Warsaw in Winter: 20 Marvelous Things to Do

Warsaw in winter can be pretty magical, with lots of snow and lights adorning the city. Christmas festivities and markets are some of the main reasons to explore Poland’s capital at this time of the year. However, there are plenty of other things to do in Warsaw in winter to keep you entertained and warm. 

Download this guide as a mobile app

Why visit Warsaw?

Like many cities of Poland, Warsaw is rich in history and culture. This largest city in the country is home to a cute Old Town, a UNESCO Site, unique museums and Royal Palaces, gigantic parks, Chopin-related monuments and festivals, and vibrant city life, to name a few. 

In the somewhat recent past, if Gdansk was the starting point of the Second World War that put the city to the ground, Warsaw was the central point of many sufferings throughout this tragic era.

At the beginning of the war, the city was bombed and besieged, destroying its famous elegant boulevards and architecture. Therefore, one of the reasons to visit Warsaw is to dive deep into its recent history. 

Warsaw, just like many others, was restored to its original state after WWII when it became part of the Soviet Union. And that is why its brutalist architecture dominates the city’s skyline. 

ADVICE: always travel with comprehensive travel insurance that also covers COVID. I personally use SafetyWing. 

But is Warsaw worth visiting? The answer to this question might be very subjective. Personally, I was not a big fan of the city. I can’t put my finger on a specific reason; maybe it’s the current very modern development of glassy skyscrapers, a very small Old Towne, or very unpleasant winter weather. 

However, I loved every museum we’ve visited, parks we took short walks to, and every cafe we’ve dined at. I believe Warsaw does have its character that I somehow must have missed. That being said, I will also say that you should visit Warsaw to draw your own judgment.

---

---

20 fantastic things to do in Warsaw in winter

Most things mentioned here are also possible to visit year-round, no matter the season, including parks, museums, and other Warsaw attractions. The only difference would be the opening hours and maybe the entrance prices. Some places do have a unique appeal for winter in Warsaw. 

Tour down the Wilanów Palace and Park

Wilanow Palace was a royal palace that survived both World Wars and Poland’s divisions back in the day. Therefore, it’s one of the most important monuments in Poland, where you can learn more about the artistic and royal heritage of the country. 

Visiting this grandevous Palace adorned with gorgeous ceiling paintings, medieval furniture, and memorabilia of Polish kings is one of the first things to do in Warsaw as it’s a bit outside the city center. You can walk through the King’s bedroom and library, the Queen’s bedroom, various halls, and galleries. 

Once done here, stroll down the beautiful palace garden spanning 45 hectares of land. Depending on how much time you can spend here, you can visit several parks, including North, Baroque, Rose, South, and North Landscape Parks, Orangery, and Morysin Nature Reserve. 

The courtyard of the Palace is also quite striking, with an oval lawn adjacent to the Palace. The rest of the Palace’s garden has a gorgeous geometric layout featuring various fragrant flowers. 

Wilanow Palace becomes a winter wonderland during winter in Warsaw when the day darkens. Its royal garden blooms with hundreds of lights that dance to the rhythm of classical music. 

• Opening Hours: Palace – Mon, Thur, Fri, and weekends 10 am – 4 pm. Closed on Tuesdays. 
• Park – every day all year round, 9 am – 3 pm. 
• Entrance Fee: Palace – 25 PLN for adults. Park – 7 PLN for adults; Free on Thursdays (limited number of tickets), both park and the Palace. 

Walk around the Łazienki Royal Park

Spread out on 76 hectares of land, Lazienki Park is the biggest one in Warsaw. Nestled on the Royal Route, linking the Wilanow Palace to the Royal Castle in the Old Town, the park is another excellent place to have a long or short stroll. 

Initially built in the 17th century as the baths park for the nobleman, the area was transformed a century later by the country’s last monarch into a place for villas, palaces, and monuments. 

The park is home to many cute animals, including squirrels unafraid of humans and getting pretty close to you. Various ponds are home to peacocks, ducks, and swans. 

On a warmer day, you can easily spend a whole day wondering about various parts of the park and visiting its many buildings, palaces, and royal theatre.  

• Opening Hours: Varies by building; check details here. 
• Entrance Free: the park is free to enter. One ticket grants you a visit to The Palace On The Isle, The Old Orangery, The Myślewicki Palace. Adults – 40 PLN. Free on Fridays. 

Explore Warsaw Old Town

One of the best things to do in Warsaw is to walk through its Old Town with its Market Place, colorful, charming houses, Royal Castle, and medieval architectural gems such as city walls, Barbican, and St. John’s Cathedral, to name a few. 

