A city trip to Gdansk with kids is fun! You have enough fun children’s activities you can do in this Polish city with kids to spend a few days in the city having fun with the family. The city is located on the water, so you can also combine a city break to Gdansk with a day at the beach in the warm summer months. In short, a great city to visit with the kids! In this blog we list the best children’s activities in Gdansk.
Best travel time Gdansk with kids
The best travel time to visit Gdansk with kids is from May through September. This is when the temperatures are highest in the city and thus you are most likely to have sunny weather. The months of July and August do see the most rainfall of the entire year and, of course, these months are also the busiest in the city, so if you can avoid these months it can be advantageous. It is between 20 and 23 degrees from May to September.
Transportation to and in Gdansk
The city of Gdansk is just over 3.5 hours from the capital city of Warsaw and is therefore easily accessible by car. You can also fly into Gdansk, but most families with kids land at Warsaw airport when they go on a tour of Poland. If you do not drive your own car to Gdansk, you can also rent a car at Warsaw or Gdansk airport.
You can very easily rent a car at both airports through the rental company Sunny Cars. We ourselves are fans of the company Sunny Cars and always rent cars abroad through this organization because of its huge insurance package, free cancellation and excess refund. So look online to rent a car at Warsaw airport or rent a car at Gdansk airport.
The city of Gdansk itself is a great place to go hiking with kids. The city is not very big, so to most of the sights you can walk with the family. Public transportation is also well organized in the city. You can get around the city by train, bus and streetcar. You can also use different apps to order a cab in the city to get to the different sights of the city.
Children’s activities Gdansk
#1 Gdansk Zoo
You can go to the zoo in Gdansk with kids. This zoo is located slightly outside the city center, and by car it will take you just over 20 minutes to reach the zoo (by public transportation, it is easily double the time). This is a large modern zoo where you can see many large animals.
For example, the zoo has elephants, lions, hippos, zebras and several species of monkeys, among others. The zoo is quite large, so you can have a great time for half a day at this zoo in Gdansk. At the zoo, you also have a kids zoo, where kids can cuddle with various farm animals. There is also a little train running through the zoo, which you can use to move around this zoo with kids.
In addition to viewing animals, kids can go climbing at this zoo. For example, there is a climbing park at this zoo with 15 different obstacles. The zoo has special family tickets, where you get a discount on tickets. For more information on opening hours, different animals and ticket prices, take a look at the Gdansk Zoo website.
#2 Majaland Gdansk
One of the most fun parks to visit in Gdansk with kids is Majaland Gdansk. This is an amusement park located slightly outside the city center about 15 minutes away by car. This amusement park is mainly aimed at young kids up to about 10 years old. You have more than 20 different attractions here and the theme of the park is the cartoon character Maya the Bee.
We have visited several of the amusement parks in the Netherlands and Belgium from the same company and always enjoy ourselves here with our daughter. It all looks beautiful and for young kids the attractions are very fun. Also, the lines are generally not super long, so kids can also get into many attractions and not have to wait too long everywhere.
The amusement park also includes a water park, so if you visit Majaland Gdansk with kids in the hot summer months, don’t forget to bring swimwear. There are also several shows you can visit, making it easy to spend an entire day here with the family in Gdansk. For more information, check out the Majaland Gdansk website.
#3 Hevelianum
The city of Gdansk also has a number of family-friendly museums you can visit with the family. Located in the city center, Hevelianum is housed in an old military fort. Kids can explore all kinds of things in the field of science here. The museum is divided into several areas and these areas are Around the World, Puzzle and With Energy.
Keep in mind that there is only a limited number of people allowed in each room, so the different rooms will not be too crowded. The Around the World section is best suited for kids and you have 90 different interactive exhibits here, where they will explore the 7 continents. You can stay in this space with kids for an hour.
There are all kinds of experiments you can do and for most of them there is also an explanation in English. There is also Creative Playground which is suitable for young kids. The other rooms are more suitable for older kids (teens) and adults. This museum is a great place to spend a few hours entertaining the family.
#4 Maritime Museum
Another family-friendly museum you can visit in Gdansk with kids is the Maritime Museum. It is a very extensive museum with several buildings, but not everything is of interest to families with kids. In fact, you have whole sections with information about the maritime history of Gdansk, but most of the information is only in Polish and is also not very interesting for kids.
