Dirty feet, messy hair, dancing waves, and the scent of barbecue in the air; that sounds like summertime!
Riding high on highlights of Central Europe, a summer vacation in Poland is a legit way to spoil yourself. A comprehensive list of the best things to do in Poland is not only every tourist’s delight but also every tour experience curator’s fancy. That’s why I embraced the life of a tour guide in Europe.
As a fan of world-class Poland tourist attractions, I craft tailored tour experiences, besides sharing my travel stories and recommendations here via my blog.
I’m also a regular at the International Tourism Fair Wrocław, popular as Międzynarodowe Targi Turystyczne Wrocław (MTT Wrocław) in Polish media, and closely follow the event, exhibitors and their offer to the legion of tourists on the lookout for the summer holiday destination.
Spring is when the regional Polish tourism board and operators prep for the upcoming tourist season. Packed with curious eyes, fascinated minds, and big and small operators dishing out unique experiences in Poland, the MTT Wrocław 2024 showcases a good glimpse of the crazy pre-tourist season.
From a well-planned summer vacation to a spontaneous city break to Krakow or Wrocław, the options for the best things to see in Poland are abundant to outlast one trip.
But, one trip might just suffice in delivering an immersive experience of the country standing at the crossroads of major European transitions over the centuries. Exuding the finest periodic artwork and architecture, from the Classic to Romanesque, Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassic, and Art Noveau, architecture in Poland is a feast for the senses.
Capture the lush art, music, and literature scene in Poland’s UNESCO City of Literature -Wrocław and Krakow. A vibrant history, food, and nightlife offer numerous unique things to do in Poland. All of it intertwined with centuries-old past with the West draws curious tourists from the USA and Western Europe to Poland.
While some are merely seeking their Polish roots and forgotten connection with Poland, some delve deeper into the history of the Holocaust – the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Southwestern Poland, being the axis of it, is dotted with some mind-numbing spectacles.
Among my top guided tours in Poland today are a trip to Auschwitz, a guided visit to the famous Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, a day trip to Wawel Castle in Krakow, and a Wieliczka Salt Mine visit, top of the finest experiences in Poland.
As an Indian in Poland, working as a tour guide and curator has brought me close to Polish history and culture. In my opinion, these places comprise the ultimate Poland bucket list.
Sharing experiences across digital media is one thing, but guiding curious tourists navigating their way around Poland feels just right. Whistling Hound tours are mindfully curated, incorporating the very best of Poland. And most of my top-guided tours in Poland are either a weekend getaway or a day trip from Wrocław.
This blog is another subtle indication that Whistling Hound is your ideal tour guide in Poland on your next trip. If your Europe trip itinerary doesn’t include Poland, it is a huge mistake! And you must read on!
Remember, all my guided tours start from Wrocław, the Lower Silesian capital city. An urban adventure paradise marked for gnomes, jazz, art, and nightlife, Wrocław was recognised as the UNESCO City of Literature in 2019. It came 3 years after the prestigious title – European Capital of Culture in 2016. Krakow is the other Polish city on the UNESCO City of Literature list.
Recommended top things to do in Poland! Here are my top guided tours from Wrocław
1. Day trip to Krakow
The official capital of Poland until 1596, Krakow proudly flaunts the largest market square in Europe – Krakow Rynek Glowny Central Square. Besides Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow Old Town was the other name that made it to the first edition of the UNESCO World Heritage List 1978.
From Poland’s first royal coronation to reign as one of the largest European kingdoms (Polish Lithuanian commonwealth) during the 16th and 17th centuries, home to the finest musicians and artists, being Nazis famous headquarter during WW2, Krakow has been through all and promises a tapestry of unique experiences.
My Krakow guided tour route takes you through the highlights of Old Town. The route loops south of the centre to the Wawel Castle on the Wawel Hills and bends into the Kazimierz district before finally uncovering the best of Podgorze, or let’s say, the Jewish Ghetto from WW2.
Average time required for Krakow City Tour: 7-8 hours
Highlights: Kraków Rynek, Royal Route, Planty Park, Kazimierz, Jagiellonian University Main Building and Museum, Cloth Hall, Wawel Hill – Wawel Castle & Wawel Cathedral, Kazimierz district, Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory, Krakow Ghetto, and Krakow Eye
2. Trip to Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine
While Wieliczka Salt Mine sits right on the outskirts of Krakow, Auschwitz(Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp) is a 1-hour drive from Krakow. Both, distinguished as the most popular places to visit in Poland, are also a part of the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage site list. I say the hype around them is worth it.
Reaching Auschwitz by train or bus is quite convenient as well. All you need is the right directions. Let me know if you’re considering a trip to Auschwitz and Wieliczka and need my help with guidance or detailed info.
Entrance to these places is allowed only with a museum guide (included in the entrance ticket price). The entrance ticket must be booked online days in advance as the number of entrances for Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine visits is limited.
