Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour (Spanish, Italian, French, German) From Krakow - Private Transport
- Personal attention of English-speaking driver
- Expert guide in the Salt Mine
- Private transportation
- Hotel pickup and drop off
- Entrance fees
Itinerary
Interesting Facts
"Szczęść Boże”
means „God bless you” in Polish, and that’s how miners greet each other. You will meet your guide at the Danilowicz Shaft and this where the Krakow Salt Mine Tour starts. From there you will have to descend 350 steps in order to reach the final depth of 135 meters underground. While walking along 3 kilometers of corridors you will have an opportunity to see with your own eyes the heritage left by generations of miners who devoted their life to hard work at the mine. It includes a number of carved in salt sculptures, 20 chambers and 4 chapels with the Chapel of St. Kinga being the one which leaves the most lasting impression on you.
The Chapel of St. Kinga is the only underground church in Europe. It is dedicated to Princess Kinga who is believed to have brought the salt treasure to Polish land. One of the most spectacular pieces of art to be found here are crystal chandeliers made from rock salt that have been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like glow.
God bless you trying to pronounce that!
Later on the Krakow Salt Mine Tour you will be taken to see an underground lake which measures 9 meters in depth at its lowest point. This saline lake located 104 meters below the surface is surprisingly a wonderful spot for surfing. In 2004 it was sailed across by multiple medalist, World Champion and European Champion, Mateusz Kusznierewicz.
Another chamber in Wieliczka Salt Mine is the Stanislaw Staszic Chamber. It measures 6 m in height and it is the largest excavation on the route accessible to tourists. Did you know that the chamber is featured in the Guinness Book of World Records as the place to hold the first underground balloon flight? A fun fact is that the volume of soil excavated from the mine during its history is enough to build 3 pyramids similar in size to the Pyramid of Cheops.
Sal Mine Regulations
- Please mind that the tour begins with climbing down 380 steps and the regular tour does not include the lift that takes you down
- Please, wear comfortable shoes - the tour requires a lot of walking
- The photography fee is 10 PLN that you can pay on the spot. You will get a headset to hear the guide clearly throughout the whole tour
- The temperature in Salt Mine is around 14 degrees so please take a jacket with you
Terms and Conditions
- Please arrive at the designated pick- up point at least 5 minutes before departure time
- Minor delays (circa 20 minutes) are possible due to traffic conditions
- The customer is kindly requested to contact us at least 24h before the beginning of the tour to confirm pick-up time and place of departure
- To receive a discount the participant is required to show a valid ID confirming the age of the participant (students are required to have a valid Student ID)
- If you cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the activity you can get a full refund.
- If you cancel within 24 hours before the activity or you do not show up - refund is not due.
- Groups of 15 people and more are obliged to cancel the booking at least two days prior the tour to get a full refund.
Faq
It takes around 30 minutes to get to Salt Mine.
The sightseeing itself takes around 2 hours.
If you have trouble walking you should consider taking the special route for physically challenged tourists. It is easier and shorter and we can organize it for you.
Please inform our booking department that you want to attend the shorter Route. If you are a person using a wheelchair it is the only possible way of visiting the Salt Mine.
The Private Transport option means that our driver will take you to Salt Mine in a private car, so you will avoid picking up other tourists in a minivan. However after arriving to the Salt Mine you will join the group, so the sightseeing itself will not be private.
