Gdansk is the best place for a day trip from Warsaw. It has a charming old town with colorful buildings, a beautiful riverfront, narrow streets, and plenty of milk bars and restaurants. In this blog post I will share my recommendations on how to explore Gdansk in one day. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
Are you looking for help with planning your trip? Check out these helpful resources:
- Flights
- Accommodation for all budgets
- Rental cars
- Europe train tickets
- Europe bus tickets
- Activities, tours, and day trips
What should I visit in Gdansk?
Gdansk Old Town
Gdansk’s Old Town is incredibly beautiful. It’s a combination of Amsterdam and Tallinn. It’s full of colorful houses, all painted with different motifs, cobblestone streets, and shops and cafes.
The beautiful architecture reminds me of the town houses of Amsterdam. The only thing that’s missing here are the canals. Gdansk is definitely a hidden gem in Europe. I think it will get more popular in time because it rivals other cities in Europe that have a medieval old town.
The Old Town starts at the Golden Gate and ends at the Green Gate. Once you pass the Green Gate you’ll get to the waterfront.
You can explore the city yourself or you can opt for a guided walking tour.
Długi Targ
The portion of the Old Town in between the Golden and Green Gates is called Długi Targ, which means the Long Market. This is the main street in Gdansk’s city center. It is also part of the Royal Way in Gdansk.
Długi Targ is a long street with beautiful town houses and various other attractions. This should be at the top of your Gdansk itinerary.
Walk all the way from the Golden Gate to the Green Gate and admire everything along the way. It’s actually a pretty short walk in between the two gates. So take your time to explore everything.
Neptune Fountain
One of the attractions along Długi Targ is Neptune’s Fountain. This is one of the landmarks of the city. It was built in the 17th century in the mannerist-rococo style.
You can find it right in front of Artus Court facing the townhouses. These townhouses were the residences of the Kings of Poland. Neptune, the god of the sea was placed facing the townhouses with his head bowing down to the Kings’ residences.
The fountain was damaged during World War II, but it was renovated after the war multiple times to the version you can see today on display in the heart of the Old Town.
Artus Court
Artus Court, the building behind the Neptune Foutain, used to be the meeting place of merchants and the center of social life in Gdansk. Today it is a branch of the Gdansk History Museum.
This is a small museum with works of art from medieval times. You can also see the largest tiled stove in Europe here.
Amber Museum
All the Baltic Sea countries are well known for their amber products. There are large deposits of amber in the Baltic Sea, so all these countries produce amber jewelry and a variety of other objects. When I visited Tallinn there were Baltic amber shops everywhere in the Old Town. It’s the same in Gdansk.
The Museum of Amber in Gdansk has both natural lumps of amber, as well as finished products on display. You can learn how amber is formed, how they extract it, and how they make the jewelry and other finished products.
Mariacka Street
You can find a lot of these amber shops on Mariacka Street. This is a small street parallel to Długi Targ that’s very cute. It is well-known for its souvenir shops that sell amber products, so if you want to buy an amber souvenir make sure to check it out.
Main Town Hall
The Main Town Hall is one of the most impressive buildings in the Old Town. It was built in the Gothic-Renaissance style and it is located near Artus Hall and Neptune’s Fountain in the heart of Gdansk.
Today you can find the History Museum of Gdansk here.
St. Mary’s Church
This church is a brick church built in the Gothic style in central Gdansk. It was built between the 14th century and 16th century. It is the largest building in Gdansk and one of the largest brick churches in the world.
You will be able to see it from Mariacka Street. Well, due to its size, it’s likely you will be able to immediately spot it in central Gdansk.
Eat lunch at Viceversa
There are plenty of milk bars in Gdansk that serve traditional Polish food, but after spending a few days in Warsaw I wanted to eat something else. So I chose to go to Viceversa to have pasta. This is one of the best restaurants in Gdansk.
Their pasta is made in house and it’s so fresh. I had pasta with shrimp, burrata and pistachio pesto. It was unbelievable! So good! This was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had (including Italy).
For dessert I had pistachio tiramisu. I loved this variation of the classic dessert. It also had some raspberry jam. The combo worked very well.
The restaurant itself is located on the riverfront, so you get some of the best views of Gdansk while you dine. You can eat on the terrace even during winter as it’s covered and they provide heaters.
The service was excellent. The server was saying thank you and wishing you bonne appetite in Italian. This contributed to the authentic feeling of the restaurant.
