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

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

Isabel Catalán

Isabel Catalán

6 min read

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

Mine cars | ©Dennis Jarvis

You are going on a trip to Krakow and for some time now you have had on your agenda a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mines. Surely you have had some doubts 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 will find some tips to make your excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mines a piece of cake. 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

The Wieliczka Salt Mines are located only 14 kilometers from Krakow, so going on an organized excursion to this monument will not take you too long to get there. About half an hour.

Once there, the sightseeing tour inside the Wieliczka Salt Mines takes about 2 hours but can be extended to 3 hours if you include a visit to the subway exhibition at the Krakow Salt Mine Museum.

The tour is exciting, after all, it is not every day that you have the opportunity to enter a real mine as artistic and unique as this one. During the excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mine there is no time for boredom.

If you like the idea of taking an organized excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, then I recommend you to read the article Excursions to the Salt Mines from Krakow where you will find several proposals and more information about it.

Book a visit to the Salt Mines

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

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

As with the organized excursions to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, if you decide to go there by your own means it will take you more or less the same time to get there depending on the transport you choose and once at the monument the tour inside will take you the same, 2 hours that will fly by.

However, as I said before the tour can be extended up to 3 hours if you also add the visit to the subway exhibition of the Krakow Salt Mine Museum.

The visit inside the monument is always done with a professional guide, whether you go on your own or with an organized tour and going through the different subway 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 tour 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 you to check the opening hours of the monument in the post Wieliczka Salt Mines opening hours and don't forget to take a look at the post What to see and what to do in Krakow to know other great places in the city.

Book a visit to the Salt Mines

How long is the combined Salt Mine and Auschwitz tour?

Auschwitz concentration camp| ©Jean Carlo Emer
Auschwitz concentration camp| ©Jean Carlo Emer

The duration of the excursion to Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow is perfect to combine it with other visits in the city or its surroundings in the same day.

For example, there are travelers who choose to go to the mines next to the Auschwitz concentration camp as they are two of the most popular visits in the city. The package usually costs around 80 euros and includes the entrance fees to both attractions, the two guided tours as well as the transfer to and from the city, the Salt Mines and Auschwitz.

  • Duration of the tour: 9 to 11 hours

If you are interested in both tours, I recommend reading the article Excursions to Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow where you will find more information about it.

Book a visit to the Salt Mines and Auschwitz

How long are the tours to Wieliczka Salt Mines combined with other activities?

Visit the Schindler Factory| ©Jen Hunter
Visit the Schindler 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 also save you time (by not having to queue at the ticket offices of each of the attractions) and money (by not having to buy tickets separately). Sounds great, doesn't it?

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

Visit to the Salt Mines and Oskar Schindler's Factory

However, this is not the only excursion you can combine with a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mines.

Another interesting option is to take a half-day tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine and Oskar Schindler's factory from Krakow for 79 euros where in addition to seeing this magnificent monument declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO 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 movie "Schindler's List".

  • Duration of the excursion: 6 hours

Visit to the salt mines and tour of the city and the Christmas market

On the other hand, if your getaway to Krakow coincides with the Christmas season, a very fun plan is to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines and a tour of the city and the Christmas market for about 200 euros. You will have the opportunity not only to enjoy the city and the beautiful Market Square in a very special way, decorated with Christmas lights and decorations, but also the iconic salt mines.

  • Duration of the excursion: 4 to 8 hours

Book an excursion to the Salt Mines

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

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

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

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: departing from the main station of the city called Kraków Główny with a frequency of 1 or 2 trains every hour.

  • By bus: you will have to take line 304 at the stop located 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 center of Krakow it only takes about 30 minutes to drive to the mines.

In the post How to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow I tell you more details on this topic!

Book a visit to the Salt Mines

How far in advance do I have to book the tickets?

San Juan Chapel| ©Dennis Jarvis
San Juan Chapel| ©Dennis Jarvis

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most popular sights in Krakow, in fact it is the second most visited tourist attraction in Poland.

Whether you want to go there on your own or join an organized tour to see the Wieliczka Salt Mines, my advice is to book your tickets as far in advance as possible.

Almost 2 million people visit them every year, so if you don't want to run out of tickets after having gone there and don't want to queue forever at the ticket office to get a place on the tours in Polish or English, the best thing to do is to book 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 vacation!

Book a visit to the Salt Mines