Day trips from Krakow, compared
All 24 trips on one table, nearest first. 10 can be done by train, 4 really need a car, and 3 are worth booking before you travel.
- By train
- 10
- Car only
- 4
- Half a day, under 30 km
- 5
- Book ahead
- 3
Every trip, nearest first
Distance and direction are from the centre of Krakow. The transport columns show what each trip page lists, so a dash means that way in is not one we describe, not that it is impossible.
| Trip | Distance | Allow | Train | Bus | Tour | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyniec Benedictine Abbey | 12 kmsouthwest | Two to three hours | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Wieliczka Salt Mine | 14 kmsoutheast | Half day | ✓ | ✓ | - | - |
| Ojcow National Park | 24 kmnorth | Half day | - | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Niepolomice Royal Forest | 25 kmeast | Half day | ✓ | ✓ | - | - |
| Pieskowa Skala Castle | 25 kmnorth | Half day | - | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Kalwaria Zebrzydowska | 35 kmsouthwest | Half day | - | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Lanckorona | 45 kmsouthwest | Half day | - | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Wadowice - Birthplace of Pope John Paul II | 50 kmsouthwest | Half day | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Bochnia Salt Mine | 50 kmeast | Half day | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Sucha Beskidzka Castle | 60 kmsouthwest | Half day | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial | 66 kmwest | Full day | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lipnica Murowana | 70 kmeast | Half day | - | - | - | ✓ |
| Rabka-Zdroj | 80 kmsouth | Full day | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| Lake Roznow | 80 kmsoutheast | Full day | - | - | - | ✓ |
| Babia Gora National Park | 90 kmsouth | Full day | - | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Debno Podhalanskie | 90 kmsouth | Half day | - | - | - | ✓ |
| Nowy Sacz & Sacz Ethnographic Park | 100 kmsoutheast | Full day | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Zalipie | 100 kmeast | Full day | - | - | - | ✓ |
| Stary Sacz | 100 kmsoutheast | Full day | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| Zakopane & the Tatra Mountains | 105 kmsouth | Full day | - | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Dunajec River Gorge Rafting | 120 kmsouth | Full day | - | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Czestochowa - Jasna Gora Monastery | 140 kmnorth | Full day | ✓ | ✓ | - | - |
| Muszyna | 140 kmsoutheast | Full day | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| Krynica-Zdroj | 150 kmsoutheast | Full day | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
Book ahead
The ones people book before they travel
Timed entry at Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka sells out days ahead in season. Tours below bundle transport from Krakow; entry to the Auschwitz Memorial on its own is booked with the Memorial directly.
By train
Reachable by rail from Krakow
Trains leave from Krakow Glowny, next to the Galeria Krakowska mall and ten minutes on foot from the Main Market Square.
Car only
Where you will want a car
These list no train, bus or tour from Krakow. A hire car also makes it practical to pair them: Debno sits on the road to Zakopane, and Lipnica Murowana and Zalipie are both east of the city.
Half a day
Back in time for dinner
Within 30 km and shorter than a full day, so they fit around a morning in the old town.
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Before you go
Day trips from Krakow: quick answers
- Which day trips from Krakow can you do by train?
- 10 of the 24 trips on this site list a train from Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine, Niepolomice Royal Forest, Bochnia Salt Mine, Sucha Beskidzka Castle, Rabka-Zdroj, Nowy Sacz & Sacz Ethnographic Park, Stary Sacz, Czestochowa - Jasna Gora Monastery, Muszyna and Krynica-Zdroj.
- Which day trips from Krakow need a car?
- Lipnica Murowana, Lake Roznow, Debno Podhalanskie and Zalipie list only a car from Krakow, with no train, bus or organised tour. For those a hire car, or a private driver, is the practical way to go.
- Which day trips from Krakow fit into half a day?
- Within 30 km and under a full day: Tyniec Benedictine Abbey, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Ojcow National Park, Niepolomice Royal Forest and Pieskowa Skala Castle.
- What is the closest and the farthest day trip from Krakow?
- The closest is Tyniec Benedictine Abbey, 12 km southwest. The farthest listed is Krynica-Zdroj, 150 km southeast.
- Which day trips from Krakow should be booked ahead?
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, Wieliczka Salt Mine and Zakopane & the Tatra Mountains. Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mine both run on timed entry and sell out days ahead in season.