8 Unusual Things to Do in Warsaw That Are Actually Worth Your Time

Think Warsaw sounds a bit boring?

Yeah, it crossed our minds too.

To be honest with you, we thought Warsaw would be just another European capital.

A good-enough for a trip, but nothing that will blow our backpacks off.

Then we went and somehow ended up playing unlimited pinball, solving mysterious dollhouse deaths, and discovering one of our favourite city breaks in Europe.

Here are 8 unusual things to do in Warsaw that we actually tried ourselves and genuinely think are worth your time (and money).

Plus, we’ll share with you bonus tips we wish we knew before going!

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read our Disclaimer.

Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

Is Warsaw boring?

We have to admit, we never thought Warsaw might be totally boring.

But we are the kind of travellers that can find pretty much anything interesting, despite spending almost 2 years exploring the world full-time and seeing SO MUCH.

Mirka speaking: 

“I did worry a bit though, when I chose Warsaw as our destination for Daniel’s birthday. We didn’t have a lot of options (money and time!), and, having never been in Warsaw, I thought it might be worth a trip.

But what if it will be meh?

What if there won’t be anything fun to do?

Will Daniel have a great birthday there?

Can vodka alone save the whole trip?

This is what was going through my head as I started planning the trip.

Surprisingly (and thankfully!), I discovered something right away.

There are so many unusual, fun things to do in Warsaw, we’ll be spoilt for choice!

In the end, Daniel had an amazing birthday (despite all the mishaps 😬).

And when The All-American Rejects announced a European tour, that, of course, wasn’t coming to Slovakia, our homebase at the time?

We scanned the tour stops, spotted Warsaw and instantly knew: We were going back to Poland’s capital!

8 unusual things to do in Warsaw

We managed to do 8 awesome things during our 2 short Warsaw trips by choosing good accommodation.*

If you base yourself locally, you can fit a lot into your itinerary and use minimal public transport as well!

This might help:

• We stayed in this and this apartment during our Warsaw trips – we’d recommend both
• We also stayed in this apartment, which was great, but it only has a sofa bed, which might not be comfortable for more than 1 night (it was our emergency extra accommodation when Wizz Air changed our flight!)
• For public transport, we use the Jakdojade app (you have to top up a wallet there to pay, but it lets you do it for whatever amount you need. Add up the cost of your tickets beforehand so you don’t waste money.)
• To stay safe, we recommend using True Traveller insurance. We chose them from 23 different providers for our full-time travels and never regretted the decision

*To be perfectly honest, we would have fitted a lot more into our plan, but we: 

• like to take our time in places
• spend an unreasonable time exploring supermarkets
• enjoy slower travel than rushing from one sight to another

If this is your travel style too, come say hi on our Instagram so we can be friends!

These are the 8 unusual things we did during our 2 trips to Warsaw, with insider tips we wish we knew earlier!

1. Solve a mysterious death in a Dollhouse Museum

Have you ever wanted to solve a mysterious death that occured inside a dollhouse?

Or see 1,000 dolls from all over the world?

Or maybe you just want to know what a school from the 20th century would look like if it was taken over by cute rats.

You can do all of this in the Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys!

We didn’t know about the museum when we visited Warsaw for the first time, but since Mirka loves dollhouses, we made sure to go there during our second trip.

And it was well worth the money!

Here are some useful things to know:

• The museum is not interactive. You cannot play with any of the toys, so take that into consideration when deciding whether it will be entertaining for your kids.
• We spent 2 hours at the museum, but, as we mentioned, this was very much our kind of thing. You could cover it in under an hour, it’s not very big.
• There is a toilet and lockers available. You will be asked to leave your belongings in the locker before entering the actual exhibition part.
• We visited in the morning, on a weekday in June, and were the only people there for a long time, until one family arrived.

Right, don’t skip the next stop on our fun ride of unusual things to do in Warsaw!

Yes, it has a weird name.

But it’s so worth it, trust us.

2. Look into the past at the Warsaw Fotoplastikon

We are happy you didn’t skip and soon you’ll be too, because this is such a hidden gem in Warsaw!

It’s kinda hard to explain what a fotoplastikon is, without it sounding underwhelming.

So we’ll tell you this:

Finding the Fotoplastikon will be your first challenge. It’s a bit hidden (a true hidden gem!), but all you have to do is follow the signs (and enjoy the adventure).

Once you walk through the door, it’s like stepping back in time. It reminded us of old theatres – think dark wood, burgundy carpets and dimmed lights. 

The unusual thing about this museum?

You don’t have to do anything.

Just pick a seat, plop yourself on it and look into the past.

The fotoplastikon will do the rest for you.

The reason this fotoplastikon feels so magical? (And is one of our top unusual things to do in Warsaw?)

It is the oldest theatre of its kind in Europe that’s still operating at the same location – since 1946!