I highly recommend you stop by here if you’re in the mood for Italian food. Viceversa is a great place for lunch.
Walk by Motława River
After lunch you can walk by the river to admire the beautiful buildings next to the water. There is a wooden pier along the river, so it’s perfect for a stroll.
Taking a walk always feels nice after lunch. And taking a walk in the beautiful port city of Gdańsk is even more special.
The Crane
As you’re walking by the riverfront make sure to stop by the the Crane. This building is a symbol of Gdansk and it is now one of the branches of the National Maritime Museum.
This building has a unique shape. It was built in the 15th century and is the largest and oldest building of its kind in Europe. It used to function as the city gate and port crane.
Nowadays it has exhibits where you can learn more about the golden age of Polish shipping and maritime trade.
From here you can start heading back to the train station to catch your train back to Warsaw.
How can I get to Gdansk from Warsaw?
You can take the train from Warsaw and you’ll be in Gdansk in under 2.5 hours. It’s a very smooth ride, the trains are clean and on time, and you get a free water bottle even if you buy a second-class ticket.
Is one day in Gdansk enough?
Yes, one day in Gdansk is enough time. The city is pretty small and the major attractions are all clustered in the area around the riverfront.
However, if you want to explore beyond the main attractions and get a better sense of how locals live, then you can spend a few days here.
What is the best time to visit Gdansk?
I visited Warsaw in mid-December so I can explore the Christmas market as well. That’s when I took a day trip to Gdansk as well. It’s a great time to visit since everything is nicely decorated for Christmas and the Gdansk Christmas market is also open.
It will be quite cold if you visit in December. If you’re not a fan of cold weather then you should visit in the spring or fall.
I tend to avoid Europe summer travel because it gets so hot and there are so many tourists everywhere that it takes away from the experience for me. I’d rather wait a few months and go in the fall so I can properly enjoy the destinations I’m visiting.
How can I get around Gdansk?
Gdansk is a smaller city and you can walk everywhere. Most attractions are clustered around the old town, so you don’t need to worry about how to get from one place to the other.
You can even walk from the train station to the old town. It only takes about 15 minutes. If you prefer not walking as much you can always take public transportation or grab a taxi or an Uber/Bolt.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Nomad eSIM (use code IOAN43TM for 25% off your first purchase). You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Is Gdansk safe for a solo female traveler?
Yes, I felt very safe in Gdansk. Eastern Europe is much safer than much of Western Europe these days in my opinion. There aren’t pickpockets, people don’t try to scam you on the street, and you can walk alone at night with no issues.
Do I need cash for my day trip to Gdansk?
I didn’t use cash at all when I visited, I paid for everything with a credit card. But it’s always recommended to carry some cash with you so you can tip tour guides or buy souvenirs or something else from small mom-and-pop shops who don’t accept credit cards.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the country you’re visiting instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Gdansk?
Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 1-2 euros as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
I highly recommend you book all the tickets online in advance of your trip. Especially if you visit during the summer months. Booking in advance will give you peace of mind.
Do people speak English in Gdansk?
Yes, they do. Everyone I interacted with in Gdansk spoke English. I still recommend you learn a few words in Polish ahead of your trip though. I do this for every country I visit. It’s just a nice gesture and locals will appreciate the effort.
Do you recommend Gdansk as a solo destination?
Yes, I recommend Gdansk as a destination for solo female travelers. I think it’s a great day trip destination since it’s such a beautiful city.
Need inspiration for your next trip? Check out some of my other articles.
Paris solo travel: everything you need to know
Andorra itinerary: everything you need to visit
Barcelona 3 day itinerary: the best things to do
Doha itinerary: the best guide for your first visit
Beginner’s guide to NYC: everything you need to know
Solo female travel to London: the ultimate guide
The best Oradea 3 day itinerary: a native’s top picks
Istanbul solo travel guide: is Istanbul safe for women?
Helsinki in 2 days: everything you need to visit
Solo travel in Vienna: how to have the best trip
Florence 4 day itinerary: the best guide for solo travelers
Athens 4 day itinerary: ultimate guide for your first visit
Madrid in 5 days: the ultimate first visit itinerary
4 Day Dublin itinerary: everything you need to know
Solo travel in Milan: the best things to do
Solo travel to Toronto: the ultimate 2 day itinerary
Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 75K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.