Kraków Old Town Tour: Iconic Landmarks and Hidden Gems

Explore Kraków’s Old Town with a guided tour, featuring St. Mary’s Basilica, Market Square, and hidden gems. Uncover the city’s rich history and culture.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • St Mary’s Basilica - St. Mary’s Basilica, located in the heart of Krakow’s Main Market Square, is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. This Gothic church, renowned for its stunning architecture and rich history, features two strikingly different towers and an exquisite interior. The highlight is the magnificent wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss, one of the largest and most impressive in Europe. Every hour, a trumpet signal, the Hejnał Mariacki, is played from the taller tower, a tradition dating back to the 14th century. St. Mary’s Basilica is a must-visit for its architectural beauty and cultural significance.

  • Krakow’s Rynek Glowny Central Square - Krakow’s Main Square, known as Rynek Główny, is one of the largest and most vibrant medieval town squares in Europe. Located in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town, this historic square is surrounded by stunning architecture, including the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), St. Mary’s Basilica, and the Town Hall Tower. The square is a bustling hub of activity, featuring lively markets, outdoor cafes, street performers, and horse-drawn carriages. With its rich history, vibrant atmosphere, and central location, Krakow’s Main Square is a must-visit destination for anyone exploring the city.

  • Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) - The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) in Krakow, located in the heart of the Main Market Square, is a historic and architectural gem. Originally built in the 14th century as a center for international trade, it has long been a bustling market for merchants. The current Renaissance-style structure, with its distinctive arcades and detailed facades, dates back to the 16th century. Today, the Cloth Hall is a vibrant market where visitors can buy traditional Polish handicrafts, souvenirs, and local goods. The upper floor houses the Sukiennice Museum, part of the National Museum, showcasing 19th-century Polish art. The Cloth Hall remains a central symbol of Krakow’s rich commercial history and cultural heritage.

  • Jagiellonian University Collegium Iuridicum - The Jagiellonian University’s Collegium Maius in Krakow is the oldest building of Poland’s oldest university, founded in 1364. This stunning Gothic structure, with its charming courtyard and cloisters, offers a glimpse into the rich academic heritage of the university. Visitors can explore the university museum housed within, which displays historical artifacts, including scientific instruments, medieval manuscripts, and the famous Jagiellonian Globe. The Collegium Maius is a must-see for those interested in the history of education and the intellectual legacy of one of Europe’s most prestigious universities.

What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Entry ticket to St. Mary’s Basilica
What's Not Included
  • Other entrances, for example the entrance to the church bugle tower
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Discover Kraków’s Old Town through a guided tour of its most iconic landmarks. Begin at St. Mary’s Basilica in the Main Square, where you’ll marvel at the stunning Veit Stoss altarpiece, renowned for its intricate woodcarvings and artistic brilliance. Stroll through the lively Market Square, visit the Renaissance-era Cloth Hall, and explore the historic Jagiellonian University’s Collegium Maius. As you wander the narrow streets, you’ll uncover hidden gems and soak in the city’s rich history. Led by an expert guide, this tour reveals the cultural and architectural treasures of Kraków’s Old Town.

  • Please note this is a walking group tour, please, don’t be late.
  • A dress code is required to enter places of worship. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements. Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately. As the tour involves walking for the most part, please be wearing comfortable footwear.
Location
plac Świętej Marii Magdaleny
On the St. Mary Magdalene Sq. at the Piotr Skarga Monument
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(67 Ratings)
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Vicki
Nov 18, 2019
Throughly recomend - We met Kam at the tour office and had a thoroughly interesting tour of the Old Town and Jewish Quarter. There were just the 5 of upon the tour, it was very informal and informative. Kam delivered the tour brilliantly and looked after us throughout, taking us to a vast number of historic sites with the accompanying information and for a well deserved coffee. We could have spent the day soaking up Kam's knowledge and love for the area but unfortunately we had another trip booked. We will definitely be back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Puella_enthea
Oct 3, 2019
Excellent! - Had an excellent tour with Tibor a couple of weeks ago. Good planning, lots of interesting detail, enough breaks. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alyssak476
Sep 2, 2019
Simply Amazing - We had an incredible experience learning about the history of Krakow with our tour guide Kamil. He brought us all over the beautiful city and had something interesting and captivating to say about nearly everything. If you are interested in really embracing and learning about history of Krakow, I highly recommend this tour with Kamil. There was optional Wawel Castle visit afterwards but after tour with Kamil, guides in castle did not captivate our interest at all and we wished he could continue with us. It is difficult to immediately do both tours back to back as there is not long enough break to get lunch and recuperate. Highly recommend walking tour of jewish district and old town. Wawel Castle, not so much - you can just walk around yourself it is very pretty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wayne
Aug 28, 2019
Mr - A fairly easy walk around the historic centre of Krakow with a pleasant and very knowledgeable guide. This allowed me to choose which places I wanted to spend more time at the following day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Akiom31
Aug 18, 2019
Very informative 2hour city tour - We are the only ones for the tour so that we could ask many questions freely, and learned about the rich history of old town and Jewish quarters in Krakow. We enjoyed it very much. She was a very knowledgeable and positive young lady
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elaine_d
Aug 16, 2019
Very good tour - Tour guide, Alex, was knowledgeable, intelligent, and energetic. He knew all the facts and fiction about all the places we went. He did, however, keep saying he would tell us the best places to eat and best places to shop but he never did. We did like him, though, and booked him (independently) for the next day but he never showed up. But the Viator tour was worthwhile and a must for getting an overview of Krakow. There is a lot to cover in Krakow and it is helpful to have a guide to give an overview.
Review provided by Viator
Sandy_g
Aug 12, 2019
Great Old Town Tour! - Nicholas was wonderful. We were very happy with our tour! He was very attentive to the interest and needs if our little group.
Review provided by Viator
Michael
Aug 28, 2019
A great way to see the City and understand the layout - We met our guide at the tourist office (just two of us on the tour). We proceeded around the Old town with the guide stopping frequently to tell us about the history of what we were looking at. We stopped at a cafe after 2 hours for a well needed drink/eat, (not included in tour) and then continued to the river and into the Jewish quarter for the next hour or so. To our surprise the guide just announced that the tour had ended -(somewhere in front of a church in the Jewish quarter!) and he was off down the road. This is a long way from the start point in the Old town and this was our first trip on our first day so it took quite some time to try and figure a way back to main square area - very dissappointing end to what had been a nice city tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrea_f
Aug 12, 2019
Good - Nicolas was well prepared and really interesting. He recommended other places for us to visit and was really kind.
Review provided by Viator
Frejalinn3
Aug 2, 2019
Great way to get to know the city, but... - The tour was very thorough and interesting, and we felt like we experienced a lot of central Krakow. However not suited for people, who are not in an ok walking shape. The tempo was a little fast and there were no headphones, which unfortunately meant that some of the information provided by the (otherwise very nice and kind) guide got lost on the big group. We learned a lot about the highlights of the city, and got a great recommendation for a lunch place (Hamsa in the Jewish quarters). Overall I would recommend the walking tour for a couple or a solo person, but not for kids, elderly or people with difficulty walking more than 2 km in a relatively steady pace.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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1 Adult
September 2024
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