3. Play unlimited pinball at Pinball Station

How does playing 100 pinball and arcade games sound to you?

Like you can just do it at an arcade at home?

Okay, then how about this:

100 pinball and arcade games from 1932 onwards, meaning you can play retro games and see what pinball machines were like nearly hundred years ago!

Pinball Station is actually an Interactive Pinball Museum where you can spend unlimited time just playing with the exhibits.

This was one of the things we did for Daniel’s birthday and we both had so much fun.

A couple things to know:

• You don’t need tokens to play – once you buy a ticket, you can play anything, unlimited, until the museum closes.
• The museum is located in a not particularly picturesque area. You will probably want to take public transport there, instead of walking.
• When we visited, the only alcoholic drink they had was local beer. Nice for Daniel, disappointing for Mirka, since she doesn’t like beer (and it was a birthday celebration, so drinks were definitely on our plan!).

4. Get the VIP treatment at the Polish Vodka Museum 

Speaking of drinks.

The one place we 100% wanted to visit in Warsaw was the Polish Vodka Museum.

We’re big vodka fans, so after visiting the famous Wodka Cafe Bar in Krakow, where you can choose from over 100 flavours (also highly recommend!), we wanted to learn more about Polish Vodka from actual experts.

Here are some extra tips for you:

• This is not a distillery tour. It’s a museum with interactive elements where you’ll learn about Polish Vodka (spelled with caps because it’s a legally protected term, fancy fancy!) during a fun tour.
• Yes, the tour does include a tasting. At the end, so you are able to pay attention first, before you let vodka cloud your senses.
• You can choose from different levels of the tour. We went for the top one – Koneser tour, which meant we were given VIP bracelets and escorted to the museum’s bar at the end of the tour for special cocktails from a secret menu! The cocktails were great, even for mixology snobs like us. And the best part? We were the only VIP people on our tour, so everyone was staring at us, probably wondering why we were getting such extra treatment! 😅 (Instagram celebrities, clearly!)
• On the Koneser tour, you will also get a special personal Diploma of a Polish Vodka Connoisseur. Funnily enough, this was the first “official” document Mirka received with her new surname after we got married!
• If you don’t want to be a VIP (weirdo, but we don’t judge), you can still visit the bar after the tour and get any of their normal cocktails, or taste something from their extensive selection (not just vodka, they are big on whisky too).
• Of course there is also a shop where you can buy bottles of vodka.
• The Polish Vodka Museum is located in Centrum Praskie Koneser, a former distillery complex which has been turned into a cool arts, event and dining area. Make sure to set aside enough time to explore it all, not just to visit the museum (and the bar!).
• Don’t confuse the Polish Vodka Museum with the Vodka Musem (Muzeum Wódki) across the river. It’s a totally different place, with a different experience (one not worth your time, according to reviews).

Got any questions? Remember you can book a call with us and we can plan your next trip to Warsaw together, to make sure you have the best, stress-free time!

5. Learn how to tell if your bank notes are forged at NBP Money Centre

We know plenty of cities have a money museum, but this one turned out to be one of the best things to do in Warsaw!

We didn’t expect much – after all, the museum is free and run by the National Bank of Poland, so we expected a dusty, boring exhibition on coins and notes.

Oh how wrong we were!

We made the mistake of visiting NBP Money Centre just before the closing time, and then regretted having to rush through the museum.

Don’t make the same mistakes:

• Give yourself plenty of time to explore. There are so many cool sections to the museum, full of multimedia features and interactive elements. And it’s not just about the history of money – you can peek inside a bank vault, see what an ATM looks like when opened, or enjoy being surrounded by money falling literally from the sky.
• Security is thorough. You will need to go through a scanner like at an airport and the security staff were very serious – no joking around!
• You cannot take any bags with you – everything will need to be stored in a cloakroom or a locker.
• That applies to food and drink. There are water stations around the museum, but make sure you eat a snack before entering. You don’t wanna have to leave early because you are hungry (happens to us more often than we care to admit in museums!).

6. Go cherry mad at Piana Vyshnia 

We know, this is not a Polish brand, but it’s still a great place to visit when in Warsaw.

Piana Vyshnia is a cherry liquor from Ukraine, and you can find their bars in a few countries around Eastern & Central Europe (you can see a map on their website).

Warsaw actually has 3 Piana Vyshnia bars (called Pijana Wiśnia in Polish) and we recommend putting it on your list of unusual things to do there.

