How to organise a trip to the Salt Mine in Wieliczka?
The Wieliczka Salt Mine attracts thousands of tourists from Poland and abroad. This should not come as a surprise, because the underground salt corridors are full of wonders, which will leave you breathless for a while. If you’re planning to spend a few days in Kraków or thereabouts, you should definitely consider a day trip to Wieliczka. See how you can organise it.
Individual trip to the Salt Mine
Wieliczka is situated a few kilometres away from the southern border of Kraków. It takes ca. 30 - 40 minutes to reach the mine from the city centre. You can use your own car to get there, but you can also choose public transport. In order to get there, you can take the train from the Main Railway Station in Kraków, from the Płaszów Station or straight from the Kraków Airport in Balice. If you’d rather go by bus, you can choose one of the suburban lines, e.g. 304, which will take you directly to the Salt Mine.
If you want to organise a trip to Wieliczka on your own, you also have to remember to buy a ticket. You can do it at the cash desk near the entrance, but you might have to wait in a queue. The Salt Mine can only be visited in small groups with a guide. This is valid for both organised groups and individual tourists. You also have the option of booking the tickets on the Internet - then you can pick the date and time of your tour, which means you won’t have to waste your time waiting.
An organised trip to the Salt Mine
An alternative to an individual trip to the Salt Mine in Wieliczka is an organised tour - one of those offered by a local touroperator. This is a good solution especially for foreigners who don’t know Polish and would find it difficult to organise the trip without any assistance. It’s enough if you choose date and time, and provide the address where you want to be picked up. The rest will be the responsibility of the organiser. This option helps you save time, because you don’t have to look for the means of transport or book the ticket. You can use this time to visit some other attractions or simply enjoy an evening off in the Kraków Market Square or in Kazimierz.
A tourist route in the Salt Mine takes about 2.5-3 hours. The guide will lead you through the underground corridors, where you can admire the wonders of the Nature, the miracles created by mining machines and the breathtaking Chapel of St. Kinga. The whole trip, including the transport, lasts about half a day, so it’s good to assign a whole morning or afternoon if you want to see this extraordinary place, mentioned in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience. Long after the trip you will still be amazed that there are such wondrous things to see underground.