The centerpiece of the Old Town is the Royal Castle, a former royal residence serving Polish monarchs throughout the centuries. In the early 1600s, when Warsaw became the capital of Poland, Parliament was moved here from Krakow. 

Remember, though, that the present look of the Old Town and its surrounding areas were restored after WWII in its pre-war look. And the Royal Castle represents its original 17th-century image. 

Today, it’s a museum thoroughly restored to its original exhibits as much as possible after WWII. You can walk through various rooms of the royal dynasty, along with the Houses of Parliament and a collection of marvelous paintings, including two pieces by Rembrandt. 

Other noteworthy places to visit in Warsaw Old Town: 

Museum of Warsaw – visit its core exhibition showcasing the history of Warsaw through various objects. It tells the story of people and historical events that shaped modern-day Warsaw. Browse through the everyday items of Warsaw residents and artworks, and see the Data of Warsaw representing different phenomena and events that made Warsaw what it is today. 

• Opening Hours: Thue, Wed, Fri, Sun – 11 am – 6 pm; Tur and Sat 11 am – 8 pm
• Entrance Fee: Core and temporary exhibitions – 25 PLN for adults;

St. Anne’s Church – adjacent to Castle Square, St. Anne’s Church is one of Poland’s most notable religious buildings with its Neoclassical exterior. It’s also Warsaw’s oldest building that underwent many restorations over time. However, it’s unchanged since 1788. 

For gorgeous panoramic views of the Royal Castle, Square, and the Old Town, go to its Bell Tower. 

Canon Square for a wishing bell – a giant bell from the 17th century is connected to local lore that tells the love story as tragic as Romeo and Juliet. Also, it’s said to grant your wishes to come true. However, there are variations on what you need to do: some say to touch the bell and circle around or hop on one foot around it while making a wish at the same time. 

St. Jone’s Cathedral – a Roman Catholic church housed in a Brick Gothic building on Świętojańska Street. It is one of the three main cathedrals of Warsaw but the only one with the title of the arch cathedral. 

Pass through the Barbican

Barbican is a semicircular defensive fort that once encircled Warsaw. It is the spot where Old Town ends, and the New Town begins, so once you are done with the Old Town sightseeing, pass through the beautiful fort and start exploring the New Town with its Market Square, founded in the 15th century. 

However, note that this part of the town was destroyed and rebuilt after the war, too. The main street to admire in this part of the town is Freta Street. 

Admire the ‘gift of the Soviet people for the Poles’

The Palace of Culture and Science is one of the highest buildings in the city center, seen from many different angles and neighborhoods surrounding central Warsaw. It’s 237 meters high and has 30 floors. 

Constructed in 1955 by the initiative of Joseph Stalin as a ‘gift of the Soviet people for the Poles,’ the Palace of Culture and Science is home to different cultural institutions such as theatres, cinemas, sports clubs, and authorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences to name a few. The building style was inspired by Seven Sisters, a group of skyscrapers in Moscow done in Stalinist style. 

It also had the tallest clock tower in the world until a skyscraper in Tokyo, Japan, outranked it. 

The Palace also has an observation deck on its last floor. However, I was not too fond of the views, and I think the price was relatively high for what I saw. But here are the pictures, and you can be the judge if you’d like to go up or not. 

• Opening Hours: every day 10 am – 8 pm; 
• Entrance Fee: Adults – 20 PLN. 

Wander through the Praga district

Nestled on the east side of the Vistula River, Praga is one of the neighborhoods of Warsaw with its unique history. Until 1791, it was a separate town with a city charter. Wooden houses and buildings adorned Praga back in the day, with no bridge connected to Warsaw. However, floods, fires, and foreign armies often destroyed the district. 

Communicating with the rest of Warsaw happened through privately run ferries on the Vistula River. It was almost the end of the 18th century when the Polish King finally built a bridge and connected it to the rest of Warsaw. 

Unlike the city center, Praga was almost untouched during WWII and Warsaw’s postwar reconstruction period. 

Praga was off-limits to foreigners for quite some time due to its criminal underclass, but the recovery of sorts makes this part of Warsaw worth checking out. Although wandering some streets of Praga still feels a bit ghetto-y and unpleasant, I advise being cautious of your surroundings. These streets do have a pre-war vibe and were even filming locations for The Pianist, a fantastic movie by Roman Polanski. 

