Two of Poland’s most visited cities go head to head. If you had to choose between Krakow or Warsaw, which should you visit?

8 min read

Choosing between two cities is hard - we get it. Especially if they’re totally different. But at Beyond the Bay, we’re no strangers to making difficult choices. Just check out our blog posts Should I visit Oslo or Bergen? and Choosing Between Vienna, Budapest, Prague or Bratislava.

So you’re deciding whether to visit Krakow or Warsaw. Firstly, I want to start off by saying that if you have the time, you should probably visit both. However, if you’re choosing one, then read on to find out why you should visit one or the other.

Where to stay

Where to stay in Krakow

Krakow is absolutely full of cheap accommodations, but it also has some of the best luxury experiences in Poland. Check out our list of the best places to stay in Krakow!

Budget: Delis Apartments - Dluga Street

We stayed at this wonderful, cozy apartment in the center of Krakow and it was the best decision ever!! The apartment was immaculately clean, super warm (even in the winter), and in close walking distance to Krakow’s main attractions, convenient stores and restaurants. We had a really great stay, and would totally recommend it to you guys too.

The best part was that a stay here was so inexpensive (really, we couldn’t believe the price), which really helped our budget.

You can take a closer look at Delis Apartments - Dluga Street by clicking here.

Mid-Range: INX Design Hotel

The great thing about Poland is that hotels that look like this are priced at a fraction of the cost you would usually find in other countries! This funky hotel looks absolutely amazing, and guests loved its convenient location, cleanliness and comfort.

You can take a closer look at INX Design Hotel by clicking here.

Luxury: Hotel H15 Luxury Palace

The Hotel H15 Luxury Palace has ‘palace’ in its name, and this is totally well-deserved. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better hotel than this in Krakow - just take a look at the stunning images below!

You can take a closer look at Hotel H15 Luxury Palace by clicking here.

Where to stay in Warsaw

Not to be outdone by Krakow, the capital city of Poland also features absolutely gorgeous accommodation options. Accommodation in Warsaw can be slightly more expensive than in Krakow, but the difference is not that big. Check out some of the best hotels in Warsaw!

Budget: LoftHotel Sen Psczoly

This is a great hotel if you want to stay close to Warsaw’s central attractions, but still keep your costs low. The interior of this hotel is rather interesting and quirky, but guests have praised its friendly staff and cleanliness.

You can take a closer look at LoftHotel Sen Psczoly by clicking here.

Also Budget: Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto

We stayed here for 3 nights and really enjoyed ourselves. There were many instances when we needed help from the staff, and they were more than happy to assist. The hotel is just a short walk away from Warsaw’s beautiful Old Town as well. We would highly recommend this cheap hotel!

You can take a closer look at Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto by clicking here.

Luxury: Hotel Warszawa

The Hotel Warszawa is a bit of a national treasure, as its situated right in the middle of Warsaw city. Hands down one of the best hotels in the country, luxury travelers should book a stay here.

You can take a closer look at Hotel Warszawa by clicking here.

Brief History of Krakow and Warsaw

History of Krakow 

Kraków, otherwise known as Cracow, is Poland’s second largest city and is known as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. 

What makes Krakow special is that throughout the tragedies of World War II (including the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany), Krakow somehow avoided any major destruction and bombings. The end result is that much of Krakow looks the same now as it did back then.

This picturesque city actually used to be the capital of Poland until 1795, and is one of the oldest cities in the country – boasting a history dating back all the way to the 7th century. 

Krakow seems to just have that ‘special something’ that keeps tourists coming back for more. Generally, I would say Kraków has become much more of a tourist draw than Warsaw.

History of Warsaw

The Polish name for Warsaw is Warszawa (if you visit Poland, you’re going to have to get used to cities having two or more different names), and this city is Poland’s current capital. As the largest and most populated city in Poland, Warsaw is considered to be the cultural, political and economic center of the country.

What makes Warsaw completely different from Kraków is that the city was more or less completely destroyed due to the tragic events of World War II. Since then, the city has rebuilt itself slowly but surely – resulting into what Warsaw looks like today – a mixture of old and new.

