Things to Do in Wieliczka

Wieliczka is a small town about 13 km south-east of central Kraków, and almost everything a visitor does here revolves around its UNESCO-listed salt mine. The mine, the surface shafts, the salt Graduation Tower and the old market square all sit within a 15-minute walk of each other, so the town works well as a half-day or full-day outing.

Tourist Route

The Tourist Route is the standard visit and starts at the Daniłowicz Shaft. Allow 2 to 3 hours for about 3.5 km on foot, including the underground exhibition of the Kraków Saltworks Museum. The route has about 800 steps in total, roughly 380 of them on the way down to Level I at 64 m. It reaches 135 m at its deepest point, and a lift brings you back to the surface.

Highlights include St Anthony’s Chapel from 1698, the chamber that tells the legend of Princess Kinga, underground brine lakes and the huge salt-carved Chapel of St Kinga at about 101 m. The air stays at 17 to 18°C all year, so a light layer is enough. There is no minimum age, and children up to 4 enter free.

Every visit is led by a guide, and there is no independent way to walk the galleries. Tours run in Polish, English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian. Tours in languages other than Polish and English need an online ticket bought in advance.

Miners’ Route

The Miners’ Route is the hands-on alternative. It starts at the Regis Shaft on plac Kościuszki 9, covers about 1.9 km and reaches 101 m. Temperatures are 14 to 16°C, and the visit takes 2 to 3 hours. Groups are limited to 20 people, the minimum age is 10, and tours run in Polish and English only. A lamp, a helmet and a carbon-monoxide absorber are supplied, and closed footwear that covers the whole foot is required. Arrive 15 minutes early, because latecomers lose their ticket. This route does not include St Kinga’s Chapel.

Above ground

  • Graduation Tower in St Kinga Park: a blackthorn brine tower of about 3,200 square metres with a 22.5 m viewing tower. Entry is 10 PLN, children up to 4 are free, and it opens from spring to autumn. About 30 minutes is a sensible stay.
  • Salt mine health resort: the resort works 135 m underground for people with respiratory conditions. It is a treatment programme, not a sightseeing option.
  • Solne Miasto on ulica Kościuszki 15: an indoor pool, saunas, a climbing wall and a cinema, useful on a wet afternoon.

Tickets and practical tips

Adult tickets start from about 119 PLN, reduced tickets are about 93 PLN, and family tickets start from about 294 PLN. Prices vary by language, season and ticket type, so check the current price list on kopalnia.pl . Booking online at bilety.kopalnia.pl is the safe route, because slots sell out in peak season.

Only a small bag, up to 20 x 20 x 35 cm, goes underground. Larger bags and prams can be left in the free luggage storage in the Górnik building during opening hours. Opening hours depend on the date and run from about 08:00 to 18:00 on the Tourist Route.

Read more: Attraction Tours in Wieliczka compares the two routes in more detail.

Getting there and booking help

The SKA train from Kraków Główny to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia takes about 20 to 25 minutes, and the mine is a few minutes’ walk from the station. Bus 304 also runs from the Dworzec Główny Zachód stop near Galeria Krakowska. For help planning, the mine’s English site lists languages and facilities, and trips from Kraków can be browsed on GetYourGuide .