Yes — if you want to feel Kraków’s history under your feet and experience a true underground adventure in Wieliczka. The Market Underground tells the story of medieval city life through excavations and exhibits. Wieliczka, on the other hand, is an underground world of chapels, chambers and salt sculptures, unique on a global scale. Visiting with a licensed guide turns these places into more than museums — they become stories full of context, anecdotes and practical tips for school groups and families.
If you are planning a school trip, a family visit or simply want to see the most interesting underground sites in Kraków and nearby — you’re in the right place. Below you’ll find practical information and advice based on guiding experience and official information from the sites.
- A friendly guide helps turn dry dates into living history, engaging and understandable for every age.
- All the main underground routes are accessible only with a guide — it’s worth planning your visit with someone who knows the sites and the rules for visiting.
- If you come with children or organise a school trip, a short practical guide and a few activity ideas help keep attention and order.
My name is Małgorzata Kasprowicz and I have been a licensed guide in Kraków since 2012. I have led thousands of visitors — individuals, families and school groups — and run tours with passion, humour and care so that everyone takes something interesting away.
On ZwiedzanieKrakowa.com you can find descriptions of my routes, sample programs and information about available services — including audio headset sets that make work with large groups easier. I hold permissions to guide in the city’s main branches and museums — including the Market Underground and several museum branches in Kraków.
What you get when you choose me as your guide: practical explanations, a pace adjusted to your group, anecdotes and tasks for students — everything to make the visit engaging and safe.
- For school groups I prepare programs adapted to age and educational goals — a history lesson can be interactive and engaging.
- I assist with logistics for trips outside Kraków, e.g., to Wieliczka — I’ll advise how to plan time, transport and a meal break.
The Market Underground is a modern archaeological museum located beneath the surface of the Main Market Square. It’s where excavations meet storytelling about trade, crafts and everyday life in the medieval city.
What to know before your visit:
- The museum covers several thousand square metres, and the archaeological reserve is one of the main attractions under the Market Square.
- The route “Following the European identity of Kraków” shows connections between Kraków and important medieval European centres — trade, crafts and daily life.
- The Underground is excellent for school groups — the exhibit is vivid and full of artefacts that help tell the story.
Practical on-site tips:
- Book your date in advance, especially for school groups — popular time slots fill up quickly.
- The museum route includes narrow passages and lower ceilings — make sure students wear comfortable shoes and are prepared for short walks.
- For large groups I recommend audio headsets — they make the guide easier to hear even in a crowd.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is an underground world of chambers, corridors and salt sculptures — a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a great way to extend a Kraków visit with a truly “underground” adventure.
Some practical facts useful for planning a trip:
- Wieliczka is roughly 10–13 km from central Kraków — travel by coach usually takes a few dozen minutes depending on traffic.
- The tourist route covers several kilometres underground; along the route visitors may climb roughly 800–1000 steps (many at the beginning), so prepare students for physical activity and short, regular breaks.
- Visits are always conducted with a guide, and groups have maximum sizes — this matters when booking large classes.
- Underground temperature usually ranges from about 14–18°C — bring light sweaters so children stay comfortable.
- The length of the tourist route is typically about 1.5–3.5 hours depending on the chosen option and additional activities.
Practical tips:
- Plan time for both the descent and the return — in my experience the full route plus rest in lower chambers takes several hours.
- For younger classes choose a shorter, easier version of the route and inform teachers in advance about stairs and duration.
- Book tickets well in advance and check availability for your planned date to avoid unpleasant surprises.
A few practical tips that have worked well on many school outings:
- Manage pace and breaks — children remember more when short activities and rest times are included.
- Divide the class into smaller groups with supervisors — this makes moving through museums and the Wieliczka stairs easier.
- Prepare short educational tasks — quizzes, searching for details in exhibits, drawing a favourite item — these engage students and help them remember key facts.
- Set clear safety rules before going underground — from knowing the route to who to notify in case of need.
- Pack a first-aid kit and spare shoes or clothes for children — underground conditions can be damp and cooler than above ground.
- If you plan to visit Wieliczka after exploring Kraków’s centre — reserve a separate time block for this, taking transport and a meal break into account.
- Reservations: to avoid problems, book early — both Market Underground tickets and Wieliczka entrances fill up fast in season and on weekdays for school groups.
- Costs: group and school tickets often have reduced rates — check current prices at the museum ticket offices or when booking.
- Audio equipment: for groups larger than a dozen people it’s worthwhile to use headset sets — I work with these sets, which improve the visiting comfort in crowded places.
- Transport: when planning a trip to Wieliczka, consider coach parking and travel time.
- Safety: remember room capacity limits in some chambers and the rules of visiting — a guide will help adapt the route and group behaviour to site requirements.
A licensed guide is not just someone who knows dates and places — they know how to present information in an accessible way, adjust language to the age of participants and manage the logistics of the visit.
- Safety and formalities: a guide knows museum regulations, group size limits and rules for moving through sites.
- Quality of storytelling: a licensed guide can combine facts with local anecdotes and curiosities so the trip stays memorable.
- Organisational support: for larger groups a guide helps synchronise tickets, transport and breaks, saving time and the supervisors’ nerves.
- For schools — it’s an investment in an engaging lesson outside the classroom that students will remember.
1) Short option (younger classes) - Walk along the Royal Route, an educational game on the Market, a brief visit to the Market Underground — total time 2–3 hours.
2) Older classes - Royal Route + full visit to the Market Underground + transfer to Wieliczka and a chosen route in the mine — a full day.
3) Thematic trip - “In the footsteps of royal trade” or “In the footsteps of craft” — a program built around exhibits and tasks tied to a specific historical period.
For every variant I can help prepare pre-trip materials and short on-site tasks that increase student engagement.
- I will gladly adapt the route to school curricula and teachers’ guidelines.
If you want to organise a school trip, a family visit or an educational sightseeing tour — please contact me via ZwiedzanieKrakowa.com, where you can find my route offers and contact details.
What I provide when you book a group:
- A clear, tailored program and a daily schedule.
- Help booking tickets to the Market Underground and the Wieliczka Salt Mine and guidance about transport.
- Headset sets for larger groups and practical logistical solutions.
- Materials for students and suggestions for educational activities.
I’m happy to answer questions and help plan every detail — from the meeting time to an idea for a safe meal break. I invite you to discover Kraków with me — above ground and in the underground!
