Kraków hides more than the historic Market Square and Wawel — it also has the vast Wolski Forest with Piłsudski Mound and the city zoo. You can visit all these places without standing in long lines if you plan your day well. This guide will help you organise your route, buy tickets online and know the best times of day to visit. (Tips prepared by tour guide Małgorzata Kasprowicz)
We’ll also suggest how to combine a visit to the Zoo with a walk up the Mound, which places to eat after sightseeing and how to prepare a family outing so it’s comfortable and full of great moments.
Tickets bought online are the easiest way to avoid queues — especially in high season and at weekends. The Market Underground Museum operates with a limited number of visitors, so timed tickets are often the only way to guarantee entry.
For the ZOO, buying tickets online saves time at the ticket office and lets you plan your arrival (for example at opening time or late afternoon), when there are usually fewer visitors. Buying in advance also allows you to check availability of family or reduced-price tickets and practical details like last-entry times.
If you want maximum flexibility — check for tickets with a cancellation option and the possibility to rent an audio guide at the Market Underground.
Morning start at the ZOO — arriving at opening (gates often open around 9:00) is the best time to see animals that are active in the morning and to avoid crowds; plan 2–3 hours for a walk around the zoo.
In the afternoon, go to Wolski Forest — walk to Piłsudski Mound or towards the Panieńskie Skały nature reserve. The forest offers pleasant shade on hot days and nice viewpoints, perfect for family photos.
Evening or another day: Market Underground Museum — visit with a reserved time slot; the tour usually takes about 1.5–2 hours and is best planned as a separate activity, either leaving the Zoo and Forest earlier in the day or saving the Market Underground for an evening dedicated to the Main Market Square.
The Zoological Garden is located in Wolski Forest — so both attractions can easily be combined. Ticket offices close earlier than the park area, so it’s worth arriving early or having tickets bought online.
Wolski Forest is a large woodland complex with a network of roads and trails and several attractions: Piłsudski Mound, the Camaldolese hermitage and the Panieńskie Skały reserve. City buses go to Wolski Forest; getting around the forest is easy thanks to marked routes.
Remember comfortable shoes, a bottle of water and clothing suited to the weather — it can be considerably cooler in the forest shade than in the city centre.
The Market Underground is an interactive archaeological museum showing layers of medieval Kraków; because visitor numbers are limited, entries are scheduled at specific times and it’s best to reserve tickets in advance.
Expect a route lasting about 1.5–2 hours, with multimedia elements and archaeological exhibits. There are family-friendly sections and materials for visitors with small children, and people with limited mobility should check availability of facilities when booking.
On Tuesdays or selected days the museum sometimes offers different entry rules (for example free entry or shortened hours) — it’s worth checking the museum’s website beforehand and reserving your place.
Buy tickets online — rule number one. Timed tickets for the Market Underground and e-tickets for the ZOO reduce waiting time to a minimum.
At the ZOO: arrive at opening or in the late afternoon, check which weekdays are usually quieter (weekdays instead of weekends). Bring a printout or show the ticket on your phone to pass quickly through the gate.
At the Market Square: avoid the middle of the day when the Main Market Square is busiest; choose morning or evening slots (depending on ticket availability). If you want to enter for free, look for information about complimentary admissions on selected days — but remember even free tickets often need to be reserved.
City buses serve Wolski Forest and the ZOO — it’s worth using public transport to avoid parking problems near the Zoo gate. Bus lines heading to Wolski Forest include, among others, municipal lines 102, 109 and 134, connecting northern and western parts of the city with the woodland area.
If you arrive by car, allow time to find a parking space — there are parking lots near forest and zoo entrances, but they can fill up in season. In the Main Market area it’s better to leave your car at a hotel car park or one of the larger ring-road car parks and switch to public transport.
For families with children, a taxi or private transfer can be a convenient choice — it removes the need to look for parking and to carry equipment.
Kraków’s food scene has great options for a break — near the Market Square and towards Wawel you can visit well-rated restaurants such as Szara (Szara Gęś), Restauracja Pod Aniołami or Café Camelot — there’s something for everyone: traditional flavours, modern cuisine and cosy cafés.
After a full day of attractions it’s worth staying in a hotel with good access to the centre and public transport to Wolski Forest. Recommended, highly rated options include Hotel Stary, PURO Kraków Stare Miasto and Sheraton Grand Kraków — all offer comfort and easy access to major sights.
If you prefer something more intimate, consider small guesthouses near the Old Town or apartments close to the Market — ideal for families and visitors who enjoy evening walks in the city centre.
Thinking “we’ll arrive and buy tickets on the spot” — in peak season this often leads to long queues or no entry; solution: book online and arrive at the scheduled time.
Not planning route and time — combining the ZOO and Wolski Forest can be tiring if you try to see both in a short time; solution: split the attractions between morning and afternoon or plan them across two days.
Not preparing for changing weather — it can be windy and cooler on the mound and in the forest; bring a light jacket and comfortable shoes.
Wolski Forest hides reserves and corners that surprise many tourists — the Panieńskie Skały reserve is an interesting natural spot right by walking routes, and Piłsudski Mound is a younger but impressive viewpoint over the city.
In the Market Underground you can see fragments of the old medieval city that lay literally under people’s feet for centuries — the museum presents these layers in a very accessible, multimedia way.
Many people don’t know that the Kraków ZOO is open for most of the year and that the petting zoo and some feeding shows have their own set times — it’s worth checking the daily schedule for the day of your visit.
Do I have to reserve entry to the Market Underground? Yes — the museum has a limited number of places and usually requires a timed reservation.
When is the best time to go to the ZOO to avoid crowds? The best times are morning at opening or late afternoon; weekdays tend to be quieter than weekends.
Are there toilets and rest areas in Wolski Forest? Yes — there are facilities at main entrances and near the ZOO; however, deeper in the forest there is little infrastructure, so plan breaks near the entrances.
If you want to explore Kraków comfortably and without stress, good preparation is half the success: buy tickets online, plan your route and include breaks for children. If you enjoyed this guide — share it with friends or on social media to help others plan a better trip.
If you’d like to explore with a local guide who knows the city and can tailor the route to your needs — I invite you to use the services of private guide Małgorzata Kasprowicz. Contact and offer details are available at zwiedzaniekrakowa.com — I’ll gladly help plan your perfect day in Kraków!
