Krakow: Auschwitz & Wieliczka Salt Mine Day Trip

Two Polish memorials in a single morning-to-evening loop

You're picked up early from your hotel, guided through Auschwitz I and II by a museum specialist for three hours total, eat a prepared lunch between sites, then descend 378 stairs into Wieliczka Salt Mine for a 2.5-hour underground walk through 700-year-old chambers. Guaranteed entry tickets and hotel return are included. The whole day runs from before dawn until early evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Auschwitz Jewish Center3h · entry included
2. Wieliczka Salt Mine3h · entry included
3. Zakrzowekpass by

Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Mine

• Pickup from accommodation early morning
• Watch documentary on Nazi camps
• Join English tour at Auschwitz I
• Tour Auschwitz II-Birkenau with guide
• Eat provided lunchbox
• Transfer to Wieliczka Salt Mine
• Attend English guided tour underground
• Return to Krakow accommodation or city center

The experience

A van pulls up outside your hotel between 5:30 and 7:30 (the exact time confirmed by text the night before), and you climb in with up to 29 other travelers. The ride to Auschwitz-Birkenau takes about ninety minutes, and most of it you're watching a documentary about the camps on a small screen mounted in front. It's not comfortable viewing, but it frames what you're about to walk through. The museum's own guide meets you at Auschwitz I and leads the group for roughly two hours through the barracks, the records office, the crematorium. Then you transfer the short distance to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, where the same guide spends another hour walking you through the ruins of the gas chambers and the prisoner barracks. It's heavy work, emotionally and physically.

Between the two camps, you eat lunch: a lunchbox prepared that morning with chicken pasta salad, a sandwich, fruit, water, and a sweet bar. The operator handles dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free) if you flag them during booking. By early afternoon you're back in the van, heading south toward Wieliczka. The salt mine has been working for over 700 years, and your English-language tour starts at either 4pm or 5pm depending on traffic. You descend 378 wooden stairs to reach the first level, 64 meters down, and from there the route winds through chambers carved entirely from salt: some with statues, some with chandeliers, all of it pale and strange. The whole underground walk is about 2.5 kilometers and takes two and a half hours. It's cold down there, around 14 degrees Celsius, so the layers you wore matter. At the end, a lift carries you back to the surface.

Drop-off is back at your hotel or at a meeting point in Krakow's city center: Old Town or the Jewish Quarter if that's where you're staying. You're usually back by early evening, which means dinner in Krakow is still possible. The tickets to both sites are booked and guaranteed in advance, which is the whole point: you're not hunting for entry slots or worrying about sold-out days. The operator doesn't cancel these tours. Names on the tickets must match your ID exactly, so get that detail right during booking.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup within Krakow city limits, door-to-door transportation, guaranteed entry tickets to both Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine booked in advance, an English-speaking museum guide for Auschwitz I and II, an English-speaking guide for the salt mine tour, a prepared lunch with dietary options, and a documentary film about the camps during the drive. Drop-off is at your hotel or a central Krakow location.

Options for this experience

3 options

Lunch is not part of this tour optionGuide in English · Available from 2 Nov · 07:00The lunchbox is not included. Guaranteed entry tickets: entry tickets and the guided tour are booked ahead, entry is assured, and tours are never cancelled. Pickup is included.

Day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mine from Kraków, lunch includedGuide in English · Available from 2 Nov · 07:00Guaranteed entry tickets: the entry tickets and guided tour are reserved in advance, so entry is assured and tours are never cancelled. Pickup is included.

Last-minute option with a lunchboxGuide in English · Available from 2 Nov · 07:00Last-minute option with a lunchbox. Guaranteed entry tickets: entry tickets and the guided tour are booked ahead, entry is assured, and tours are never cancelled. Pickup is included.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (18 to 74 years) · Senior (75 and older) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 13 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 40

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availableNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Mr.Shuttle

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see both sites in one day without arranging separate tickets, transport, or timing yourself: the fixed schedule and guaranteed entry mean you're not spending the morning hunting for availability or worrying about sold-out slots.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years); Child (5 to 13 years); Infant (under 5).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What time does the day start?

Hotel pickup happens between 5:30 and 7:30am, depending on your accommodation location and the museum's entry time. The exact pickup time is confirmed by text and email the day before.

Is the Auschwitz guide included?

Yes. The museum provides an English-speaking guide for both Auschwitz I (about 2 hours) and Auschwitz II-Birkenau (about 1 hour).

What's included for lunch?

A prepared lunchbox with chicken pasta salad, sandwich, fruit, water, and a sweet bar. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options are available if requested during booking.

How deep does the salt mine go?

The first level is 64 meters underground, reached by descending 378 wooden stairs. The full route covers about 2.5 kilometers with around 800 steps total. A lift brings you back to the surface.

What time is the Wieliczka tour?

Either 4pm or 5pm, depending on road conditions and traffic from Auschwitz.

What's the group size?

Maximum 30 people per tour.

Are the tickets really guaranteed?

Yes. Entry tickets to both Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka are booked in advance and guaranteed. The operator does not cancel these tours.

What should I wear to the salt mine?

Warm clothes and comfortable shoes. The temperature underground is about 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit).

Can I bring a large backpack?

Bags and backpacks on the museum grounds must not exceed 30 x 20 x 10 cm. You can leave larger items on the bus, which is parked nearby.

When is this tour not available?

The tour does not operate on December 25, January 1, Easter Sunday, or during the March of the Living Day.