Best time to visit Kraków
The best time to visit Kraków is April–September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Kraków, Lesser Poland, Poland
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.9 °C / 35 °F | -3.5 °C / 26 °F | 50 mm / 2 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 4.2 °C / 40 °F | -2.5 °C / 28 °F | 48 mm / 1.9 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 9 °C / 48 °F | 0.2 °C / 32 °F | 50 mm / 2 in | good month |
| April | 14.8 °C / 59 °F | 4.1 °C / 39 °F | 56 mm / 2.2 in | best month |
| May | 18.6 °C / 65 °F | 8.3 °C / 47 °F | 93 mm / 3.6 in | best month |
| June | 22.9 °C / 73 °F | 12.6 °C / 55 °F | 83 mm / 3.3 in | best month |
| July | 24.8 °C / 77 °F | 14.2 °C / 58 °F | 94 mm / 3.7 in | best month |
| August | 24.7 °C / 76 °F | 13.7 °C / 57 °F | 88 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| September | 19.8 °C / 68 °F | 9.9 °C / 50 °F | 85 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| October | 14.2 °C / 58 °F | 5.2 °C / 41 °F | 61 mm / 2.4 in | good month |
| November | 8.2 °C / 47 °F | 1.6 °C / 35 °F | 52 mm / 2 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 3.6 °C / 38 °F | -1.7 °C / 29 °F | 43 mm / 1.7 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–September
- Good
- March, October
Kraków is at its best from April to September, warm and sunny with only moderate rain; winter (November to February) is bitterly cold, dark and damp, leaving March and October as milder but still imperfect shoulder months.
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: precipitation 50 mm / 2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 64%, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, relative humidity 72%.
Against: feels like (high) 5 °C / 41 °F, average daily high 9 °C / 48 °F, wet days 11.3 days, average daily low 0.2 °C / 32 °F.
Also on: Chocolate Festival, Early Music Days, Easter services and processions, Kraków Cello Spring, Lenten Good Friday processions.
Watch out for: Easter Sunday closures, Śmigus-Dyngus (Easter Monday water tradition).
April · best
In its favour: precipitation 56 mm / 2.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 70%, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, average daily high 14.8 °C / 59 °F, relative humidity 68%, average daily low 4.1 °C / 39 °F.
Against: wet days 11.4 days, feels like (high) 11.8 °C / 53 °F.
Also on: Easter services and processions, Kraków Festival of Comics, Krakers (Kraków Art Week), Lenten Good Friday processions, Off Camera (independent cinema festival), Oscypek cheese season, Rekawka Traditional Medieval Fair.
Watch out for: Easter Sunday closures, Śmigus-Dyngus (Easter Monday water tradition).
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.1 °C / 63 °F, average daily high 18.6 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 67%, days with heavy rain 2.3 days, average daily low 8.3 °C / 47 °F, relative humidity 73%.
Against: wet days 13.8 days, precipitation 93 mm / 3.6 in.
Also on: Film Music Festival, Juwenalia (student festival), Krakowskie Noce (free-entry nights), Lajkonik Parade, Oscypek cheese season, Photomonth, Saint Stanislaw's Procession.
Watch out for: Constitution Day closures, Corpus Christi traffic disruption, Labour Day parades and rallies, May Day long weekend congestion, Pentecost closures.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.9 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 22.9 °C / 73 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 69%, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, average daily low 12.6 °C / 55 °F, relative humidity 74%.
Against: wet days 13.2 days, precipitation 83 mm / 3.3 in.
Also on: Ephemera Festival, Jewish Culture Festival, Kraków Film Festival, Krakow Rugby Festival, Krakowskie Noce (free-entry nights), Live Music Festival, Oscypek cheese season, Wianki (Midsummer Festival).
Watch out for: Corpus Christi traffic disruption, Pentecost closures.
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 25 °C / 77 °F, average daily high 24.8 °C / 77 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, average daily low 14.2 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 72%.
Against: wet days 13.8 days, precipitation 94 mm / 3.7 in.
Also on: International Festival of Street Theatre, Jewish Culture Festival, Kraków Jazz Festival, Krakowskie Noce (free-entry nights), Live Music Festival, Oscypek cheese season.
Watch out for: Kraków Jazz Festival price surge.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.9 °C / 77 °F, average daily high 24.7 °C / 76 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, average daily low 13.7 °C / 57 °F, relative humidity 74%.
Against: wet days 11.6 days, precipitation 88 mm / 3.4 in.
Also on: Assumption Day / Polish Military Day, Kraków Folk Fair, Krakowskie Noce (free-entry nights), Live Music Festival, Music in Old Kraków, Oscypek cheese season, Pierogi Festival.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.6 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 19.8 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 65%, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, average daily low 9.9 °C / 50 °F.
