2 Days In Warsaw – Here’s Everything You Need To Know To Plan A Visit

If you don’t already have Poland on your list of places to visit in Europe, you should. It’s great for solo travelers, especially beginner solo travelers it’s also budget-friendly, has amazing food, and there’s a lot to see and do. Here’s my guide on how to spend 2 days in Warsaw with loads of tips to help you plan an awesome visit. If you have more time to spend there, you could use this as a starter guide and/or extend it to spend more time in each place. But, if you only have two days, then this will help you see as much as possible while you’re there.

2 Days In Warsaw – Here’s Everything You Need To Know To Plan A Visit

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The basics

Style: Solo trip

Good for: Solo, couples, friends, families

Highlights: Warsaw Rising Museum, Polish Vodka Museum, budget-friendly destination, cafe culture

Where to stay

I stayed at Glam Apartments during my 2 days in Warsaw.

The apartment was gorgeous, chic, and even came with a few drinks in the fridge. Michael, the host, was really helpful and quick to respond when I had any questions.

The apartments are a little outside the main touristy area of Old Town, but in a convenient location where you can still walk all around Warsaw.

If you prefer to stay in Old Town, I recommend searching on Booking.com. This is what I used to find Glam Apartments and what I use to book accommodation when I travel and I can always find a good deal there.

How to get to Warsaw

If you will be getting to Warsaw by plane, RyanAir has flights to Warsaw Modlin. As with many RyanAir flights, the airport is a little outside the city but you can take a train or bus to the city center.

If you will be traveling to Warsaw from within Poland, I recommend the Intercity train. I took the train to Warsaw from Kraków and it was fast, comfortable, and overall a great experience.

For more information on tickets, visit the Intercity train website.

How to get around

It’s very easy to walk all around Warsaw and for this itinerary, I went everywhere on foot.

If you prefer public transport, Warsaw has buses, trams, and the metro to help you get from place to place.

How to spend 2 days in Warsaw – Day 1

Warsaw Rising Museum

No matter how many days you have in Warsaw, I recommend starting with the Warsaw Rising Museum.

It is a fantastic museum that gives you a thorough understanding of Warsaw’s history. I’m writing this a few weeks after my visit and I’m still in awe when I think of the perseverance and determination shown in some incredibly challenging times.

It’s hard to explain, but the Warsaw Rising Museum doesn’t just give you historical facts. It also presents everything in a way that hits your heart, as if you’re in the fight with them. Don’t miss the 3D aerial video and the movie with footage from the time of the Uprising.

More information: Warsaw Rising Museum website

Cost: 25PLN per adult/ approx $6.50 USD

One of the exhibits at the Warsaw Rising Museum

Keret House

When you walk from the museum to Old Town, you can stop by the world’s narrowest building, Keret House.

It’s doesn’t take long to see and it’s not the most exciting thing but it was something different to add to the itinerary.

There are no signs or anything, so you can easily walk by and miss it if you’re not paying attention. I went on a little mission around the back of it to get a different view from a parking lot.

Cost: Free

Keret House in Warsaw

Old Town

From there head to Warsaw’s Old Town.

It’s the main tourist area and a charming place to walk around. You can expect lots of restaurants, souvenir shops, and museums.

Interestingly, it is not as old as it looks. Warsaw was almost flattened in WWII and most of what you see has been rebuilt using photos from before the war to recreate the buildings.

Some of the things to do in Old Town

• See the Mermaid statue – you might recognize her sister statue in Copenhagen
• Visit the Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum Warszawy)
• Go to the Holy Cross Church where the heart of Chopin is kept
• Eat a good meal – I liked Restauracja Kmicic restaurant
• See a Chopin concert

Picture perfect buildings in Old Town

Royal Route

The full walk is about 11km so depending on how much time you have left, you may not be able to do the full thing. But you should be able to do at least the chunk of it that is close to town.

This is what I did – I didn’t walk the full route and instead just walked the section closest to Old Town each night.