Today, exploring Praga is one of the best things to do in Warsaw to get a glimpse of the city’s emerging artsy, boho, hipstery neighborhood that still hides many historical relics in its streets. 

It is home to some of the best street art examples, unique museums, including one dedicated to the district itself, and Praga Koneser Center – a former vodka factory turned into a public space full of bars, cafes, clubs, and a Vodka Museum. 

Hunt down some street art

Street art in Warsaw is scattered along the Praga neighborhood and the city center. I searched the In Your Pocked Warsaw guide and the official Warsaw Tourist Website to pinpoint some fascinating street art pieces. Unfortunately, we only managed to see a few of them due to heavy rain and snow. 

• Środkowa 17 – Warsaw Fight Club Wrzesińska 6 – The Player
• Stalowa 50 – Ania
• Mała 8 – Temple
• Lubleska – Mural E.Wedel

See how Poland beatified its Soviet brutalist buildings in the Cold War era

If you want unique things to do in Warsaw, check out the Neon Museum. It is one of Warsaw’s most unusual and captivating museums that you can’t miss. Housed in a small warehouse in the Praga district, the Neon Museum presents a collection of actual neon signs used in Warsaw and other cities in Poland. 

The museum finds, collects, and preserves Cold War-era electro-graphic designs and neon signs, making it a unique cultural institution. 

Apart from the signs themselves, the information boards explain how the trend of having such signs evolved into a form of art and conveyed a political statement for the country. 

Each neon sign has a small information board explaining everything about them – the date, place, and the business, but also mentions the backstory of how they were created or restored. The first board also tells how the owners started collecting these signs, which soon became a museum.

It is absolutely mesmerizing to see how businesses used those signs to attract potential customers’ eyes while beautifying the simple, brutalist buildings of that time in Poland.

• Opening Hours: Mon-Tue 12 pm – 6 pm; Thur-sat 12 pm – 6 pm; Sun 11 am – 5 pm. Closed on Wednesdays for individual visitors
• Entrance Fee: Adults – 16 PLN.

Tour around Warsaw in retro cars

One alternative thing to do in winter in Warsaw is to tour the city in colorful Soviet cars. Several companies offer tours around the city in Nysa and Jelcz vans and historical Fiats, produced during the communist times in Poland.

And if you feel like driving these cars on your own, you can do so with a few companies offering such tours.

Each tour is different, but they mostly take you through the off-beat Warsaw or through the communist times of the city. Here are some recommended tours to book – a 2.5-hour Dark Side – Praga District by a Retro Bus or 4-hour Private Tour by Retro Fiat

Eat at the oldest Milk Bar

Bar Mleczny in Polish is a local cafeteria from Communist times. The venue served citizens with government-funded traditional local meals at the lowest prices. Initially, the restaurant supplied food based on dairy products, hence the establishment’s name. But over time, they began cooking non-diary local meals as well.

Prasowy is one of the most popular and oldest milk bars in Warsaw, established in 1954. The mix of modern and traditional is apparent the moment you step inside. Red-white checkered tabletop and Eastern Bloc-era accessories bring vintage vibes, while somewhat simple and contemporary furniture items and design elements dot the space.

The self-service cafeteria provides local traditional comfort food, including Pierogi (local dumplings), pancakes, soups, and desserts at the lowest prices.

You can also take a Lunch Menu for 29.90 PLN that includes a bowl of soup, the main course of your choice, meat with a side dish, a small salad bowl, and a local Kampot drink.

The staff does speak a bit of English, but I’d advise you to look through their menu beforehand and pick what you’d love to order. The menu display inside the Milk Bar was confusing for me, with primarily Polish names of the meals I was unfamiliar with.

Another place with a slightly different lunch menu is Mleczarnia Jerozolimska on 20 Świętokrzyska street. The prices are the same.

Enjoy a guided tour at the Vodka Museum

A fun way to spend an evening in Warsaw in winter is to combine education and entertainment; the Polish Vodka Museum is precisely this. Housed in the former Koneser vodka factory and distillery, it is a place to learn about the country’s history and culture in the most informative and amusing way.

They only have guided tours that last 70 minutes and include a short tasting session at the end.

The tour tells the story of Poland’s most important alcoholic drink, how they make it, and what distinguishes it from other countries, and presents the vodka brands, Luksusowa and Wyborowa, that used to be distilled in the same factory until it was shut down in 2007. However, the management moved the production of these vodkas elsewhere.

