The Christmas market on the Main Square in Krakow opens on Friday 27 November 2026. Stalls are open from 10:00 to 20:00, some food stalls stay open longer, and entry is free. The closing date is not final yet: the organiser plans to end the market on 3 or 6 January 2027. This year's prices have not been published either, so below you will find the prices from last winter. Mulled wine in Krakow is usually more expensive than in Gdańsk or Wrocław.
Dates and opening hours
- Opens: Friday 27 November 2026.
- Closes: 3 or 6 January 2027. This is how Artim, the company running the market on behalf of the Krakow Merchant Congregation, put it in its invitation for traders. Krakow's cultural information point already lists 6 January.
- Hours: stalls are open from 10:00 to 20:00, selected food stalls longer.
The market will run longer than last year, when it was open from 28 November to 1 January. The organiser has not yet said how the stalls will work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Where it is and what you will find
The market fills the Main Square around the Cloth Hall and the Town Hall Tower. In the winter of 2025 there were 105 stalls with traders from Poland and abroad, selling decorations, handicrafts, ceramics and food. A separate fair ran at the same time on the Small Market Square (Mały Rynek), just off the Main Square. Every year the programme includes presentations of towns from the Małopolska region, carol processions and concerts. In 2025 the Krakow nativity scene (szopka) contest took place on 4 December at the Mickiewicz monument, and the Christmas tree was lit on 6 December at 17:00. This year's programme is still being prepared.
How much is mulled wine
In the winter of 2025, according to the local portal Co w Krakowie, the cheapest mulled wine cost about 20 zł, but at most stalls prices started at 25 to 30 zł. A year earlier, Money.pl reported a small cup of Galician mulled wine (200 ml) for 18 zł and a flavoured mulled wine (400 ml) for 45 zł.
For comparison, a classic mulled wine in Gdańsk cost 20 zł plus a 30 zł deposit for the cup, and in Wrocław 20 to 22 zł plus a 20 zł deposit for the boot-shaped mug. We have not found such a deposit system in reports from Krakow. So your first mulled wine costs less at the till in Krakow, but once you return the cup in Gdańsk or Wrocław, Krakow comes out more expensive.
Food prices from winter 2025
- Bread slab (pajda): 19 zł with lard, 28 to 38 zł vegetarian, 33 to 45 zł with sausage or meat, up to 59 zł with everything
- Red borscht: 20 zł
- Tomato, vegetable, garlic or pumpkin soup: 25 zł
- Pea soup, mushroom soup, żurek (sour rye soup): 35 zł
- Kwaśnica (sauerkraut soup), bigos (hunter's stew), Ukrainian borscht: 40 zł
- Goulash: 45 zł
- Zapiekanka (Polish open-faced baguette): from 30 zł for a classic 20 cm one to 50 zł with your own toppings, Krakow-style 42 zł
- From the grill: pork neck 55 zł, pork knuckle 60 zł, XL pork knuckle 85 zł, sausage in a bun 45 zł
- Pasta: from 30 zł for mac and cheese to 50 zł for pasta served in a parmesan wheel
We only found prices for pierogi and oscypek in a report from 2024: a portion of pierogi cost about 50 zł and oscypek, the smoked highland cheese, 17 zł. Żurek cost 30 zł then and 35 zł a year later.
A quick estimate for an evening for two: two mulled wines at 25 zł and two bowls of żurek at 35 zł add up to 120 zł.
Discounts for residents
In the winter of 2025 the city offered discounts to holders of the Karta Krakowska, a card for Krakow residents: 20 percent off food and drinks at marked stalls on the Main Square and 25 percent on the Small Market Square. Children with the card could ride the Venetian carousel for 5 zł. The city has not yet announced whether the discounts will return in 2026.
Eating out after the market
If you are going for dinner near the Main Square afterwards, check the bill. Some restaurants in Krakow add a service charge of 10 to 15 percent, and in Poland it should be announced before you order. We collect these restaurants on a map of restaurants with service charges, based on receipts sent in by guests.
Visiting Warsaw too? The Warsaw Christmas Market in front of the Palace of Culture opens a week earlier, on 20 November.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Krakow Christmas Market in 2026?
From Friday 27 November 2026 on the Main Square. The organiser plans to close it on 3 or 6 January 2027 and has not given the final date yet.
What are the opening hours of the Krakow Christmas Market?
Stalls are open from 10:00 to 20:00, and selected food stalls stay open longer.
How much does mulled wine cost at the Krakow Christmas Market?
Prices for 2026 have not been published yet. In the winter of 2025 the cheapest mulled wine cost about 20 zł, but at most stalls prices started at 25 to 30 zł.
Is the Krakow Christmas Market free to enter?
Yes, entry is free. You only pay for food, drinks and shopping.
Sources: invitation for traders by Artim on behalf of the Krakow Merchant Congregation (planned dates for 2026); Krakow cultural information point pik.krakow.pl, 7 September 2026 (dates, hours, entry); krakow.pl, 26 November 2025 (number of stalls, Krakow City Card, Small Market Square, carousel); Co w Krakowie, 30 November 2025 (2025 prices); Money.pl, 30 November 2024 (2024 prices); Kraków Portal, 2 December 2025 (2025 programme). Information as of 4 October 2026. Prices from previous years are indicative. Miejscownik.pl is not affiliated with the organiser.