Things to do in Warsaw
The complete travel guide to Poland’s capital
This is my complete guide to Warsaw. The capital of Poland is both quiet and energetic. In this short travel guide, I tried to include the best things to do in Warsaw, as well as tips about accommodation, food, and budgeting. Make sure to read also the travel letter from Warsaw for more photos and information about the capital of Poland.
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[tab title="How to go" icon="icon-entypo-info"]Warsaw is a major hub of Eastern Europe, therefore you won’t have any issues finding a reasonable flight. I flew directly from Berlin with Easyjet, and it took less than an hour. You can check here the best prices for tickets to Warsaw.
If you are living (or staying) in a neighboring country to Poland, please consider the train option. There are several direct connections to Warsaw, and the tickets are usually cheap. Plus, you will have the opportunity to see the landscape of Poland. My initial plan was also to take the train, but due to a sudden change of plans, I had to fly.
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[tab title="Where to stay in Warsaw" icon="icon-entypo-info"]I chose for my stay the wonderful SleepWell Hotel. It was a great choice! First of all, the hotel is very centrally located, just off the Old Town but also straight at the Nowy Świat street. Also, the rooms are reasonably priced, and their interior is extremely cozy. At times, I had the feeling that I’m staying in a beautiful coffee shop and not in a hotel. The breakfast was fine, and the wifi reliable.
The weather in Warsaw was freezing during my visit, but the room was warm at all times. Warm rooms in Eastern European countries is the norm, but I thought of mentioning it anyway. You don’t want to end up in a city with -10 C and have a cold room.
Book your room here.
*Tip*
When I booked my accommodation, the deluxe room cost just 2 euros more per night. Hence, I went for it. It’s bigger in size, and that’s always nice when you are traveling. If you also find the same offer, do not hesitate to book the deluxe room, too. There are also two rooms that come with a balcony, but when I visited Warsaw, they were both rented.
If you prefer staying in the Old Town, there are a couple of options, and you can find them here.
For all other options, please click here.[/tab]
[tab title="Where to eat and drink" icon="icon-entypo-info"]Due to a change of plans, I had to leave Warsaw earlier. As I’ve already written in my travel letter from Warsaw, I’m a big fan of Eastern European cuisine. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to explore as many options as I would like to; however, I can recommend the following ones.
- Zapiecek. This is a restaurant in the heart of the city, straight at the famous Nowy Świat street. It was the place I ate the night I arrived, and I returned two more times for lunch. Being a big fan of dumplings, I had variations of them all three times at Zapiecek. The food is delicious and the personnel polite and helpful. A very cheap option, both for lunch and dinner. Highly recommended.
- Green Caffè Nero. There are multiple coffee shops of this chain all around Warsaw. I found the coffee to be perfect, and the small selection of snacks was adequate, too. Although I always tend to try different cafés, whenever I felt like drinking coffee in Warsaw, there was a Green Caffè Nero straight in front of me.
- Charlotte. A café that serves a fantastic breakfast. If you are in the neighborhood, don’t miss the chance to eat there. The only downside is that the smell of the food is too strong in the interior.
- Costa Coffee. Another local chain of cafés. I heard that the sandwiches were really good here, so I tried one. Indeed they are good. The coffee, however, was average for my taste. The prices are decent like pretty much everywhere in Warsaw.[/tab]
[tab title="Sightseeing" icon="icon-entypo-info"]Warsaw, as I wrote in my travel letter, is a city full of History. That said, it’s not a big surprise. For sure I recommend you to stroll through the Old Town. Apart from the architecture, you will track down the lives of prominent figures like Chopin or Marie Curie.
A visit to the Holy Church is one of the must things to do in Warsaw. The reason? Well, Chopin’s heart is buried there!
A walk down the Vistula river is always an excellent activity. Do however keep an eye on the weather: in the wintertime is freezing cold! Even if you can stand the cold, think twice before walking by the river.
Outside of the Old Town, you can also see some typical examples of brutalist architecture. Monstrous apartment blocks are part of every post-communist country/city. I always admire their structure, but at the same time, I’m still terrified by the idea of living in one.
Depending on the number of days you have in Warsaw, there are two museums that I recommend.
- The first one is the Neon Museum. This is a place dedicated to the documentation and the preservation of Cold War era neon signs and electro-graphic design. Sounds unique -and indeed it is. There are not that many neon museums around the world so make sure to visit it. Watch my video from the Neon Museum in Warsaw below.
- The other museum I highly recommend is the Warsaw Rising Museum. According to their website, “the Museum is a tribute of Warsaw’s residents to those who fought and died for independent Poland and its free capital.” I personally found it very interesting.
An extra tip.
I initially planned to visit the Fotoplastikon, but unfortunately, it was closed both days that I had time! This is some sort of a big view-master, where people sit around a big cylinder and watch 3-D images. Yup, it sounds like the predecessor of the cinema. It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday, between 10 am and 6 pm. (You guessed it right: I wanted to visit it either on Monday or Tuesday!) Be wiser than me, and if you visit the Fotoplastion, please write in the comments your opinion. The next time I’ll be in Warsaw I’ll start my exploration from this one.
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[tab title="How to budget" icon="icon-entypo-info"]Poland is still a cheap country, and a visit to Warsaw won’t kill your budget. There are some more expensive options in Warsaw, but the truth is that the city is really affordable.
If you are on a tight budget, you can even survive with less than 20 euros per day in Warsaw. And this includes food, drinks, coffee, etc. However, I’d find it more reasonable if you’d calculated around 30 euros per day. As for the accommodation, well this varies like in every major city. I paid 42 euros per night (breakfast incl.), and I was pleased with my choice. All in all, with 60 euros per day you can have accommodation and food included. Check the latest hotel offers. [/tab]
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Watch my video from the Neon Museum of Warsaw:
More about Warsaw: More photos & Chopin’s Heart in Warsaw
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Last Updated on November 13, 2020 by George Pavlopoulos