• Opening Hours: Tue-Thur and Sun 12 pm – 8 pm; Fri-Sat 12 pm – 9 pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Entrance Fee: 3 vodka tastings – 40 PLN; 4 vodka tastings with premium vodka – 55 PLN.
• Buy tickets in advance at GetYourGuide or Tiqets, which include tastings. If you want to try more Polish vodkas, book this 4-Hour Polish Food Tour or this Polish Vodka Tasting.

Warm up with the tastiest hot chocolate

Poland is home to one of the tastiest hot chocolate we’ve ever tried. Therefore, warming up with a nice cup of it in winter in Warsaw is one of the must-dos.

E.Wedel Company has been a local chocolate and candy manufacturer since 1851, with shops nationwide.

Enjoy a cup or two of their heavenly hot chocolate on the go or in one of their stylish cafes across Warsaw. The original building with its neon sign is still open at Szpitalna Street 8, which used to be the main chocolate factory in 1894.

You can have salads, sandwiches, cakes, and other beverages besides the hot chocolate. Moreover, you can bring some souvenirs back home, such as chocolate in the tin box to make exact hot chocolate, their signature Ptasie Mleczko (milk souffle or meringue covered with soft chocolate), and other unique chocolate products.

See how people lived during the Communist era

The Museum Of Life Under Communism aims to show the younger generation and non-Soviet country residents how life under Communism was.

It showcases various household items, cut-out magazine/newspaper articles, what was trendy in fashion during this bygone era, and family photos of vacations. It even has a showroom of a typical Communist apartment, a kindergarten, and a cafe where you can sit down and have a coffee.

Even though I am also from a post-communist country, it was pretty impressive and exciting to see these items and find similar ones that we also had in our family. It is one of the most excellent museums in Warsaw thus far!

• Opening Hours: Mon-Thur 10 am – 6 pm; Fri 12 am – 8 pm; Weekend 10 am – 6 pm.
• Entrance Fee: Adults – 20 PLN;

Find old and new neon lights in Warsaw

After visiting the Neon Museum, I couldn’t help but start looking at the buildings with a fresh eye and an approach. I noticed some old and new neon signs while walking the streets of Warsaw. It became like a small treasure hunt; even Oto became part of the game and started pointing out the signs wherever we saw them.

Here are just a few streets I randomly found Neon lights at while walking around:

• ul. Marszalkowska
• ul. Swietokrzyska
• ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie
• ul. Chmielna

Tour the grounds of the Baroque Palace in Warsaw

Krasinski Palace, or the Palace of the Commonwealth, nestled in Krasinski Square, surrounded by a beautiful park, is a reconstructed Baroque building in Warsaw. Originally built between 1677-83 for the Frasinski family, the Palace was almost destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in the mid-20th century.

Learn about the history of Jews and how they settled in Europe

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews is an absolutely fascinating museum in Warsaw. The winner of the European Museum of the Year in 2016 shows how Jews came to the European continent, where they settled, and how they lived.

Located in the territory of the former Warsaw Ghetto, the museum uses mesmerizing multimedia technology to seemingly and chronologically tell the story of the Jewish community that bloomed in Poland for a thousand years till the WWII Holocaust.

The museum is extensive, with several rooms, and requires at least 2 hours to see it all and understand the history of Jews.
If you get tired and want a break, you can sit in the resting area.

• Opening Hours: Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri, Sun 10 am – 6 pm; Sat 10 am – 8 pm. Closed on Tuesdays. NOTE: The last entrance to the main exhibition is 2 hours before closing. 
• Entrance Fee: Adults – 30 PLN; Free on Thursdays. Buy tickets here

Don’t miss the Warsaw Ghetto boundary marker 

There is another crucial spot connected to the Jews in Poland not far from the POLIN Museum – the Warsaw Ghetto border mark on Świętojerska Street. There is no big sign or anything, so look at the pavement so as not to miss it by accident. 

It was the most extensive Nazi ghetto during WWII. In the area of 3.4 sq. km, Germans imprisoned around 460,000 Jews in horrible conditions, barely surviving. From here, Jews got deported to concentration camps throughout the country or elsewhere where Nazis had those camps. 

Although, many Jews were killed right inside the ghetto either by guns, starvation, or diseases. 

Germans demolished the ghetto in May 1943 after the Warsaw Ghetto Uprisings temporarily interrupted the deportations. 

Visit the exact spot where Jews were deported to concentration camps

After the Warsaw Ghetto, those sent to the concentration camps were brought to Umschlagplatz, a German collection point. 

Today, there is a monument to visit the exact spot where trains stood to take hundreds of thousands of Jews to the Nazi death camps. 

