This article may contain affiliate links. When you purchase something we recommend, we make a small commission. You don’t pay anything extra. 💘 For more details, check out our Terms of Use page.
Kraków is one of the most stunning cities in Europe — and one I still haven’t explored as much as I’d like.
But a recent impromptu decision meant I could squeeze in a short 2-day trip to the city and finally put together the weekend-in-Kraków plan that had been stewing.
We arrived late on Thursday and left super early Sunday morning, which is a perfect timeframe if you’re squeezing in an off-day from work.
Even though I don’t normally have such tight windows for places I like to explore, it presented the perfect chance to see how much we could fit into two full days.
This itinerary is split into Day 1 for city highlights and Day 2 for trips outside the city — even if one of our original plans didn’t work out.
If you’re wondering what to do in Kraków in 48 hours, how much it might cost, and whether you need a car, read on.
Day 1 in Kraków
Morning – Wieliczka Salt Mines
We started the day early with a taxi to the Wieliczka Salt Mines. Public transport is doable, but it would have cut it too close for us, so a taxi made more sense. Plus, we only had little precious time and we wanted to make the most of it.
Even though it is outside of the city, the Wieliczka Salt Mines are such a unique experience, we didn’t want to miss it.
The hard part was deciding between two main route optins: The Tourist Route or The Miners Route.
The first is the most popular one, and with good reason cause it takes you in to see the Chapel of St. Kinga where as the Miner’s Route is sometimes marketed as more of a kids activity since you get to play dress up as a miner.
There are props, sound effects and some light competition activities that the guides put on. It also sometimes involves ducking and crawling so maybe not as good for those with mobility issues. Overall it was a great experience, but I did feel like I should have gone with the Classic/Tourist route as well, to see some of the highlights there. (you always want what you didn’t get, am I right?)
The good news is though, that it was also far less crowded. If you have the time, doing both would be ideal. We also purchased the ticket with the “Graduation Tower” add on, which is a nice and pleasant walk to the salt dam on the other side of the little town behind the Tourist Route area.
Note: The two routes start from different parts of town, so make sure to check your ticket for the correct address. If you get to the wrong one, is not a huge deal (just a 5-7 minute walk).
. . .
Lunch Near the Salt Mines
Probably my favorite meal of this trip was at a restaurant we stumbled across by accident, but that it feels like is a local favorite for sure. It’s called Sztolnia Wieliczk and here we enjoyed amazing steak and wine in good prices. From looking at the plates coming out, the portion sizes of the other meals are also huge.
With out stomach’s full it was time to walk the 5-7 minutes to the train station and catch the train back into the city for the evening part of the activities.
The train takes up about 45 minutes, and you can buy tickets on board.
Afternoon – Schindler’s Factory Museum
Here, we managed to get tickets just a day in advance but I would say this is cutting it short. Schindler’s Enamel Factory Museum is a space that covers the full occupation from 1939 to 1945 and has a lot of stories about the Jewish Ghetto in the city as well as the work of Oskar Schindler. But it doesn’t just focus on the latter.
The guided tour really enhanced the experience, providing stories and context that made the exhibits much more meaningful, so I would definitely recommend it (as I do for most museums and guides to be fair)! Make sure to book it in advance!
Evening – Dinner in Kraków Old Town
From there, it was a short 20 minute bus drive back into the old town were we were staying, super close to St. Mary’s Basilica.
From the two places we had dinner at on this trip, I enjoyed Szalone Widelce (on Szpitalna St) the most. It had hearty portions and reasonable prices for its location. The decor was also suitable without being over the top.
The other place was Krakowska Koliba, which is more of a Bar & Grill rather than a restaurant, so the menu is smaller, but the atmosphere is more lively and the drinks were good.
Of course, we had to have pierogi and schnitzel in both places. The three types of cabbage salad though, was definitely my favorite. I could see myself eating that every day.
Day 2 – Outside the City
For the second day of our weekend in Krakow trip, we thought we’d explore outside. The original plan was to pick up our rental car early in the morning and drive to Auschwitz-Birkenau. We had made a booking error though, and same-day tickets for the non-guided option had already sold out before 11 PM, which from speaking to others is not unusual.
