Lesser Poland Voivodeship · Poland
Where to stay in Kraków
Kraków is a city in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, home to about 804,000 people. This guide covers 3 hotels in Kraków, with about 295 rooms between them. 2 of them carry a published guest score, and the list below is ordered by it.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 3
- Best months
- August
- Nearest airport
- KRK11 km · Kraków John Paul II International Airport
- Currency
- PLNzłoty
- Time zone
- Europe/Warsaw
- Language
- Belarusian, Kashubian, Polish
About
About Kraków
Kraków, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 816,614 (2025), with 1,428,363 people living in the Kraków metropolitan area.
In English the city's name used to be spelled "Cracow". But 21st-century visitors have discovered it via budget airlines and travel booking sites that always call it "Krakow" so the older spelling isn't used here. The diacritical mark over the "o" changes the pronunciation from "o" (IPA: [ɔ]), to "u" (IPA: [u]). Kraków is one of the oldest cities in Poland, with evidence showing settlements there since 20,000 BC. Legend has it that it was built on the cave of a dragon whom the mythical King Krak had slain.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Kraków
See
- Wawel
- Main Market Square
- Kazimierz
- National Museum
Do
- Jewish Culture Festival
- Bajit Chadasz
- Krakow Film Festival
- Off Camera
- Etiuda and Anima
- Photomonth
- Live Music Festival
- Unsound
- Sacrum Profanum
- Wianki
- Krakowskie Noce
- Krakow Valley Golf & Country Club
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
The best-rated places to stay in Kraków
Ordered by guest score as each operator publishes it, weighted by the number of reviews so a handful of perfect scores does not outrank thousands of very good ones. Scores are shown on their own scale.
| # | Place to stay | Rooms | Guest score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leonardo Boutique Hotel Krakow Old Town hotel | 100 | 92/100 7,223 reviews |
| 2 | Leonardo Boutique Hotel Krakow City Center hotel | 60 | 90/100 3,488 reviews |
1 more place to stay, without a published guest score
| Place to stay | Rooms |
|---|---|
| MEININGER Kraków Centrum hotel | 135 |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
Where to stay
Which part of Kraków to stay in
Kraków consists of 18 districts. The historic Old City is situated in District I Stare Miasto. Even though the words Stare Miasto mean 'old town', it should not be confused with the historic old town of Kraków itself, as the medieval old town is only a small central part of District I Stare Miasto. Some of the communities around the edge of Kraków can show you real Polish life away from the tourist-focused economy of the centre.
As the number of tourists to Kraków increases rapidly, accommodation prices are rising. Try to avoid hotels and hostels located in the Nowa Huta district; most of them are former shelters for part-time industry workers and the district is quite distant from the city centre. There are few campsites in Kraków, most of them closed in colder months. All provide some space for tents and caravans as well. There are plenty of decent clean backpacker hostels in the Old Town and Kazimierz. Expect to pay 60-100 zł for a dorm bed, including breakfast (bread, jam, and cheese), laundry, sheets, lockers, and internet access. Many hostels also offer double rooms.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Kraków
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Kraków are August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; July is the wettest, with about 106 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Kraków: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Kraków John Paul II International Airport (KRK), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Katowice Wojciech Korfanty International Airport (KTW, 76 km) and Poprad-Tatry Airport (TAT, 112 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Kraków is compact and most sights can be covered easily on foot, with an occasional tram ride. Depending on your level of fitness, you can see the whole of the city centre without needing any transport. There are some beautiful walking routes, try the Royal Way or the Planty park that surrounds the old city all the way from Florian's Gate to Wawel castle. It is very relaxing. There is also a well cared for river banks next to the castle just to stroll around. However, in winter, snow is sometimes not removed from the sidewalks, resulting in a mixture of snow and mud.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
KRK · Kraków John Paul II International Airport
KTW · Katowice Wojciech Korfanty International Airport
TAT · Poprad-Tatry Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Kraków
Eat
Kraków's cuisine has been influenced by the cultures that have inhabited central Europe, as well as the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Drink
Bars, pubs, and cafes in Kraków are one of its biggest attractions. Not just their number or quality, but close proximity. It has been said that there are more than 300 eating and drinking establishments in the Old Town alone.
Stay safe
Like the rest of Poland, Kraków is generally a very safe city with strong police presence. Violent behaviour is rare and if it occurs it is most likely alcohol-related. While pubs and clubs are generally very safe, the nearby streets may be scenes of brawls, especially late at night. Try to avoid confrontations. Follow standard city travel rules: don't leave valuables in the car in plain sight; don't display money or expensive things needlessly; know where you're going; be suspicious of strangers asking for money or trying to sell you something.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Good to know
Accessibility, parking and families in Kraków
How many places to stay in this guide offer each, in their operators' own words.
of 3 places
of 3 places
of 3 places
of 3 places
of 3 places
Questions
Kraków: questions travellers ask
What are the best-rated hotels in Kraków?
By published guest score: Leonardo Boutique Hotel Krakow Old Town (92 / 100 · 7,223 reviews · www.leonardo-hotels.com (operator's own guest score)); Leonardo Boutique Hotel Krakow City Center (90 / 100 · 3,488 reviews · www.leonardo-hotels.com (operator's own guest score)).
When is the best time to visit Kraków?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Kraków are August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; July is the wettest, with about 106 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Kraków?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Kraków John Paul II International Airport (KRK), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Katowice Wojciech Korfanty International Airport (KTW, 76 km) and Poprad-Tatry Airport (TAT, 112 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Kraków?
złoty (PLN).
Nearby
Destinations near Kraków
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.