7 Tips to Visit Wieliczka Salt Mines

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most popular tourist attractions around Kraków and one of the oldest in the world, which is striking for its longevity, size and artistic dimension. So much so that UNESCO chose this monument as one of the first World Heritage Sites in 1978.

Book a trip to the Wieliczka salt mines from Kraków and you 'll see amazing things: from the machinery used to extract the salt to underground galleries housing curious rock formations, beautiful lakes and even religious chapels.

Although you can go to the Wieliczka Salt Mines on your own, if you are looking to simplify things when it comes to transport and routes to the monument, the services of a guide or entrance fees, my advice is to opt for an organised tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow where you won't have to worry about any of these issues as everything is designed for you to let yourself go and enjoy the experience to the fullest.

There are several options for an organised trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine from Kraków but most of them usually include return transport in a private vehicle in comfort, entrance fees and a guide.

If you are interested in taking an organised tour to this magnificent monument, I recommend you take a look at the Salt Mine Tours from Krakow post for more detailed information.

Whichever way you decide to visit this monument, book your tickets as soon as possible. Almost 2 million people visit it every year, so if you don't want to run out of tickets after your trip and don't want to queue endlessly at the ticket office to get a place on the tours in Polish or English, my advice is to buy your tickets online.

Booking your tickets to the Wieliczka Salt Mines online will allow you to compare times, availability, prices and route types (there are some tours that combine the visit to the mines with Auschwithz, a Christmas market or Oskar Schindler's factory). On Hellotickets you will have plenty of options to choose from!

However, an organised tour that includes the return trip will simplify the logistics much more and will help you enjoy the experience much more by not having to worry about anything.

Whether you visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines on your own or on an organised tour, the tour takes about 2 hours and can be extended to 3 hours if you add a visit to the underground exhibition at the Salt Mine Museum in Kraków.

As you can see, the tour is long and in some sections you have to go down some steep wooden stairs with many steps, so I advise you to wear comfortable shoes with non-slip soles to avoid falling.

Also, don't forget to take some warm clothes to wear during the tour, regardless of the outside temperature. Due to the humidity inside the mines it is quite cool even in summer and temperatures range between 17ºC and 18ºC.

Although during the tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mines there will be a short 5-minute break to go to the toilets (40 and 90 minutes after the start of the tour), in order not to be in a hurry on the way, I recommend you to go before the start of the tour either to the hotel or to the toilets which are located next to the Daniłowicza Well. Especially if you are visiting the mines with children, who are often surprised by the call of nature at the most unexpected moment.

The tour route to the Wieliczka Salt Mines starts at the Danilowicza Pit, where you will have to descend a lot of stairs to reach the starting point in the underground galleries. The route runs through 3.5 km of labyrinthine galleries, shafts and chambers with mostly flat ground so that it is not difficult for a person of normal physical condition.

The good thing is that at the end of the route you will not have to walk back up the 800 steps to get out, but will ride a lift like the one used by the miners that will take you to the surface.

Regarding the feeling of claustrophobia during the tour, some sections may seem a little more enclosed, but there is enough space to move around without any problems. In addition, you will always be accompanied by a professional guide who has knowledge of first aid and safety, so if at any time you feel claustrophobic and get nervous, don't worry because the guides have a protocol to accompany you and help you.

Although the inside of a mine may seem like an unusual place to visit as a family on holiday, it is actually a very original excursion where children can let their imagination run wild. It will be something they will remember forever!

The Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour is open to children of all ages**(admission is free for children up to 4 years old**), but like all outings with children, this one has its tricks:

• Put them in comfortable shoes because they will be walking a lot.
• Wrap them up warm, as it's a bit chilly inside the mines.
• Don't forget to pack some snacks and water in your backpack in case they get the munchies during the excursion. At the Drozdowice Chamber you will have a short break for a drink and you can also buy food and drink there.

These are just a few tips on how to see this monument as a family, but you can find more information in the post Visiting the Salt Mines with children.

Yes, but to take photos inside the Wieliczka Salt Mines you will have to pay a small entrance fee of around 2.50 euros or else you may get a warning if you are caught on the tour.

That said, the Wieliczka Salt Mines tour route is well lit so that visitors can walk comfortably and not trip over their feet. However, in some places the lighting conditions are not optimal for taking pictures, so you may find that when you try to take pictures, the images you get are poorly defined.

In the post The best photos you can take of the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow you will find some tips on how to get some nice pictures and some places you can't leave without taking several photos of them.