UltimateCity Guide Warsaw
Our favourites
The Old Town Market Place at dusk, its painted townhouses lit and café tables set out on the cobbles

The city guide to Warsaw, Poland

Best of Warsaw

The rebuilt Old Town and the Royal Castle, Chopin in Łazienki on a summer Sunday, POLIN and the memory of the ghetto, pierogi and a glass of vodka, the view from the EU’s highest observation deck, and the 2026 MICHELIN stars: Warsaw, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyPrime neighbourhoods, agents, new developments and how buying works

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Warsaw

Warsaw is a city that rebuilt itself: its Old Town, destroyed in the Second World War, rose again and is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and today it stands beside the Varso Tower and the new Museum of Modern Art. Here are the grand hotels of the Royal Route and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, the castle, the palaces of Łazienki and Wilanów, Chopin’s city and its concert halls, POLIN and the memorials, the districts from the Old Town to Praga, the Christmas markets, and day trips to Żelazowa Wola, Kampinos, the Treblinka Museum, Łódź and Kraków. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

The clock tower of the Royal Castle in Warsaw against a deep blue sky

In depth

The city that rebuilt itself

Warsaw·In depth

The UNESCO-listed Old Town and the Royal Castle, the Royal Route, Łazienki and Wilanów, the new towers and the places of remembrance: how to read Warsaw.

Read the story

Arts + Culture

All of Arts & Culture

Chopin’s museum and the summer recitals in Łazienki, the Grand Theatre – National Opera, the National Philharmonic, the National Museum and the new Museum of Modern Art.

The portico, pediment and bronze quadriga of the Grand Theatre – National OperaArts + CultureArts & Culture in WarsawChopin, opera, concerts, galleries and film

Warsaw by area

From the Old Town to Praga, each district has its own guide: the rebuilt heart and the Royal Route, the centre and its towers, Powiśle by the river, Muranów and Wola, Praga across the Vistula, the royal gardens of Łazienki, Wilanów and Żoliborz.

The rebuilt townhouses of the Old Town Market Place on a quiet morning, with the Mermaid statueArea guideOld Town & New TownThe rebuilt heartThe townhouses of Krakowskie Przedmieście on the Royal Route in springArea guideThe Royal RouteKrakowskie PrzedmieścieThe Palace of Culture and Science against a clear blue sky, with the city’s new towers beside itArea guideŚródmieścieThe centreThe roof garden of the University of Warsaw Library, looking over the VistulaArea guidePowiśleBy the riverThe Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, with wreaths laid at its footArea guideMuranów & WolaMemory and the new west

On foot

Warsaw’s centre is best on foot and by bus 180, which follows the Royal Route from the Old Town all the way to Wilanów.

  1. Area guidePragaThe right bank
  2. Area guideMokotów & ŁazienkiRoyal gardens
  3. Area guideWilanówKing Jan III’s palace
  4. Area guideŻoliborzThe Citadel and the villas

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go: tickets for the metro and trams, the airport buses and trains, the złoty, and itineraries for a first visit and a luxury weekend.

Before you goWarsaw essentialsEntry, złoty, the airport and 112A red and yellow Warsaw tram in the city centreGetting aroundBy metro, tram and trainTickets and the airport linksPączki, Polish filled doughnuts, on a bakery shelfItineraryThree days in WarsawThe classic first visitRaffles Europejski Warsaw on the Royal RouteLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe long colonnaded front of the Grand Theatre – National Opera on Plac TeatralnyItineraryThe Gold weekendRaffles Europejski, NUTA and the opera
  1. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendNobu, hub.praga and Wilanów

Our advice

Start on Castle Square

Begin at the Royal Castle and Sigismund’s Column, walk up to the Old Town Market Place and the Mermaid, then come back down and follow the Royal Route south: the whole of Warsaw’s history unfolds along the way. The Royal Castle

The ULTIMATE letter

Warsaw in your inbox

An occasional email with new places, events, area guides and our latest in-depth articles. No spam, ever.

Beyond the city

Żelazowa Wola, Kampinos, the Treblinka Museum, Łódź and Kraków: Chopin’s birthplace, a primeval forest, a place of remembrance, a film city and the old royal capital.

The Chopin Monument in Łazienki, with roses and deckchairs in the foregroundBeyond the cityŻelazowa WolaChopin’s birthplaceAn autumn path through the forest at the edge of Kampinos National ParkBeyond the cityKampinosThe primeval forestMemorial stones bearing the names of countries at the Treblinka MuseumBeyond the cityTreblinka MuseumA place of remembranceBeyond the cityŁódźThe film and textile cityBeyond the cityKrakówThe old royal capital

Our advice

Give POLIN a morning

POLIN tells a thousand years of Polish Jewish history; allow a morning for it, then walk quietly to the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes and on to Umschlagplatz. POLIN

In depth: Warsaw’s back stories

Warsaw cuisine, the rebuilt city, Chopin, eating, the grand hotels, film, history and where to buy: the stories behind the city.