Although Warsaw is the country’s capital and does enjoy a healthy amount of tourists that visit, based on purely anecdotal experience, it seems to be a little bit overlooked on the tourist trail – with many choosing to just visit Krakow when heading to Poland.

Compared to Krakow’s population of roughly 757,685 inhabitants, there are a lot more people in Warsaw – around 1.765 million – and this greatly contributes to Warsaw being a more ‘cosmopolitan’ city over Krakow’s Old Town charm.

Why You Should and Shouldn’t Visit Krakow

Why you should visit Krakow

The reasons to visit Krakow are clear. All you have to do is type in “Krakow” on a Google Image search, and you’ll soon be enticed to visit. 

Like the other “It” cities of Central Europe, Prague and Budapest, Krakow is popular because of its undeniable beauty, historical attractions and walkability. The city is compact, with all its highlights close to each other.

Within a few minutes’ walk, you’ll be able to tick off sights such as Rynek Glowny Central Square, St Mary’s Basilica, Stare Miasto, Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), Barbakan, Wawel Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral.

The interesting area of Kazmierz, the Former Jewish District, is also walkable from Krakow’s Central Square (although personally, we didn’t love the area as much as others did).

Quirky museums such as the Lost Souls Alley, Muzeum Krakowa, Krakow Pinball Museum and Krakil – Museum of Illusions are also great additions to round off the city. This makes Krakow an extremely tourist-friendly destination.

Another excellent reason you should visit Krakow is the opportunity to embark on unforgettable day trips. The most popular day trips from Krakow are excursions to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine (in fact, a lot of visitors combine these in one tour). The snowy mountainous area of Zakopane, also famous for its thermal baths, is also another popular option for day trippers.

The thing I enjoyed most about Krakow is its authenticity. Like I previously mentioned, most of what Krakow looks like today is what it looked like pre-WWII. If you have a special interest in architecture, this may be a major plus-point as well, as you know that the buildings in Krakow are mostly untouched.

Why you shouldn’t visit Krakow

Now, moving on to the reasons why you shouldn’t visit Krakow... This is difficult for me to say, but after visiting Prague, Budapest and other cities in the area, I didn’t find Krakow to be all that different. Perhaps if I had visited Krakow first out of those cities, it would have stood out more.

But compared to Prague’s ridiculously picturesque Old Town, and Budapest’s grandiose, gothic buildings, I couldn’t feel Krakow’s identity coming through as strongly.

I also felt that there wasn’t as much to do in Krakow, compared to Warsaw. After strolling the city for 1 full day, I was satisfied with my visit and felt that I had seen most of Krakow already (not taking into account day trips, of course).

Another thing that I couldn’t avoid was the presence of other tourists. Even in the peak of the Omicron COVID-19 surge in Europe, during low season, Krakow was very, very crowded. Visiting a crowded place isn’t necessarily a bad thing (places get popular for a reason), but if you’re passionate about photography and want to take photos without hordes of tourists in the background, this is definitely something to take into account.

Don’t get us wrong – we still loved our visit to Krakow. It was truly beautiful, but we’re splitting hairs at this point.

How to best see Krakow

Krakow is quite easily navigable on foot, although you may get overwhelmed at all of the city’s sights. There are some great tours available to help maximise your time here, which we’ve handpicked just for you.

• Kraków In a Nutshell: Walking Tour - this cheap walking tour (!) takes you through most of Krakow’s city highlights in just 2.5 hours. Highly recommended for your first day in Krakow!
  
  

• Krakow Private City Tour - this is a private tour of Krakow, which means you’ll get extra time to learn about each of Krakow’s sites. You’ll also get to see more attractions than the ‘In a Nutshell’ tour.

We would also highly recommend at least going on a day trip to at least one of either the Wieliczka Salt Mines, Auswchwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, or Zakopane. Ideally, you’d go on all three - but you understand you may be tight on time. Here are some tour experiences, handpicked for you to visit these destinations.

