Gdansk Visit – Your Gdansk Travel Guide

Perched on the northern coast of Poland, Gdańsk is famous for its shipyards and maritime history. It is here that the Vistula river merges with the Baltic. GdanskVisit will help you make the most of your trip to one of Poland’s biggest tourist destinations.

Mariacka Gate – image © 1bumer / CC BY-SA 3.0 PL

Gdańsk is a handsome city with a fresh ocean breeze blowing in from the Baltic and lots of tasty seafood restaurants. Offering a different take on Polish history, it has plenty to charm travellers over a long weekend.

These days, it is very popular as a place to eat, drink, and relax around the water. But the city has been the centre of an historical tug of war and, like much of Poland, has been pivotal to key European events – the story of Gdańsk is etched into its colourful architecture and distinctive harbour cranes.

With Warsaw lying almost exactly midway between Gdańsk and Kraków, the three offer contrasting experiences of contemporary Poland. As such, Gdańsk makes a relaxing destination to round off a couple of weeks in Poland.

Długi Targ – image © Henryk Bielamowicz / CC BY-SA 4.0

What Should I See In Gdańsk? What Are Gdańsk’s Must-See Attractions?

Gdańsk is compact and it’s easy to find your way around. However, guided tours take away all the stress of planning and offers the insider’s insight of a local. There really is no faster way of getting to know somewhere new. Get Your Guide has a big range of options, and customer feedback means you aren’t taking a risk when you book.

• As with Kraków’s Market Square, Długi Targ (Long Market) is flanked by beautiful, historical houses, such as Artus Court, each with a story attached. This is were the Historical Museum of Gdańsk in the town hall is located, with its tower views across the city.
• St. Mary’s Basilica is nearby. Dating to the 14th century, the 78m tower can be seen from all over the city and it is big enough to hold 25,000 people!
• For many, Gdańsk is best known for the shipyards that gave rise to the Solidarity movement in the 1980s. The long history of the port is documented in National Maritime Museum and the massive 15th-century loading crane.
• There are a number of cruises around the Gdańsk shipyards. You can, for example, take a 70-minute tour on a replica of an 18th-century Polish river ship, getting close to the famous port cranes and unusual vessels, before travelling via canals and the Motława River to the center of the Old Town.
• Since opening in 2016, the National Museum of WWII has become one of the city’s most popular attractions. As with many of Poland’s new exhibition spaces, the building itself is impressive and the scale of exhibits is often breathtaking. Set aside a whole afternoon.
• The red rust exterior of the European Solidarity Centre is another impressive feat of contemporary architecture. The museum tells the story of Gdańsk during the Soviet era and the post-war fight for freedom.
• If you have a day to spare, take the 40-minute train ride to Malbork and visit the Castle of the Teutonic Order. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered the largest castle in the world and was once home to a Catholic order of crusaders. You can also take part in an organised tour with pickup and transport.
• A sobering day trip is also available to the Stutthof Concentration Camp Museum, just under an hour away along the coast. This was the first Nazi camp outside of Germany.
• Finally, Gdańsk is just along the coast from a couple of sandy seaside resorts. See the Other Polish Cities You Can Visit section below.

HOTEL GRANO Gdańsk Old Town – image © booking.com

Where Should I Stay In Gdańsk?

Accommodation always depends on location, budget, time of year. You can find a good 3-star room in Gdańsk for less than 260zł per night (60€), but expect to pay 350-400zł (79-90€) during the peak summer months.

Use Booking.com to get a detailed breakdown of each property and genuine guest reviews. You can reserve online with no upfront fee and pay when you check out. Free cancellations are also available.

Check Gdańsk Hotel Availability

Destination

Check-in date

Sat 26 Apr 2025

Check-out date

Sun 27 Apr 2025

Here is our selection to get your started:

• Best Gdańsk Luxury Hotel: HOTEL GRANO Gdańsk Old Town
• Best Gdańsk Boutique Hotel: Craft Beer Central Hotel
• Best Gdańsk Family Hotel: Radisson RED Gdansk
• Best Gdańsk Mid-Range Hotel: Black Swan House
• Best Gdańsk Business Hotel: Hotel Almond Business & SPA
• Best Gdańsk Budget Hotel: Dom Schumannów

Gdańsk Lech Walesa Airport – image © Joergsam / CC BY-SA 4.0

How To Get To Gdańsk

Gdańsk on the northern coast of Poland, roughly 340km from Warsaw.

