Backpacking Krakow (The Definite Budget Guide)

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Find your Perfect Hostel in Krakow

If you’re backpacking Europe and your wallet needs a break, route straight to Kraków.

Food is student-cheap, dorms rarely crack €20, and the old town is basically a medieval theme park you can walk end-to-end before your coffee cools. 

Add late-night pierogi, street art, and day trips that cost less than a bar beer, and you’ve got my exact recipe for repeat visits.

I wrote this backpacking Kraków guide to stop friends (aka you) from wasting zloty on tourist traps and help you land in the right neighborhood, at the right price, with the right snacks.

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Meininger Kraków Centru...9.2

from $8.01 | More Details

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Budget & Estimated Daily Costs in Kraków

Kraków sits in the “sweet-spot cheap” zone: cheaper than Prague, cleaner than Budapest, way more fun than whatever town your flight first hit.

On a legit shoestring you can cruise at €45–55 per day—dorm bunk, three filling meals, tram pass, one paid sight, and still have coins for a vodka shot. 

Bump to €70–90 to upgrade to a smaller dorm, replace one milk-bar meal with a hip café brunch, and add a craft-beer crawl or salt-mine tour.

Flash-packers tossing €120+ can snag private hostel rooms, ride Ubers instead of night buses, and collect boutique cheesecake slices like Pokémon.

Short and crisp: The Best Hostels in Krakow

1. Hostel U Zeweckiego
2. Dizzy Daisy Downtown Hostel - Kraków - best for Digital Nomads, Family-Friendly Hostel, Solo Traveller
3. Bling Bling Hostel
4. Bursa Jagiellonska Backpackers Hostel
5. Greg&Tom Hostel - best for Solo Traveller

Hostel U Zeweckiego

8.3

"…There's a little Italian restaurant a few doors down that does a great Greek salad! The whole more

Dizzy Daisy Downtown Hostel - Kraków

8.6

Kazimierz

"…The showers run out of hot water in the mornings, so make sure you either shower before bed or more

from

$7.85

Bling Bling Hostel

8.0

"…However, the mattresses have seen better days -- they are worn down and dingy. The great thing more

Bursa Jagiellonska Backpackers Hostel

8.6

City Centre

ulica Sliska 14... more

Greg&Tom Hostel

8.8

Kleparz

"…And I do agree with her, this hostel is definitely the best. I will return. Great place, great more

from

$11.15

Typical Daily Expenses in Kraków

• Accommodation (dorm bed): €16–22 in shoulder season; summer weekends spike €3–5.
• Food total: €15–20 if you milk-bar and street-food it.
• Breakfast: €3–4 – obwarzanek bagel, yogurt cup, filter coffee.
• Lunch: €5–7 – “pierogi ruskie” plate + compote drink.
• Dinner: €7–9 – giant zapiekanka or goulash bread bowl.
• Local transport: €4 – 24-hour tram/bus pass; Old Town is free exercise.
• Attractions: €0–6 – Wawel crypt or Rynek Underground; many sights free with ISIC.
• Entertainment & extras: €6–10 – two cherry vodkas, thrift-shop tee, sukker waffle.

A hardcore budget runs €50/day; €80 is comfy; anything higher means you’re living the pastry dream.

Money Saving Tips

• Milk-bar time machine. Government-subsidized canteens serve grandma-level portions. Point, pay, devour.
• Student card swagger. Even a ragged uni ID trims museum prices. Digital copy sometimes flies.
• Group up for day trips. Hostel bulletin boards assemble salt-mine squads and split shuttle vans.
• Night-train stacking. Overnight Joe to Prague or Budapest saves both hostel cost and a travel day.
• Bring a bottle. Kraków tap water is safe; refill at hostel instead of buying plastic.
• Cash matters. Small bars dodge cards. Use bank ATMs (PKO, Santander) to avoid rogue fees.
• Free tour double-dip. Do an Old Town walk in the morning, Kazimierz at night; tip once if broke, twice if balling.

Getting Around Kraków on a Budget

Planty Park wraps Old Town like a green doughnut; you’ll clock 10k steps without noticing. For farther hops—Auschwitz bus or salt-mine train—grab tickets at Kraków Główny station kiosks (English interface, cash or card).

Trams run until ~23:00; after that, night buses (marked “6xx”) take over. Validate paper tickets once; inspectors fine on the spot.

City bikes and e-scooters cluster near university buildings—cheap if you dock every 20 minutes.

