Hotels
Best hotels in Krakow: eight places to stay, from the Old Town to Kazimierz
Every hour a trumpeter in the tower of St Mary's Basilica plays a short tune that stops abruptly, mid-note, as it has for centuries. At seven in the morning the square below belongs to pigeons and street sweepers. By eleven it belongs to everyone. Where you sleep decides which version of Krakow you get.
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Krakow is small enough to walk and old enough to surprise you on every corner. The Old Town sits inside a ring of parkland called the Planty, laid out where the city walls used to stand. To the south, Wawel Castle looks down on the Vistula river. A little further on is Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, where the bars stay open late and the synagogues stand a few doors from courtyard cafés.
That compact layout is the good news. The catch is that the three areas feel very different after dark, and the wrong choice can mean a stag party under your window or a long walk home from dinner. We have chosen eight hotels across the three areas, from a renaissance townhouse a block from the square to a riverside hotel with Wawel in view, and we say plainly who each one suits.
Short answer: where to stay in Krakow
For a first visit, stay in the Old Town inside the Planty, where the square, the churches and most museums are a few minutes away on foot. Choose Kazimierz if you care more about restaurants and bars than sights, and the riverbank below Wawel if you want space, a view and a quieter night.
Best for romance: Hotel Copernicus
Best for families: Qubus Hotel Kraków
Best for first-timers: Hotel Stary
Best for value: PURO Kraków Stare Miasto
Best for design: Metropolitan Boutique Hotel
How to choose a hotel in Krakow
Inside or outside the Planty: the ring of parkland marks the Old Town. Inside, you walk everywhere; just outside, you often get more room for the same money.
Weekend noise: Krakow is a popular weekend city with a lively nightlife, and some streets near the square are busy into the small hours. Ask for a courtyard room if you sleep lightly.
Kazimierz for evenings: the old Jewish quarter has the city's best spread of restaurants and bars, about fifteen minutes on foot from the square.
Air conditioning: summers can be warm and many older buildings were not designed for it. Check before you book a July stay.
Airport transfers: a train links the airport to the main station in roughly twenty minutes, so hotels near the station suit late arrivals.
The rooftop at Hotel Stary
Red roofs and church towers seen from the terrace, a few steps from the Main Market Square.
Old Town: inside the Planty
The Old Town is the medieval grid around the Main Market Square, enclosed by the Planty. It is the most expensive part of the city to sleep in and the easiest: churches, museums and the Cloth Hall are minutes away, and the side streets are surprisingly calm once you leave the square.
Hotel Stary: a renaissance townhouse off the square
Hotel Stary sits on Szczepańska, a few steps from the north-west corner of the square, in a townhouse with a renaissance facade and vaulted cellars below. The rooftop terrace looks across the red roofs to the towers of St Mary's, and it is the kind of place where a pre-dinner drink turns into a second one.
Rooms are generous for the Old Town, with stone, wood and heavy fabrics rather than anything trendy, and the spa down in the cellars is a good answer to a rainy afternoon. It is ideal for a first visit and couples who want the square close without hearing it. Light sleepers should ask for a room away from the street on weekends.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Stary
Kanonicza in the evening
The cobbled street that leads from the Old Town up to Wawel Castle.
Hotel Copernicus: the quiet street up to Wawel
Kanonicza is the one street in the Old Town that stays quiet on a Saturday night. It runs from the square towards Wawel, lined with old canons' houses, and Hotel Copernicus occupies one of them, with painted ceilings, a small courtyard and a roof terrace that faces the castle.
This is the pick for a romantic weekend. There are not many rooms, the service is personal and you are a short climb from Wawel in one direction and the square in the other. Families with young children may find the rooms and the atmosphere a little too hushed.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Copernicus
The courtyard at Pod Różą
A glass roof over the old inner courtyard, now used for breakfast.
Hotel Pod Różą: an old coaching inn on the royal route
Pod Różą means under the rose, and the hotel sits on Floriańska, the main street between the city gate and the square, which kings once used on their way to coronation. It is one of the oldest hotels in Krakow, and at its heart is a covered courtyard that works as a breakfast room and a refuge from the crowds outside.
You stay here for the address and the sense of history rather than modern polish. Rooms facing the courtyard are the calmer choice, because Floriańska is busy from morning to late evening. It is right for travellers who want to step out of the door and be in the middle of everything.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Pod Różą
Ogrodowa and the Planty
The ring of parkland that separates the hotel from the Old Town.
PURO Kraków Stare Miasto: the smart choice by the Planty
PURO stands on Ogrodowa, just outside the Planty on the north side, between the main station and the Old Town. It is a young Polish design brand, with bright rooms, good coffee in the lobby and beds that take sleep seriously, and you reach the square in about ten minutes through the park.
