Krakow holidays have two very different seasons to tempt you – summer days spent seeing the city and winter breaks built around its Christmas markets. Holidays to Krakow put you roughly 2.5 hours from the UK, with a historic Old Town made for exploring on foot, Wawel Castle overlooking the Vistula and you’ll be just a 20-25 minute journey from Wieliczka, with its UNESCO-listed salt mine. From late November, pack your warmest coat for Christmas stalls filling Rynek Główny, with mulled wine and Polish food adding to the reasons to visit. With so much packed into a few days, Krakow city breaks show just how varied Poland holidays can be throughout the year.
Why choose Krakow?
Krakow is less than three hours from the UK by air, yet your money can stretch further here than in many Western European cities. Krakow package holidays can take care of your flights and hotel together, while the UNESCO-listed Old Town has Rynek Główny (Main Square), Wawel Castle nearby and much of the city’s sightseeing within walking distance. Wieliczka Salt Mine is close enough for a half-day trip, but book your tour time in advance so you can make the most of the rest of the day back in Krakow.
Krakow’s Christmas markets
Krakow’s Christmas markets run from late November into early January, so you can still catch the festivities during the school holidays. The biggest fills part of Rynek Główny (Main Square), with wooden stalls selling crafts, mulled wine and Oscypek – smoked Polish cheese often served warm. Smaller markets pop up on Plac Wolnica in Kazimierz and outside Galeria Krakowska, where there’s also a small ice rink. With twinkling lights, Christmas trees and St Mary’s Basilica above the stalls, a three or four-night break gives you time to soak it all up and see more of Krakow. Visiting in spring instead? Krakow also holds an Easter market around Rynek Główny.
Things to do in Krakow
Start in the Old Town, where Rynek Główny puts centuries-old buildings, cafés and St Mary's Basilica within one vast square - walkable in an afternoon, worth returning to at night. Wawel Castle sits a short stroll south, overlooking the Vistula, while Kazimierz, Krakow's historic Jewish Quarter, rewards slower wandering among its synagogues, independent cafés and galleries. Further out, Wieliczka Salt Mine makes an easy half-day trip, and Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum can also be visited from Krakow, with advance booking required. Together, these places fill several days without turning your break into a race from one sight to the next.
Best time to visit Krakow
May to September brings longer days for sightseeing outdoors, with summer also drawing the largest crowds. Late November and December are colder, but this is when Krakow turns its attention to Christmas, with the market taking over Rynek Główny and festive lights across the city centre. Spring and autumn are the quieter alternatives, with fewer visitors and typically lower prices than the summer months. For Christmas markets, pack for the cold. For long days spent out seeing the city, aim for summer.
Great nightlife
Once you’re worn out from all your sightseeing, settle down for a relaxing meal as you try authentic Polish food like pierogies and borscht. Make sure you prepare yourself for knocking back your vodka straight just like the locals, and once you feel ready make your way to a lively bar and on to a buzzing nightclub to party into the night.
More City Breaks
We also have travel guides available for City Breaks destinations, including: Athens | Barcelona | Budapest | Dubrovnik | Lisbon | Prague | Rome | Stockholm
Our Krakow holidays guide was last revised and updated in September 2026.
