My recommendations

Bar SMAK,
Karmelicka 10, 33-128 Kraków

Frequented by the locals, traditional Polish food, near the Old Town

Pod Wawelem Kompania Kuflowa, Świętej Gertrudy 26/29, 31-048, near the Wawel Castle Hill

Traditional Polish food, hearty portions

Gościnna Chata, Sławkowska 10, 31-014 Kraków

Traditional Polish and regional restaurant that specializes in Lesser Poland and Lemko cuisine. Warm rustic tavern style.

W Starej Kuchni, Tomasza 8, 31-014, Kraków Old Town

Traditional Polish food served in a cosy, rustic interior.

Pierogarnia Domowa, Szpitalna 3, 33-332 Kraków Old Town

Polish dumplings, awarded restaurant

Restauracja Wesele, Rynek Główny 10, 31-042, Kraków Old Market Square

Traditional Polish food

Chimera, St Anne 3, 31-008, Kraków Old Town

Good for lunch, salad, meat & vegan option, buffet style

Restauracja Pod Aniołami, Grodzka 35, Kraków Old Town

Old Polish cuisine. Famous for its marinated meats grilled over beech hardwood. Served in exceptional historical interiors

Cafe Sukiennice, Rynek Główny 3, Kraków Old Town

Cafe with a VIEW over Saint Mary's Basilica, located on the 1st floor of the Cloth Market Hall Serving good coffee, coctails and desserts. Great option on a sunny day

Bar mleczny "Pod Temidą", Grodzka 43, 31-001, Krakow Old Town

Traditional milk bar serving traditional Polish food at affordable prices

Sky Bar & Restaurant, Hotel pod Wawelem, Plac na Groblach 22, 31-101 Kraków Old Town

Restaurant with a VIEW over the Wawel Castle and Vistula river Diverse menu including traditional Polish food

Golonkarnia, Tadeusza Kościuszki 42, 30-114

Best pork knuckle in town

CK Browar, Podwale 7, 31-118, near the Old Town

Traditional Polish food, hearty portions

Nowa Prowincja, Bracka 3, 31-005, Kraków Old Town

Cosy cafe with rustic decor serving best hot chocolate and apple pie in town, only short walk from main market square. Great choice on a rainy afternoon.

Marchewka z Groszkiem, Mostowa 2, 31-061, Kazimierz

Traditional Polish food

Kuchnia u Doroty, Augustiańska 4, 31-064, Kraków

Traditional Polish food. Restaurant famous for its delicious patato pancakes served with meat stew

Kolanko no 6, Józefa 17, 31-056 , Kazimierz

Good breakfasts & dinners

Dawno temu na Kazimierzu, Szeroka 1, Kazimierz

Diverse menu including traditional Jewish food served in interiors that take you back to old Kazimierz.

Mo Mo Steak & Wine, Sienna 9, 31-041 Kraków Old Town

For burger & steak lovers

Tasty Beast Burger, Starowiślna 47, 31-038

Very good burgers, a bit further away from the Old Town

Olio, Pizza Napoletana, Nadwiślańska 7, 30-527 Kraków

Good pizzas at fair prices but further away from the Old Town

La Campana, Kanonicza 7, Kraków Old Town

Italian trattoria with a Michelin star.

Prosciuttko Panino e Vino, Sienna 17, Kraków Old Town

Delicious Italian style sandwiches

Taj Kraków, Szpitalna 9, 31-024, Kraków Old Town and Taj Kraków, Kazimierz, Miodowa 19, 31-055.

Good Thai food

Indian Flame, Wielopole 22, 31-072, near Kraków Old Town

Good Indian food

Cafe Manggha (Japanese Institute of Art and Technique), Marii Konopnickiej 26, 30-302, Kraków; on the left bank of Vistula river, VIEW over the Wawel Castle.

Good Japanese food

Jinling Dumpling, Józefa Dietla 39, 31-062

Good Chinese food but a bit pricey

Wosabi, Sw. Wawrzyńca 19, 31-060, Kazimierz

Fusion of asian tastes served in a spacious, green decor

Ali Baba Kebab, Rajska 1, 31-124 Kraków

If you fancy good kebab near the Old Town

Dobra Pączkarnia

- excellent doughnuts. Several locations: Grodzka 5 Floriańska 24 Karmelicka 8

Good Lood, Grodzka 60, Kraków

Old Town, has a wide range of ice cream flavours

Piekarnia u Mojego Taty, Beera Meiselesa 6, 31-058

Bakery serving best chałka in town. Chałka is soft, sweet, braided egg bread. Paired with butter, is simply delicious, making all the restaurants above virtually redundant ;)

Prominent The Original Lounge Bar, Kamienna 17, 31-403

Nightclub with billiard tables and bowling lanes, karaoke Bachata & salsa nights with DJ performances on FRIDAYS

Sukiennice Museum, the Art Gallery, Rynek Główny 3, 31-042

Collection of some of the best XIX and XX century paintings of the most prominent Polish artists including Jan Matejko's great format historical paintings

Czartoryskich Museum, Pijarska 15, 31-015 Kraków Old Town

Exhibiting artefacts relating to the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth & other splendid artwork

Jan Matejko Museum, Floriańska 41, Kraków Old Town

Museum dedicated to the greatest Polish painter, Jan Matejko. Created in the painter's former house, this first Polish biographical museum containing rare collection of paintings, weaponry, militaria and fabrics.

