This Might be the Best Old Town Krakow Walking Tour

An Old Town Krakow walking tour is the best way for travelers with limited time to get a quick overview of the city and history.  

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Why take a Krakow walking tour?

I love walking tours.  The first reason being you get a quick guide of where the most popular attractions are, when to visit and how much it might cost to enter.  The second is that you are also learning about the city and history directly from a local.

My guide for the Old Town Krakow Walking Tour has lived in Poland his whole life, and spent the last 20 years in Krakow as a tour guide.  

Why should I pay for a walking tour, can’t I just take one of the free Krakow walking tours?

Unfortunately free walking tours do not exist.  Recently I was in Oxford, England where I found a tour that promoted itself on Google and their own website as a “free walking tour”.  Well the second I arrived, I was shown the brochure with a sliding scale of prices for the “tip” to pay at the end of the tour.  Once the tour was over, the guide even pulled out a card machine, where you then had to say exactly how much you planned to tip.  No thank you.  

I would rather pay for the tour cost up front with the option to tip if I feel like it was really exceptional.  Also, this way you don’t need to worry about having local currency.  I spent 2 days in Poland, without taking out cash.

Highlights of the Old Town Krakow & Wawel Castle Walking Tour

I signed up for the 2.5 hour Old Town Krakow & Wawel Castle Walking Tour.   This tour starts just outside the Old Town walls at the Barbican.

On the tour you’ll start with the medieval heritage learning about the fortified city and historic markets.  Later you’ll hear about the important role the city played in WWII, and the rise of the communist government afterwards.  You’ll also get to learn about some fun local legends, like the fire breathing dragon. 

The main market square is of course the jewel of the city with its multi-colored buildings, gothic cathedral and the historic indoor market that has been selling goods for 800 years.

What should you know before signing up for a Krakow walking tour?

This is quite a long tour at 2.5 hours, so prepare to stand for a majority of that time.  There are times where you can sit on benches to take a break while listening to the guide.  

About halfway through, there is also a break at a coffee shop in one of the universities.  Here you can buy coffee, cocoa, wine, etc. and have a bathroom break.  We had a 15-20 minute break to sit and warm up here while our guide continued sharing the history of the city. 

Beware of the weather.  I visited Krakow at the beginning of February and hit a cold spell.  The only day I could take the tour, it was 15 degrees fahrenheit (-10 C).  It was COLD.  

Just be prepared, whether it’s cold, rainy, or in the summer potentially very hot, you are outside standing for most of those 2.5 hours. Bring whatever you need to stay comfortable: layers, umbrellas, portable fans, etc.  But most importantly, wear comfortable shoes. 

Review of Wawel Castle & Old Town Krakow Walking Tour 

I really enjoyed taking this tour, and think any first trip to Krakow should include a city tour.  

If you’re looking for the best Krakow walking tour this just might be it.  My guide was Maciek, who was both incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining.  He clearly has a wealth of information and passion for sharing the city’s history.  This tour also has a 4.8 rating on Viator with 1500 reviews.  

I recommend joining the 10am (or 11am) tour.  This way, you can still get into some of the museums that have earlier closing times.  

For example, my tour was on a Tuesday, and many museums have free admission that day.  The underground museum however also closes at 3pm on Tuesdays, with the last entry 75 minutes prior to closing. I just missed getting the last entry time. 

Also, with the earlier tour, you’ll now have a better understanding of where to go and what to see for the rest of your afternoon.  And if you really love walking tours, you’ll have time to take a quick lunch break then join one of the Jewish Quarter tours. 

Looking for other Krakow city tours?

There are other walking tours in Krakow available besides the Old Town.  There are also a number available for the Kazimierz neighborhood, formerly known as the Jewish Quarter.  This area of the city has so much history as related to WWII that it needs its own separate tour. 

Or maybe you don’t want to stand the whole time.  Instead, take a golf cart tour through Old Krakow.  I took a golf cart tour in Stockholm and loved it.  It allows you to see a larger portion of the city in less time.

See more highly rated Krakow tours both in the city, and day trips around Poland.

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