For the price, it is one of the best-value stays in the city. You give up the medieval atmosphere of the Old Town, but you gain quiet nights, easy access from the airport train and a hotel that feels current rather than preserved. A sound choice for a first trip on a budget.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at PURO Kraków Stare Miasto
Wawel from the riverbank
The castle hill seen across the Vistula at dusk.
Wawel and the Vistula: the riverbank below the castle
South of the Old Town the city opens up towards the river. The banks of the Vistula are lined with footpaths, and in summer the boats below Wawel turn into bars. Hotels here are larger and more modern, with views the Old Town cannot match.
Sheraton Grand Kraków: the river and the castle across the road
Sheraton Grand sits on the riverbank directly below Wawel. From the rooms facing the water you see the Vistula and its bridges, and from the rooftop bar, open in the warmer months, the castle feels close enough to touch. It is a big international hotel, and it behaves like one: reliable, well run and generous with space.
It is a strong pick for travellers who want space and predictability, and families who appreciate larger rooms and a pool. You lose some of the character of the older houses, but the walk along the river into the Old Town takes about ten minutes and is one of the nicest in the city.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Sheraton Grand Kraków
The Bernatka footbridge
The pedestrian bridge between Podgórze and Kazimierz, a few minutes from the hotel.
Qubus Hotel Kraków: a rooftop pool and Kazimierz over the bridge
Qubus is on the south bank in Podgórze, next to the Bernatka footbridge, which takes you over to Kazimierz in a few minutes. The hotel is modern and roomy, and the pool on the top floor, with glass walls looking out over the river and the old town beyond, is its party piece.
It is our pick for families: the rooms are practical, the pool keeps children happy after a day of sightseeing and Podgórze is calmer than Kazimierz at night. Couples looking for old-world charm will find it too functional, but the view from the water is hard to argue with.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Qubus Hotel Kraków
Szeroka in the morning
The wide square at the heart of Kazimierz, before the cafés open.
Kazimierz: the old Jewish quarter
Kazimierz was a separate town for centuries and the heart of Jewish life in Krakow until the Second World War. Today it is the most atmospheric part of the city in the evening, with synagogues, small museums and a dense cluster of restaurants, bars and courtyard cafés around Plac Nowy.
Hotel Rubinstein: a rooftop over the old synagogues
Rubinstein faces Szeroka, the long, wide square at the centre of Kazimierz, with the Old Synagogue at one end and the Remuh Synagogue and its cemetery nearby. The hotel occupies a restored townhouse, and its roof terrace gives you a view over the quarter's rooftops that few visitors see.
Stay here if you want Kazimierz at its best: early mornings on an empty Szeroka and evenings that end a few doors from your bed. Bear in mind that the quarter is lively at weekends, so ask for a room at the back if you want to sleep before midnight.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Rubinstein
Kazimierz rooftops
Low houses and synagogue roofs between the Old Town and the river.
Metropolitan Boutique Hotel: between two neighbourhoods
Metropolitan sits on Berka Joselewicza, a small street that links Kazimierz with the edge of the Old Town. It is a small hotel with muted colours, a lot of dark wood and a breakfast that regulars mention more than the rooms. You can walk to Wawel in ten minutes and to Plac Nowy in five.
It appeals to couples and design-minded travellers who want to be close to Kazimierz without being in the middle of its weekend noise. It has fewer facilities than the bigger hotels, so look elsewhere if a pool or a spa matters to you.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Metropolitan Boutique Hotel
When to book
Christmas market: the market on the Main Market Square runs from late November to the end of December and fills the Old Town hotels, so book early for December weekends.
Summer and spring weekends: Krakow is a popular short break from across Europe, and Friday and Saturday nights sell out first. Midweek stays are calmer and often better value.
Low season: January to March is quieter and colder, with the best room choice. Bring a warm coat and you will have the square largely to yourself.
Frequently asked questions about hotels in Krakow
Where should I stay in Krakow?
Stay in the Old Town inside the Planty for a first visit. Kazimierz suits travellers who prioritise food and nightlife, while the riverbank below Wawel is calmer and has larger hotels.
Is Kazimierz safe at night?
Yes, Kazimierz is a lively and generally safe area in the evening, with plenty of people about. As in any busy nightlife district, keep an eye on your belongings.
How far is the airport from the centre?
A direct train runs from the airport to the main station next to the Old Town and takes around twenty minutes. Taxis take a little longer depending on traffic.
How many nights do I need in Krakow?
Two or three nights covers the Old Town, Wawel and Kazimierz at a comfortable pace. Add a night if you plan a day trip to the Wieliczka salt mine or Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Are Krakow hotels good value?
Generally yes. Compared with Western European capitals, you get more space and comfort for the money, especially just outside the Planty and on midweek nights.