Hutten-Czapski Museum, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 12, 31-109 Kraków;

One of the greatest collection of coins in Europe but also collection of prints, militaria, textiles as well as vast library. Multimedia museum.

The Hipolit House, Pl. Mariacki 3, next to St Mary's Basilica

The burgher mansion from the 17th century provides an opportunity to penetrate the lives of former inhabitants of Kraków. The interiors of the buildings are arranged over two storeys with items dating to various epochs. (Closed on Monday & Tuesday)

Banksy Museum, Berka Joselewicza 21, Kraków

Kraków is one of 6 European cities that is proud of having a museum devoted to the famous graffiti artist operating under pseudonim, whose identity remains unknown. Banksy's graffiti work is world-famous for its wit and thought - provoking political and social message.

Remu Synagoge, Szeroka, Kazimierz

Visit Kazimierz, formerly a town, of which north-eastern part became a Jewish Quarter by XVI century. Kazimierz has the largest preserved synagoge complex in Europe and Remu Synagogue is open to the public except for Saturdays. Visit Kazimierz at evening time to feel the vibe. The best view over Kazimierz is from the rooftop bar of Helena Rubinstein hotel, Szeroka 12.

Rzeczy Minione, Świętej Agnieszki 1, 31-071,

5 minutes walk from the Wawel Castle. Albeit, this is stricly speaking not a museum, it could be treated as such as this large antique shop offers a wide selection of vintage items that tell a captivating story of bygone eras.

Zakrzówek lake,

former limestone quarry turned into a lake, surrounded with a park and rocks. It is located in the Dębniki district of Kraków. 15 minutes by tram from Kraków Old Town. Get onto the tram number 18 at Plac Wszystkich Świętych near Old Market Square and get off at Norymberska Street.

Błonia & Sikornik Hill

(with Kościuszko Mound) - huge triangular open space, previously cow's pasture, now the largest city centre open space in Europe and favourite leisure space for the people of Kraków. During a summer day, you can take a stroll to Błonia, and then continue to climb Sikornik Hill, which is where one of the oldest churches in Kraków is located, Church of the Holy Saviour (Świętej Bronislawy 9, 30-001 Kraków). Alternatively, take the tram to Salwator and then continue through the Street Świętej Bronisławy and into Aleja Waszyngtona which will take you to the Kościuszko Mound, a museum dedicated to Polish and American hero Tadeusz Kościuszko with a Mound that is also an excellent viewpoint. You can also take a further walk through the woods, to Polana Sikornika. (An entry ticket for the Kościuszko Mound includes na entry to the museum)

Nowa Huta district of Kraków

- originally a separate town built in the 1950-ties, east to the city of Kraków, according to the principles of a socialist state. Tram number 4 will take you there. However, Nowa Huta is quite extent to visit it on your own. I suggest either booking Free Walking Tour or use the services of Crazy Guides, professional tour guides who will take you around Nowa Huta, making the trip entertaining as well as informative. +48 500 091 200.

Higher tower of St Mary's Basilica

- climb the tower and witness the trumpeter playing traditional 'hejnal' melody (April-October)

Owls' cave centre, Stolarska 11,

3 minutes walk off Kraków main market square is a place where you can spend time with wild birds and learn about falconry

House of Illusions, Straszewskiego 15, 31-101, Kraków

A space where optical illusions meet scientific inventions

OJCÓW NATIONAL PARK

- the smallest yet one of the most beautiful National Parks in Poland, famous for its Jurassic rock formations, castles and caves. In the park, there is a number of restaurants that serve local speciality - a trout. The park is located 16km north of Kraków. You can get there by Uber or, from June to September there is a direct bus - LR0- that goes to Ojców National Park. Make sure you get off at the very last bus stop. The journey takes about 40min.

PIENINY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

- the oldest established National Park in Poland famous for its nature and amazing views - jagged rocks and gorges, and the Dunajec river. You can take a bus from Kraków main bus station that takes you to Czorsztyn, the starting point of a mountain trail that lasts about 5h and finishes in beautiful Szczawnica health resort. Alternatively, you can take a bus to Szczawnica and go rafting on the Dunajec river, famous local attraction. The buses run daily from Szczawnica to Kraków in tourist season. The journey takes about 2h 20min.

TATRA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

- the highest mountain range in the Polish territory and the highest massif in the Carpathian chain. The visitors can take adventage of 275km of marked hiking trails of varying difficulty. The trails offer splendid views over mountain ranges, valleys, post-glacial lakes, boasting diverse flora and vegetation. You can take a train to famous Zakopane resort, do one of the trails and be back in Kraków on the same day. The journey from Kraków to Zakopane takes about 2h 30min.