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The bronze Warsaw Mermaid statue and fountain in the Old Town Market Square, ringed by colorful facades
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WarsawTravel Guide

Poland5 stories

Poland's phoenix of a capital pairs a meticulously rebuilt Old Town with a glassy, fast-moving skyline, Chopin's soundtrack, and some of Central Europe's best-value food and museums.

Is Warsaw right for you?

When to come

Late spring through early autumn

Around 25°C by day in July, 1°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Warsaw is inA proper winterDeepest in Europe
When to go
January: around 1 degrees by day, -4 at night, 31 millimetres of rain, cold, some precipitation.
February: around 3 degrees by day, -3 at night, 30 millimetres of rain, cold, some precipitation.
March: around 7 degrees by day, -1 at night, 29 millimetres of rain, dry.
April: around 15 degrees by day, 4 at night, 35 millimetres of rain, some rain.
May: around 20 degrees by day, 9 at night, 56 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 23 degrees by day, 12 at night, 64 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
July: around 25 degrees by day, 15 at night, 82 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
August: around 25 degrees by day, 14 at night, 61 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
September: around 19 degrees by day, 10 at night, 50 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 13 degrees by day, 5 at night, 40 millimetres of rain, some rain.
November: around 7 degrees by day, 1 at night, 36 millimetres of rain, some rain.
December: around 2 degrees by day, -2 at night, 36 millimetres of rain, cold, some precipitation.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Late spring through early autumn

Average daily highs, recorded at Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, IMGW (en.wikipedia Warsaw weather box)

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
Plan itWhere to stay in Warsawad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Warsaw

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Warsaw

A Polish street-food grill mid-service: coils of kielbasa sausage and skewers of marinated pork sizzling on a wide flat-top griddle as the cook turns them with tongs, more sausage stacked ready on the tray behind.
01
Itineraries

Warsaw Takes Four Days, and the Closing Days Decide the Order

The two museums that explain Warsaw both shut on Tuesday and the four that make it look modern all shut on Monday, so the weekday you land on quietly writes the shape of your whole trip.

Poland · 9 min
Castle Square in Warsaw at dusk, Sigismund's Column standing over the wide empty paving with the Royal Castle's clock tower and the lit pastel houses of the Old Town beyond, under a sweep of storm cloud.
02
Destinations

Is Warsaw Worth the Trip? A First-Timer's Briefing

Poland’s capital rarely tops a first European wish list — which is exactly why it rewards the people who go. An honest briefing on what Warsaw delivers, what it does not, and who should book.

Poland · 3 min
A milk-bar lunch on a dark wooden table in Warsaw: a cabbage roll in tomato sauce beside two scoops of dill-flecked mashed potato and a mound of white cabbage slaw, a breaded cutlet on the second plate with the cutlery resting on it, and a small dish of cucumbers in cream on a wooden tray alongside.
03
Food

Warsaw Cheap Eats That Punch Far Above Their Price

Subsidised canteens, market halls and one of Europe’s biggest Vietnamese communities. The Warsaw dishes that cost almost nothing and taste like the city.

Poland · 2 min
The lit WARSZAWA POWISLE lettering curving across the roof of the little modernist former ticket pavilion in Warsaw's Powisle district at night, its glowing bar interior and empty wooden picnic tables below.
04
Hidden Gems

The Warsaw Neighborhoods Most Visitors Skip

Warsaw's Old Town is a superb restoration and a poor introduction to the city: six districts, in the right order, that show what the capital actually is.

Poland · 10 min
The illuminated Palace of Culture and Science towering over downtown Warsaw's modern skyscrapers at night
05
Destinations

Warsaw for First-Timers: A Capital That Rebuilt Itself

Rebuilt brick by brick after 1944, Warsaw is now one of Europe's most rewarding capitals — a first-visit guide to the Old Town, the museums, the Vistula riverside, and the pierogi.

Poland · 2 min
In pictures

Warsaw, framed

Warsaw Old Town square, Warsaw
Photo: Sergei Gussev / Unsplash
Warsaw Old Town square, Warsaw
Photo: Tomasz Zielonka / Unsplash
Warsaw Old Town square, Warsaw
Photo: Lāsma Artmane / Unsplash
Colorful row houses with steep tiled roofs and a green-domed cathedral in Warsaw's Old Town skyline
Photo: Mohammed Ajwad / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Warsaw

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for Poland

Money

Polish zloty (PLN) — Poland has not adopted the euro and has set no target date

Language

Polish; English is widely spoken by younger people and throughout Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk.

Power

Type C/E, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Trams, buses and metro are cheap and frequent in every city; buy tickets from machines at stops or on board, which take cards, or through apps like jakdojade. Warsaw is the only city with a metro.

Tipping

About 10% is the usual restaurant tip; say the amount before the card is processed or leave it in cash, as Polish terminals often have no tip prompt.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink and meets EU standards.

Driving

Right-hand side; EU and EEA licences are valid as they are, and most other visitors should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence.

Emergency

112 (police 997, ambulance 999, fire 998)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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