Wieliczka Salt Mine

It will make for a full day of walking. Auschwitz is about 3 hours not counting the wait and travel time. Salt mines are about 1 hour away plus about 2 hours tour (I think). Add 1-2 hours if you want to eat lunch.

The salt mines are fascinating and absolutely worthwhile. But I think visiting Auschwitz and Wieliczka in the same day is too much. It's a lot of walking in both places, and Auschwitz can be emotionally draining. It's not a place to rush through.

If you've never seen an elaborately detailed salt mine, its about as good a one as you'll find. But its hard to justify the time and effort it takes to get there and back, compared to all the above ground sights to see. IMO.

In my opinion take a guided tour usually something your hotel will set you up with. Doing it yourself might sound good, it just doesn't work well. In the first place it isn't that expense with a tour. We have been on three tours of Auschwitz throughout the years with different people. You either meet or are picked up by a small bus and driven out to Auschwitz. The timelines differ but first off you tour Auschwitz. It does take a few hours at the main camp and then back on the bus to Auschwitz Birkenau. You will spend a few hours here. Then back to Krakow. I remember getting back in midafternoon. Around four. Planning on a visit to the salt mines is just not practical. Again, setup a tour to the mines with your hotel. Not that expense and you go with confidence that you will get in and get back with no problems. I urge you to go to the mines. Something you will never see anywhere else. We were in Krakow the end of June and crowds with way down. An idea time to see Poland.

IMO, both the salt mines and Auschwitz are easily visited independently, but I would think near impossible to do in one day. You can take a bus from the Krakow bus station to Auschwitz. Buy a ticket in advance. A tour guide is provided at Auschwitz.

If you feel you need to do both on this trip and must do them in one day, the, the best way to accomplish that is to find a formal tour that does both in one day, if there is one.

Do both but not on the same day.

Thanks so much.

We did Auschwitz in one rather exhausting day. We went to the salt mine and a very interesting folk village called a skansen that is nearby on another day.