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport is well-served by budget airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air, as well as Poland’s own LOT and other carriers, like Lufthansa and KLM. This means you can reach the city direct from practically every country in Central and Western Europe. The UK is served by 10 routes: Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, and Stansted.

You can see a map of every destination on the airport website.

You can find the cheapest flights to Gdańsk with 12go. A single search will show you all available prices and times for your dates. Change the search options as required

Once you arrive, you can take a private airport transfer to your hotel. Somebody will be waiting in Arrivals to take you directly to your hotel.

How To Get A SIM Card In Gdańsk

You should be able to automatically use your existing phone plan in Poland, at no extra charge, if you have a contract registered in any EU country – but check with your provider before you travel.

If your phone contract is based in the UK, you should still be able to use your existing plan in Poland, but there will most likely be a nominal fee. Again, you’ll need to check with your provider for the latest prices.

If you are travelling from outside of the EU, you theoretically have a number of available options. If you have already bought a SIM in another EU country, this should also work in Poland. Otherwise, you could buy an eSIM online or a pre-paid SIM via Amazon before you arrive. The drawback is you cannot test these in advance and you may end up wasting your money.

Instead, we recommend you get a Polish SIM card directly from a branch of Orange, Plus, or T-Mobile. They can talk you through the best deals and make sure everything is working properly. Most young Poles speak excellent English and customer service is usually very good.

It means you will have to travel from the airport to the city centre without a connection, but you are bound to save money if you do.

You’ll need your passport to buy a SIM. Also, make sure your phone is unlocked before you travel.

There are branches of Plus, Orange, and T-Mobile stores in the Forum Gdańsk shopping mall, so you can compare deals. See the map below.

If you are travelling on from Poland, be aware that you may not be able to take your minutes and data with you, due to a local exemption from normal EU practice. So check this with staff before agreeing to purchase.

Travel Insurance For Gdańsk

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Gdynia – beach and pier in Orłowo – image © Andrzej Otrębski / CC BY-SA 3.0

Other Polish Cities You Can Visit From Gdańsk

Due to its location on the northern coast of Poland, Gdańsk makes a great place to start or finish a tour of the country. You could arrive in Kraków, for example, and stop off at one or two places on the way up to Gdańsk, then travel home from there.

Most cities can be reached via public transport in a matter of hours.

Gdańsk is also adjacent to a handful of Poland’s favourite beach resorts, which are very handy for day trips.

Check prices and timetables for buses and planes with 12go and book instantly online. Trains can be booked via the national rail network.

• Gdynia: Gdynia is also a port city with some lovely sandy beaches, and also makes a great day trip from neighbouring Gdańsk.
• Kraków: Beautiful and historic, stunning Kraków should be on everybody’s wishlist during a visit to Poland. You can read more about Kraków on our sister site VisitKrakow.com.
• Łódź: Located in the very heart of Poland, Łódź has shaken off its industrial past and transformed itself into a creative city, offering art, film, and lots of great food. You can read more about Łódź on our sister site VisitLodz.com.
• Sopot: Another seaside resort, between Gdynia and Gdańsk, Sopot is a playground for the rich. With sandy beaches and a pier, as well as the shops, bars, and clubs of Bohaterów Monte Cassino, it can be very busy at the height of the season. Even more than Gdynia, Sopot might be best sampled first as an afternoon out, rounded off with a meal in one of the excellent fish restaurants.
• Warsaw: Poland’s capital city makes a good weekend destination. Much of Warsaw was built after 1945. Even the pretty Old Town is mostly reconstruction. But there are excellent museums and places to eat. You can read more about Warsaw on our sister site WarsawVisit.com.

Gdańsk Map

Plan your Gdańsk visit with Gdańsk map of Gdańsk’s attractions, restaurants, sightseeing and hotels.

Each type of landmark has a different colour marker on the map:

• YELLOW: Gdańsk Sightseeing
• GREEN: Gdańsk Transportation
• BLUE: Gdańsk Hotels
• PURPLE: Shopping In Gdańsk

Click on a marker and it will give you the name of the landmark, with a brief description and links for more information and directions. You can pan, scroll, and zoom around the map, or use the + or – buttons in the bottom left of the map to zoom in and out.

Click on the icon in the top left corner for an index of every location, sorted by category. Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want. Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.

Each category is on a different layer, which can be switched on and off. So you can just see the Hotel or Restaurant pins, for example.

If you are using the map on your phone, open the Visit Gdańsk map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.