Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine Day Trips from Krakow

By now you will have read that two of the most popular attractions in Kraków, and practically the whole country, are the excursions to Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mines.

The demand is such that there are different options to visit both places in the same day on a single tour. You will be accompanied at all times by an expert guide and all journeys will be made by private bus. Here are the details:

Combo Mines + Auschwitz

Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine Day Trip from Krakow

Tickets for the two most popular sights in Krakow at the most convenient price

The package includes skip-the-line tickets, guided tours and transfers. This is the best option to save time and money by doing both of Krakow's most popular sightseeing tours in one day.

Duration: 10 hours 30 minutes

From AED 371 at Hellotickets

Early in the morning you will be picked up at your hotel or at a meeting point (depending on the option chosen when booking) by a private bus that will take you to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. There you will be taken on a guided tour of the two Auschwitz-Birkenau camps for two to three hours, accompanied by a guide.

You will then visit the Salt Mines, where you will walk through the spectacular galleries and see the statues and rooms built with salt hundreds of metres underground. Incredible! Here too you will be accompanied by a guide who will make sure you don't miss the highlights of the visit. Doing this combined tour to Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Mines is one of the best decisions you can make to make the most of your trip to Poland.

Why I like this option: You'll only spend one day doing these two visits and you'll have the rest of the trip to stroll around Krakow and enjoy its streets and charm without rushing. And because it's all-inclusive, you'll save time and money on travel.

Recommended if... you're short on time and prefer to do both tours in one day with an expert guide.

Packages combining the Wieliczka Salt Mines and Auschwitz tour are priced at around 100 ¤ at Hellotickets. The package includes bus transfer from the city centre (or your hotel or a meeting point) to Auschwitz, from Auschwitz to the Salt Mines and from the Salt Mines back to Krakow, as well as a professional guide and entrance fees to both sites.

Yes, it is possible to visit Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mines in one day, but it requires precise logistical planning. Generally, tour operators organise tours that start early to make the most of the time, so my recommendation if you plan to visit both sites is to book the Auschwitz and Salt Mines tour without hesitation.

Why? The tour operators manage the schedules rigorously, ensuring that each stop provides enough time to get to know both sites in depth. So the day, although intense, allows travellers to understand both the grim history of Auschwitz and the historical and industrial splendour of the Salt Mines in a single day.

Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mines are approximately 90 kilometres apart. The time needed to get from one place to the other varies depending on traffic and the means of transport chosen, but by car or bus it takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Please note that if you book the Auschwitz and Salt Mines tour, the transfer is usually in a comfortable, air-conditioned minibus with Wi-Fi.

Auschwitz is located approximately 70 kilometres west of Krakow and the transfer time is estimated to take between 1 and 1.5 hours by car or bus. The Wieliczka Salt Mine is about 15 kilometres southeast of Kraków, and the journey time from the city centre is usually 20-30 minutes.

The combined tour of Auschwitz and the Salt Mines starts early in the morning and ends about 10:30 hours later. During this time you will have time to do the necessary sightseeing and guided tours of both attractions.

The good thing is that during the bus rides you will have time to rest a bit and recharge your batteries. A lunch break is also included.

Yes, especially for short trips when you have little time in Krakow and you want to do both tours in one day and then free up your schedule for the rest of your trip around Krakow.

Although it may seem like an exhausting tour, the truth is that the times are very well distributed and you won't feel too tired. And the fact that it's all in one day will save you time in transfer ring from one place to another, which is also very convenient.

There are different options, also depending on whether you choose to be picked up at your hotel or whether you prefer to go to a meeting point yourself. The earliest one leaves at about 8am so that you can be at Auschwitz first thing in the morning and visit the concentration camp before large groups of tourists arrive. However, be sure to check the departure time so that you are ready a little before the bus departs.

The best time of year to visit and book a tour to Auschwitz and the Salt Mines is during the low season when there are fewer tourists. That is, in the spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) months, as you will enjoy a quieter experience. Also, the weather is more pleasant than in summer and winter

And if you're wondering about the best time of day, I recommend visiting Auschwitz early in the morning, as you'll be able to explore the site at your leisure. For the Salt Mines, go in the early afternoon. Also, I recommend that you opt for weekdays when there are fewer visitors.

The cost of a taxi from the centre of Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mines is usually between 70 and 100 PLN, which is around 15-25 € depending on the exchange rate. The exact price will depend on traffic, time of day and the taxi company chosen. The journey time is 20-30 minutes. A convenient option for those who do not want the constraints of a fixed timetable.

Other options available for travelling to the Salt Mines, less convenient and flexible, but more economical, are:

• Train: depart regularly from Krakow Central Station and the journey takes about 20-30 minutes. It costs about 10 PLN (about 2-3 €).
• Bus: they offer frequent and direct connections for less than 10 PLN (€2-2.50).
• Excursion to the Salt Mines, where you will be accompanied by a guide who will give you all the details of the site at a very reasonable price.

Yes, although it is not advisable to take them to Auschwitz if they are small or very sensitive. The official organisation of the extermination camp itself does not recommend visits for children under the age of 14. If you want to follow some tips to make your visit to Auschwitz go smoothly, don't miss my 10 tips for visiting Auschwitz from Krakow.

Yes, it is advisable to pre-book tickets to visit the Salt Mines, especially during the high season. It is in high demand and tickets are usually sold out very quickly. This way, you can avoid the long queues that characterise this popular site and, of course, plan your time better.