In perspective, in 1942, up to 265,000 Jews were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp, the worst place among the concentration camps if there is such a ranking. And Auschwitz-Birkenau was the second deadliest one. 

The memorial on Stawki Street was erected in 1988 to commemorate those victims. 

Learn how to make Polish dumplings

Pierogi, the Polish dumplings, is the country’s national dish, so you can’t miss trying them. Filled with different stuffings, Pierogi are savored, sweet, and vegetarian. But how cool is it to learn how to make them from scratch by hand? 

Originally, Pierogi were made as a snack to accompany drinks at Polish parties, and they are still considered so by many Poles. In this Pierogi cooking class, the host will tell you the story of Pierogi and explain the exact preparation process. 

In the end, the Pierogi you and the group make will be your reward dinner or lunch. And if you book the class for the evening, you will even get complimentary drinks.

Sip mulled beer/wine while exploring Christmas markets

Warsaw in December becomes a festive mood with colorful decorations and Christmas lights. Walking in the evenings is magical through those charming shining lights. The most significant areas of the city to see those gorgeous decorations are the Wilanow Palace, Royal Route, and Old Town, with a high Christmas tree on Castle Square. There’s even an ice rink to have some fun.

For perfect souvenirs to bring home, Christmas old town markets are ideal for that kind of shopping. Here, you can find handmade accessories, warm hats and sweaters, chocolate specialties, local gingerbread and cookies, and more. 

The best time to visit Warsaw in winter

Warsaw winter starts in December and lasts till the end of February. The season is grey and cold, with frequent snowfalls. 

Warsaw in December is cold with sleet and rainy days. The average temperature ranges from -2.8C (27F) to 1.9C (35.4F). However, this is the best time to visit Warsaw in winter for Christmas festivities, lights, and markets. 

January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of -1.8C (29F). The climate is grey, like December, with less sunshine, snowfall, and rain. 

February has the lowest chance of snow and rain. However, it still feels like a wintery winter in Warsaw. The average temperature can be 1.9C (35.4F) and even drop below zero. 

Spending time in Warsaw in winter, despite the temperature, also means there are no big crowds in the city, accommodation prices are lower, and no lines at the museums or other Warsaw’s top attractions. 

How many days to spend in Warsaw in winter?

As winter months have almost no sunshine, the days are pretty short, and it gets dark very early during the day. 

What you want to do in Warsaw in winter defines the number of days you spend here. We stayed for two full days but didn’t visit many museums in Warsaw and used our time for outdoor sightseeing.

When visiting most museums in Warsaw, I advise extending your stay for 3-4 days. 

How to get to Warsaw

Visiting Warsaw is relatively easy as it is well-connected to almost every European country and the rest of Poland. Warsaw Chopin Airport is the primary airport serving international and domestic flights. Warsaw Modlin operates for low-cost airlines. Check out tickets at Skyscanner or WayAway. The latter also gives cashback if you sign up for their membership. Read all about the WayAway platform here.

If you are in Poland already, getting to Warsaw is no challenge. It has frequent connections to Poland’s main cities like Krakow, Gdansk, Poznan, and Wroclaw, to name a few. 

Traveling by train to Warsaw is the fastest and easiest public transport option. Buses also run through the major cities, but depending on the traffic, it can take longer. 

Where to stay in Warsaw

Warsaw has plenty of accommodation options to choose from as the capital city. Whether you like staying in hostels, budget-friendly hotels, or apartments, the city has it all, and here are my recommendations on where to stay in Warsaw. 

Our choice: ClickTheFlat Wilcza Street Apart Rooms is a big apartment with several rooms rented out separately. The apartment is close to the city center, Warsaw Centralna (central train station), dining venues, and a shopping center. It has pretty basic rooms and two shared bathrooms. The only thing we didn’t like was the tiny kitchen with no proper place to eat. It has a bar table and bar stools that were extremely uncomfortable to use. 

Budget-friendly hotel: Hotel Tulip Residences Warsaw Targowa – located in the Praga district- is still quite close to Warsaw tourist attractions. This 3-start hotel offers air-conditioned rooms, a desk, a private bathroom, and essential items. Some rooms even have a kitchen, microwave, fridge, and dishwasher.

Mid-range hotel: NYX Hotel Warsaw by Leonardo Hotels – a great stay if you want a moderately priced hotel in Warsaw. Featuring a modern design and comfortable furniture, each hotel room also has a desk if you need to catch up on some work.  