The lesson here? Book well in advance and be aware that last minute cancellations can happen. Of course, it is also possible to arrange a transfer from Krakow to Auschwitz-Birkenau insted of renting a car, especially if you don’t want to visit any other spots outside the city.
With a booked transfer though, the timeframes for getting back at the city will be a bit different.
Afternoon – Zakopane Day Trip
Zakopane like most other things we did, can be done fast or slow! Since we had limited time, we enjoyed a peaceful road trip down to the mountains, and stopped for an evening stroll and dinner at the village. Zakopane is famous for it’s hot spring and spas (plenty of great resorts to pick from here for an extended experience stay) but also for hiking and other outdoor activities in spring or summer.
Since the time of the year, was more pre-Christmas wonderland rather than Sound of Music green meadows, we opted to explore the village, do some souvenir shopping and test the sweets from the Sweet Factory Store.
Our car was perfect for the occassion, a 9 seater van that we booked through Discover Cars (a rental company I use and promote here a lot) and we also got the insurance for the extra peace of mind (something I didn’t do last time in Malta!)
I use and compare prices for car rentals, with Discovercars.com. It is a giant rental and comparison site on the market and it has a lot of perks that make sense if you travel often.
Once you head to Discover Cars, you’ll find an easy search engine to filter by location, dates and pick up location.
Tip: Always check a few different pick up locations when booking a rental car.
Do You Need a Car in Kraków?
If your itinerary is limited to the city, you won’t need a car. Public transport and walking will cover almost everything you want to see. You also definitely won’t need a car if you are mostly in the Old Town and arrange activities with pick up/transfer.
However, if you plan to explore places like Zakopane, Ojców National Park, or the countryside, renting a car will save you time and give you more flexibility.
You can read my full guide here: How to Rent a Car in Kraków for tips, costs, and trusted providers.
Budget for 2 Day Trip to Kraków
Your budget will vary depending on activities, transport, and food choices, but here’s a rough idea per person:
- Accommodation: €50–€120 per night for mid-range hotels in central Kraków
- Wieliczka Salt Mines ticket: ~€25 depending on ticket/route
- Schindler’s Factory Museum ticket: ~€9 *without guide
- Meals: €10–€20 per person for casual dining, €30+ for fine dining
- Car rental for 1 day: €40–€90 (plus fuel)
- Zakopane day trip fuel & extras: ~€15–€20
Where to Stay in Kraków
If you want to be close to the main sights, stay in or near Kraków Old Town. This area has plenty of hotels, restaurants, and easy access to tours.
If money was no objection, I would go for something cute and romantic right in the Old Town like H15 Palace Hotel. There is even a spa, sauna, indoor swimming pool and restaurant.
Our choice was the more budget friendly but solid B&B ApartHotel La fontaine for a bit over $60 a night for their most basic room. The main issue here is ceiling height, so if you are fine with that, then it’s the perfect little cave spot to sleep before heading out to explore. And you really can’t beat the location for the price. It’s also not quite mobility friendly due to the stairs, if that is an issue.
Another good in between option I would recommend instead would be something like the Hotel Elektor Premium which has solid reviews and is central but not near the party zone area and is around the $100 mark depending on the season.
Krakow 2-Day Trip Budget (for 2 people)
This was the total budget for 2 people for a quick 2 day trip to Krakow. What do you think?
- Flights: $109 per person ($218 total)
- Hotel (3 nights): $190.75 total
- Wieliczka Mines: $32.70 per person ($65.40 total)
- Oskar Schindler Museum: $17.44 per person ($34.88 total)
- Auschwitz-Birkenau guided tour: $29 per person ($58 total)
- Food (3 dinners, 2 lunches, breakfast & coffee): $140 total
- Train tickets + taxi: $29.43 total
- Rental car + gas: $109 total
- Snacks & souvenirs: $21.80 total
Total: $867.26 for 2 people or about $430 per person.
