Duration of the tours and visits of the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow

Seeing the Wieliczka Salt Mine in person is an amazing experience. But how long do the tours last and how long does it take to get there? Let's see!

Isabel Catalán

Isabel Catalán

5 min read

Duration of the tours and visits of the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow

Mine wagons | ©Dennis Jarvis

You're travelling to Kraków and you've been planning a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mines for a long time. You've probably had some questions about how long the tours to this tourist attraction last, how to make the most of the excursion, how long it takes to get there...

In this post you'll find some tips to make organising your trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mines a breeze. Read on!

How long does a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow take?

Salt statue of a miner| ©Andrew Milligan sumo
Salt statue of a miner| ©Andrew Milligan sumo

Wieliczka is only 14 kilometres from Krakow, so if you book a trip to the Salt Mines it won't take you too long to get there. About half an hour. The tour lasts four hours.

The tour is exciting - after all, it is not every day that you get the chance to visit a real mine as artistic and unique as this one. There is no time for boredom during a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

If you like the idea of an organised tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, then I recommend you to read the article Salt Mine Tours from Krakow where you will find several suggestions and more information about it.

Book a tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines

How long does it take to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines on your own?

Homage to Nicolaus Copernicus| ©Dennis Jarvis
Homage to Nicolaus Copernicus| ©Dennis Jarvis

As with booking a visit to the Salt Mines, if you decide to travel to the Salt Mines on your own it will take you about the same time to get there, depending on the transport you choose. Once at the monument, the tour of the interior will take you two hours, which will fly by in no time at all.

The tour inside the monument is always conducted by a professional guide, whether you go on your own or with an organised tour. As you go through the different underground galleries you will see amazing things: from curious rock formations such as stalactites and stalagmites to beautiful lakes and huge chambers with statues carved in salt. In addition, the guide will tell you a lot of curiosities and legends that will make the experience unforgettable.

Considering how long the excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mines lasts, my advice is to go early in the morning so that you can return to Krakow to do other activities and make the most of the day. In this sense, to better prepare your visit, I recommend that you check the opening hours of the Wieliczka Salt Mines and don't forget to take a look at the post What to see and what to do in Krakow to find out what else the city has to offer.

Book an excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mines

How long does the Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour and Auschwitz visit last?

Auschwitz Concentration Camp| ©Jean Carlo Emer
Auschwitz Concentration Camp| ©Jean Carlo Emer

It is possible to combine the Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour with other tours. For example, a good recommendation, especially if you don't have much time to see the highlights of Krakow, is to book a trip to the Salt Mines and Auschwitz, as these are two of the most popular visits in the city.

Useful information

Book a tour to the Salt Mines and Auschwitz

How long are excursions to the Wieliczka Salt Mines and other activities?

Visit Schindler's Factory| ©Jen Hunter
Visit Schindler's Factory| ©Jen Hunter

If you're only spending a few days in Krakow, these packages will help you get the most out of your trip to the city and save you time (by not having to queue at the ticket offices of each attraction) and money (by not having to buy tickets separately). Sounds great, doesn't it?

These are some of the top activities you can combine with the Wieliczka Salt Mine tour:

Visit to Wieliczka Salt Mines and Oskar Schindler's factory

An interesting option is to take a tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines and Oskar Schindler's factory from Krakow, where in addition to seeing this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site you will also visit **Oskar Schindler'**s factory, a museum dedicated to the businessman who saved the lives of thousands of Jews during World War II and to whom the famous filmmaker Steven Spielberg dedicated the film Schindler's List.

Visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines and take a tour of the city

On the other hand, if your trip to Krakow coincides with the Christmas season, a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mines and a tour of the city and the Christmas market is great fun. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the city and the beautiful Market Square in a very special way, decorated with Christmas lights and decorations, as well as visiting the iconic salt mines.

Book a tour to Wieliczka Salt Mines

How long does it take to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow?

Discover the beauty of Krakow| ©Francisco Anzola
Discover the beauty of Krakow| ©Francisco Anzola

Being such a touristy place, the Salt Mines are very well connected to Krakow and fortunately there are several transport options available to get to the monument, whether you visit it on your own or book a tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines.

If you are staying in a hotel in Krakow and want to calculate how long it will take you to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines? take note!

  • By train: trains depart from Kraków Główny main station with a frequency of one or two trains every hour.

  • By bus: you will have to take bus number 304 from the stop next to the Krakowska Gallery on Kurniki Street. It takes about 30 minutes from Krakow.

  • By car: The road conditions are good and from the centre of Krakow it only takes about 30 minutes to drive to the mines.

More details on how to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow can be found in the post How to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow!

Book a tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines

How far in advance should I book tickets to the Wieliczka Salt Mines?

St. John's Chapel| ©Dennis Jarvis
St. John's Chapel| ©Dennis Jarvis

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most popular sights in Kraków. In fact, it is the second most visited tourist attraction in Poland. Whether you want to go there on your own or book a tour to the Salt Mines, my advice is to buy your tickets as far in advance as possible.

Nearly two million people visit the Salt Mines every year, so if you do not want to run out of tickets after having travelled there and do not want to queue forever at the ticket office to get a place on the tours in Polish or English, it is best to buy them online.

In this way, you can compare schedules, rates, availability of tours and types of routes. In Hellotickets you will have many options with different durations to choose the one that best suits your holiday!

Book an excursion to the Salt Mines of Wieliczka