• Day Trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow including Lunch - this convenient tour takes you to both Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mine in just one day, and even includes lunch. This is perfect for those who are short on time and want to see as much as possible.
  
  

• Auschwitz & Birkenau: Live-Guided Tour with Transportation and Hotel Pickup - this tour is ideal for those who only want to see the concentration camp, along with a guided tour, transportation and hotel pickup.

  
  

• Wieliczka Salt Mines - Guided Tour with Transport from Krakow - if you prefer to only see the salt mines, then this tour will take the stress out of planning for that day trip with a full guided tour and transport from Krakow to the salt mines.

  
  

• Zakopane Tour with Hot Bath Pools and Hotel Pickup - keen to see the mountainous ski resort area of Zakopane? This tour will take you through all of Zakopane’s best attractions, and includes a Hot Bath Pools experience.

How long should I stay in Krakow?

3 full days is the perfect time to check out the city’s main highlights, and do two day trips (either to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, Auschwitz-Birkenau or Zakopane).  

Other day trip options include Katowice, Lodz and Warsaw (that’s right, if you’re short on time and are dying to visit both cities, you can do a day trip to Warsaw from Krakow and vice versa).

If you just want to explore Krakow city without doing any day trips, I would set aside at least 1.5 days.

Why You Should and Shouldn’t Visit Warsaw

Why you should visit Warsaw

Warsaw is a much more cosmopolitan city than Krakow. It’s a city where you’ll easily find skyscrapers, modern buildings, trendy young people, awesome bars and cafés, a buzzing nightlife... you get the picture. It’s a big, thriving city and has all the pro’s and con’s that come with that. 

Talking to people and browsing through travel forums, it seems like perhaps the common consensus is that Krakow is a lot more ‘authentic’ than Warsaw, but I couldn’t disagree more. While I do acknowledge that Krakow is authentic in the sense that the city has remained much the same as it used to (and, in contrast, Warsaw is almost a completely new city), Warsaw is just as authentic. But in a different way.

Since Warsaw is a city that has had to design itself all over again from scratch, you’re going to get a mixture of old and new – and this is what I found really fascinating and inspiring about this city. With that, the background of Warsaw in relation to WWII is really interesting, and something that history buffs might take special interest in.

Warsaw is less touristy than Krakow, which means places you visit – even the city’s main attractions – will be significantly less crowded. For example, I had Warsaw’s Old Town all to myself (in contrast to Krakow’s Old Town, which I had to share with thousands of others)!

This may be a controversial opinion, but I also found Warsaw’s Old Town to be overall just prettier, and more underrated than Krakow’s. Although the Old Town is a faithful reconstruction of the original, it still is very colourful and eye-catching.

The city of Warsaw offers countless of must-see sights – in my opinion, even more than Krakow. Attractions such as Lazienki Palace, Royal Castle, Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanow, the Wilanow Gardens, Castle Square, Rynek Starego Miasta, the Palace of Culture and Science, Nowy Swiat and the Monument to the Warsaw Uprising are all well worth a visit.

If we’re talking museums, Warsaw wins against Krakow, hands down. Museums such as POLIN, Warsaw Uprising Museum, Polish Vodka Museum and Neon Muzeum are all amazing, informative experiences that I thoroughly enjoyed.

To me, Warsaw’s heartbeat felt more alive than Krakow’s. There was more happening in this city – and it takes a while for you to get acquainted to it – but when you do, you’ll be coming back for more.

Why you shouldn’t visit Warsaw

What are some reasons to not visit Warsaw? The major downside to Poland’s capital is the distance between attractions due to it being a much larger city than Krakow.

Although you’ll get to see a lot of the major sights in the Royal Castle area, other attractions such as Lazienki Palace and Museum of King Jan III’s Palace aren’t really walkable, so you’ll need to take a taxi or a rideshare to get to these places. The same applies to museums such as the Polish Vodka Museum and Neon Muzeum. It did get a little bit tiresome having to order a rideshare car so often.

