Auschwitz-Birkenau & Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow
Two UNESCO Sites in One Day: Auschwitz and a Medieval Salt Mine
You're picked up from your Krakow meeting point and driven to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where a live guide walks you through the permanent exhibition at both camps with headsets. If you book the combo option, you get a lunch break and then descend 350 steps into the medieval Wieliczka Salt Mine, returning by lift. Transport, all entry fees, and the guide are included. You return to Krakow in the evening.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Visit Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine
- Transfer from Krakow to Auschwitz
- 20 minute break at Auschwitz I
- Visit Auschwitz I permanent exhibition
- Visit Birkenau extermination camp
- 20 minute break after Birkenau visit
- 1-hour lunch break
- Visit Wieliczka Salt Mine underground
- Return to surface by lift
- Auschwitz Jewish Center Entry included 2h
- Matejko Square 1h
- Wieliczka Salt Mine Entry included 3h
What’s included
- Your day includes shared two-way transfers from your Krakow meeting point in an air-conditioned vehicle, admission to Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau with a live in-person guide and headsets, and if you book the combo option, admission to Wieliczka Salt Mine with the guide leading you underground.
- All fees and taxes are covered.
- A lunch break of about an hour is built into the combo itinerary, though lunch itself is not provided.
- Every day 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:30 11:30
Information
Visit two UNESCO sites from Krakow: Auschwitz-Birkenau with guide and Wieliczka Salt Mine. Includes transport, entry fees, and lunch break.
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The experience
The van picks you up from your Krakow meeting point in the morning and heads toward Oswiecim, about 70 kilometers away. You'll arrive at Auschwitz I first: the original camp built by the Nazis in 1940. After a 20-minute break, your live guide leads you through the permanent exhibition in the former prisoner blocks. The headsets let you hear clearly as you move through the barracks and learn the history of what happened here: over 1.1 million deaths, most of them Jewish, representing 28 nationalities. It's heavy material, and the guide paces it so you can absorb it.
Then you move to Birkenau, the second part of the camp complex: the larger extermination site. Another 20-minute break follows, and if you've booked the combo option, you get a full hour for lunch before the second part of your day begins. The lunch break can happen in Oswiecim, back in Krakow, or near Wieliczka, depending on the logistics. The air-conditioned vehicle waits for you between stops.
If you chose the combo tour, you're now heading to Wieliczka Salt Mine, 20 kilometers from Krakow's Old Town. Your guide takes you to the entrance and then down: 350 steps spiraling into the depths of the medieval mine. The salt walls are carved with sculptures and bas-reliefs that miners left behind over centuries, and the scale of it is something you don't quite expect underground. You descend through chambers and past salt lakes, following the route the guide sets. At the end, there's a lift that brings you back up to the surface, so you don't have to climb all 800 steps on the way out. The whole Auschwitz-Birkenau & Wieliczka Salt Mine day trip from Krakow takes most of your day, but it checks off two major sites without you having to arrange transport or entry separately.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (13 to 17 years). Children under 13 can't be included in the booking.
How long is the full day if I book the combo tour?
The itinerary spans most of the day, including travel time from Krakow, both Auschwitz camps, a lunch break, and the salt mine descent and return. Plan for a full-day commitment.
Is the guide included at both sites?
Yes. The live guide leads you through Auschwitz I and II with headsets, and also guides you through the Wieliczka Salt Mine if you book the combo option.
What if I only want Auschwitz, not the salt mine?
You can book Auschwitz-Birkenau alone without the Wieliczka combo. The itinerary and inclusions adjust accordingly.
Do I have to climb 800 steps in the salt mine?
You descend 350 steps to enter the mine. At the end of the route, a lift brings you back to the surface, so you don't climb all 800 on the return.
Where does the lunch break happen?
The break can be in Oswiecim, Krakow, or near Wieliczka, depending on the tour logistics. It lasts about an hour.
Is this tour accessible for people with mobility concerns?
The salt mine involves descending 350 steps and walking underground. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. Specialized infant seats are available for the vehicle.
What's included in the price?
Entry fees for both sites (or Auschwitz alone if you don't book the combo), air-conditioned transport from your meeting point, headsets at Auschwitz, and the live guide. Lunch is not included.
Do I need to book the combo, or can I do just Auschwitz?
Both options are available. You can book Auschwitz-Birkenau alone or add the Wieliczka Salt Mine to the same day.
Operated by Legendary Krakow. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Auschwitz-Birkenau & Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow
8h–12h · EN
from US$ 78 per person
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