Family Trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine
Parents planning a trip to Wieliczka tend to ask the same few questions before they commit. The answers below come from the mine’s official rules and cover babies, young children, school-age kids and what to do when the mine is not enough for a whole day.
Can a toddler or baby come along?
Yes, on the Tourist Route. There is no minimum age and children up to 4 are admitted free. The question is stamina, not rules. The route runs about 3.5 km over 2 to 3 hours and includes about 800 steps, with the first 380 or so on a spiral wooden staircase. Large pushchairs and prams stay at the surface in the free luggage storage in the Górnik building. A folding umbrella stroller may be taken in, but there is nowhere underground to leave it.
What about school-age children?
A tour called Śladami Legend (Following the Legends) is written for ages 5 to 12. It has a meeting with the Skarbnik, the mine’s legendary guardian spirit, and starts at about 105 PLN per person. Dates and times change, so look at the online schedule first. The standard Tourist Route also works for school-age children who can manage the stairs. The Miners’ Route, with its helmet, lamp and working tasks, is open from age 10.
What should we bring?
- A light layer for the 17 to 18°C air on the Tourist Route.
- Comfortable shoes with closed toes. The Miners’ Route requires footwear covering the whole foot.
- A bag no bigger than 20 x 20 x 35 cm.
- Snacks or lunch money: Karczma Górnicza, a Polish restaurant, is 125 m underground, and Bistro Posolone is at the Daniłowicz Shaft.
Do not count on torches. Open flames and torches are not allowed underground, so children should not expect to carry a light of their own. Guides keep each group together, and group size is capped at 40.
What else is there for children in town?
- Graduation Tower: in St Kinga Park, with a 22.5 m viewing tower. It costs 10 PLN, children up to 4 are free, and about 30 minutes is the usual visit. It is for walking around, not a children’s treatment.
- Park Adama Mickiewicza: a landscaped 9-hectare park with several playgrounds, duck ponds and paths, on ulica Parkowa and ulica Ogrodowa. It is a good place to burn off energy after the mine.
- Solne Miasto: the sports and leisure centre at ulica Kościuszki 15 has an indoor pool, saunas, a climbing wall and a cinema.
Is there a zoo or a water park?
Not in Wieliczka itself. The nearest options are in Kraków: the zoo in the Wolski Forest, and Park Wodny Kraków in the north of the city. Both need a separate trip on another day.
Read more: Sightseeing in Wieliczka lists more things to see above ground.
What does it cost?
Adult entry is about 119 PLN, with reduced tickets about 93 PLN and family tickets from about 294 PLN, according to the Polish official pages. Prices differ by language, season and ticket type, so look at the price list on kopalnia.pl and buy through bilety.kopalnia.pl . Family-friendly excursions that include transport from Kraków can be searched on GetYourGuide .