Another reason why you might not like Warsaw is that things are a little grittier here. While Krakow felt more immaculate and polished, Warsaw’s gems might be nestled in between some less-than-stellar Soviet buildings. Not everything is as ‘perfect-looking’ as it is in Krakow.

This is a subjective reason, but I also feel that Warsaw’s day trip options aren’t as good as Krakow’s. Of course, you can visit cities such as Poznan, Lodz and Torun, but I personally prefer the day trips that Krakow had to offer.

You can visit Auschwitz, Wieliczka and Krakow on a day trip from Warsaw, but this will be a very long and tiring day.

What is the best way to see Warsaw?

Warsaw is slightly less pedestrian friendly than Krakow, as the sights are a little more spread out. While you could utilise ridesharing apps such as Uber, going on a guided tour is another great way to get to know the city. Here are top recommendations, hand-picked for you.

Warsaw Tours

• Small-Group Historical Guided Tour of Warsaw - detailed 3-hour walking tour of Warsaw, ticking off all the major sights in the Old Town area.

• Best of Warsaw Full-Day Private Tour with Private Transport - comprehensive 8-hour private tour of Warsaw, visiting all of Warsaw’s best attractions.

Best Warsaw Day Trips

You can actually visit Krakow and Auschwitz-Birkenau on a day trip if you wish - made easier by guided tours. It’ll be a long day, but if you’re pressed for time - these tours are perfect. Here are some of the best options for you.

• Krakow & Auschwitz day tour from Warsaw by private car with Lunch - this is hands down the most convenient way to see both Krakow and Auschwitz, as you’ll be in a private car.

• From Warsaw Auschwitz and Krakow one day tour by train with pick up and drop off - this day tour option is also great, but you’ll be traveling on train instead of a private car.

How long should I stay in Warsaw?

You should stay for at least 2 days in Warsaw if you want to tick off the major highlights. I stayed for 3 days, so I had some extra time to check out some interesting museums and really take my time exploring this wonderful city. 

Which one should I visit – Krakow or Warsaw?

As with all things, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But for me, I have a clear winner in mind – and it’s Warsaw. Faced with a choice between Krakow or Warsaw, you should choose Warsaw, hands down. 

Although Krakow is undeniably beautiful and draws you in quickly, Warsaw just has this layer of intrigue and sophistication that I found extremely interesting.

You should visit Krakow if you’re looking for a tourist-friendly experience that ticks of all the reasons that makes Europe such a great destination – old towns, impressive architecture, scenic strolls, cute cafes, and a great selection of day trips. 

However, you should definitely head to Warsaw if you’re looking for something a little more edgy and complex. Warsaw is a unique combination of modern realism and old town fairytale, and even though it’s the capital of Poland, I believe that Warsaw is actually underrated.

To me, Warsaw is where you go to find modern, thriving Poland.

With that being said, both places are definitely worth visiting, and you should check out both and decide for yourself. 

Both destinations are extremely well serviced in terms of air and public transportation, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting to either.

PS: Poland is an amazing country with more to offer than just Krakow or Warsaw. If you’re wondering what other great gems you can visit in Poland, do some research on Poznan, Gdansk and Wroclaw.

How do I get from Krakow to Warsaw (and vice versa)?

By Train

Decided to visit both Krakow and Warsaw? The best way to get from one city to the other is using the Intercity Train. Poland has a great, efficient public transport system that is extremely affordable to use. 

Depending on which train you take, journeys from Krakow Main Station (Krakow Glowny) to Warsaw Central (Centralna) take about 2.5 hours – same goes the other way, from Warsaw to Krakow. This could take longer if you board a slower train, so please check before purchasing a ticket.

By Private Car Transfer

Alternatively, you can also take a private transfer between the two cities which might work out to be more comfortable, time efficient and convenient for you. Transferring between Krakow to Warsaw and vice versa will take about 3 - 4.5 hours, depending on the traffic and time of day. We would recommend these trusty options:

• Warsaw to Krakow - Private Transfer

• Krakow to Warsaw - Private Transfer

Agree or disagree with us? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!