Against: wet days 11.5 days, precipitation 85 mm / 3.4 in, relative humidity 79%.
Also on: Autumn colours, Fermentation Festival, Krakowskie Noce (free-entry nights), Oscypek cheese season, Veganmania.
October · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 59%, days with heavy rain 1.6 days, average daily high 14.2 °C / 58 °F, average daily low 5.2 °C / 41 °F.
Against: relative humidity 82%, wet days 10.2 days, precipitation 61 mm / 2.4 in, sunshine per day 6.3 h, feels like (high) 12.1 °C / 54 °F.
Also on: Autumn colours, Conrad Festival, Oscypek cheese season, Unsound.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Tobołów, 54 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -2.2 °C | 0 °C | 5 °C | 11.8 °C | 17.1 °C | 22.9 °C | 25 °C | 24.9 °C | 18.6 °C | 12.1 °C | 5.3 °C | -0.2 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.4 days | 0.8 days | 1.1 days | 1.2 days | 2.3 days | 2.5 days | 2.8 days | 2.9 days | 2.5 days | 1.6 days | 1.2 days | 0.3 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 9 am | 1 pm | 3 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 3 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 4 pm | 2 pm | 9 am |
| Sunshine per day | 3.9 h | 5.3 h | 7.6 h | 9.7 h | 10.3 h | 11.3 h | 11.5 h | 10.6 h | 8.1 h | 6.3 h | 4.5 h | 3.6 h |
| Relative humidity | 83% | 79% | 72% | 68% | 73% | 74% | 72% | 74% | 79% | 82% | 86% | 85% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 21.2 µg/m³ | 22.2 µg/m³ | 20.1 µg/m³ | 16.2 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 16.4 µg/m³ | 16.3 µg/m³ | 14.8 µg/m³ | 13.1 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 21.2 µg/m³ | 26.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 41.8 µg/m³ | 44.2 µg/m³ | 36.9 µg/m³ | 30.5 µg/m³ | 25.3 µg/m³ | 25 µg/m³ | 25.2 µg/m³ | 24.8 µg/m³ | 22.7 µg/m³ | 27.9 µg/m³ | 44.4 µg/m³ | 51.1 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Carnival season
January and February, dates vary from year to year
- Opera Rara
January
- Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity
January
- Epiphany parades
6 January
- Shanties (sea-shanty festival)
February
- Fat Thursday
February, dates vary from year to year
- Ostatki (Shrove Tuesday)
February, dates vary from year to year
- Lenten Good Friday processions
February, March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Easter services and processions
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Chocolate Festival
March
- Early Music Days
March
- Kraków Cello Spring
March
- Rekawka Traditional Medieval Fair
April
- Krakers (Kraków Art Week)
April
- Kraków Festival of Comics
April
- Off Camera (independent cinema festival)
April
- Oscypek cheese season
21 April–31 October
- Saint Stanislaw's Procession
May
- Juwenalia (student festival)
May
- Lajkonik Parade
May
- Film Music Festival
May
- Photomonth
May
- Krakowskie Noce (free-entry nights)
May, June, July, August and September
- Wianki (Midsummer Festival)
June
- Jewish Culture Festival
June and July
- Kraków Film Festival
June
- Ephemera Festival
June
- Krakow Rugby Festival
June, dates vary from year to year
- Live Music Festival
June, July and August
- International Festival of Street Theatre
July
- Kraków Jazz Festival
July
- Music in Old Kraków
August
- Kraków Folk Fair
August
- Pierogi Festival
August
- Assumption Day / Polish Military Day
15 August
- Autumn colours
September and October
- Veganmania
September
- Fermentation Festival
September
- Unsound
October
- Conrad Festival
October
- Etiuda and Anima (animation film festival)
November
- All Saints' Day cemetery visits
1 November
- Andzejki
November
- Kraków Jazz Autumn
November
- Independence Day parades
11 November
- Christmas Market
24 November–31 December
- Mikolaj (St Nicholas Day)
December
- Kraków Christmas Crib Competition
December
- Christmas Eve (Wigilia) traditions
24 December
- New Year's Eve celebrations
31 December
Worth knowing before you go
- Śmigus-Dyngus (Easter Monday water tradition)
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Easter Sunday closures
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Constitution Day closures
3 May
- Labour Day parades and rallies
1 May
- May Day long weekend congestion
1–3 May
- Pentecost closures
May and June, dates vary from year to year
- Corpus Christi traffic disruption
May and June, dates vary from year to year
- Kraków Jazz Festival price surge
July
- All Saints' Day closures
1 November
- Wawel closed for Independence Day
11 November
- Christmas Day closures
25–26 December
- New Year's Eve price surge
31 December
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Kraków Old Town
Less than 1 km away
- Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
13 km away