except for the wee hours, the easiest way to get between Kraków's John Paul II International Airport and Kraków Główny (the main train station) is by train. A one-way ticket costs 20zł (US$5.50), and the journey takes around 15 minutes.
If you are traveling while the train isn't running, the airport is also served by bus lines 208 and 209, as well as the night bus 902. A single ticket is 6zł (US$1.50), and the trip lasts 25–45 minutes. If you have no choice but to go by taxi, ridesharing services like Uber and Bolt typically cost less than official taxis but are less reliable.
Walk around Old Town
Old Town is a wonderfully walkable neighborhood, as is Kazimierz, and strolling between the two takes around 20 minutes. Morning runners will appreciate the ring of parkland surrounding Old Town.
Visit Kraków during the shoulder months
Accommodation prices shoot up by at least 25% during the summer high season, so consider traveling offseason. By far the cheapest time to come to Kraków is in the winter (with the exception of the Christmas to New Year period), but it can be bitterly cold, with January averages at 0°C (32°F). Shoulder seasons (mid-March to May and September to mid-October) are a good compromise, allowing you to combine moderate room rates with mild weather and relatively few visitors.
Get to know Kraków’s trams
The public buses are not hugely useful unless you want to visit a few attractions in far-flung corners of the city, but getting around Kraków by tram is inexpensive and really handy for reaching sights in the Nova Huta, Podgórze and Kazimierz neighborhoods if you’re based centrally.
Single tickets, which cost 4–8zł (US$1–2), can be purchased either directly from the driver or from ticket machines at most tram stops; prices depend on the zone and whether the ticket is valid for 20, 60 or 90 minutes. If you plan to pack in as many of Kraków's top sights as you can, you may wish to buy a travel card that lasts for 24, 48 or 72 hours for 22–50zł (US$6–13.50). Seven-day cards also available for 68zł (US$18.50).
Dine out on Kraków’s street food
If forgoing daily fruit and veg is not a deal-breaker, it’s possible to happily subsist for days on some of Kraków’s best street food. Grab an obwarzanek or two (Kraków's cross between a pretzel and a bagel, topped with poppy or sesame seeds) from a stall at pretty much every corner in Old Town for 2–3zł (US$0.75–1), chow down on superlative kielbasa (signature Polish sausage) for 15-25zł (US$4–6.75) from the van in front of the market on ul Grzegórzecka, and try the zapiekanka (Poland’s answer to pizza in the form of half of a baguette topped with cheese, mushrooms and ketchup) at Plac Nowy in Kazimierz for 10–20zł (US$2.75–5.40).
Stay in hostels
Hostels are a terrific budget option if you’re looking to stay centrally in Old Town or Kazimierz. Some have dorms only; others may have inexpensive singles or doubles as well as cooking facilities and communal hangout spaces; others are for women travelers only. Best of all, most offer free breakfast and have knowledgeable staff who organize inexpensive tours and nights out and can recommend the best cheap places to eat and bars.
Kraków’s top hostels include Mundo, Draggo House and Greg and Tom Party Hostel. Check in advance whether you’re booking yourself into a "crush a beer can against your forehead" party hostel or a sociable, laid-back spot to meet fellow travelers – sometimes the clue’s in the name!
Or find room shares and short-term apartment rentals
Privacy and having a space of your own may take precedence over saving money by sleeping in a hostel dorm. Online room-share options and short-term self-catering apartments (especially plentiful in Old Town and Kazimierz and even cheaper outside those neighborhoods) are a particularly good value if you’re traveling with friends.
In the summer, student dorms are typically rented out as well, though they’re located outside of Old Town. Look out for "noclegi" signs in windows too – these are private rooms for rent.
Take advantage of museum passes and discounted entry fees
Different museums offer free admission on different days, but if you’re planning on doing intensive sightseeing, it’s well worth purchasing multivenue tickets for the Historical Museum of Kraków and National Museum online.
Get to Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mine by train or public bus
While the extermination camp and underground cathedral carved out of salt are not in Kraków proper, visits to these two sights are the most popular day trips from the city. Virtually every hotel and hostel sells a tour combining both for about 300zł (US$80), which may be worth considering if you’re really short on time. But if time is not a factor – and you wish to absorb your experiences in peace rather than share them with a busload of other visitors – set aside a full day for each one (it’s more than worth it) and use public transportation.
To get to Auschwitz, about 70km (44 miles) west of Kraków, take a bus (90 minutes) from Kraków’s central bus station for 22zł (US$6) or one of several daily trains to Oświęcim (60–90 minutes) for 40zł (US$11), then walk for 20 minutes.
Getting to Wieliczka, 16km (10 miles) southeast of the city, is even easier: hop on one of the half-hourly trains from Kraków Główny; tickets are 7zł (US$2), and the trip takes around 20 minutes, followed by a five-minute walk.
Skip expensive city tours in favor of wallet-friendly ones
As befitting a city of its stature, Kraków has countless themed tours that cater to all budgets. Boning up on the city’s history and culture ahead of your trip and skipping the standard tours is an obvious money saver. However, a number of tours are extremely worthwhile and offer cultural immersion and the opportunity to see Kraków from an unusual angle.
Walkative does an excellent pay-what-you-wish tour of Kraków’s Old Town every day, as well as themed walks to the city's macabre, Jewish, WWII and Communist-era sites. It’s customary to tip the guide at the end; we recommended about 20zł (US$5), though more generosity is always appreciated.
Drink the tap water
Kraków's tap water is potable and doesn’t taste as if you’re sipping from a swimming pool. Keep a reusable flask refilled and you’ll stay hydrated and do your bit for the environment.
Eat at a dirt-cheap bar mleczny
If you’re afflicted with nostalgia for the Communist era, you’ll be thrilled to discover that you can combine your passion with a quest for some of Kraków’s cheapest eats. The historic bar mleczny (literally "milk bars") are dirt-cheap cafeterias, popular with locals, where you can fill up on soup, pierogi and juice without crossing the 50zł (US$13) threshold. There’s one at Grodzka 43 in Old Town and another at Starowiślna 29, at the northern end of the Kazimierz neighborhood.
Shop at produce markets and value supermarkets
You can save for more memorable dining or cultural experiences by cooking for yourself at least part of the time if you have access to a kitchen. Some of Kraków’s cheapest fresh produce is found at local markets, such as Stary Kleparz.
Additionally, look out for Kraków’s (and Poland’s) least expensive supermarket chain, Biedronka; there's a branch in Old Town and another in the shopping center adjoining Kraków Główny.
Save your partying for happy hour
Keep an eye out for happy hour, when most bars have a selection of discounted tipples and two-for-one deals. Even better, head for a branch of Pijalnia Wodki I Piwa, a popular chain of old-school bars. The 1960s decor is identical in all of them (and probably won’t make your Instagram grid), but they all serve up uniformly cheap beer from 7zł (US$1.75) for 300 ml (10oz), cocktails from 8zł (US$2.25) and vodka shots from 10zł (US$2.75) – along with the bar snacks and zurek (sourdough soup) you'll need to go with the drinks.
Daily costs in Kraków
Hostel dorm: from 55zł (US$15)
Basic room for two: from 220zł (US$58)
Tram ticket: 4–8zł (US$1–2)
Dinner in a restaurant: from 50zł (US$13)
Beer: 8zł (US$2)
Coffee: 7zł (US$1.75)