How to get to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow

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 little guide I have prepared.

Ah! And when planning your visit do not forget to check the opening hours and book online in advance your tickets to the Wieliczka Salt Mines to avoid endless queues at the ticket office.

It is a very popular tourist attraction and the capacity is limited each day, so if you try to get them at the last minute you could run the risk of running out of them.

The most complete option

Wieliczka Salt Mine Day Trip from Krakow

Discover a subterranean world with this visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

On this excursion, you will delve into the history of the salt mine and visit 20 subway chambers more than 3 kilometers long, 135 meters underground.

From $53 at Hellotickets

With this excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow you will discover this World Heritage Site since 1978.

A guided tour of approximately 4 hours in which you will immerse yourself in an exciting journey into the depths through chambers, corridors, salt chapels and lakes along a 3 kilometer route 135 meters underground.

Why I like this option... World Heritage Site since 1978, it is a must-see of your trip.

Recommended if... it is a key place to learn about the history of 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 an excursion from Krakow. It is the best solution to avoid complications looking for a rental car or public transport tickets, calculating the routes or transfers needed to go and, in addition, you will save the language barrier if you do not know the language.

This type of tours usually include travel to the mines in a private vehicle, pick up at the hotel or at a meeting point in the city, tickets to the monument and the services of a professional guide, as well as headphones that you can use to listen clearly to all the explanations. Sounds good, doesn't it? In the organized tours everything is designed so that you do not have to worry about anything, just enjoy.

In Hellotickets you can compare different 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 office and risk being left without them because they are very coveted.

And if you are looking for a more complete experience, you can choose to book an 11-hour guided tour to Auschwitz, which will include entrance to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, and the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow.

With a professional guide you will discover the history of both sites. First you will visit one of the largest concentration camps for Jews during the Nazi period and continue to the subway complex of Wieliczka, which is located about 64 kilometers from Auschwitz, where you will have the opportunity to see the salt carved chambers, statues and chapels excavated by the former miners.

Transportation will be by air-conditioned minibus in a tour that allows about 30 travelers. In addition, pick-up and drop-off from your hotel in Krakow will be included.

The train is a good option to visit the salt mines on your own, as it is fast, accessible, safe, comfortable and quite punctual.

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 Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia station.

Train tickets can be purchased at the station itself or online.

To go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines by bus you will have to take the bus line 304 at the stop next to the Krakowska Gallery, on Kurniki Street.

It is a very cheap transport (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 with 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.

Another means of transport you can use to go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines is the minibus, which leave 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.

It is an interesting alternative to reach 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 condition of the roads is good and from the center of Krakow it only takes about 30 minutes to drive to the mines. If you don't know the way, it is best to put "Wieliczka Salt Mines" in your GPS or Google Maps.

When you get there you have several parking lots where you can leave your car, whose prices are around 1.40 euros per hour. You will not have any parking problems at the Wieliczka Salt Mines.

Taking a cab or an Uber can be another good option to go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines if there are several people in the group and you do not 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".

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

In case you are planning to visit this monument, a World Heritage Site since 1978, in addition to how to get there, opening hours or booking tickets to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, 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!

In order to make your choice easier, I leave you a comparative table so you can choose the option that suits you best.