In this guide
💡 The Short Version: May, June and September are the months for walking: average highs of 20.6, 24.0 and 20.2°C, no snow, and 12 to 16 hours of daylight. July is the warmest, with highs of 26.0°C, and the wettest, at 99 mm over 15 rain days. January is the coldest, with highs of 2.3°C and snow on 11 days. The Christmas market is planned from 27 November 2026: see the Kraków Christmas market. Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, the Cracovia Marathon is 18 April 2027 and the Kraków Film Festival is 30 May to 6 June 2027. The clocks go back on 25 October 2026. Or book an evening: the Chopin Piano Recitalad is 4.6 stars from 2,746 reviews (GetYourGuide).
Kraków month by month
Weather is the 1991 to 2020 average for Kraków-Obserwatorium, the city observatory of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW-PIB). Highs and lows are the monthly average maximum and minimum in °C, rain is the month’s total, rain days and snow days are IMGW’s counts, and daylight is the length of the day on the 15th. The airport station, Kraków-Balice, about 11 km west, runs 0.3 to 0.7°C cooler month by month.
The Planty park in autumn. Photo: Zygmunt Put, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Month | High / low | Rain | Rain days | Snow days | Daylight | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.3 / -3.5 | 38 mm | 5.4 | 11.3 | 8 h 33 min | The coldest month, with snow lying on about 18 days. 1 January and 6 January are public holidays. The Christmas market runs to 3 or 6 January. Shops open on Sunday 31 January 2027 |
| February | 4.4 / -2.6 | 33 mm | 5.3 | 9.7 | 10 h 06 min | Fat Thursday, the doughnut day, is Thursday 4 February 2027. The nativity-scene exhibition at the Krzysztofory Palace runs to 28 February 2027 |
| March | 9.1 / 0.3 | 38 mm | 8.4 | 6.6 | 11 h 49 min | Palm Sunday is 21 March 2027 and shops open that day. Holy Saturday is 27 March, with shops closed from 14:00, and Easter Sunday is 28 March. The clocks go forward on 28 March |
| April | 15.8 / 4.8 | 48 mm | 10.6 | 2.4 | 13 h 45 min | The Cracovia Marathon is on Sunday 18 April 2027, starting and finishing on the Main Market Square. Shops open on Sunday 25 April |
| May | 20.6 / 9.5 | 83 mm | 14.6 | 0.0 | 15 h 25 min | 1 and 3 May and Corpus Christi (27 May 2027) are public holidays. From 2027 the Night of Museums joins the national Saturday date |
| June | 24.0 / 13.2 | 81 mm | 13.8 | 0.0 | 16 h 21 min | The Kraków Film Festival is 30 May to 6 June 2027. The longest days. Shops open on Sunday 27 June |
| July | 26.0 / 14.9 | 99 mm | 14.7 | 0.0 | 15 h 58 min | The warmest and wettest month. In 2026 the Jewish Culture Festival ran from 1 to 5 July |
| August | 25.8 / 14.4 | 75 mm | 12.4 | 0.0 | 14 h 31 min | In 2026 the Małopolska Pierogi Festival ran from 12 to 16 August. 15 August is a public holiday, a Sunday in 2027. Shops open on Sunday 29 August |
| September | 20.2 / 10.1 | 70 mm | 12.0 | 0.0 | 12 h 40 min | Warm days and cool nights |
| October | 14.6 / 5.7 | 53 mm | 12.9 | 0.7 | 10 h 49 min | The clocks go back on 25 October 2026. The Wawel Dragon’s Den and viewing tower close on 31 October |
| November | 8.2 / 1.7 | 42 mm | 10.5 | 4.5 | 9 h 04 min | 1 November is All Saints, with crowds at Rakowicki Cemetery, and 11 November is Independence Day. The Christmas market opens on 27 November 2026. Dark by 16:00 |
| December | 3.3 / -2.2 | 32 mm | 6.9 | 8.9 | 8 h 06 min | The Christmas market; the nativity-scene competition on 3 December 2026. Shops open on Sundays 6, 13 and 20 December and close all day on 24 December |
The weather in numbers
- Warmth: July is the warmest month, with a mean of 20.0°C and an average high of 26.0°C, just ahead of August (25.8°C).
- Cold: January is the coldest month, with a mean of -1.0°C. Snow falls on 44 days a year, from October to April, and lies on about 18 days in January, 14 in February and 11 in December.
- Rain: 693 mm falls in a year. It peaks in the warm months, not the cold ones: July 99 mm, May 83 mm, June 81 mm. December (32 mm) and February (33 mm) are the driest.
- Daylight: the days run from 8 h 06 min on 15 December to 16 h 21 min on 15 June. The sun sets at 15:38 on 15 December and at 15:56 on 15 November.
