In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Tuesday is the free day for the National Museum’s permanent exhibitions (the Czartoryski included), the Rynek Underground and the Krzysztofory Palace. Monday is free for Schindler’s Factory, the Old Synagogue and the Town Hall Tower, and for selected Wawel exhibitions. Wednesday is free for the Eagle Pharmacy, Pomorska Street and Collegium Maius, and Thursday for the Podgórze Museum. Free tickets cannot be booked: collect them at the desk on the day, up to 5 per visitor, in limited numbers. A free Tuesday saves 224 PLN across five sights.
The week, compared
Prices are the adult door prices from the operators, at about 5.15 PLN to the pound. Free days apply to permanent exhibitions only.
| Day | Free | Door price saved | Shut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Schindler’s Factory (10:00 to 15:00), the Old Synagogue (10:00 to 15:00), the Town Hall Tower (11:00 to 16:00), and selected Wawel exhibitions (10:00 to 16:00) | 60, 22 and 22 PLN, plus Wawel’s second floor (57 PLN) and Crown Treasury (47 PLN) in October and December | The National Museum’s branches (the Cloth Hall gallery and the Czartoryski included), the Eagle Pharmacy, Pomorska Street, the Podgórze Museum, the Barbican, MOCAK and the Polish Aviation Museum |
| Tuesday | The National Museum’s permanent exhibitions, the Rynek Underground (10:00 to 15:00), the Krzysztofory Palace and the Polish Aviation Museum | 65, 45, 45, 35 and 34 PLN for the Czartoryski, the Main Building, the Underground, the Cloth Hall gallery and the Krzysztofory, plus the Aviation Museum (35 PLN) | Schindler’s Factory on the first Tuesday of the month; the Eagle Pharmacy and Pomorska Street |
| Wednesday | The Eagle Pharmacy, Pomorska Street and Collegium Maius (13:30 to 16:00) | 22, 22 and 17 PLN | Nothing among these |
| Thursday | The Podgórze Museum and the MOCAK Collection on Level -1 | 22 PLN, plus the MOCAK collection | Nothing among these |
| Sunday | The Museum of the Scouting Movement | Not priced here | Nothing among these |
- Saturday and Friday have no free sights among those listed. On Saturday the Remuh, Tempel and Isaac synagogues are closed.
- Three days a year the Kościuszko Mound is free: 4 February, 24 March and 15 October. 15 October 2026 is a Thursday.
- Wawel in November: selected exhibitions are free during Free November, and the Castle lists them in October on its what to see page.
- Closed days: most branches close on 1 and 11 November and on 24 and 25 December.
The Cloth Hall on the Main Market Square. Photo: Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How the free tickets work
- No booking. The Museum of Kraków takes no reservations on free days, except for schools. Collect the ticket at the branch’s ticket office on the day.
- Up to 5 tickets per visitor for one permanent exhibition.
- The ticket carries a start time. The museum may cancel it if you do not begin within 15 minutes of that time, and you can choose a later time if tickets remain.
- First come, first served. Tickets are issued in the order visitors arrive, up to each branch’s daily limit, and the ticket office posts a notice when they run out. Arrive when the branch opens.
- The Krzysztofory Palace’s visitor centre issues the free tickets for the Krzysztofory Palace only.
- The National Museum: every permanent exhibition is free on Tuesday, and the Czartoryski Museum’s free tickets are for a set date and time, collected at its ticket office only on the day.
- Wawel on Mondays: free passes are collected at the ticket windows until the pool runs out, and they cannot be booked online.
Planning a free day
- Monday: Schindler’s Factory from 10:00 to 15:00 is free by desk ticket, and the Old Synagogue is free and can be reserved. Wawel’s selected exhibitions, the Town Hall Tower and the Rynek Underground (open 10:00 to 19:00, paid) fill the rest. See Schindler’s Factory tickets and Wawel Castle tickets.
- Tuesday: start with the Rynek Underground, which closes at 15:00, then the National Museum and the Krzysztofory Palace. See the Rynek Underground guide and the Czartoryski guide.
- Wednesday: the Eagle Pharmacy and Pomorska Street are free, and the Podgórze Museum is open until 19:00. See the Podgórze ghetto guide.
- Thursday: the Podgórze Museum is free, and the MOCAK Collection on Level -1. See museums in Kraków.
The National Museum’s Main Building on al. 3 Maja. Photo: Zygmunt Put, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Kraków Card fits
The free-day sights cost nothing without the Kraków Card, so the card has nothing to beat on a Tuesday. It pays for a museum-heavy 72 hours that does not lean on free days, and it excludes Wawel, Schindler’s Factory, the Czartoryski Museum and St Mary’s.
Kazimierz holds the Old Synagogue, free on Mondays, and the Main Market Square holds the Town Hall Tower and the Cloth Hall gallery. St Mary’s Basilica has no free day. For the rest of the city’s bookings, see what to book before you go to Kraków. 3 days in Kraków and Kraków in one day build the plan round the free and closed days. To sleep nearby, where to stay in Kraków compares the areas, and where to eat in Kraków lists places to eat.
Common questions
Which day are Kraków's museums free?
Tuesday for the National Museum's permanent exhibitions, the Rynek Underground and the Krzysztofory Palace. Monday for Schindler's Factory, the Old Synagogue and the Town Hall Tower. Wednesday for the Eagle Pharmacy, Pomorska Street and Collegium Maius. Thursday for the Podgórze Museum.
Do I need to book free museum tickets in Kraków?
No, and you cannot. Museum of Kraków branches do not take reservations for free days, and the National Museum's free Czartoryski tickets are collected at the desk on the day. Each visitor collects up to 5 tickets for one exhibition.
Is the Czartoryski Museum free on Tuesdays?
Yes, for the permanent exhibitions, by a ticket for a set date and time collected at its ticket office on the day, in limited numbers.
Is Wawel Castle free?
Selected exhibitions are free on Mondays from 10:00 to 16:00, by pass at the ticket windows, and selected exhibitions are free during Free November. Most routes are paid on other days.
What happens if I am late for a free ticket time?
The Museum of Kraków may cancel a free ticket if you do not start the visit within 15 minutes of the time printed on it, and the ticket returns to the pool.
Is the Kościuszko Mound free?
On three days a year: 4 February, 24 March and 15 October. Otherwise the ticket is 34 PLN.
Do I need the Kraków Card on a free day?
No. The free-day sights cost nothing without it, so the card has nothing to beat on those days.
