Where to stay · Kraków, Poland
Where to stay in Kraków
6 areas worth booking in Kraków, sorted by the budget each one actually suits — what the neighborhood feels like, and what a night there costs.
Budget — best areas
≈ $28 / nightThe old Jewish town south of the centre: synagogues, the zapiekanka hatches of Plac Nowy and the best bars in the city. Hostels and design hotels side by side, and lively until late.
Over the Vistula footbridge: the wartime ghetto and Ghetto Heroes Square, the old Podgórze market square under St Joseph's church, and the Krakus Mound's view. Cheaper and calmer, and a walk or two tram stops from everything.
Mid-range — best areas
≈ $90 / nightInside the ring of the Planty gardens: the Rynek, St Mary's, the Cloth Hall and the university. Everything is on foot; rooms on the square itself are noisy on weekend nights.
Just north and west of the Old Town: the Stary Kleparz market, tree-lined streets of villas and cafés, and the main station close by. Calmer than the centre and five minutes from the Rynek.
East of Podgórze among old factories: the MOCAK museum and Schindler's Factory, converted lofts, roasters and new apartment hotels. Good value and a short tram ride to Kazimierz.
Luxury — best areas
≈ $247 / nightThe streets below Wawel Hill, Kanonicza and Grodzka, the oldest in the city: Gothic and Renaissance houses turned into luxury hotels, with the castle on one side and the Rynek ten minutes away.
Now pick the hotel
The Kraków guide carries the full shortlist for each tier, with why each hotel is on it.