Hotels in Kraków: prices, timing and areas
Kraków draws guests all year, and most stay three nights, moving between the Main Market Square with the Cloth Hall, Wawel Castle and the atmospheric Kazimierz. Room prices swing hard from month to month, as December with its Christmas markets is clearly pricier than a quiet January. This list has 4 571 properties, from a hostel bed a few steps from the square to a boutique apartment in the Old Town. Below is what really drives the price of a stay in Kraków: the month, the day of the week and the district.
When to book a stay in Kraków for less
Kraków is cheapest in midwinter. January is usually the bottom of the market, with February only a touch higher. December is the priciest, when the Christmas markets open and rates can run a quarter higher than at the start of the year. Spring from April to June is lovely and still reasonable; July and August are the peak season with the heaviest crowds. The arrival day matters too: Thursday is the cheapest, Monday the most expensive. The best rates disappear close to the date, so book ahead for a regular trip, especially in December and on weekends.
What a stay costs by property type
Kraków has a wide spread of prices, so a hostel bed by the Planty park and a family apartment in the Old Town are worlds apart. The cheapest sleep is in hostels and small guesthouses outside the strict centre; you pay the most for five stars by the square. Below are indicative nightly rates.
| Property type | Indicative price per night (from) |
| Hostel bed or one-star room | from approx. 190 zł |
| Budget two-star room or B&B | from approx. 280 zł |
| Three-star hotel | from approx. 330 zł |
| Family room or apartment | from approx. 480 zł |
| Four-star hotel | from approx. 590 zł |
| Five-star hotel | from approx. 820 zł |
Indicative rates for a double room, outside the December peak. In Kraków the gap between a quiet January and a December with the markets can be sizeable, so check the real price for your dates in the search above.
Where a stay is cheaper and where it costs more
The most booked district is the Old Town, with the Main Market Square, the Cloth Hall and St. Mary's Basilica within a walk. Here a stay sits above the city average. Right next to it is Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter full of bars and clubs, popular and still affordable. Across the Vistula lies Podgórze, quieter and cheaper, while Krowodrza and Grzegórzki are also well connected. The cheapest sleep is further from the square, in the areas outside the strict centre. Kraków is compact and the tram network reaches the square in a quarter of an hour, so a base outside the old town is still convenient.
Which stay in Kraków suits whom
- First time in Kraków. The Old Town is the easiest base. From here it is a walk to the Main Market Square, the Cloth Hall and Wawel, and to Kazimierz in the evening.
- For families. Family rooms and apartments in the Old Town and Podgórze, near the sights and the trams. Easy to mix sightseeing with a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
- For couples. Kazimierz with its atmospheric bars and the Old Town with a view over the square. The evenings are liveliest right here.
- Business travel. Hotels by the centre and the Kraków Główny station are close to the trams and the offices. Most districts are a ride away without a change.
- With breakfast. Many hotels in the centre include a buffet in the rate, which helps you set off early for sightseeing or the morning trip to Auschwitz.
- Near the airport. Hotels around John Paul II Airport in Balice suit an early flight or a layover. The train runs from the airport to the centre in about 20 minutes.
Example hotels in Kraków with prices
From a hostel bed to a palace apartment by the square, a few Kraków names with a from price. Just a starting point, as rates for the same property can climb noticeably in December and on weekends.
| Property | Category | Price per night (from) |
| Flamingo Premium Hostel | Hostel | from approx. 190 zł |
| Flaminio Smart Sleep | Budget | from approx. 280 zł |
| Aparthotel Cracovia Residence | Budget apartment | from approx. 350 zł |
| Mercure Krakow Fabryczna City | Mid-range hotel | from approx. 410 zł |
| AC Hotel by Marriott Krakow | Four-star hotel | from approx. 500 zł |
| Art Suites Luxury Hotel | Boutique apartment | from approx. 585 zł |
| Vienna House by Wyndham Andel's Cracow | Upscale hotel | from approx. 640 zł |
| H15 Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel | Premium hotel | from approx. 1 215 zł |
From prices for a double room. In Kraków the same hotel can differ between a Thursday and a Monday, so check your exact dates in the search.