Dragon's Den
Dragon's Den
3.5
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
About
This is a legendary cave in the western slope of Wawel Hill. The oldest version of a legend about the dragon of Wawel, related to the mythic beginning of Krakow, comes from the turn of the 13th century.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Neighbourhood: Stare Miasto
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
335 reviews
Excellent
63
Very good
108
Average
98
Poor
41
Terrible
25
Denisa Moricová
Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic25 contributions
Aug 2021
A small cave below the city, the photos here make it look a lot bigger than it is. It's also just that - one small cave and you get there through a very narrow and small spiral staircase that goes on for way too long and is very claustrophobic. It was also incredibly overcrowded with someone being always a step before and behind you. Not really worth the 7 zl it costs now that they marked up the prices. I expected more.
Written August 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Farrahpalooza
London, UK671 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
I started to get a bit anxious as in claustrophobic, as there is a winding spiral staircase of over 100 steps down. You can stop on the benches at various points and I’m glad I persevered as it leads to a lovely cave (very cool on a hot day).
My favourite part was the dragon sculpture outside, breathing real fire at intervals.
My favourite part was the dragon sculpture outside, breathing real fire at intervals.
Written July 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jbg74
Saint Paul, MN1,099 contributions
Aug 2021
This is a small karst cave below the Castle. I wanted to get down to the river after viewing the castle museums so I figured I may as well get a ticket for the Dragon's Den. There really isn't anything to see in the cave. Unless you are using it to get to the river I don't think I could recommend it for anything else.
I think about 98% of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars. This is maybe the 2nd or 3rd 2 star rating I have given. I have never given a 1 star rating. The stairs are walkable and the cave is safe. There just isn't anything else at the "Dragon's Den" other than those two things.
I think about 98% of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars. This is maybe the 2nd or 3rd 2 star rating I have given. I have never given a 1 star rating. The stairs are walkable and the cave is safe. There just isn't anything else at the "Dragon's Den" other than those two things.
Written August 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia B
5 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Have been here several times in the past, went again with some friends who'd never been.
Down more steps than I remember and wander through the caves, then back out to the River Bank & SMOK breathing fire.
It used to be about 80 or 90 pence to visit but has now gone up dramatically . . . . as has everything!
Worth it if you've never been before, it only takes 10 or 15 minutes and it's something different.
Down more steps than I remember and wander through the caves, then back out to the River Bank & SMOK breathing fire.
It used to be about 80 or 90 pence to visit but has now gone up dramatically . . . . as has everything!
Worth it if you've never been before, it only takes 10 or 15 minutes and it's something different.
Written September 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
walkerdan123
County Durham, UK61 contributions
Sept 2022 • Couples
Unless you have kids, save your money. Walking down the narrow steps takes longer than it does to walk through the cave. What they fail to tell you at the top is that there’s no way back up to the castle once you descend, so if you hadn’t finished looking at the castle above ground you’ve got to walk all the way back up again!!!! Absolute waste of time
Written September 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hayley
14 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
Only costs 9 plan to enter but was really expecting more from the experience. It’s literally a walk through a low ceiling cellar made of rocks. It’s called the dragon lair but there’s no theming or tales of the myth of the dragon or anything.
At the end I thought at least I get to see the dragon statue blow fire (supposed to do it every 5 mins) after waiting 10 mins one of the workers told me it had been broken for a while which was not advertised.
At the end I thought at least I get to see the dragon statue blow fire (supposed to do it every 5 mins) after waiting 10 mins one of the workers told me it had been broken for a while which was not advertised.
Written August 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ANGELO V
Milan, Italy4,689 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
The so-called Dragon's Den is just a limestone cave in the Wawel Hill. You descend 135 steps on a steep spiral staircase, and you see two caves, one bigger and one smaller, with some empty cavities that light up from time to time... and that's it!
You exit at the foot of the Wawel hill, on the banks of the Vistula river.
Not really worth the ticket price.
You exit at the foot of the Wawel hill, on the banks of the Vistula river.
Not really worth the ticket price.
Written July 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leah 💜
Halifax, West Yorks244 contributions
This is up by the castle, you buy a ticket for it just before you go in, it works out about 30p!