Mid-range aparthotel: GO Apartments – are ideal if you want to stay in the apartment instead of the hotel. The accommodation is also pet-friendly if you visit Warsaw with your furry friend. The rooms are bright with a touch of color and have a fully equipped kitchen. 

Hostel: Kapsuła Hostel Warszawa – conveniently located close to the main attractions, Kapsuła Hostel Warszawa is an excellent choice if you are on a budget. Each “room” is separated from each other, giving you privacy instead of sleeping with other people in typical hostel dorm rooms.  

Safestay Warsaw – is another excellent choice if you are looking for hostels in Warsaw. Nestled in the very center of the city, Safestay Warsaw has an on-site bar, both private and dorm rooms, a minimalist design, and a shared space to hang out. 

Boutique hotel:  PURO Warszawa Centrum – elegantly designed with modern and chic furniture. It offers a garden, bar, restaurant, sauna, and fitness center. 

H15 Boutique Hotel – this 5-star boutique hotel in Warsaw is housed in a historic building where the Soviet embassy was in pre-war. 

Luxury hotel: Vienna House Mokotow Warsaw – stylish, sophisticated, and modern design elements distinguish this hotel from others. Apart from the usual amenities, the hotel has a fitness center, a terrace, and a bar. 

→ Find other apartments and hotels in Warsaw here. 

Tips for visiting Warsaw in winter

Wake up early

One significant disadvantage of winter in Warsaw is that it gets dark at 4 pm. This obviously limits outdoor sightseeing time. Start your day as early as possible to enjoy sights during the daylight and visit indoor venues after dark.  

Some museums might close early

Always check museum opening hours when planning your trip to Warsaw in winter. While some might close early, some might have the last admission earlier than their closing time. One example is the POLIN Museums of the History of Jews. 

Carefully pack for Warsaw in winter

As winter weather and temperatures are unpredictable in winter, I advise being smart about your clothing options. Wearing warm clothes is a must-do since you’ll spend half the day walking around the city in cold temperatures. 

Here are my recommendations on what to wear in Warsaw in winter, along with general advice: 

Backpack or suitcase? – we both use backpacks instead of a suitcase. For us, they are much more comfortable to carry around. My backpack is 55 Liter Osprey Farpoint, and Oto has Cobra 60 from The North Face. Both have plenty of room and are small enough to be a carry-on at budget airlines. Read the detailed review of my Osprey Backpack.

Day pack or purse/bag – having a small bag to carry the essential and valuable items you’ll need while exploring the city. Recently I got a bag made explicitly for city exploration – CITYC 2 in 1 Backpack from Driibe (get a 15% off with a code: FEDORA15). Why do I like it? Here’s the detailed review.

Scarf – I rarely travel without a scarf and change it accordingly, no matter the season. Pack a warm and fluffy scarf for Warsaw in winter. 

Hat  – warm winter hat is a must-pack item. I either pack this wide-brim fedora or a beanie in autumn/winter.

Winter jacket – even better if it has a hood for sleet weather days. 

Mittens/gloves – I am not a big fan of gloves, but if you are, throw them in the suitcase/backpack for added comfort. 

Thermal clothes – these are handy if you like to dress lighter. Thermal leggings or t-shirts will keep you warm during your walks. 

Umbrella – another essential item for rainy or sleet days in Warsaw. Alternatively, throw in a packable raincoat.

Water bottle – tap water is safe to drink in Poland. However, having your water bottle and refilling it will not only save you some money, but you’ll also be a responsible traveler. I travel with my Stojo collapsible water bottle, which saves lots of space in my backpack. We also throw in collapsible cups for our hot drinks.

How to get around Warsaw

Public transport in Warsaw includes trams, buses, metro, and SKM trains. Public transport in Warsaw enables you to get to significant sites quickly. 

Warsaw’s city center is relatively small; walking through its Old Town and adjoining streets is the best way to explore the city. 

I advise using public transport for faraway attractions in Warsaw, such as Wilanów Palace and Park and Łazienki Park. 

Warsaw has two ticket zones; thus, choosing the right ticket is essential, so pay attention to what kind of ticket you buy. For the reference, check out the zone boundaries and More info on ticket prices and validity.

Types of public transport tickets: 

You should validate timed and short-term tickets immediately after entering the bus, tram, or metro gate. They are already validated if you buy a ticket inside the tram or bus. 

Where to buy Warsaw public transport tickets

Warsaw public transport tickets are sold at selected stores, kiosks, and ticket machines at the stops. However, not all the bus/tram stops have those machines nearby. Check where you can buy tickets.

---

---

Spread the word!