Consider reading this list of FAQs on Auschwitz. More info on visits, guided tours, booking availability, hours, or language preferences is available on the official website of Auschwitz.
Usually, museums in Poland have free entrance on Mondays. The biggest catch, however, is the entrance tickets are limited and given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Showing up at the ticket counter in person is your only chance to enter free because tickets disappear in no time. The average time required to visit Auschwitz is up to 3-4 hours, which is also the same for the Wieliczka Salt Mine visit. And that’s why I recommend my guided tour services, a day trip from Wrocław to Auschwitz and Wieliczka.
Average time required for Auschwitz & Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour: up to 10 hours
Highlights: Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration Camp and Wieliczka Salt Mine guided tour
Detailed info and hours on the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Tour on their website
Detailed info and hours on the Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour: Walking Through The Wieliczka Salt Mine – A Top Tourist Attraction in Poland
3. Day trip to Bobolice Castle
Not a much-talked-about tourist attraction in Poland, the Royal Bobolice Castle is an essential stopover in the semi-mountainous highlands of Polish Jura.
Bobolice Castle is a 3-hour drive from Wrocław near Czestochowa. Czestochowa is also reputed for its versatile castles, ruins, and dunes along the way, a speciality of the famous Eagle’s Nest Trail in Poland. Bobolice Castle tour is mostly clubbed with Wieliczka to make a perfect day trip from Wrocław or Krakow.
Average time required for Royal Bobolice Castle Tour: up to 2 hours
Highlights: Historical Bobolice Castle Museum, artefacts, viewpoint antiques and castle dungeons
Hours: 10 am to 4 pm (Wednesday to Sunday), Closed on Monday & Tuesday
Note – Hours are subject to seasonal change & holidays. Please double-check with Google info.
Are you a fan of Silesian mountains and hiking? Here are some mind-blowing recommendations from my trips: 21 Best Places Near Wrocław For Everyone Planning A Quick Escape From The City
4. Trip to Wawel, Krakow Rynek, and Schindler’s Factory
The walking tour of Wawel Castle, Krakow City Centre, and Schindler’s Factory is designed to deliver an immersive experience of the city, creating a comprehensive trail through the historical timelines of Poland (no offence to Warsaw).
Krakow Main Market Square packs a mighty punch with Wawel Castle, offering a visual delight of Poland’s finest architecture. Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral have been testimony to the country’s regalia since Krakow’s traced history around 700 AD.
The legends of Wawel Hill and Smok – the fire-breathing dragon, are the stories I save for my Krakow guided tours. Just so you know, Wawel Castle premises are free to enter and appreciate. The fees are applicable for Castle Rooms Visit, Museums and Cathedral Visit. The Krakow walking tour meanders along the Vistula Banks in Podgorze, glimpsing the remaining Ghetto, some of the most significant testimonies to the Holocaust. Send me a query for detailed information on the Krakow tour!
Average time required for Wawel, Krakow Rynek, and Schindler’s Factory Tour: up to 6 hours
Highlights: Wawel Castel, Kraków Rynek, and Schindler’s Factory
Note – Entrance to Wawel (exhibitions) & Schindler’s Factory are free on Monday
5. Half-day Trip to Boleslawiec Pottery Museum and Factory
Riding on 126 years of reputation, Ceramika Artystyczna in Bolesławiec is where fine craftsmanship merges with high-quality work, resulting in excellent pottery work. It is one of its kind in Poland and highly sought-after by tourists.
The defining colours, motifs, and the finest artistic touch of Boleslawiec Ceramika Artystyczna work like a charm on tourists. Every pottery work in the several Boleslawiec Ceramika stores echoes the highest level of craftsmanship.
I still remember one of my clients, who waited 20 years to visit this place in a small town in Lower Silesia in Poland.
No matter which Polish city you plan on visiting, you will surely stumble upon souvenirs from Ceramika Artystyczna Bolesławiec. Another compelling reason to plan a day trip from Wrocław! As one of the rare places sustaining traditional art and long-living heritage, I highly recommend Bolesławiec Ceramika Artystyczna.
I recommend you join me on a private guided trip from Wrocław to Ceramika Artystyczna in Bolesławiec. Located a 1.5-hour drive from Wrocław, Ceramic Factory in Boleslawiec is one of the most popular attractions and a rare place sustaining traditional art and long-living heritage. Such a paradise for ceramic art lovers, this place is one of a kind. Optionally, they offer the factory tour, but it must be checked in advance.
Moreover, a wide array of pottery stores next to the factory allows visitors enough time to choose their pick. After taking all the time exploring the pottery work, we drive to the Boleslawiec city centre, located 15 minutes away. Boleslawiec has a picturesque city centre with some legit eateries offering local Polish food.