The Błonia meadow at dawn, with the Wawel on the skyline. Photo: Zygmunt Put, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Christmas, Easter and the winter dates
The Main Market Square Christmas market is planned from 27 November 2026, with the end given as 3 or 6 January 2027, free entry and sales from 10:00 to 20:00; the dates, hours and the nativity-scene competition are in the Kraków Christmas market guide. The Easter market has been held on the same square, as it was from 26 March to 6 April in 2026. Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, with Palm Sunday on 21 March, Holy Saturday on 27 March and Easter Monday on 29 March.
The Planty park under snow. Photo: Zygmunt Put, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Public holidays and what they close
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thu 1 Jan | Fri 1 Jan |
| Epiphany | Tue 6 Jan | Wed 6 Jan |
| Easter Sunday and Monday | Sun 5 and Mon 6 Apr | Sun 28 and Mon 29 Mar |
| 1 May and 3 May | Fri 1 and Sun 3 May | Sat 1 and Mon 3 May |
| Corpus Christi | Thu 4 Jun | Thu 27 May |
| Assumption, 15 August | Sat 15 Aug | Sun 15 Aug |
| All Saints, 1 November | Sun 1 Nov | Mon 1 Nov |
| Independence Day, 11 November | Wed 11 Nov | Thu 11 Nov |
| Christmas Eve | Thu 24 Dec | Fri 24 Dec |
| Christmas Day and the day after | Fri 25 and Sat 26 Dec | Sat 25 and Sun 26 Dec |
Shops, banks and offices close on public holidays. Trading is banned on Sundays except eight a year: the last Sunday of January, April, June and August, Palm Sunday and the three Sundays before Christmas. In 2026 the remaining ones are 6, 13 and 20 December; in 2027 they are 31 January, 21 March, 25 April, 27 June, 29 August and 5, 12 and 19 December. Restaurants, cafés, bars, museums and attractions are not shops, so they open as usual. Shops may not sell takeaway alcohol from 22:00 to 06:00 since 1 September 2026 (City of Kraków).
Closures that follow the season
- Wawel. The Dragon’s Den and the viewing tower close on 31 October; see Wawel Castle tickets.
- Tatras. The Kasprowy Wierch cable car is closed from 19 October to 6 November 2026; see the Zakopane day trip.
- All Saints. On 1 and 2 November the cemeteries are crowded and the roads round them are diverted.
- Rynek Underground. It is closed on the second Monday of every month, and from 16 to 18 November 2026: see Rynek Underground tickets.
Which month for what
- Warm days and long evenings: June to August, with 14 to 16 hours of daylight in the middle of each month. July is the warmest and wettest.
- Walking weather: May and September, with highs of 20.6°C and 20.2°C and no snow.
- The Christmas market: late November to early January, with highs of 2 to 8°C and sunset between 15:38 and 16:06.
- Easter: Sunday 28 March 2027.
- A wet or cold day: the museums, the Rynek Underground and a Chopin concert are the bookings to swap in; Tuesday is the free day at several: see free museum days.
Where to stay in Kraków compares the areas, and what to book before you go to Kraków lists the sights that need tickets. For a plan once you have the dates, see 3 days in Kraków and Kraków in one day; for the way in from the airport, airport to city; and for getting around, Kraków public transport. For the Christmas season on the square, hotels near the Main Market Square lists the nearest beds, and for the evening Vistula river cruises compares the boats. Where to eat in Kraków and Kraków food tours cover the food, including the Pierogi Festival’s August dates. The Kraków Card guide says when the card pays back, and day trips from Kraków compares the trips that run all year.
Common questions
What is the best month to visit Kraków?
May, June and September for walking: daily highs of 20.6, 24.0 and 20.2°C, no snow, and 12 h 40 min to 16 h 21 min of daylight on the 15th. July is the warmest, at 26.0°C, and the wettest, at 99 mm. For the Christmas market, late November to early January. These are the Kraków-Obserwatorium averages for 1991 to 2020.
What is the coldest month in Kraków?
January, with a mean of -1.0°C, a daily high of 2.3°C and a low of -3.5°C. Snow falls on 11 days and lies on about 18. The sun sets at 16:06 on 15 January and rises at 07:34.
When does the Kraków Christmas market start in 2026?
The organiser plans to open it on 27 November 2026, on the Main Market Square. It lists the end as 3 or 6 January 2027, and the city lists sales from 10:00 to 20:00 with some food stalls open later. The programme for 2026 has not been announced.
Are shops open on Sundays in Kraków?
On most Sundays, no. Trading is allowed on eight Sundays a year: in 2026 on 6, 13 and 20 December, and in 2027 on 31 January, 21 March, 25 April, 27 June, 29 August and 5, 12 and 19 December. Restaurants, bars, cafés and museums are not shops and are not affected.
Is Kraków open on Christmas Eve and Easter?
Shops are shut all day on 24 December, which has been a public holiday since 2025, and on Easter Sunday and Monday (28 and 29 March 2027). On Holy Saturday, 27 March 2027, shops close at 14:00.