Rideshare apps exist, but drivers can be scarce on weekend nights; share the fare with dorm mates or embrace the night tram vibe.

Best Free & Budget Friendly Attractions

Free things to do

• Rise early and own Rynek Główny for photos before cafés drag out umbrellas.
• Guard-change fanfare outside Wawel’s cathedral courtyard.
• Krakus Mound sunset with supermarket beers—locals approve.
• DIY street-art safari in Kazimierz and Podgórze; pick a color theme for IG consistency.
• Planty Park hammock sessions, dog-watching included.
• Tunnel busking under Floriańska—accordion solos and surprise techno remixes.

Low cost attractions

• Rynek Underground (€6) – medieval market remains beneath the square.
• Wawel Dragon’s Den (€4) – cheesy but the fire-breathing statue outside is free.
• Schindler’s Factory (€5 student) – book online to dodge lines.
• Barge river cruise (€6 backpacker tickets) – brainless rest for sore feet.

Food and Drinks on a Budget

• Eat like a broke king. Breakfast? Grab a 2-zł obwarzanek and drip coffee from Żabka convenience store. Lunch? March to Bar Mleczny Górnik: pierogi, beet soup, cabbage salad, all for coins. Dinner? Plac Nowy trucks sling half-meter zapiekanki overloaded with mushrooms, cheese, and garlic sauce—split if you value arteries.
• Drink tactics: Night starts with 4-zł cherry vodka shots in Kazimierz basements, continues with 10-zł craft pints at House of Beer, and ends shoulder-to-shoulder in Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa where everything costs 9 zł. Club covers stay low; beer prices rocket inside, so pre-game on river steps.

Still not sure? Pick my Favorite Hostel in Krakow

#1 Top Hostel in Krakow: Meininger Kraków Centrum

This is the overall best rated hostel in Meininger Kraków Centrum. The overall rating is 9.2. You cannot go wrong here.

It is your safest bet in case you are not sure which hostel to pick.

The price for a dorm at Meininger Kraków Centrum starts from $8.01.

Check out Meininger Kraków Centrum here

Experiences for Backpackers

• Pierogi cooking class in a hostel kitchen—tastes better knowing you folded it wrong.
• Ojcowski National Park day hike—limestone cliffs, castle ruins, bus 220 from Krowodrza Górka.
• Vistula bike ride to Tyniec Abbey—monk-brewed beer reward.
• Live klezmer-jazz fusion gig at Alchemia; candlelit tables, no cover midweek.
• DIY pub crawl across Józefa Street—every doorway hides a new cellar bar.
• Somber but vital Auschwitz-Birkenau visit—go with a guide for context.
• Instagram-bait salt chapel, 135 m underground at Wieliczka—student tickets minus group surcharge if you show up before 10.

5 Hidden Gemz in Krakow (by Hostelgeeks)

How it works

Additional Tips & Final Thoughts

• Best time: Spring (April–June) and fall (Sept–Oct) mean hostel beds under €18 and patio weather.
• Book ahead: Weekend dorms, Wieliczka morning slots, and any night trains—Polish Rail sells out quick.
• Avoid traps: Floriańska strip-club flyers, Rynek “traditional” restaurants with English-only menus, and souvenir stalls selling mass-produced amber from China.
• Safety: Keep bags zipped on tram 4 after 22:00; pickpockets love the bar crowd. Stick to lit streets—cobbles hide ankle traps when tipsy.
• Cultural respect: Quiet voices in churches, hats off indoors, and don’t clink glasses without eye contact—Polish superstition says seven years of bad…something.

Kraków is proof backpacking can still feel old-school cheap without sacrificing fun. Walk everywhere, eat simple, ride trams like a local, and say “dziękuję” with a grin.

You’ll leave buzzing on pierogi carbs and still have enough zloty for the next bus out.

Backpacking Krakow? Here’s What You Need to Know

These are the guides I wish I had before visiting. I’ve been there, had fun, did some minor mistakes, and now I’m passing the best tips on to you. Safe travels!

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About the author: Matt Kiefer

Hey, I’m Matt, the founder behind Hostelgeeks.com. My team and I are collecting the absolute best hostels in the world for you. We share the coolest hostels so you can focus on your travels, rather than spending your time trying to pick a good hostel.

Personally, I’ve bunked in over 600 hostels and stamped my passport in more than 70 countries. My heart beats for Vietnam, Spain, and France, and so many more destinations. I’m a Foosball champ but a beer pong amateur.

Last but not least: Hostelgeeks is a proud ambassador of Hostelz.com.