Best time to visit Gdańsk in Poland

Gdańsk is an all-year-round destination. Nevertheless, there are months that are better to visit it than others.

Let me tell you when it’s best to visit Gdańsk: season by season, month by month. We will look at the weather and events that happen in the city, as these are one of the most important factors for your decision.

Everything from the perspective of the local.

Months that I recommend for a visit

There are 3 months that I like the most when it comes to being in Gdańsk and the whole Tricity.

It’s May, June (especially the first half of June) and September. In my opinion this is the best time to visit Gdańsk due to a few reasons:

• It’s not yet the highest holiday season, so crowds are not that big yet (or already).
• It’s green; trees and flowers are blooming, so it’s even more pretty than normally.
• During this time there are also a lot of seasonal fruits, vegetables and food (in Poland, seasonality in food is really important, and we celebrate spring and summertime in the kitchen a lot).
• Also, the weather is usually good to enjoy the city and beaches.

It’s a bit tricky to speak about the weather, as it has recently changed and it’s not that obvious and standard anymore with more anomalies. So the information I’m adding in this post says how it ‘usually looks like’.

Is it a good time to visit Gdańsk? Month by month

Even if these 3 months are the best, other times may also be pleasant or interesting because of different events. Let’s look at this month by month:

January and February

To be totally honest, I think it’s my least favourite time to be in Gdańsk and Gdynia.

First of all, because of the weather. We do get snow or sun sometimes, but not that regularly, so most of the days are gloomy, grey and short. And it can be quite windy (it’s often windy here, but during winter you feel it more).

I don’t want to say by this that it’s a very bad time to visit Gdańsk then. It’s always a good place for a short city break. There are many things to do indoors, many interesting museums and good restaurants, so you will not be bored for sure even if the weather is not great. Just saying that you may not feel all the charm of Gdańsk during this time.

March and April

Not great yet (it can be coldish due to winds), but it’s surely a better time, especially April.

March can be still gloomy with big winds, although the second half of March feels a bit like the start of spring.

April can be really pleasant, with fewer crowds and as per my observations, prices of flights are usually smaller.

May and June

I can’t promise you sun, yet it’s the best time.

Especially the second half of May and the first half of June are my favourite and the most recommended for you too!

With a small exception

Just watch out for 2 so-called long weekends: ‘majówka’, which is always on and around the 1st and 3rd of May. May first is off in almost all of Europe; third is additionally a public holiday in Poland, so people take additional days off and travel.

The second long weekend is moveable depending on the year, connected to Corpus Christi. It’s on one of the Thursdays in May or June, and it will also create a ‘long weekend’. In 2026, it’s on the 4th of June.

I’m talking about them, as they have a big influence on bigger crowds and prices (for example, of hotels). Gdańsk is very popular for Polish people as a destination during such long weekends, and it just may be less comfortable to visit for you then.

July and August

One of the best times because of summer vibes, long days with beautiful late sunsets, seasonal food, weather, and events.

One of the worst because of crowds and prices, too. So it depends how sensitive you are to crowds during your travels. I’m quite a lot, to be frank; that’s why I don’t suggest this time as the best.

But of course there are many other positives, especially if any of the below events that happen during this time sound interesting for you:

• Gdynia Opener (Music Festival): it takes place in Gdynia (the other city that forms Tricity), but it creates bigger crowds in Gdańsk and quick Tricity trains, too. Regardless, Opener is very popular and one of the biggest music festivals in Europe, so it can be a good option to connect the festival with visiting. It happens every year at the end of June/beginning of July.
• Gdańsk Baltic Sail: during one of the summer weekends. In 2026 it’s planned for 21-24 August. Event for sea and yachts lovers. Yacht cruises, yachts parades and other activities like concerts
• St. Dominic’s Fair (Jarmark Dominikański) – a big fair in Gdańsk centre with crafts, jewellery, gastronomy and a lot of outdoor event

Another ‘warning’: August 15th is a public holiday, similarly to many other European countries and the peak of the holiday period.

September

Another month from my ‘best to visit’ list. It’s still quite summery (although you can feel autumn in the air); holidays crowds and craziness are over.

The day is still long enough to enjoy different attractions like cruises during sunset, etc.

October

Here it really depends. Recently we had some Octobers that were the definition of ‘golden Polish autumn’. Colder, but sunny, with a lot of leaf colours: yellow, red, and brown. Gdańsk has some spots that especially look stunning in autumn colours.

If you have a choice, then rather look at the start and middle of October.

November 1st is so-called All Saints’ Day, an important day in Poland when people go and travel to cemeteries.

You can expect bigger traffic on roads and in trains around this time.

November

One of the toughest months in Poland when it comes to lack of sun and short grey days. The day is short, so you will have less time for visiting. From the other side, it can be still very cosy and atmospheric with fog, candles and cosy cafes.

Generally speaking, it’s not really the month to recommend, but again, you will have a lot of things to do here that are nice.

A bit like in Stockholm, it’s the city that I visited 3 times, always in autumn and winter. It just has a different charm than in summertime, more nostalgic.

November 11th is another public holiday in Poland (Independence Day). It can again have an influence on a bigger amount of local tourists (but not that many as in other months). There are also some events in the centre of Gdańsk, like parades.

Additionally, the second half of November is the time when Christmas market starts.

December

Cold, gloomy short days, but it’s time for the Christmas Market in Gdańsk, which is the best in Europe.

Every year it starts around the 20-25th November and lasts until the 23rd of December.

Additionally, in December Gdańsk gets Christmas decorations (not only at the market).

It’s really beautiful and worth seeing it.

So December can be one of the most touristic months in Gdańsk, especially now, after Gdańsk won the competition. If you are coming at this time, try to book your accommodation in advance.

I hope I showed you what you can more or less expect from every season during your Gdańsk visit. Just remember, whenever you come, you will have a lot to do here.

Even if you can visit Gdańsk, come during the month I mentioned as ‘not as great’; don’t hesitate. Gdańsk will delight you in any circumstances.