The part most interesting for kids is the Maritime Culture Centre. This is the department that is really aimed at kids Here kids can do all kinds of experiments related to shipping. For example, at the People-Ships-Ports exhibit, you can sail boats, see how a tsunami works and see how solar cells work.
This section consists of 5 different sections, including what daily life is like at sea and here kids can also dress up as a captain, sailor or pirate. You can easily spend 2-3 hours at this museum in Gdansk with kids.
#5 Beaches Gdansk
You can also go to the beach in Gdansk with kids during the hot summer months. Gdansk is located by the sea, so the city has several beaches you can go to with the family. One of the biggest beaches to visit with the family in Gdansk is Stogi Beach, where kids can play soccer and volleyball on the courts near the beach.
Another popular beach in the Gdansk area is Jelitkowo. Here at this beach you can do all kinds of water sports with kids and there is also a playground at the beach. Other beaches you can visit here in the Gdansk area are Brzeźno, Sobieszewo and Zaspa.
Other children’s activities Gdansk
You have a number of things to do in Gdansk with kids in addition to the 5 children’s activities described above. We list them briefly below.
#6 View at St. Mary’s Church: if you want to see Gdansk from a great height with kids, climbing the tower of this church is a fun option. You pay a small fee to climb the 400 steps into the tower. At the top you have a great view of the city.
By the way, you have several viewpoints in the city. For example, you can take a spin on the Ferris wheel in the city center with kids and then you will also have a nice view of the city.
Another viewpoint in town is at the Olivia Star Observation Deck. Also in this building you have a great view of the city. You also have a rooftop bar sitting here, where you can possibly have a drink with the kids and enjoy the view of the city that way.
#7 Pirate Boat: you can also go on a cruise for 1.5 hours on a pirate ship with kids. This cruise is not cheap, but it is totally kid-oriented. This cruise goes several times a day.
#8 Lider: this is a play paradise in a shopping mall and a good option if, for example, the weather in Gdansk is less and you still want to do something with the kids. The playground has huge lights and kids can go climbing here while parents enjoy a drink.
#9 Old Town: it is also definitely fun to take a tour of Gdansk’s old town with kids. Thus, you have several beautiful gateways in the city (including the Golden Gate) that you can check out. In the old town you have some beautiful buildings such as the old town hall and the basilica that are worth seeing in Gdansk.
If you want some more background of the city, you can also take a Free Walking Tour here. You then go out with a guide for a few hours in the center of Gdansk, and you give the guide a sum of money after you finish what you thought the tour was worth.
#10 Organized bike tour: you can also book an organized bike tour in Gdansk, only this bike tour is only suitable for kids 12 and older. In fact, they don’t have children’s bikes or child seats, so you can’t do this bike ride with young kids. This bike tour lasts 3 hours and you will go on a guided tour of the city.
In doing so, you pass by the various highlights of the city and we do think it’s always a good introduction to a city. You can book this organized bike tour of Gdansk online.
Family-friendly restaurant Gdansk
Gdansk is a big city and therefore you can eat in this city with kids just fine. You have plenty of nice family-friendly restaurants and you have several international restaurants. At many restaurants they also have a high chair and also at many restaurants there is a play corner for the kids. Below we list some of the restaurants in Gdansk.
Food Hall Montownia Gdańsk: we always find these very nice places to go for dinner with our daughter. You have 20 different restaurants under one roof here, and you can choose from a variety of international cuisines. Thus, there is a suitable option for every family member in terms of food. In addition, the place is atmospheric.
Calmá Cucina Napoletana: this is an Italian restaurant where you can eat in Gdansk with kids. You can choose from a variety of pizzas and pastas at the restaurant. The Italian desserts will also delight the kids. This restaurant has good value for money.
Billy’s American Restaurant: this is a burger restaurant, where you can have a quick burger with fries. Kids here get free popcorn at this restaurant.
Family-friendly hotel Gdansk
You can stay in Gdansk with kids just fine. As a family, you have plenty of choices for where to stay in this Polish city. For every price range, there is a super well-reviewed option. We list below some of these family-friendly accommodations in Gdansk. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Moon Apartments Gdańsk
Mid-range accommodation: Holiday Inn Gdansk – City Centre, an IHG Hotel
Luxury accommodation: Hilton Gdansk
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Gdansk.