The great Christmas tree lit up on Castle Square beside the Royal CastleChristmas & New YearChristmas in WarsawThe tree, the markets and the Wigilia tableŻurek, sour rye soup with egg and sausage, served in a bread bowlEatWarsaw CuisineŻurek, pierogi, pączki and the Wigilia tableFeatureWarsaw, the classic and the newThe rebuilt city and the new towers

In season

In summer, Chopin recitals are played in the open air beside his monument in Royal Łazienki; in Advent, the great tree lights up Castle Square.

  1. FeatureWarsaw on filmThe Pianist, A Real Pain and The Doll
  2. HistoryA short history of WarsawThe royal capital, 1944 and the rebuilding
  3. The back storyChopin’s cityThe museum, the opera and the Philharmonic

Across Central Europe with the ULTIMATE guides

Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest by train, and the great train journeys of the world.

ULTIMATE BerlinBerlinWest by trainULTIMATE PraguePragueSouth-westULTIMATE ViennaViennaSouth by train
  1. ULTIMATE BudapestBudapestSouth

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

See all Europe

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunsetSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.

See all 84 guides

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Warsaw, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Royal Łazienki

    This week's pick

    Royal Łazienki

    Łazienki·Palace and park

    Royal Łazienki was the summer residence of the last king of Poland. Walk past the Palace on the Isle and the peacocks to the Chopin Monument, where open-air Chopin recitals are played in summer, and come back through the Botanical Garden.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    The Ostrogski Palace, home of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum, above its terraceItineraryA day in Chopin’s WarsawOne dayThe Hotel Bristol on Krakowskie Przedmieście on a sunny dayItineraryA Christmas day in WarsawOne day in AdventThe Krasiński Palace across the pond of the Krasiński GardenItineraryA property viewing day: Powiśle, Mokotów and ŻoliborzOne day
    1. ItineraryBeyond the city: Chopin’s birthplaceOne day

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Eating in Warsaw: the back storyWarsaw · In depth
    2. 2Warsaw CuisineWarsaw · In depth: food
    3. 3NUTAŚródmieście · Restaurant
    See all 38

    Cafés

    1. 1Lourse WarszawaRoyal Route · Pâtisserie
    2. 2Café BristolRoyal Route · Grand café
    3. 3BlikleRoyal Route · Pastry shop
    See all 5

    Bars

    1. 1Long Bar WarsawRoyal Route · Cocktail bar
    2. 2HighGarden Rooftop LoungeŚródmieście · Rooftop bar
    3. 3Pijalnia Wódki i PiwaRoyal Route · Vodka bar
    See all 8

    Hotels

    1. 1The grand hotels of Warsaw: the back storyWarsaw · In depth
    2. 2Raffles Europejski WarsawRoyal Route · Grand hotel
    3. 3Hotel Bristol, WarsawRoyal Route · Grand hotel
    See all 16

    Sights

    1. 1Warsaw: the back storyWarsaw · In depth
    2. 2Royal Castle in WarsawOld Town · Castle and museum
    3. 3Old Town Market PlaceOld Town · Square
    See all 23

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Arts & Culture in Warsaw: the back storyWarsaw · In depth
    2. 2Fryderyk Chopin MuseumRoyal Route · Museum
    3. 3Grand Theatre – Polish National OperaŚródmieście · Opera house
    See all 30

    Gardens

    1. 1Green Warsaw: the back storyWarsaw · In depth
    2. 2Łazienki GardenŁazienki · Park
    3. 3Wilanów ParkWilanów · Park
    See all 6

    Walks

    1. 1The Royal RouteRoyal Route · Walk
    2. 2The Old Town and the New TownOld Town · Walk
    3. 3Traces of the Warsaw GhettoMuranów · Walk
    See all 6

    Shopping

    1. 1VitkacŚródmieście · Department store
    2. 2Elektrownia PowiślePowiśle · Shopping and food hall
    3. 3Złote TarasyŚródmieście · Shopping centre
    See all 7

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 112Warsaw · Emergency number
    2. 2Warsaw 19115 city contact centreWarsaw · City helpline
    3. 3NFZ patient helplinePoland · Health helpline
    See all 5

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Warsaw: the back storyWarsaw · In depth
    2. 2Engel & Völkers PolandWarsaw · Estate agent
    3. 3Knight Frank PolandWarsaw · Property adviser
    See all 5

    Developments

    1. 1Varso Tower and Highline WarsawŚródmieście · Development
    2. 2Museum of Modern Art, Plac DefiladŚródmieście · Development
    3. 3Polish History Museum, Warsaw CitadelŻoliborz · Development
    See all 5

    Cars & Trams

    1. 1National Technical MuseumŚródmieście · Museum
    2. 2Polish Army MuseumŻoliborz · Museum
    3. 3Vintage bus line 100Warsaw · Tourist line
    See all 6

    Getting Around

    1. 1Getting around Warsaw: the back storyWarsaw · In depth
    2. 2Warsaw Public Transport (WTP)Warsaw · Public transport
    3. 3Warsaw Chopin AirportOkęcie · Airport
    See all 4