This is why you’ll love it:

• Starting with the fact that the liquor is absolutely delicious. Not too sweet and just 17.5% ABV, meaning you don’t have to worry about getting drunk from one glass (if you manage to stay at just one glass that is!).
• No decision paralysis! Piana Vyshnia bars serve only the one cherry liquor, so you don’t have to be pondering a 10–page menu to decide what you want to get.
• Having said that, you will have to make a decision on the size of your glass and whether you want the drink hot or cold. We’ve seen people clutching paper cups of Piana Vyshnia during cold nights outside the bar to heat up. When we visited the first time, we got one of each – hot and cold – to compare how the flavour changes and to see what we prefer.
• A little spoiler: the decor in the bars is amazing! You’ll feel like you’re inside a cherry dream. We won’t tell you more – you’ve got to go and experience it yourself.
• The one thing that we’re not that wild about are the seats in the bars. They are wooden high chairs which are far from comfy. It appears the idea is either grabbing a quick glass of Piana Vyshnia and moving on, or just using your legs to stand around at the high tables. So if you’re expecting a cosy bar where you can sink into a couch and chat for hours, this won’t be it. Stop by at Piana Vyshnia, and then move on to a comfy couch bar.
• If you’re not able to have a drink when you visit (maybe because you’re driving or pregnant), you can also buy a bottle inside the shop in the bar to take home with you.

7. Marvel at the Multimedia Fountain Park

We are suckers for a good fountain show.

Our top experience, currently, is Singapore’s Spectra, which we made sure to catch multiple times during our week in the beautiful city.

That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy smaller fountain shows, though!

Like this one in Warsaw. 

The fountain is in a big park, by the river, and the whole show is more than just some lights and water, featuring projections, storytelling and special effects. 

The best part?

The theme changes every year, so you’ll always see something new, even if you visit Warsaw more than once! And it’s free!

Just make sure to check the schedule. The fountain show only runs May to September and times vary.

8. Experience an emotional rollercoaster at Warsaw Uprising Museum

You might be wondering why we’re including an uprising museum on the list of unusual things to do in Warsaw.

We’ve all been to plenty of museums while travelling, right, and this museum doesn’t sound that special.

Don’t let the name deceive you.

This was one of the most immersive museums we’ve ever been to.

We spent hours walking around, exploring the interactive exhibits and not for once feeling like we were in a museum – it felt more like we were transported straight into 1944 Poland.

It’s no wonder the museum has a rating of 4.7 with over 39,000 reviews on Google!

If you’re only going to visit one museum in Warsaw, make sure it’s this one (the Polish Vodka Museum doesn’t count. For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll label it as a tasting experience, not a museum, so that you can do both!).

Just make sure you don’t make these mistakes at the Warsaw Uprising Museum:

• You’ll most likely spend longer at the museum than you think, so give yourself plenty of time. 
• Don’t join the queue until you’ve put your backpack into a locker, or you’ll be turned around and have to queue again.
• The lockers operate on a coin deposit, so make sure you bring some cash with you.
• The museum is free on Thursdays! You still have to go to the ticket office to pick up your free ticket, though. Again, don’t join the queue until you’ve done this otherwise you’ll have to go back and rejoin, wasting more time. (Almost happened to us, but, thankfully, we quickly noticed everyone around us had tickets!)
• Make sure to also check out the outside exhibitions, around the main building. When we visited, we saw almost no people there.

Bonus: Extra things to do in Warsaw

We thought we’d include one more bonus here for you!

The one issue we had in Warsaw?

There were more fun things to do there than we had time for!

These are all the things we didn’t manage to fit into our itinerary – they are waiting for another band to announce a gig in Warsaw, so we can justify another trip!

• River ferry – You can cross between the banks of river Vistula in Warsaw on 4 free ferries! Make sure to check out the timetable, though, the ferries don’t operate all the time (which is why we’ve not tried them yet.)
• Cybermachina Warsaw – A gaming bar where you can, you guessed it, play everything from board games to consoles to arcades while sipping on themed drinks.
• Antonina Leśniewska Museum of Pharmacy – A tiny time capsule of old-school pharmacy life, with vintage jars, tools and a recreated historic interior inside a former working pharmacy. Free on Thursdays, small fee other days (check opening times before you go). 
• Saska Kepa – A neighbourhood with suburban houses and villas. If you’re into architecture or you just like to daydream about living in a villa in Warsaw, like us, it might be worth a stroll.

Saving money in Warsaw

Warsaw is a great city for budget travel. Sure, it’s still a European capital, so don’t expect to spend next to nothing on accommodation or in restaurants, but when it comes to sights?

If you’ve noticed, we put 12 things on our list of unusual things to do in Warsaw. 

And 7 of those you can do for free, if you time your trip well (and visit on the days when there is no entrance fee).

Now, we like destinations like that!

Oh, and make sure to grab our FREE guide for finding great accommodation when you travel, so you save even more money!

Which of the 12 unusual things to do in Warsaw are you most excited about? Let us know!

Enjoy your trip, Warsaw is such an underrated city that we are sure will surprise you (in a good way!).