Tourist Route through the mine
2 h 30 · 3.5 kmAll ages, without a pushchair
A 2 to 3 h guided visit through 3.5 km of salt chambers down to 135 m, including St Kinga's Chapel. From 121 zł.
From zł121
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AccessTrain from Kraków, 10 km
Visit2–3 h with a guide
Temperature17–18 °C
Overall difficultyMedium: 800 steps
Visits are in groups and at set times. Buy your ticket online in Spanish or English for a specific time. At the ticket office only the ones that have not been sold remain.
What to do
What to do in Wieliczka Salt Mine
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
St Kinga's Chapel
20 minAll ages
A church carved from salt 101 m underground, 54 m long, with reliefs and chandeliers made of halite. You see it as part of the Tourist Route.
Miners' Route
2 h 30 · 1.9 kmFrom age 10
A 2 to 3 h visit with helmet, lamp and miners' tasks from the Regis shaft, down to 101 m. From age 10, in Polish or English.
From zł121
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Plan the trip
Wieliczka Salt Mine, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Wieliczka Salt Mine
All year: underground it is neither cold nor hot. April, May, September and October have fewer groups than summer. Tickets in languages other than Polish go on sale for set times.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Who you're with
Wieliczka Salt Mine for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A real mine, with real stairs
Children are fascinated by salt you can lick and the enormous chapel underground. What is hard is three hours on their feet and the steps.
- What works bestThe Tourist Route first thing…
- Where to sleepAt the hotel next to…
- Where to eatThe restaurant underground, halfway round…
- Keep in mind800 steps, 380 at the…
What works best
- The Tourist Route first thing, with fewer groups
- Tasting the salt wall and looking for the salt lakes
- The Saltworks Castle, short and above ground
Where to sleep
- At the hotel next to the shaft or in Kraków
Where to eat
- The restaurant underground, halfway round the visit, with high chairs and a changing table
Keep in mind
- 800 steps, 380 at the start and downhill
- No pushchair: baby carrier for the little ones; under 4s free
- A child under 6 tires before the two hours are up
What to do as a family
Helmet, lamp and miners' work
The Tourist Route may feel like a museum with a guide. The Miners' Route, from age 10, is something else: equipment, tasks and a certificate at the end.
- What works bestThe Miners' Route, with overalls…
- Where to sleepIn Kraków, so they have…
- Where to eatPierogi underground; in Kraków, Kazimierz
- Keep in mindThe Miners' Route requires closed…
What works best
- The Miners' Route, with overalls and helmet
- St Kinga's Chapel and its legend of the ring
- The Bochnia mine, if they want another one
Where to sleep
- In Kraków, so they have the city in the evening
Where to eat
- Pierogi underground; in Kraków, Kazimierz
Keep in mind
- The Miners' Route requires closed shoes
- There is no mobile signal down below, but there is wifi
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay in Wieliczka Salt Mine
Hotel Grand Sal
Why we like it: In the rebuilt building of the old brine baths, in Kinga Park. You step out of the hotel and you are in the queue for the first visit.
Hotel Salis
Why we like it: A simple three-star for anyone arriving by car who does not want to go into Kraków.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Wieliczka Salt Mine
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Karczma Górnicza
What to order: home-style Polish cooking.
On the Tourist Route, 125 m underground. Cards accepted
Before or after going down
Bistro Posolone
What to order: a salad, a burger or a coffee while you wait for your time slot.
Next to the Daniłowicz shaft
Map
Everything on the map
Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Choose the first or last slot
By mid-morning the organised groups arriving by coach from Kraków coincide.
- 2Leave your backpack
You can only go down with small bags, up to 20 × 20 × 35 cm. There is a free cloakroom and lockers.
- 3Wear comfortable shoes and bring a layer
Down below it is 17–18 °C on the Tourist Route and a little less on the Miners' Route.
- 4Eat down below if it suits you
At 125 metres there is a restaurant halfway round the route, about two hours in.
Local tip
The 380 steps at the start are downhill. After that the route is gentle and you go up by lift at the end.
We'd skip it
A Saturday in July at eleven. Groups of 40 follow one another and in St Kinga's Chapel you can barely stop.
What is it and why does it have chapels?
A rock-salt mine worked from the thirteenth century until 1996, when production stopped because of low prices and flooding. It is 327 metres deep and has about 290 kilometres of galleries. The miners spent whole days underground and carved chapels in the salt rock itself to pray in before going down to the dangerous workings. The largest, St Kinga's Chapel, has a floor, altars, reliefs and chandeliers made of salt.
The salt is not white: it is grey, in several shades, and it shines when the light hits it. You can touch it; in the corridors people lick the wall to check. It was one of the first places on the World Heritage list, in 1978.
How much time do I need?
The Tourist Route lasts two to three hours and covers about 3.5 kilometres. Allow half a day including the journey from Kraków. If you add the castle museum or the Miners' Route, it is a full day.
How do I get there?
By commuter train from Kraków Główny to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia station, a few minutes' walk from the Daniłowicz shaft, where the visit starts. Bus 304 also goes from the Dworzec Główny Zachód stop, beside the Galeria Krakowska, with a zone I and II ticket. By car, about 10 km along the A4, with parking next to the mine.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Are there visits in Spanish?
Yes, at set times and subject to availability. Buy in advance, because there are fewer than in English.
Can you go with a pushchair?
It is not recommended because of the steps. Children under 4 enter free; better in a baby carrier. The pushchair is left in the cloakroom.
Is it cold down below?
Not very: 17–18 °C on the Tourist Route. On the Miners' Route, 14–16 °C.
Can you go in with a dog?
No, except assistance dogs. There is no pet-minding service.
How much does the ticket cost?
From about 131 zł per person, depending on language, season and fare. There is a family ticket.