I recently spent 3 days exploring Kraków, renting a car to make the most of every moment — from wandering the cobbled streets of the Old Town to visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Here’s my full 3-day Kraków itinerary, packed with insider tips, must-see attractions, and ideas for travellers who want to experience the best of southern Poland.

🚗 Getting to Kraków & Getting Around

We decided to hire a car for our 3-day trip, which gave us total freedom to explore at our own pace. Kraków’s roads are well-maintained and driving outside the city to places like Auschwitz and Wieliczka is straightforward.

That said, parking in Old Town can be limited, so it’s worth booking accommodation with private parking if you're staying in or around Old Town.

Day 1: The Wieliczka Salt Mine and Kraków Old Town

Using the Wayfare IQ blocks, we stacked it like this.

AM: The Wieliczka Salt Mine

Just 30 minutes from Kraków by car, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is an extraordinary underground world carved entirely out of salt.

We booked tickets in advance for a morning slot. This is why the Wayfare IQ blocks are so useful, you can easily switch up the order you do things based on your schedule.

Soon after arriving, we followed a guided tour that led us through over 3 kilometers of tunnels, stunning salt sculptures (many, if not all, of which were carved by the very talented miners!), and the underground Chapel of St. Kinga — a breathtaking church carved completely from salt.

📍 Travel tip: Wear comfortable shoes — there are over 800 steps! The temperature underground is fairly mild throughout the year.

PM: Kraków Old Town

It was a really sunny day so we decided to spend the afternoon in Kraków Old Town (see itinerary block here).

Highlights of Kraków Old Town:

• Rynek Główny (Main Market Square): The beating heart of Kraków. Surrounded by pastel-colored townhouses, cafés, and historic landmarks, it’s the perfect place to begin. Don’t miss the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) — a Renaissance-era market still bustling with stalls selling Polish crafts and amber jewelry.

• St. Mary’s Basilica: Every hour, a trumpeter plays the famous Hejnal mariacki from the tower — a tradition that dates back centuries. Climb to the top for panoramic city views.

• Town Hall Tower: Standing proudly in the center of the Main Square, the Town Hall Tower is the last remaining part of Kraków’s medieval Town Hall. You can climb to the top for another stunning view of the square and admire the gothic architecture up close.

If we had more time, we would have visited Wawel Castle & Cathedral: Just a short walk from the Main Square, this iconic site sits atop Wawel Hill, overlooking the Vistula River. It’s a symbol of Polish national pride and home to royal tombs, beautiful courtyards, and the legendary Wawel Dragon.

🎥 In the evening, to prepare us for the next day, we watched Schindler's List.

Day 2: Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial

We left the booking really late so there was only 1 morning slot left during our time in Kraków.

We woke up at the crack of dawn and was on the road within 30 minutes, picking up some pastries at a small bakery and some coffee from a coffee truck in Oświęcim, not too far from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial site.

Visiting Auschwitz is a deeply moving experience — one that leaves a lasting impact. Walking through the barracks, gas chambers, and museum exhibits is a sobering reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust.

The guided tour was great for historical context and understanding but, perhaps due to the way the tour is laid out and the number of visitors there, it felt crowded and not as moving as I thought it would be.

A lot of the human experience I re-imagined from watching Schindler's List the night before.

🎥 As you'll understand, after spending the day at Auschwitz, we didn't want to do much so we stayed in and watched The Zone of Interest, followed by The Pianist.

Day 3: The Jewish Ghetto and flying back home

We had half a day before we had to be at the airport so we crossed the river to explore the past of Krakow in present day (see itinerary block here).

The Jewish Ghetto

Across the river in Podgórze lies the site of the former Kraków Jewish Ghetto, established by the Nazis during World War II. It’s a hauntingly quiet part of the city, where fragments of the original ghetto walls still stand.

At the heart of the area is Ghetto Heroes Square (Plac Bohaterów Getta), home to a powerful memorial: 33 large metal chairs, symbolising the absence of those who were deported or killed. Each chair represents a life, a family, a story — a poignant and unforgettable tribute that captures the enormity of loss and remembrance.

If you watch The Pianist, it'll really help to put the square in perspective despite The Pianist taking place in Warsaw rather than Kraków.

Schindler’s Factory

Of course, we couldn't leave without seeing Schindler's Factory.

Not far from the Jewish Ghetto lies Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, now a museum dedicated to Kraków under Nazi occupation.

We didn't go inside the museum but we did marvel at the long line of people queuing up outside to see the Banksy exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK).

Using Wayfare IQ travel blocks makes exploring a new city so easy. Find it, save it, and off we go!