Old town
First-timersThe rebuilt old town and the Royal Castle.
Warsaw city guide
Things To Do In Warsaw
A capital destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt from paintings and rubble, with the best museums in the country, a Stalinist skyscraper at its centre and a serious nightlife across the river in Praga.
20
Hostels in the city
7.3
Average, from 22,313 reviews
63
Days of the 1944 Uprising
1980
The rebuilt old town joins UNESCO
30th
Floor of the Palace of Culture's terrace
The city that was rebuilt from nothing
By January 1945, after the Warsaw Uprising was crushed and the German army systematically demolished what was left, most of Warsaw had been destroyed. The old town was rebuilt stone by stone after the war, using old paintings and drawings as guides, and the reconstruction itself is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The rest of the city was rebuilt in the style of its new rulers, and the Palace of Culture and Science, Stalin's gift to Poland, still towers over the centre, now surrounded by glass skyscrapers.
Warsaw is a big, fast-moving capital rather than a picture-postcard city, and its twentieth-century history is told in some of the best museums in Europe. Three days is right.
Where to stay
The centre is spread out. Stay near the old town or Śródmieście, or in Praga for the nightlife.
Śródmieście
Being centralAround the Palace of Culture, Nowy Świat and the main stations.
Praga
NightlifeAcross the Vistula, with bars in old factories.
Powiśle
RiversideNear the Vistula boulevards and the university library.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Warsaw
The Warsaw Rising Museum tells the story of the 1944 uprising, when the city's underground army fought the German occupiers for sixty-three days, and it is the most moving museum in the city. POLIN, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, in the former ghetto, covers a thousand years of Jewish life in Poland.
Walk through the rebuilt old town, the Royal Castle and the Royal Route along Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat. Go up to the viewing terrace on the thirtieth floor of the Palace of Culture and Science.
In summer, free Chopin concerts are held on Sundays by the Chopin monument in Łazienki Park, the city's great park, with its palace on the water. The Chopin Museum has the composer's manuscripts and piano.
Across the Vistula, Praga, one of the few districts that survived the war, has the Neon Museum and the Polish Vodka Museum.
Free things
Free things to do in Warsaw
The old town, the Royal Route and Łazienki Park are free, and so are the Sunday Chopin concerts in the park in summer.
The Vistula boulevards, with bars and beaches in summer, are free.
Many museums, including the Warsaw Rising Museum and POLIN's core exhibition, have a free day each week; check before going.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Warsaw
Warsaw has the most varied food scene in Poland. Milk bars still serve pierogi and soups for €3 to €5, while Hala Koszyki, a restored market hall, is the city's smartest food court.
Modern Polish restaurants have made the city one of the best places to eat in central Europe. Pączki, doughnuts filled with rose jam, are the classic sweet.
A restaurant meal is €10 to €20.
Nightlife
Going out in Warsaw
Warsaw has a serious nightlife. The centre has cocktail bars and clubs around Nowy Świat and the Palace of Culture, and pavilion bars, a cluster of small bars in shacks, are an institution.
Praga, across the river, has bars and clubs in old factories and courtyards. In summer, the bars on the Vistula boulevards and beaches are busy until late.
A beer is €3 to €4.
Getting around
Getting around Warsaw
Warsaw is spread out, but the two metro lines, trams and buses are fast and cheap. Tickets are bought from machines, on board or through an app, and a 24-hour ticket is good value.
From Chopin Airport, trains run to the centre in about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Modlin Airport, used by budget airlines, is further out, with buses and trains.
Trains reach Kraków in about two and a half hours, Gdańsk in about three and Łódź in about an hour and a half.
Costs
What Warsaw costs
Warsaw is more expensive than the rest of Poland but still cheap by European standards. Dorms start around €12, a meal €10 to €20. A careful day is €40 to €55.
The currency is the złoty, not the euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; use a bank ATM and decline the machine's currency conversion.
