One of the things I didn’t get to cross off my bucket list the first time I was in Kraków, was a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. I had heard a great deal about it, but I didn’t have enough time for another day trip. When I visited Kraków for the second time in November 2021, we made sure to put aside a day to visit the mine.
There are a lot of places offering tours from the city centre, but I didn’t want to get ripped off. Public transport is really cheap in Poland and easy to navigate. With this in mind, I arranged everything myself like I did with my trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau.
What is the Wieliczka Salt Mine?
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most popular tourist attractions around Kraków. Located in the small town of Wieliczka in the south of Poland, they are just 14km south of Kraków. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the mining of salt has long since been crucial for the country’s economy. The salt mine has been in use since the 13th Century and they became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1978.
The mine is still in use to this day but parts of it are now open to tourists. There are two routes you can visit, the Tourist Route and the Miner’s Route which was closed when we visited, due to the pandemic. You can also pay extra to visit the Graduation Tower which is next to the main salt mine.
The Tourist Route shows an insight to life working in the mine and teaches you about the history. You get to see some beautiful statues made entirely of salt and visit several chapels. The most famous chapel in the salt mines is St Kinga’s Chapel which can be rented out for events. You may have seen photos of the beautiful salt chandeliers in this chapel.
How do you get to the salt mine from Kraków?
As I mentioned earlier, I found it so easy to get to Auschwitz and Birkenau from Kraków using public transport, so I chose to look at bus routes again. Using Citymapper, I was able to plan a route from our hotel directly to the Wieliczka Salt Mine tour.
Our hotel was located just over the road from Galeria Krakowska which is the main shopping centre next to the train and bus station. Using this location as a starting point, you can easily find your way over to Wieliczka.
Although there is a route by train, the bus was quicker and cheaper. We caught the 304 bus from outside Galeria Krakowska which cost 12 PLN (£2.26) for a return ticket. The journey took around 50 minutes and there were 16 stops. Citymapper told us to get off at Wieliczka Mediateka but our bus driver suggested that we alight at Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli which was a lot closer to the salt mine.
The bus drivers didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak Polish, but it was easy enough to navigate and buy a ticket. We used Google translate to help us out when we got on the bus.
How much does a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine cost?
We booked our tickets for the Wieliczka Salt Mine online the night before. This is advised as tours can fill up fast in high tourist season.
The price for a tour of the Tourist Route is 119 PLN (£21.61) per adult and if you wish to go up the Graduation Tower as well, this will cost you an extra 9 PLN (£1.63). With the cost of a return bus ticket from Kraków, the overall cost of a Kraków salt mine tour would be 140 PLN (£25.43). While it’s one of the more expensive tourist attractions in Kraków, it’s definitely worth the price.
Touring the salt mines
You can only enter the salt mine as part of a guided tour. These tours last around 3 hours and involve 800 steps; it’s important that you make sure you are capable. Tours can be booked at the salt mine, but it’s advised that you book in advance. This is to ensure you don’t have to wait hours for a tour in the right language.
Although the tour involves going 135m below ground, there is a temperature of around 16-18 degrees throughout the mine. With all of the steps and walking involved, you should make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes and clothing.
The guides are really knowledgable and even taught us some Polish while we were down there. You are encouraged to touch the walls and floors to confirm that they are actually made of salt; you may even lick them at your own risk!
Touring the Wieliczka Salt Mine is definitely something to consider if you have a spare day in Kraków. I knew nothing about the mine prior to entering but I loved learning about the history and the salt trade.
Things you should know before visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mine
- The tour is entirely underground. Although the Tourist Route is very spacious, you should consider this if you suffer from claustrophobia.
- There are souvenirs available in the salt mines but the majority of the items in the gift shop can also be found at the airport. Bear this in mind as the queues can be very long in the gift shop.
- The Tourist Route takes around two hours, with a small toilet break halfway through. Make sure you’ve eaten and have been to the toilet before the tour starts.
- The Tourist Route is almost 3.5km long and takes you 135m below the ground. You’ll have to climb 800 steps during the tour so it is essential that you are prepared. Comfortable shoes are a necessity.
- Once you start the tour, you’ll lose all phone signal. There is a small area 110m underground where you’ll get Wi-Fi. This is where the small break takes place. Make sure you don’t need to be reachable while you’re on your tour.
- You cannot tour the salt mine without being accompanied by a tour guide, for safety reasons. Each tour guide is first aid trained, just in case of an emergency.
- Tours can be taken in Polish, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian.
