How to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow
If you are planning a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mines you will need to know how to get there. I tell you all the ways to get to the monument below.
Shoring of salt mines | ©Alexander Johmann
If you want to know how to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines quickly to visit this iconic monument located just 14 kilometers from Krakow, I recommend you to read this small guide I have prepared.
And when planning your visit, don't forget to check the opening hours and book your tickets to the Wieliczka Salt Mines online in advance to avoid endless queues at the ticket office.
It is a very popular tourist attraction and the capacity is limited every day, so if you try to get them at the last minute you could run the risk of running out of them.
1. Excursions to Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow
There are multiple transportation options to go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines but, in my opinion, the most comfortable way to do it is to book your place on a tour to the Salt Mines from Krakow.
If you do not want to complicate things when visiting this beautiful monument looking for a rental car or public transport tickets, calculating the routes or transfers needed to go from Krakow or because you do not know the language or the terrain and you could get lost, the best solution is to make a tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow already organized.
This type of tour usually includes travel to the mines in a private vehicle, pick-up from your hotel or a meeting point in the city, entrance fees to the monument or the services of a professional guide and headphones that you can use to listen clearly to the guide's commentary during the tour. Sounds good, doesn't it? In the organized tours everything is thought out so that you don't have to worry about anything, just enjoy yourself.
In Hellotickets you can compare types of tours, prices and availability of tickets, you will surely find the one that best suits you! You will save time by buying your tickets online in advance and you will avoid having to queue endlessly at the ticket offices of the Wieliczka Salt Mines and risk being left without them because they are very coveted.
2. By train, fast and punctual
The train is a good option to visit the salt mines on your own, as it is a fast, accessible, safe, comfortable and quite punctual transport.
Trains from Kraków to Wieliczka depart from the main station of the city called Kraków Główny with a frequency of 1 or 2 trains every hour, stopping at other secondary stations in Kraków and the end of the line is the station Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia.
Train tickets can be purchased at the station itself or online.
3. By bus, comfortable and cheap
To go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines by bus you will have to take bus number 304 from the stop next to the Krakowska Gallery on Kurniki Street.
It is very cheap (the ticket costs about 1 euro) and it takes about 30 minutes from Krakow to get to the Wieliczka Kosciól stop.
As you can see, the trip is fast but to avoid unforeseen traffic problems I advise you to go some time in advance to arrive on time to the salt mines.
Once you get off at the Wieliczka Kosciól stop you only have to walk about 5 minutes to the entrance of the monument.
4. By minibus, another economical option
Another means of transportation you can use to go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines is the minibus, which depart near the Dworzec Główny train station.
Once there you will have to get on a minibus bound for Wieliczka Rynek (lines 204 and 244) although you will have to get off before reaching the village. Ask the driver to drop you off at the Wieliczka Kopalnie Soli stop, at the intersection of Dembowskiego and Danilowicza streets, which is the closest to the mines.
5. By rental car, for more independence
It is an interesting alternative to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow if you are doing a road trip in Poland or if you want to combine the visit to the mines with Auschwitz in the same day. If you need to rent a car, on the RentalCars website you can find options at good prices.
The state of the roads is good and from the center of Krakow it only takes about 30 minutes by car to get to the mines. If you don't know the way, the best is to put "Wieliczka Salt Mines" in your GPS or in Google Maps.
When you get there you have several parking lots where you can leave the car whose prices are around 1.40 euros per hour. You will have no parking problems in the Wieliczka Salt Mines.
6. By cab or Uber, if you are traveling in group
Taking a cab or an Uber can be another good option to go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines if there are several of you in the group and you don't have a rental car to take you there.
Being so close to Krakow, the trip can cost you between 10 and 15 euros. They are fast, comfortable and have the advantage of a "door to door" service with no extra stops along the way, so you will arrive in time to start the visit to the "Polish Salt Cathedral".
7. Other tips to see the Wieliczka Salt Mines
Being such a touristic place, the Wieliczka Salt Mines are very well connected to Krakow and there are several transportation options to go there, whether you go on an organized tour or visit the monument on your own.
In case you are planning to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines, in addition to how to get there, the opening hours or booking tickets, there are other issues to know in order to enjoy the experience to the fullest.
You will find some useful tips in the post Tips for visiting the salt mines from Krakow, don't miss it, it will help you for sure!