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Travel guide · Kraków and Warsaw

Travelling to Poland

Medieval Kraków, rebuilt Warsaw, Gdańsk on the Baltic and the mountains of Zakopane. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • All year round
  • Where to eat: the bar mleczny (milk bar)
Photo: Unsplash

Poland in 30 seconds

  • Any time of year is good to travel to Poland: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.
  • PKP Intercity.
  • To eat like a local: the bar mleczny (milk bar). Don’t leave without trying: Pierogi, Żurek, Bigos.

Poland in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Poland. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month. In November: Christmas markets.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Poland

Any time of year is good to travel to Poland: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

Festivals and special moments

  • November, December

    Christmas markets

    Stalls with vin chaud, crafts and lights in the squares of the centre.

What to see in Poland

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Kraków
    Kraków

    Kraków

    The Market Square, Wawel Castle, the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz and the salt mine nearby.

    • Rynek
    • Wawel
    • Kazimierz
    • Auschwitz
    Kraków guide
  • Warsaw
    Warsaw

    Warsaw

    A rebuilt old town, the Warsaw Rising Museum and the Chopin trail.

    • Old town
    • Łazienki
    • Warsaw Rising Museum
    • Palace of Culture
    Warsaw guide
  • Gdańsk

    Gdańsk

    A Hanseatic city on the Baltic, where the Second World War began and Solidarity was born.

    • Long Lane
    • Medieval crane
    • European Solidarity Centre
    • Museum of the Second World War
    Gdańsk guide
  • Wrocław

    Wrocław

    Islands, bridges and hundreds of bronze dwarfs hidden around the city.

    • Market Square
    • Ostrów Tumski
    • Dwarfs
    • Racławice Panorama
    Wrocław guide
  • Zakopane

    Zakopane

    Poland’s winter capital, in the Tatra Mountains.

    • Kasprowy Wierch
    • Morskie Oko
    • Krupówki Street
    • Gubałówka
    Zakopane guide
  • Poznań

    Poznań

    A square of colourful houses and two mechanical goats that butt heads at noon.

    • Market Square
    • Clock goats
    • Cathedral Island
    • Croissant Museum
    Poznań guide
  • Toruń

    Toruń

    A Gothic brick city, birthplace of Copernicus and of gingerbread.

    • Old town
    • Copernicus House
    • Gingerbread Museum
    • Leaning Tower
    Toruń guide
  • Lublin

    Lublin

    A university city in the east, with an old town and a castle with frescoes.

    • Old town
    • Holy Trinity Chapel
    • Kraków Gate
    • Majdanek
    Lublin guide
  • Malbork

    Malbork

    The largest brick castle in the world, built by the Teutonic Knights.

    • Malbork Castle
    • Palace of the Grand Master
    • Nogat River
    • Light show
    Malbork guide
  • Sopot

    Sopot

    A Baltic seaside resort with the longest wooden pier in Europe.

    • Pier
    • Crooked House
    • Monte Cassino Street
    • Beach
    Sopot guide
  • Auschwitz

    Auschwitz

    The Nazi concentration and extermination camp, now a memorial and museum, an hour and a half from Kraków.

    • Auschwitz I
    • Birkenau
    • Monument to the Victims
    • National exhibitions
    Auschwitz guide
  • Wieliczka

    Wieliczka

    A salt mine with chapels, lakes and sculptures carved in salt, on the outskirts of Kraków.

    • St Kinga’s Chapel
    • Tourist route
    • Salt sculptures
    • Underground lakes
    Wieliczka guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Kraków

From Warsaw

From Gdańsk

From Wrocław

From Zakopane

From Poznań

From Toruń

From Lublin

From Malbork

From Sopot

From Auschwitz

From Wieliczka

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What to eat in Poland

To eat like a local: the bar mleczny (milk bar), and order pierogi or żurek. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Pierogi

    Dumplings filled with potato and cheese, meat or fruit.

  • Żurek

    Sour rye soup with sausage and egg.

  • Bigos

    A sauerkraut stew with mixed meats.