When you go in, you go down the spiral staircase and down into the cave it only lasts about 10 mins but its well worth going in for the cost of 30p! Kids will love it, its a series of stone caves and when you come out at the other end there is the big copper dragon that forms the myth and it spits out fire!
Plenty of little stalls when you come out the other end too. It was great!
When you go in, you go down the spiral staircase and down into the cave it only lasts about 10 mins but its well worth going in for the cost of 30p! Kids will love it, its a series of stone caves and when you come out at the other end there is the big copper dragon that forms the myth and it spits out fire!
Plenty of little stalls when you come out the other end too. It was great!
Written October 12, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IchBesorgeDasBier
Raleigh, NC137 contributions
Oct 2012 • Solo
To an adult, it’s simply a cave with three large chambers situated under Wawel Castle. It has an interesting history, like it was used as a public house in the 16th and 17th centuries, though the most interesting part is that it was the lair of the Wawel Dragon from Polish folklore!
The tale dates back to the 12th century; legend has it that the dragon would wreak havoc across the countryside, slaughtering people, devouring livestock and destroying homes. He was said to have a particular taste for young maidens. The people made an arrangement to appease the dragon, leaving a young girl at the mouth of his lair once a month in payment for leniency. After a time all but one young girl in the city was sacrificed to the dragon, Krakus’s (the King and founder of Krakow) daughter Wanda. The king commanded his most valiant knights to slay the dragon, though they were no match. In his desperation, the king even promised his daughter's hand to any who could defeat the dragon. Men from great distances traveled to fight the dragon and win Wanda’s hand, though all perished. One fall day a clever cobbler's apprentice had an idea and intervened. He stuffed a lamb with sulfur and left it at the mouth of the dragon’s lair, which was happily gobbled up by the dragon. He was then insatiably thirsty, rushing to the Vistula River to quench his thirst…drinking, and drinking, and drinking…until he burst! Even Wawel Cathedral has a statue commemorating the dragon’s defeat (by Krakus, not the cobbler’s apprentice)…so, it must be real!
These days the fire-breathing dragon is kept at the mouth of the cave and performs briefly (about 10 seconds brief) every 15 minutes.
The tale dates back to the 12th century; legend has it that the dragon would wreak havoc across the countryside, slaughtering people, devouring livestock and destroying homes. He was said to have a particular taste for young maidens. The people made an arrangement to appease the dragon, leaving a young girl at the mouth of his lair once a month in payment for leniency. After a time all but one young girl in the city was sacrificed to the dragon, Krakus’s (the King and founder of Krakow) daughter Wanda. The king commanded his most valiant knights to slay the dragon, though they were no match. In his desperation, the king even promised his daughter's hand to any who could defeat the dragon. Men from great distances traveled to fight the dragon and win Wanda’s hand, though all perished. One fall day a clever cobbler's apprentice had an idea and intervened. He stuffed a lamb with sulfur and left it at the mouth of the dragon’s lair, which was happily gobbled up by the dragon. He was then insatiably thirsty, rushing to the Vistula River to quench his thirst…drinking, and drinking, and drinking…until he burst! Even Wawel Cathedral has a statue commemorating the dragon’s defeat (by Krakus, not the cobbler’s apprentice)…so, it must be real!
These days the fire-breathing dragon is kept at the mouth of the cave and performs briefly (about 10 seconds brief) every 15 minutes.
Written December 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daria G
Beirut, Lebanon43 contributions
Jun 2017
It was a lot of stairs that takes you down in a spiral way ... I felt I bit dizzy. The cave is just a cave... But the statue of a dragon outside is nice ... So you can come from the outside and see the statue without going down to the cave :)
Written June 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you see the dragon statue from the Main Street ? Or do you need to go into the castle and pay to see her statue ?
Written December 30, 2019
You can see it for free on the pathway that goes around the castle
Written January 25, 2020
Neddel020599
Hannover, Germany
Hallo! Meine Frage ist, ob man einen Eintrittspreis für den Besuch der Drachenhöhle bezahlen muss und wenn ja wie viel? Danke im Voraus:)
Written May 23, 2017
Buenos dÃas. Alguien ha estado en el Parque nacional de Ojcow?......creo que esta a las afueras d Cracovia?
Sabe alguien como llegar en transporte?
Gracias
Written April 26, 2016
Worcela street is very close to Main Railway Station.
Written July 26, 2016
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