Average time required for Boleslawiec Ceramika Artystyczna Tour: up to 9 hours
Highlights: Boleslawiec Ceramic Factory, Ceramic Stores, Boleslawiec city centre visit, local Polish food
Lower Silesia is my main guiding area, but not only. I conduct multi-day tours covering Poland’s other popular cities like Warsaw, Tricity of Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot, the picturesque Kazimierz Dolny and Malbork Castle – the World’s largest castle.
6. Visit to the Palace of Culture and Science & Warsaw Old Town
The historical city centre of Warsaw is another top tourist attraction in Poland and an exotic assimilation of world-class architecture, especially when you realise that everything in Warsaw Old Town was built from scratch after being reduced to rubble during WW2.
The Warsaw walking tour starts from the iconic Palace of Culture and Science and meanders into the Old Town, covering all the major attractions and memorials along the route.
A tried and tested way to get familiarised with the historical city that replaced Krakow as Poland’s capital from 1596 onwards, the walking tour of Warsaw is a must-do.
Average time required for Warsaw Old Town Tour: up to 6 hours
Highlights: Palace of Culture and Science, Piłsudskiego Square, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw Old Town – The Royal Castle, Sigismund’s Column, Warsaw Mermaid, Warsaw Uprising Monument, Royal Route, Copernicus Science Centre (via Warsaw University Library), Vistula Boulevards, Royal Łazienki Park
7. Wrocław Main Market Square
Ranking right behind Krakow Rynek Glowny, Rynek Wrocław is among the biggest market squares in Poland and Europe. The main square in a rectangular shape(213* 178 meters) serves as an intersection to 11 of the city’s most important streets.
Among the most recognised features of the Wrocław Main Market Square are the Gothic Town Hall featuring 66 m tower, an execution pillar in front of it, Aleksander Fredro Statue(renowned Polish poet), the historic Salt Square Wrocław(plac Solny) with a 24-hour open flower market, the Wrocław Fountain, a New Town Hall for council meetings, St. Elizabeth Church (the oldest structure on the market square), around 60 historic tenement houses, and another Gothic church of St. Mary Magdalene with a lovely lookout point from the bridge connecting towers.
The Town Hall basement houses one of the oldest breweries in Europe – Piwnica Świdnicka. Hundreds of Wrocław Gnomes littered across the Main Square area. There are close to 700 Wrocław dwarfs.
Average time required for Wrocław Rynek Tour: up to 4 hours
8. Wrocław to Karkonosze Mountains day-trip
Nothing tops a good day of hiking in the Polish Mountains. Wrocław proximity to the Karkonosze Mountains in Lower Silesia bordering the Czech Republic makes it a hot favourite among tourists. Well-laid-out trails, stunning seasonal colour, and abundant outdoor activity options tempt locals and the huge expat community of Wrocław.
My favourite hiking trails in the Silesian Mountains in Poland (Sudety) are Owl Mountains(Gory Sowie), Karkonosze Mountains, Table Mountains(Gory Stolowe), and Izerskie Mountains. From planning a quick weekend escape from Wrocław to offering my exclusive services for guided hiking trips in the Polish Mountains, you can count on me!
While discovering Poland’s Lower Silesia region over the past 6 years, I documented my favourite place under one blog with the best places to visit near Wrocław. I highly recommend it to tourists in Poland as well as the Wrocław expat community.
Average time required for a day trip to Karkonosze Mountains: 10-11 hours
Must read: 21 Best Places Near Wrocław For Everyone Planning A Quick Escape From The City
Soon to be on my guided tours list – a trip to Kazimierz Dolny & Malbork Castle!
Having travelled to different corners of Poland, the places listed above are my main guiding areas. After 6 years in Wrocław, I know this city like the back of my hand.
I cooperate with leading Polish tour operators, tourism boards, and agencies to promote destinations, services, and attractions. If you need help with marketing or promotions, leave me a message!
For an exclusively tailored Poland tour itinerary, day trips from Wrocław or Krakow, or any other multi-day tour in Poland, send me a query and wait for my tour proposal. See you around 🙂
[things to do in Poland, things to see in Poland, best places to see in Poland, UNESCO City of Literature in 2019, Kraków UNESCO City of Literature located in Poland, guided tours in Poland, Guided tours in Krakow, Miasto Literatury UNESCO, Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory, Royal Wawel Castle, dragon Wawel Castle, Wawel Castle Cathedral]
Ever tried to navigate the Vistula from Krakow to Stettin? I’ve done it once (will never do it again, since it took me two summers of navigation). And I was still lucky, because when the pope wanted to visit Kazimierz, the army was building a ponton bridge over the Vistula that had to remain in place for about six months and I just slipped by when they were about to mount the last segment. Got afterwards some angry army engineers at my boat complaining that I ignored their signals to back off. Had some good time, got my boat only robbed twice, remember the best my struggles to find a navigable stretch and the zillion times I got stranded on a sandbank (had to change my propellor axe in Bydgoszcz because it was bend).