Thematic in Kraków
Krakow in Winter: Weather, What to Do and What Is Open
Krakow in winter is cold, often grey and sometimes white. Here is what the weather really does from December to February, what is worth seeing and what closes.
By ViewPoland Editorial
6 min read
Updated October 2026
The short answer
In January, Krakow's coldest month, the average high at the city's weather station is 1.6°C and the average low minus 4.7°C, with snow on the ground on about 18 days. In return come free entry to parts of Wawel in November 2026, the Christmas market and the crib contest.
The figures in this guide are averages for 1991 to 2020 from IMGW, the Polish national weather service, measured at its Kraków-Balice station by the airport. They describe a normal winter, not any particular one, and a cold snap can push the thermometer far lower. Pack a warm coat, a hat, gloves and shoes that cope with slush, and plan a mix of indoor and outdoor sights.
How cold is Krakow in winter?
| Month | Average high | Average low | Days with snow cover | Hours of sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 2.7°C | -3.4°C | 12 | 36 |
| January | 1.6°C | -4.7°C | 18 | 47 |
| February | 3.7°C | -3.6°C | 14 | 67 |
Two numbers in that table matter most for planning. The first is how little the temperature moves: the average for each of the three months sits between minus 1.6°C and minus 0.2°C, so the days hover around freezing rather than swinging wildly. The second is the light. December averages 36 hours of sunshine in the whole month, a little over an hour a day, which is why winter Krakow often feels grey. February is noticeably brighter.
Does it snow in Krakow?
Usually, but not reliably. Over the 30 years, snow fell on an average of about 9 days in December, 12 in January and 11 in February, and snow covered the ground on about 12, 18 and 14 days. In other words, a week in January has a fair chance of a white city, while a December weekend may bring only wet streets.
Extremes happen. The lowest temperature recorded at the station in those three decades was minus 26.7°C, in January. If snow is the point of your trip, the mountains are a safer bet than the city: our guide to whether there is snow in Zakopane explains how altitude changes the picture. For the country as a whole, see how cold Polish winters are, and for other winter trips, where to go in Poland in winter.
What is free at Wawel Castle in November?
Wawel Royal Castle runs Free November in 2026. From Tuesday to Sunday, between 9 am and 5 pm, entry is free to the State Rooms and Ottoman Turkish tents on the castle's second floor, to the underground exhibitions The Lost Wawel and the Lapidarium, and to Between the Walls. On Mondays, from 10 am to 4 pm, the free exhibitions are on the first floor instead: the Royal Private Apartments, Wawel Recovered and Between the Walls.
Free tickets are issued on the day at the ticket offices, open from 8:45 am to 4 pm, or online one week ahead, except on Mondays, when they are only available at the ticket offices until they run out. One person can collect tickets for up to five people. The castle is closed on 1 November, and on 11 November only the second floor and the Armoury open, from 9 am to 5 pm, with free tickets online. On other days from Tuesday to Sunday, the Crown Treasury and the Armoury (47 PLN each) and the first floor (57 PLN) keep their normal prices. Note that the Dragon's Den closes for the season at the end of October. More on planning a visit is in our Wawel Castle visitor guide.
In November the free second-floor ticket also covers three temporary exhibitions: 'Anna Jagiellon: All the Faces of the Queen', 'Ecstasies. Bernini at Wawel' (from 6 November) and Johannes Vermeer's 'Woman with a Pearl Necklace', lent by the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin (from 27 November).
What is Krakow like in December?
December has the most going on. The Christmas market fills the Main Market Square; its dates are announced by the city each year, so check them in our Krakow Christmas market guide rather than trusting last year's. On the first Thursday of December, which in 2026 is 3 December, makers of szopki, the lit-up Kraków nativity cribs, gather on the square for the annual contest. UNESCO added the tradition to its intangible heritage list in 2018, and the city's Historical Museum then displays the cribs through the winter.
Shops are open on the three Sundays before Christmas, which in 2026 are 6, 13 and 20 December, a useful exception in a country where most shops close on Sundays. How Poles spend the holiday itself is described in Christmas in Poland.
What can you do in Krakow when it is cold?
Plan the day around warm interiors and keep the outdoor stretches short. The Rynek Underground museum sits right under the Main Market Square, the St Mary's Basilica and the Cloth Hall are a few steps away, and across the river the Oskar Schindler's Factory museum fills a morning. The Czartoryski Museum, home of Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine, suits a short visit between cafes.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine works in any weather, though, as our Wieliczka practical guide explains, it is cool underground all year. For a day out of town, the hot pools in our guide to thermal baths in Poland are a warm option, and day trips from Krakow lists the travel times. Winter is also when smog can build up; our guide to air quality in Krakow shows how to check it.
What is open in Krakow over Christmas and New Year?
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and 26 December are public holidays, as are New Year's Day and Epiphany on 6 January. On those days the trading ban closes most shops, while places whose main business is food and drink are allowed to open. In 2026 the holidays and the following Sunday close most shops for four days in a row, from 24 to 27 December, so stock up beforehand.
Museums set their own holiday hours, and Wawel already shows how much they can vary: closed on 1 November, partly open on 11 November. Check each venue before you go. The full list of closed days is in public holidays in Poland, and the weekly pattern of Sunday and Monday closures in what is open in Krakow on Sundays and Mondays.
Is Krakow a good winter city break?
Yes, if you come for the city rather than the weather. The old town is compact, so the cold is something you walk through between interiors rather than endure for hours, and November brings Free November at Wawel, while in December the castle's free entry is on Mondays only. January is the coldest and most likely to be white, February the brightest. Avoid the 24th to the 26th of December unless you have a table booked. For where to stay and how to spend your days, start with the Kraków travel guide, and if you are flying in, see Krakow Airport to city centre.
Sources
IMGW-PIB, monthly synoptic data for the Kraków-Balice station, averaged by us over 1991 to 2020. Wawel Royal Castle, what to see for Free November, opening hours, prices and exhibitions. UNESCO, Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow for the crib contest. Act restricting trade on Sundays and holidays and the Act on Days Free from Work for closures and trading Sundays. Cover photo: Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków, Lestat (Jan Mehlich) (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Written by ViewPoland Editorial for ViewPoland, an independent English-language guide to Poland. Published 25 October 2026. Last updated 25 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
January. Its average temperature at the Kraków-Balice station over 1991 to 2020 is minus 1.6°C, against minus 0.5°C in December and minus 0.2°C in February.
Sometimes. On average snow falls on about 9 days in December and covers the ground on about 12, so a white Christmas is possible but far from certain.
Some of it. Under Free November, selected exhibitions are free with a free ticket from the ticket office or online, while the Crown Treasury, the Armoury and some other rooms keep their usual prices. The castle is closed on 1 November.
On the first Thursday of December, 3 December 2026, when the makers bring their szopki to the Main Market Square.
No. Wawel lists the Dragon's Den as open until 31 October, so it is closed for the winter season.
Most are not, because Christmas Eve has been a public holiday since 2025. Restaurants are allowed to open, but book ahead.