A weekend in Kraków
Wawel Castle, the old town and the obwarzanek: the farthest weekend trip by bus, worth it if you do not rush.
Contents
Kraków in brief
Kraków is worth the journey for Wawel Castle, the Main Market Square and the former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. From Vilnius a direct bus takes about 12 h 45 min, so one full day is left at the weekend. If you have a longer weekend, the journey pays off; for a short one choose Warsaw.
There is no single best season, but the dates matter. The seasonal Wawel sights are open until 31 October, and in November part of the Wawel exhibitions can be visited free. You will find the details in the section “What to do by season”. In Poland the clock is one hour behind Lithuania. You will find a full plan for two days in the guide a weekend in Kraków (in Lithuanian).
How to get there
From Vilnius by bus. On Friday, 6 November, the 10:50 direct FlixBus service arrives at 22:35 at Kraków MDA station (12 h 45 min). On Sunday, 8 November, the 07:25 service back arrives at 20:20 (11 h 55 min; timetable, checked 2026-10-23; FlixBus).
From Vilnius by train. LTG Link runs with a change at Mockava. On Friday, 20 November, the 12:35 service arrives at 22:24 at Kraków Główny (10 h 49 min), a ticket from €19.90 per person. The way back on Sunday leaves at 05:39 (checked 2026-10-08; LTG Link, in Lithuanian). A comparison: Vilnius to Kraków by train (in Lithuanian).
From Kaunas. On Friday 6 November there is no direct service. FlixBus runs with a change in Warsaw. Check the price and times on FlixBus for your date. More trips: weekend trips from Kaunas (in Lithuanian).
From Klaipėda. On Friday 6 November there is no direct service; you change in Vilnius. Check the times and price on FlixBus for your date. From Klaipėda the journey is too long for a weekend.
FlixBus adds a €0.99 service fee to the order.
Getting around the city
The centre is compact. From the bus station (MDA) to the Main Market Square it is about 1.5 km on foot (about 19 min), from Kraków Główny about 1.4 km (about 18 min). Distances from OpenStreetMap (checked 2026-10-06).
In the ticket guide of the Kraków public transport directorate (ZTP; checked 2026-10-06; ZTP) a 60-minute ticket costs 8 zł (about €1.81), a 24-hour ticket in zone I 20 zł (about €4.54), and a weekend family ticket 25 zł. You can buy a ticket from a machine, in the app or on the vehicle. How it works and where to go from the stations: public transport in Kraków (in Lithuanian).
Districts and where to stay
A few districts that tourists certainly visit (according to the Kraków tourism website, checked 2026-10-06):
- The old town – the Main Market Square, the Cloth Hall and Wawel; you reach everything on foot.
- Kazimierz – the website calls it “Jewish Kazimierz”.
- Podgórze – “old Podgórze”; the Schindler’s Factory museum is at Lipowa 4.
We found no descriptions of the districts in official sources, so we do not describe them further. We do not write accommodation prices here, because we have none from a source we can read. Check the price on the website of the place you choose, and because of the late arrival (the bus arrives at 22:35) contact the accommodation in advance. How to choose: the guide to accommodation for a weekend (in Lithuanian).
What to see
Wawel Castle. The exhibitions are open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–17:00. A ticket to the halls on the first floor costs 57 PLN (about €12.93), reduced 43 PLN. The Dragon’s Den (15 PLN) and the viewing tower (19 PLN) are open seasonally, until 31 October inclusive (Wawel Castle, checked 2026-10-06).
Rynek Podziemny. The museum under the Main Market Square is open Friday to Sunday 10:00–20:00, on Tuesday 10:00–15:00. On Tuesday entry is free, and on the second Monday of the month it is closed (museum, checked 2026-10-06).
Schindler’s Factory. On Monday 10:00–15:00 (free entry, tickets cannot be booked in advance), Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–20:00, closed on the first Tuesday of the month. The last entry is 1.5 hours before closing, and the closing days are 1, 3 and 11 November (museum, checked 2026-10-06). We did not confirm prices on the page, so we do not write them.
Rynek Podziemny
A Kraków museum under the Main Market Square, Rynek Główny 1: the remains of the medieval trading square and a multimedia exhibition.
St Mary’s Basilica. It has been the city’s main parish church since 1222. That is why it stands at an angle to the axis of the Main Market Square: the first church rose here before the square existed. Its Romanesque remains lie 2.6 m deep under the floor. Inside are the altar by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz) and the starry vault paintings by Jan Matejko. The taller tower is 81 m high, and from it the hejnał, the musical symbol of Kraków, is played (Kraków tourism, checked 2026-10-07).
