Warsaw is one of the best capital cities in Europe to visit on a budget. It’s a city that’s filled with history at every turn, and its growing food scene is another draw for a lot of visitors. Strolling around Warsaw’s old town, visiting the different monuments and memorials, and exploring hidden gems and unique neighbourhoods are just some of the many free things to do in Warsaw.
For a lot of people, a trip to Warsaw consists of the old town and maybe a museum or two. However, there’s much more to see in Warsaw, and the Polish capital is truly a treasure trove if you’re visiting Warsaw on a budget. Even eating out in Warsaw doesn’t need to cost a lot, and the modern hotels in Warsaw can easily fit within your price range too. Here’s everything you need to know about the best free things to do in Warsaw and how to visit the capital on a budget.
Free things to do in Warsaw
1. Visit the museums
One of the best free things to do in Warsaw is to visit the museums. Not all of the museums in Warsaw offer free entry, but a lot of them do on specific days of the week. This includes popular museums such as POLIN, the Royal Castle, and the Warsaw Rising Museum (just to name a few). It’s best to check each museum’s official website to clarify the days where free entry is permitted in order to avoid disappointment. Some museums even have free entry on weekends which is ideal if you’re spending a weekend in Warsaw.
2. Statue of Marie Curie
Marie Curie is one of Poland’s most well known scientists. To commemorate her groundbreaking discoveries in the world of chemistry and physics, Warsaw erected a statue of her in front of the Radium Institute. This statue of Marie Curie stands as a symbol of women’s contribution to science and honours her Polish roots and legacy in the world of science and discoveries. If you visit the statue, you’ll also be treated to a beautiful view of the Vistula River.
3. Chopin benches
As you make your way around Warsaw, you may notice some uniquely designed benches along your route. There are 15 Chopin benches dotted around the city, and each one is placed in a location where Chopin was known to have been influenced or that played an important role in his development. Each bench displays a map so you can see where the other benches are located, information about the specific location, and the benches all play a clip of one of Chopin’s masterpieces at the press of a button.
We came across three of the Chopin benches but sadly they all seemed to be broken and none of the buttons worked. However, finding these benches is still one of the best free things to do in Warsaw – especially if you find some that play music!
4. Go inside the churches
There are a lot of churches in Warsaw that are worth visiting. St Anne’s Church is located just before the Royal Castle and is free to enter. If you want to climb the bell tower there’s a very small fee for that, but the views are worth it. Inside the old town, Archcathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist is a very popular tourist attraction in Warsaw and is definitely worth going inside if its doors are open.
Outside of the old town area, you’ll find a lot of impressive churches with unique architecture as well. I’d recommend taking a walk around the Praga district where there are several important churches that have a unique history behind them.
5. Take a photo of the Palm Tree
One of the most unusual free things to do in Warsaw is to photograph the Palm Tree. This palm tree sits along Nowy Swiat and is actually made of steel and covered in bark and leaves to give it a natural appearance. It’s part of a modern art project and was designed by an artist after their trip to Israel. The tree is positioned in the middle of an intersection, so you’ll most likely need to look at it from a distance.
6. Lazienki Gardens
If you enjoy walking through historic gardens, then a trip to Lazienki Gardens is a must. This is yet another example of the many free things to do in Warsaw, and it’s just a short bus ride away from the old town. Together with the Royal Lazienki Museum, these gardens form the largest park in Warsaw and have a history dating back to the 16th century. For a small entry fee you can go inside the palace-museum as well, but the park and gardens are completely free to access for the public.
7. Admire the street art
While you’re walking through the streets of Warsaw, you’ll undoubtedly come across numerous murals and pieces of street art. There’s something on almost every corner, so it may be worth taking a street art tour of Warsaw if you’re interested in seeing the main pieces. The Praga district in particular is known for its artsy vibes and we came across several large murals here that really stand out.
8. Monuments and memorials
Warsaw went through a lot of damage and turmoil during WWII. As a result of its tumultuous past, there are a lot of monuments and memorials placed around the city with information plaques that explain more about what happened in the area. The Warsaw ghetto lines are something you’ll see throughout the city and the Umschlagplatz Monument is worth walking to if you’re near the old town. It marks where thousands of Jews were loaded onto trains and moved to concentration camps.
9. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw is one monument that really stands out due to its unique location. This monument was built in 1925 and houses the body of an unknown soldier that died defending Lviv from the Bolsheviks in 1920. During the Warsaw Uprising, the Saxon Palace where the monument was placed was blown up and only small parts of it survived. Surprisingly, the monument survived the attacks.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier still stands in the midst of the ruins of the palace as a mark of respect for all of the Polish soldiers that have died defending their country over the past 1000 years.
10. Get lost in the old town
Walking around Warsaw old town is one of the best free things to do in Warsaw, even if you’ve visited before. The old town has a history dating back to the 13th century and there are plenty of things to see here, including the Royal Castle and the Barbican. In the summer months, the old town is bursting with activity, so if you want to avoid the large crowds you may want to plan a trip in the off season. Don’t forget to take a photo with the iconic mermaid statue situated in Old Town Market Place too!