It was cool to have the nightly walk surrounded by so many historic buildings and monuments.

If you’re interested in walking the full route, walk from the Royal Castle in Plac Zamkowy and walk towards Wilanów Palace via Lazienki Palace on the Isle.

You can also take bus#180 to get to Wilanów to save a little time.

Royal Route

Monument of Józef Poniatowski

Palace of Culture and Science

To end your day, visit the Palace of Culture and Science which is close to the apartments.

Here you can see the building from the outside or go in to get a panoramic view of the city from the top of the tallest building in the city.

It’s open until 8pm and you can buy tickets there or online.

Cost: 20PLN/ Approx $5 USD

More information: Palace of Culture and Science website

How to spend 2 days in Warsaw – Day 2

On day 2, I walked to Praga via the Poniatowski Bridge and returned via the Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge so it was a big loop.

The riverside area is a really pretty place to walk around so I took a few detours to just enjoy the scenic area and look at sculptures.

Day 2 map that I started with (took a few detours along the way)

Palm tree

Random stop, but on the way to the Polish Vodka Museum, you can see a very random sole palm tree in the middle of the street.

It’s not a real tree, but an artwork titled ‘Greetings from Jerusalem’ and something different to spot during your walk.

Palm tree art in the street

Polish Vodka Museum (Muzeum Polskiej Wódki)

This one is really cool.

Make your way across the Vistula river and visit the Polish Vodka Museum. Yep, it’s a museum all about vodka.

Here you will take a tour – you cannot go through the museum on your own – and learn all about the history of Polish vodka through a series of unique and interactive exhibits.

Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be as interesting or cool as it was.

You end the tour with a vodka tasting to learn to identify different types of vodka by taste, then you can buy some of your own from the gift store. There is also a cocktail bar upstairs where they create their own flavors. I tried the Earl Grey vodka and it was delicious!

Bonus tip: there’s an amazing chocolate cafe next door that’s worth stopping at.

Cost: 40 PLN/ approx $10 USD

More information: Polish Vodka Museum website

Vodka tasting at the end of an interesting tour of the Polish Vodka Museum

Explore Praga

While you are on this side of the river, take some time to explore Praga.

It’s much grittier than Old Town Warsaw and not as pretty, but it has a lot of character. At one time it was a crime capital, but it has since been morphing into an up and coming art district.

Here you can see the Różycki Bazar which was a black market during WWII and communist rule in Poland.

Różycki Bazar

You can also walk around to look at the vintage shops and other monuments or see the Neon Museum or Soho Factory depending on how much time you’d like to spend there.

The interesting thing about Praga is that it still has some original buildings from before WWII. If you wanted an idea of what Warsaw looked like prior to the war, this is the place to see original buildings.

Buildings in Praga

Multimedia Fountain Park

I stopped to see the Multimedia Fountain Park after walking back from Praga, but unfortunately, the fountains were empty when I was there.

It looks like it would be a fun place to see when it is all up and running and a great spot for families.

Even without the fountains, there are some other cool sculptures in the park and the Warsaw sign is nearby too.

Multimedia Fountain Park – not running when I went but looks like it would be cool to see

How to finish your 2 days in Warsaw

You can finish your 2 days in Warsaw by spending some time in Old Town for one last great meal, walking a little more of the Royal Route, or seeing any of the things you might have missed on the first day.

If you didn’t get a chance to go to the top of the Palace of Culture and Science, you can also see impressive views of Warsaw from the top of Taras Widokowy near the Royal Castle.

I also recommend stopping by the unique craft beer pub, Jabeerwocky, on your way back to the apartments.

Soaking in the sunset views

Jabeerwocky is a great place to visit for unique, quirky craft beers

Other guides to help you plan your trip to Poland

• How To Get To Auschwitz From Krakow And What To Expect There

• 3 Days In Krakow – What To See, Do, And Eat For An Awesome Visit

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