Wieliczka Salt Mines Opening Times
Going to the Wieliczka Salt Mines is an essential plan to do on a trip to Krakow. Take note of their opening hours to organize your visit.
Relief detail of the slaughter of the innocents | ©Dennis Jarvis
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the oldest salt mines in the world and one of the most famous tourist attractions in Krakow. If during a trip to Poland you want to visit them, the first thing to do is to check the opening hours to organize your visit.
The next thing is to buy your tickets to the Wieliczka Salt Mines online and in advance to ensure your place in the visit to this World Heritage Site more than 100 meters underground. Although if you'll allow me a tip, it's best to join a tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow so you won't have any headaches organizing transportation there and back - this place is very popular and tickets are flying!
1. Wieliczka Salt Mine opening hours
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is open every day of the week, Monday through Sunday. The opening hours of this monument are as follows:
- Monday to Sunday: 9 AM to 5 PM.
2. Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour Schedule
All visits to the Wieliczka Salt Mines are conducted with a guide in groups of approximately 30 people.
Although many travelers would like to visit this peculiar place on their own, the truth is that a guided tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mines is the most convenient given the characteristics of the monument.
We must take into account that it is a journey 135 meters deep through 3.5 kilometers of labyrinthine galleries and chambers with subway lakes, so moving in the twilight through the depths of the earth with a guide who knows how to find the way back and has knowledge of first aid and safety is always safer. Especially for those who may be claustrophobic.
In addition, the experience with a guide is more fun because they know many curiosities and stories that will make your visit unforgettable.
Regarding the guided tours of the Wieliczka Salt Mines, in addition to Polish, there are specific schedules for other languages such as English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and French.
At the ticket office you can purchase tickets for the tours in Polish and English but if you prefer to take this tour in a different language, then you will have to purchase online your tickets for a guided tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mines. After booking online you will need to contact the provider to confirm the start time of the tour in your chosen language.
3. How long does it take to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines?
The walk through the interior of the Wieliczka Salt Mines takes about 2 hours and can be extended to 3 hours if you add a visit to the subway exhibition of the Salt Mine Museum in Krakow.
Actually, it is not an activity that gets too long because the tour is very exciting and you have a great time during the tour. It is not every day that you have the opportunity to access a real active mine as peculiar and artistic as this one, which is also one of the oldest and largest in the world.
If you are organizing a trip to Krakow, in the article How long are the tours of the Salt Mines I tell you in detail how much time you will need to see the monument so you can better plan the activities of the rest of the day.
That said, there are not enough words to describe this incredible place - it's all mind-blowing! Fortunately, the guides at the mines help us in the task of discovering all the nooks and crannies and treasures hidden in the subway galleries as well as unraveling their history and the meaning of their ornamentation and architecture.
No wonder they are known by the nickname "Poland's subway salt cathedral". It has some truly fascinating spaces! The Chapel of St. Kinga is, in my opinion, the jewel of the Wieliczka Mines and one of my favorites but there are many more. In the post What to see in the Salt Mines I review the highlights of this fantastic visit.
4. What is the best time to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines?
In my opinion, the best time to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines is early in the morning. That way you will have the rest of the day to make other interesting plans in Krakow.
In the post What to see and what to do in Krakow you will find more ideas to enjoy a fabulous getaway in the city, you will love them!
5. When are the Wieliczka Salt Mines closed?
The Wieliczka Salt Mines are open every day of the year except January 1, Easter Sunday, November 1, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In addition, the mines close on Holy Saturday at 5 PM and on December 31 at 4 PM.
Anyway, if there is any change of plans or the monument has to close in the hypothetical case of an unforeseen event or incident, before traveling you can check it by doing a quick Google search.
Finally, if you are planning to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines soon, to get the most out of this great experience I recommend you to read the article Tips for visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines where you will find more useful tips.