11. University of Warsaw campus
The University of Warsaw was established in 1816 and it’s the largest university in Poland. The main campus is located between the Royal Castle and Nowy Swiat. It’s very easy to pick out among the other historic buildings thanks to its iconic gate. We visited early in the morning so the gate was still closed, but it’s worth walking around the campus grounds if you have some spare time because it’s very picturesque.
12. Explore the palaces around Warsaw
If there’s one thing that Warsaw isn’t short of, its palaces. Wilanow Palace is located on the outskirts of the city and it’s one of the most visited attractions in Poland, so you won’t want to miss that. Closer to the city centre you’ll find Royal Lazienki Museum and Gardens, the Presidential Palace, and Staszic Palace. Taking photos of these palaces is among the best free things to do in Warsaw. Some of the palaces are now museums, so you can purchase a ticket to go inside them or visit them when they offer free entry.
13. Warsaw Uprising Monument
The Warsaw Uprising Monument is one of the most visited monuments in the city. It was built in dedication to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and it sits opposite the Field Cathedral. There are two parts to the monument for visitors to look at. The larger part is of insurgents involved in combat with a building falling behind them (it was under restoration when we visited). The smaller part of the monument is of a group of soldiers descending into a manhole which is how the resistance movement travelled through the German-occupied zones.
14. Walk around Praga
The Praga district is often overlooked by tourists who favour exploring the old town. However, this up-and-coming neighbourhood is one of the oldest in Warsaw and was left relatively untouched during WWII. This means that many of its historic buildings have survived intact, so it has a unique charm to it. There are a lot of things to do in Praga including visiting the Polish Vodka Museum and going on a guided tour of hidden Warsaw. Make sure you add Praga to your list, because one of the best free things to do in Warsaw is to explore this area.
15. Find the Doll House
There are a lot of hidden gems in Warsaw to discover. One of the most unique free things to do in Warsaw is to find what’s known as the Doll House. This small 20th century house was originally built as part of a chemical dye factory and is now owned by a single family. It miraculously survived demolition following WWII and now sits among taller tenement buildings that make it seem like a toy house.
To see the Doll House you’ll need to wait for someone to open the gate because it’s part of a closed living space that’s not open to the public.
Budget friendly places to eat in Warsaw
BROOKLYN
After a long day of checking off all of the free things to do in Warsaw from your list, you’ll no doubt want to refuel. BROOKLYN is an American-style restaurant with a menu centred around New York burgers. They have a fantastic selection of burgers on their menu, including chicken and beef versions, but you can also order mini burgers which lets you try out a variety of flavours in one sitting. Make sure you add one of their tasty milkshakes to your order for a truly American dining experience in Warsaw.
Cukiernia Pawlowicz
Looking for the best doughnuts in Warsaw? After extensive online research, we decided to try Cukiernia Pawlowicz which comes highly rated by locals. Their freshly made doughnuts are available in many flavours, including rose doughnuts which are a must-try in Warsaw. You’ll find other more common flavours too such as Nutella, pistachio, and custard.
The ladies working at this hole-in-the-wall don’t speak English, so I’d recommend looking at the flavours before you reach the front of the queue to avoid delays. Also, make sure you have cash on hand.
Bar Mleczny Prasowy
Milk bars became popular following WWII as a place to go for cheap meals. There are still a lot of traditional milk bars in Warsaw in operation, but they can be difficult to locate and order from if you don’t speak the language. However, we came across Bar Mleczny Prasowy which is a modern milk bar that uses self-service machines for orders, and the screen can be set to several different languages. The menu features a lot of traditional Polish dishes and everything is prepared fresh, so it’s a great budget friendly place to eat in Warsaw.
Super Slice
If you find yourself craving New York-style pizza, head over to Super Slice. This food stall is located inside Food Town, which is a large indoor catering zone featuring all types of street food. At Super Slice, you can order large slices of pizza or you can get a whole pizza freshly prepared instead. If you can’t decide what flavour to order, they’re more than happy to do a half-and-half pizza too. The hot honey pepperoni pizza was my favourite and it pairs perfectly with their homemade dips.
Where to stay in Warsaw
How many days to spend in Warsaw?
So, how many days should you spend in Warsaw? That all depends on what you want to do in the Polish capital. If you plan to stay around the old town, then two days is probably enough. We spent a total of five days in Warsaw and were able to see the old town, plenty of museums in Warsaw, and areas further afield that we wouldn’t have had time for otherwise. There are a lot of free things to do in Warsaw that will help keep you on budget, and plenty of budget friendly places to eat in Warsaw too. However long you choose to stay here, you’re sure to have an incredible experience exploring Warsaw.
If you have any questions about planning a trip to Warsaw, or if you have any other unique free things to do in Warsaw to add to this list, feel free to reach out. You can also follow my travels on Instagram where I’m always sharing travel tips and new ideas about where to travel to next.
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