  • Zapiekanka

    A toasted half-baguette with toppings, Kraków’s street food.

  • Oscypek

    Smoked cheese from the mountains.

  • Pączki

    Jam-filled doughnuts.

The typical dish of Poland, at home

Pierogi
Photo: Aw58 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pierogi

Polish dumplings, boiled and sometimes browned in butter. The most popular are “ruskie”, with potato, curd cheese and onion; there are also meat, sauerkraut-and-mushroom and fruit ones.

  • Serves 4
  • 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 400 g flour
  • 1 egg
  • 200 ml warm water
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 500 g boiled potatoes
  • 250 g curd cheese or fresh cheese
  • 2 onions
  • Butter, salt and pepper
  • Soured cream

How to make it at home

  1. Knead the flour with the egg, water, oil and salt into a soft dough. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Mash the potatoes with the curd cheese and half the onion fried in butter; season.
  3. Roll the dough out thinly, cut 7 cm circles, add a teaspoon of filling and seal, pressing the edges.
  4. Cook them in boiling salted water: once they rise, 2 minutes more.
  5. Serve with the rest of the onion fried in butter and soured cream.

The trick: You can freeze them raw on a tray and cook them from frozen.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Poland

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • Warsaw’s old town was rebuilt almost entirely after the Second World War.
  • The Wieliczka salt mine has a cathedral carved out of salt.
  • Marie Curie and Copernicus were Polish.
  • Wrocław has hundreds of dwarf statuettes scattered around the city.
  • Poland uses the złoty, not the euro.
  • Vodka is part of the tradition, but it’s drunk with food.

Traditions of Poland

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • 24 December Wigilia

    A twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper and an empty seat for anyone who turns up.

  • December Christmas markets

    In Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk.

  • 1 November All Saints’ Day

    Cemeteries full of candles.

  • Before Lent Fat Thursday

    Everyone eats pączki.

What not to do in Poland

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t visit Auschwitz-Birkenau without booking in advance, or with a sightseeing attitude.
  • Don’t walk in the cycle lane.
  • Don’t drink alcohol in the street: it’s banned.
  • Don’t forget to validate your ticket.
  • Don’t change money at bureaux de change without checking the commission.
  • Don’t forget to take your shoes off when you enter someone’s home.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Tickets worth booking ahead

  • Sells out · 90 days ahead Auschwitz · Kraków

    Passes are released about 90 days ahead and sell out in summer. If there’s no slot left, that day is full.

    Official ticket office

Frequently asked questions about Poland

What people search for most before travelling to Poland.

What’s the best time to travel to Poland?

Any time of year is good to travel to Poland: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.

What to see in Poland in a week?

The essentials of Poland: Kraków, Warsaw, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Zakopane. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Poland?

Pierogi, Żurek, Bigos, Zapiekanka, Oscypek, Pączki. To eat like a local: the bar mleczny (milk bar).

What is the typical dish of Poland?

Pierogi. Polish dumplings, boiled and sometimes browned in butter. The most popular are “ruskie”, with potato, curd cheese and onion; there are also meat, sauerkraut-and-mushroom and fruit ones.

What should you not do in Poland?

Don’t visit Auschwitz-Birkenau without booking in advance, or with a sightseeing attitude. Don’t walk in the cycle lane. Don’t drink alcohol in the street: it’s banned.

Is it worth travelling to Poland in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Poland. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month. In November: Christmas markets.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Unsplash. Kraków, Andrzej Otrębski (CC BY-SA 4.0). Warsaw, Igor123121 (CC BY 4.0). Gdańsk, Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0). Wrocław, User:Kolossos (CC BY-SA 3.0). Zakopane, Maksym Kozlenko (CC BY-SA 4.0). Poznań, Aneta Pawska (CC BY-SA 4.0). Toruń, Andrzej Otrębski (CC BY-SA 4.0). Lublin, Marcin Białek (CC BY-SA 4.0). Malbork, DerHexer; derivate work: Carschten (CC BY-SA 3.0). Sopot, Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0). Auschwitz, Ingo Mehling (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wieliczka, Adam Kumiszcza (CC BY 3.0).