Jan Matejko House. The most famous nineteenth-century Polish historical painter was born in a house on Floriańska Street. The museum has recreated his living rooms and shows sketches and the painter’s collection. Closed on Monday, open on Tuesday 10:00–18:00, Wednesday to Sunday 10:00–16:00. A ticket costs 18 zł, reduced 14 zł, family 36 zł, and on Tuesday entry is free (Kraków tourism, checked 2026-10-07).
Kościuszko Mound. It was raised in 1820–1823 by Poles from all three partitions, and its shape followed the mounds of Krakus and Wanda. The usual way leads from the Salwator tram terminus (Kraków tourism, checked 2026-10-07).
You will find the place cards in the category what to do in Kraków.
What to do by season
Autumn. The Dragon’s Den and the Wawel tower are open seasonally, until 31 October. On 1 November it is All Saints’ Day. At the Rakowicki Cemetery the section of the main avenue between plots 36 and 53 has been closed for repairs since 20 August (cemetery administrator, checked 2026-10-06).
November. During “Free November 2026” at Wawel, the Second Floor (State Rooms and Ottoman Turkish Tents, last entry 16:00) and the underground exhibitions are free Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–17:00. The First Floor stays paid: 57 zł, reduced 43 zł. Collect free tickets at the ticket offices on the day (8:45–16:00) or online a week before the visit; one person can take tickets for five, and the number of places is limited. On 1 November the castle is closed, and on 11 November the ticket offices are closed (Wawel Castle, checked 2026-10-29). On the first Thursday of December, after noon, a colourful procession starts from the Main Market Square to the hejnał (curiosities, checked 2026-10-07).
What to eat
Obwarzanek krakowski is a boiled and baked bread ring sold from street carts. The Obwarzanek Museum says the first mention dates from 1394 and that in 2010 the European Commission gave it protected geographical indication status. The real one has lengthwise marks on the underside (museum, checked 2026-10-06). We did not check prices. We name no other places, because we did not check an official source.
Practical information
Currency. Poland pays in zlotys (PLN). On 16 October the NBP rate was 4.3661 PLN to €1 (NBP, checked 2026-10-16). When paying by card, choose to pay in zlotys. More: zloty or euro in Poland (in Lithuanian).
Documents and holidays. Before the trip read documents for travelling in the Baltic states and Poland (in Lithuanian) and public holidays in Poland (in Lithuanian) (both in Lithuanian). More Polish destinations: weekend trips to Poland (in Lithuanian).
Weekend plan
Friday. Leave Vilnius at 10:50, and you will be in Kraków at 22:35. The bus arrives late, so tell your accommodation in advance when you will arrive.
Saturday. In the morning Wawel Castle: in November the Second Floor and the underground are free, but take a ticket in advance online or at the ticket office (8:45–16:00); the exhibitions are open 9:00–17:00, the last entry to the Second Floor is 16:00 (Wawel Castle, checked 2026-10-29). For lunch, pierogi at Krakowiacy Pierogarnia (Floriańska 51), open 12:00–23:00 on Saturday (OpenStreetMap, checked 2026-10-25). In the afternoon the Main Market Square, Rynek Podziemny (10:00–20:00) and an obwarzanek, and in the evening Schindler’s Factory (9:00–20:00, last entry 18:30), if you have the energy.
Sunday. On 8 November leave Kraków at 07:25, and you will be in Vilnius at 20:20; there is no time left to see anything. For the full price for two, see the weekend guide (in Lithuanian).
FAQ
Is a weekend enough for Kraków?
For a full day in the city, yes, but the journey takes about 24 hours in all. If you want a calmer pace, choose a longer weekend.
How long does the journey from Vilnius take?
By bus the 10:50 service on 6 November takes 12 h 45 min, and by train on 20 November it takes 10 h 49 min with a change at Mockava.
What is the currency in Kraków?
The zloty (PLN). On 16 October the NBP rate was 4.3661 PLN to €1.
Can I get to Kraków from Klaipėda?
Yes, but only with a change in Vilnius; the journey is too long for a weekend.
Things to see and do in Kraków
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By car: distance, time, fuel
By car
The drive to Kraków by car is not calculated yet: we do not have map data for this route.
In Poland only the concession sections are tolled (A2 Świecko–Konin, A4 Katowice–Kraków); the A1 is free: what it costs (in Lithuanian).