It’s a fantastic idea — Kraków and the Wieliczka Salt Mine are close to each other, and visiting both on the same day gives you a rich, varied experience: city history above ground and extraordinary underground salt interiors. For medium groups (7–30 people) the benefits are doubled: group tickets are usually easier to arrange, the guide cost spreads across more people, and you can keep both comfort and an energetic program. This guide will show you how to plan it smoothly and without stress.
This article contains practical information about reservations, visiting times, transport, recommended restaurants and a few simple rules that will help you avoid the most common organizational mistakes. If you prefer, at the end you’ll also find an invitation to contact private guide Małgorzata Kasprowicz — her offer and contact details are available on the Zwiedzanie Krakowa website.
The distance between Kraków city centre and the Wieliczka Salt Mine is roughly 10–13 km, which — with good organisation — makes for a comfortable coach or minibus transfer. Practically, you can plan a morning or afternoon entry to Wieliczka and a walk around Kraków in the other part of the day, or do it the other way around depending on your group’s preferences.
Wieliczka offers unique underground spaces: the tourist route covers several kilometres of walking and involves around 800 steps in total; underground temperature is steady at about 16–18°C. Keep that in mind when planning clothing and the pace of the visit.
For group organisers a big advantage is group pricing and booking rules — if you reserve in advance you can often get discounts and coordinate entry times so the whole group visits together.
Wieliczka Salt Mine: make group reservations in advance via the mine’s official booking system; the tourist route is a long walk with many stairs, underground temperature about 16–18°C, and total visiting time is usually counted as 3–4 hours including transfer and basic service. For school tickets there are often rules about free places for supervisors (e.g. 1 supervisor per a certain number of participants).
Wawel Royal Castle: from January 1, 2025 there are fixed fees for guided services for groups of up to 30 people — this is a flat cost for tours of exhibitions, so include this item in your budget.
City museums and branches (for example the Rynek Underground, Museum of Kraków) have group prices and limits on group size — many require reservation by email or via the ticketing system. Many municipal sites offer group discounts and separate fees for guiding that must be paid separately.
The cost of a city guide depends on length and programme; as a reference a short guided walk (~3 hours) can start from a few hundred PLN for the whole group — a useful budgeting benchmark.
Quick option (half day): depart in the morning for Wieliczka — visit the tourist route (approx. 2–3 hours) — return to Kraków for a short walk in Kazimierz or a brief visit to Wawel. This version suits groups with limited time or those arriving the same day.
Classic full day: Wawel in the morning (visit the hill and cathedral, optionally with a guide for the castle exhibitions), walk the Royal Route to the Main Market Square, lunch near the square or in Kazimierz, afternoon transfer to Wieliczka for the mine visit. This plan balances Kraków’s highlights with the underground attraction.
Thematic / offbeat day: visit Nowa Huta with a talk about its architecture, stop at a smaller thematic museum or special exhibition, lunch, then Wieliczka in the afternoon. Good for groups that want something different from the usual tourist trail.
Book Wieliczka tickets through the mine’s official booking system — this ensures legality and time-slot availability. For non-standard language needs or very large groups, contact the reservations office by email because language service may require prior confirmation.
Report groups to Wawel in advance — group bookings are processed in stages and often require notification several days or weeks ahead. Include the guide fee in your budget if you want a guided tour of the exhibitions.
For city museums and branches (e.g. Rynek Underground) check group limits and reservation rules — in some branches groups above a given size (e.g. 25–30 people) must be split or visit in designated shifts.
Make sure the restaurant confirms group service and prepares a set menu that accounts for allergies and diets (vegetarian, gluten-free). Keep reservation confirmations and contact numbers with you.
Check change and cancellation policies — for example at the Salt Mine changes of booking dates are allowed under specific conditions and within set deadlines. Build contingency time into the plan in case of transport delays.
Kraków has special tourist coach stops — these short stops are usually limited to about 10 minutes, so plan a longer pause at one of the coach parking areas (for example al. 3 Maja or ul. Kamienna). After a quick drop-off the coach should move to the coach parking area.
In Wieliczka there are coach parking areas near the mine (for example on Daniłowicza and Dembowskiego streets) — for larger groups reserve a spot or check parking fees in advance. When planning transfers allow time for transfers and possible traffic, especially during the high season.
Send participants clear pre-trip information: meeting place and time, estimated duration of attractions, recommended clothing (especially for Wieliczka — warmer layers), and the contact number of the person in charge. Good group-leader identifiers help with meetups — coloured wristbands, a distinctive umbrella or short reminders every 10–15 minutes keep the schedule on track.
Choose restaurants experienced in serving groups and offering set menus — this simplifies logistics and shortens waiting times. Reserve ahead and confirm numbers and dietary needs.
Examples of venues with a good reputation and group service options: Starka (Kazimierz) — they offer set menus for groups of about 9–30 people, which works well for small and medium groups; Pod Aniołami (Old Town) — a venue with cellar rooms and experience with larger group bookings. Both places should be booked in advance and menus agreed with the kitchen.
If you want something quick between attractions, pick cafés that allow table reservations or a hotel buffet lunch — these save time and help control the budget.
Not booking in advance — lack of spots in the Salt Mine or unavailable guide time can ruin the plan. Book tickets and restaurant tables well ahead, especially in high season.
Underestimating time — Wieliczka and city museums need time for walking and queues; always add a 30–60 minute buffer between items on the programme.
Not informing about stairs and temperature — tell the group that the mine is cooler and includes many steps; this is crucial for participants with mobility limits.
Unclear meeting place after visits — set one convenient meeting point and remind the group about it several times before leaving.
St. Kinga’s Chapel in Wieliczka sits more than 100 metres underground and is one of the locations that most often astonish visitors — include it in your programme description as it’s a real highlight.
The mine’s temperature does not change significantly throughout the year — even in summer bring a light jacket. That also means your visit schedule depends less on weather than above-ground walks do.
In some municipal sites group bookings have strict limits per tour or require splitting very large groups — check this in advance so participants aren’t surprised to view an exhibition in two smaller shifts.
How long does a visit to Wieliczka take? The tourist route underground usually takes about 2–3 hours; with transfer and movement between attractions plan for 3–4 hours.
Is the mine accessible for people with limited mobility? The standard route includes many stairs and isn’t fully accessible for all mobility limitations — contact the mine if your group includes people who need special assistance.
When should I book Wawel and museums? Book in advance — Wawel requests notifications no later than 14 days before the visit (depending on the exhibition), and city museums and the Salt Mine have their own booking rules; in season it’s best to confirm weeks ahead.
What to bring to Wieliczka? Comfortable shoes, a light jacket or sweater, water and a camera — remember luggage limits and safety guidelines for the underground route.
Plan the day with time buffers, confirm all reservations 7–14 days before departure and keep a list of contacts for the places where you booked tickets and meals. Clear communication with participants is half the success — SMS/e‑mail reminders and precise meeting instructions save a lot of stress.
If you’d like your days in Kraków and Wieliczka to run without surprises, you can use the help of private guide Małgorzata Kasprowicz — her offer and contact details are visible on the Zwiedzanie Krakowa website. Feel free to share this article with friends and on social media — if you have questions about a programme for your group, write and I’ll gladly help plan the details.