Safety
Staying safe in Warsaw
Warsaw is safe, with low violent crime.
Avoid bars where you are invited by strangers; the bill scams found in Kraków also happen here. Use Bolt or Uber rather than unmarked taxis.
Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Warsaw
Palaces, forests and another city an hour away.
Wilanów Palace
A baroque royal palace and gardens on the south of the city.
Kampinos National Park
Forest and sand dunes on the edge of the city.
Łódź
Post-industrial Poland, and its film school.
What's on
What is on while you are there
At 17:00 on 1 August, the whole city stops.
Staff pick
9–18 October
Warsaw International Film Festival
The Warsaw International Film Festival is a renowned celebration of global cinema that has championed creative storytelling and cultural dialogue for over forty years.…
Staff pick
28 November
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull has long been hailed as an innovative and highly influential rock group, captivating audiences with their energetic and romantic blend of hard…
Staff pick
2–6 October
Unsound Warsaw
Unsound Warsaw, part of the renowned Unsound Festival, brings its cutting-edge exploration of music, sound, and culture to Warsaw, Poland, as one chapter of…
Staff pick
3 October
Lake Street Dive
Lake Street Dive is a multi-genre band from Boston who creates music with Southern rock, indie pop, blue-eyed soul and alt-jazz sounds. With US…
Staff pick
9–17 October
International Festival of Puppet Theatre and Animated Films for Adults
Step into a world where puppetry transcends the boundaries of age at the International Festival of Puppet Theatre and Animated Films for Adults. Unlike…
Staff pick
1 November
Sleaford Mods
Sleaford Mods are a British electronic punk duo known for their raw, spoken-word vocals and minimalist beats. Their music delivers sharp social commentary and…
2 October
Nations League: Poland vs. Romania
The Nations League 2026/2027 autumn matches will see Poland face Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania at PGE Narodowy in Warsaw. The match against Romania…
3 Oct – 18 May
Loreen
Loreen catapulted to international stardom with her captivating Eurovision-winning anthem "Euphoria," blending ethereal vocals with an electrifying stage presence. This Swedish sensation continues to…
Hostels
Where to stay in Warsaw
The top-rated places to stay in Warsaw right now, live from Hostelworld.
Old Town Kanonia Hostel and Apartments
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Oki Doki Old Town Hostel Warsaw
Dorms from €21 a night
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Castle Inn by Oki Doki
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Kapsula Hostel
Dorms from €18 a night
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Chillout Hostel
Dorms from €18 a night
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Sustainable
a&o Warsaw Wola
Dorms from €11 a night
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Safestay Warsaw Old Town
Dorms from €10 a night
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Hostel Lwowska 11
Dorms from €19 a night
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Tatamka Hostel
Dorms from €13 a night
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Hostel Stara Praga
Dorms from €12 a night
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Warsaw Hostel Centrum
Dorms from €12 a night
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New World St. Hostel
Dorms from €13 a night
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When to go
May to September is best. On 1 August, the city stops for the Uprising anniversary.
Jan
Cold
Feb
Quiet
Mar
Thawing
Apr
Spring
May
Excellent
Jun
Chopin concerts begin
Jul
Warm
Aug
Uprising anniversary
Sep
Excellent
Oct
Film festival
Nov
Independence Day
Dec
Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Continental climate, with cold winters.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in złoty locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Warsaw travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Warsaw worth visiting?
Yes, for the Warsaw Rising Museum, POLIN, the rebuilt old town and a lively nightlife.
Is the old town original?
No. It was destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt after the war using old paintings and drawings. The reconstruction is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How many days do you need in Warsaw?
Three.
How do I get from the airport?
By train from Chopin Airport, about twenty to twenty-five minutes.
Kraków or Warsaw?
Both, if you can. They are two and a half hours apart by train.
What happens on 1 August?
At 17:00, sirens sound and the city stops for a minute to remember the Uprising.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September.
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