Royal Castle in Warsaw: tickets, free Wednesdays and opening hours

The Royal Castle on Castle Square - the former seat of Polish kings, blown up by the Germans in 1944 and rebuilt from public donations - is the ceremonial heart of Warsaw. Here is the current visitor information from the castle's official site.

Opening hours

The castle is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00, with last entry at 16:00 (from 1 May the day extends to 18:00, last entry 17:00). It is closed on Mondays. The Tin-Roofed Palace opens on Wednesdays and at weekends 10:00-17:00, the Kubicki Arcades daily 10:00-17:00, and the Royal Gardens 10:00-18:00.

Tickets

The main Royal Route - the Great Apartment, the Royal Apartment, the Deputies' chambers, the Wettin Gallery, the Presidential Rooms and Jan Matejko's paintings - costs 50 zł regular and 40 zł reduced, with the audioguide or headset rental already included. Visitors aged 7-16 pay 1 zł; children under 7 enter free. The Gallery of Masterpieces on the ground floor costs 40/30 zł, and the Tin-Roofed Palace 30/20 zł. Audioguides for the Royal Route come in Polish, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian.

Free Wednesdays

On Wednesdays, the permanent exhibitions are free as part of one sightseeing route: the Great Apartment, the Royal Apartment, Matejko's paintings, the Senators' Chamber (viewed from outside) and the Gallery of Masterpieces. Free tickets are collected at the ticket office, and guided tours or reservations are not available on that day. Note that the Presidential Rooms and the Wettins' Gallery stay closed on free Wednesdays.

Practical notes

Headsets must be picked up by 15:30. Groups of 10-30 people get discounted rates (45/35 zł) and book through the castle's reservation office. The castle stands at plac Zamkowy 4, at the top of the Old Town and the start of the Royal Route towards Łazienki and Wilanów.