Do you have 6- 8 hours for a day trip? Looking for day trip ideas while in Poland? Taking a day trip to Gdansk from Warsaw is easy! On my girls trip to Poland with my friend Sarah, we used Warsaw as our home base. We debated between Gdansk and Wroclaw and landed on Gdansk since it was on the Baltic Sea and was the official site of the end of communism in Poland.
Because intra- European flights are often inexpensive, we took a quick hour flight from Warsaw to Gdansk. This was my first time taking a day trip via plane. I must say that traveling through the airport without any luggage (and kids) was liberating and easy!
The central part of Gdansk is situated about 20 minutes by car from the airport. This allowed us to spend 7 hours in Gdansk before heading back to the airport. These 7 hours were plenty so, if you have 6-8 hours, go!
After a wonderful breakfast of Packsi and coffee at a local cafe, we went to meet our guide for another free walking tour. We weren't 5 minutes into the tour before we realized it was not for us. Maybe if we had more than one day we would have stayed but the history overload and slow pace of the tour were not for us.
So we set off on our own.
We found an excellent FREE iPhone app, Gdansk City Guide, that provided a walking tour, map, and information about the historic sites including the Golden Gate, St. Mary's Basilica (largest brick church in the world), and the Crane. The crane was powered by men walking inside large wheels almost like hamsters? Can you imagine?
After spending the morning in Old Town and Main Town it was time to head north but not without stopping for lunch. If there is anything Sarah and I do well on a trip ( besides being tourists) is eat!
Kebab restaurants are extremely popular in Poland. There were 5 in one block in Gdansk! We picked Kult Kebab. Fresh meat and vegetables piled high on a focaccia like bread rather than the typical pita were mouth watering goodness. A relatively healthy option and hands down recommended if you are looking for something besides a traditional Polish meal.
At this point, we were almost half way to the Shipyards. Since it was a beautiful day and we had the time we so, we continued walking north out of Old Town and Main Town towards the Shipyards. Located at the Shipyards is the Solidarity Monument and Museum. The Solidarity Museum was the perfect ending to our day in Gdansk.
This beautiful modern building finished in 2014 not only houses the museum but also a three story library and conference areas. The museum fee of 20 PLN includes a headset tour. Family packages are available for only 55 zł and provide admission for up to 5 people! 1.5-2 hours is the perfect amount of time to spend inside. Don't forget to head to floor 6, no entrance fee required, to admire the view of the shipyards.
Travel Tip: Bring an external battery with you and maybe even a charger. Cell service in Gdansk drained my cell phone battery multiple times in just 7 hours!
