7 Days in Krakow: First-Timer Plan
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Seven days is honestly framed as deeper Kraków plus the surrounding region, not a week of new city sights: it takes the 6-day plan (city core, Wieliczka, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Zakopane, Nowa Huta) and adds a seventh day at Ojcowski National Park. With less time, the 6-day or 5-day plans drop the last day or two without losing anything essential.
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Day 1: Rynek Glowny and Wawel Hill
Morning
Rynek Główny (1257), the Cloth Hall’s free ground floor, St Mary’s Basilica (about 15 PLN). Catch the hejnał on the hour.
Afternoon
Wawel Hill: Castle (57 PLN/43 reduced) and Cathedral (26 PLN/18 reduced), separate tickets at separate offices. Dragon’s Den (15 PLN, April-October) and the Dragon statue.
Evening
Dinner at Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą, then the Planty.
Day 2: Kazimierz and Podgorze
Morning
Kazimierz, the pre-war Jewish quarter for roughly 500 years, distinct from the WWII ghetto sealed across the river in Podgórze from March 1941. The 1553 Remuh Synagogue (combined ticket around 10 PLN).
Afternoon
Cross the Bernatek footbridge to Ghetto Heroes Square and Schindler’s Factory (roughly 60 PLN, book at muzeumkrakowa.pl ).
Evening
A zapiekanka on Plac Nowy, then Singer or Alchemia.
Day 3: Wieliczka Salt Mine
Morning
Wieliczka Salt Mine, about 30 minutes out, a separate UNESCO listing from 1978. The Tourist Route (143 PLN/121 reduced) ends at St Kinga’s Chapel.
Afternoon
Back mid-afternoon for the Rynek Underground Museum or a second Kazimierz pass.
Evening
An early night ahead of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Day 4: Auschwitz-Birkenau
Morning
Auschwitz Birkenau, German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945), near Oświęcim, about 1.5 hours out. Entry is online-only at visit.auschwitz.org ; on-site sales ended March 2026. A guide-educator tour (roughly 150 PLN) is required at midday; self-guided entry runs afternoon and evening. Not recommended for children under 14.
Afternoon
Return to Kraków; keep the rest of the day unstructured.
Evening
A quiet dinner near your hotel.
Day 5: Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains
Morning
Bus or tour south to Zakopane, about 2-2.5 hours. Walk Krupówki Street, then the Gubałówka funicular.
Afternoon
The Kasprowy Wierch cable car climbs to 1,987m in about 20 minutes, doubling as Tatra National Park entry. Hikers can do Morskie Oko instead, about 2 hours each way.
Evening
Back to Kraków (or an overnight if it’s a summer weekend).
Day 6: Nowa Huta
Morning
Tram lines 4, 10, or 22 (about 30 minutes, a standard 6 PLN ticket) reach Nowa Huta, the Soviet-style planned district built from 1949. See Plac Centralny, the Lord’s Ark Church, and, for the full experience, a Trabant or Lada tour with Crazy Guides.
Afternoon
Back in the center for whatever’s still on your list: the Czartoryski Museum’s Lady with an Ermine, the free Collegium Maius courtyard, or Kościuszko Mound (40-45 PLN) for a 360-degree view.
Evening
Dinner in Kazimierz or the Old Town.
Day 7: Ojcowski National Park
Morning
About 30 minutes from the city, Ojcowski National Park is Poland’s smallest national park, a limestone gorge with roughly 400 caves and the “Trail of the Eagle’s Nests” castle-ruin chain. Walk a short trail through the Prądnik river valley to the ruined Ojców Castle.
Afternoon
See the intact, much-photographed 14th-century Pieskowa Skała Castle further along the trail, then head back into Kraków. Use the last few hours for souvenir shopping around Rynek Główny or a final walk through Kazimierz rather than cramming in one more paid sight.
Evening
A farewell dinner back where the trip started, on the square or in Kazimierz, and an early night before departure.
Getting around and where to stay
Old Town, Kazimierz, and Podgórze are within a 15-25 minute walk of each other; Nowa Huta and Ojcowski National Park each add a short tram or bus/car connection. Wieliczka, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Zakopane are reached by bus, train, or a bundled tour. A single MPK ticket (4-9 PLN by duration) or a 20 PLN 24-hour pass covers city transit throughout the week. Stay in the Old Town or Kazimierz for the most walkable base across all seven days.
One concrete tip: don’t try to add an eighth sight to day seven just because you still can. A full week of Kraków and its region is genuinely enough content; save Ojcowski’s caves and castle for a relaxed half-day rather than rushing them before a flight.