What to Bring to Wieliczka Salt Mine - Clothes and Shoes

The question of what to bring to the Wieliczka Salt Mine usually comes up the evening before the trip, when the tickets have already been bought but a few doubts remain. Is it cold underground? Can you go down in sandals? Will a backpack with food for the whole family be allowed on the route? The answers decide whether three hours underground will be a pleasant walk or a wait for the lift back up. This applies to families with children as much as to couples and groups of friends.

Wieliczka is not an ordinary museum. The tour takes place at depths of 64 to 135 metres, at a constant temperature, with increased humidity and down several hundred steps. The mine’s regulations also have specific rules on luggage, animals and photography, which many people only learn about at the entrance to Daniłowicz Shaft (Szyb Daniłowicza).

In this article we have gathered everything you need to know before packing for the trip. We base it on the 2026 visitor regulations of the Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia Soli „Wieliczka”) and information from the mine’s official website, not on forums and guesswork. We cover clothing, footwear, luggage, things better left in the car, and the differences between the Tourist Route (Trasa Turystyczna) and the Miners’ Route (Trasa Górnicza).

Our view is simple. It is best to go into the mine travelling light, with one more layer than the weather on the surface suggests, in comfortable shoes and with a small bag. Everything else is better left in the car, parked right by the entrance.

What conditions are like underground

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most visited attractions in Poland and has been on the very first UNESCO World Heritage List since 1978. For visitors this means one thing. The routes are well prepared and well lit, but they still lead through a working mining site, where geological and mining law applies, not just museum conventions.

The visitor regulations describe conditions underground quite precisely. The average air temperature on the Tourist Route is about 17°C, and on the Miners’ Route about 15°C. Humidity reaches up to 75 per cent, and atmospheric pressure differs from that on the surface by about 18 hPa. The mine itself recommends clothing that keeps you comfortably warm. The official website wieliczka-saltmine.com gives a range of 17-18°C for the Tourist Route.

The second thing that affects your choice of clothing and luggage is the nature of the route. According to official information, the Tourist Route is about 3.5 km long with more than 800 steps, and the tour takes 2-3 hours on average, including the exhibition of the Kraków Saltworks Museum (Muzeum Żup Krakowskich). The descent down Daniłowicz Shaft to level I alone is 380 steps. The route ends on level III, at a depth of 135 metres, from where visitors return to the surface.

The third element is the rules on personal belongings. Only hand luggage measuring up to 35 x 20 x 20 cm may be taken underground. Larger bags, suitcases and pushchairs stay in the car, the coach or the left-luggage office.

These conditions translate into a few practical terms worth knowing before you travel. Daniłowicz Shaft is the building where the Tourist Route begins and where you will find the ticket offices, toilets and left-luggage office. A level is a successive floor of workings, counted downwards from the surface. Workings are the corridors and chambers dug out by miners, along which the route runs. A chamber is a larger space where the group stops for longer, and that is exactly when you feel the cold most quickly.

Most guides stop at the advice “take a jacket”. What they lack is a way of combining these three elements, namely temperature, effort and the luggage limit, into one practical list. That is what we try to provide here.

Underground temperature and dressing in layers

A constant temperature of about 17°C means the mine has the same conditions in July and in January. The difference lies in the weather you are coming down from. In summer, with 30 degrees on the Rynek Górny market square, the first minutes in the passages feel pleasantly cool, but after an hour standing in a chamber listening to the guide, a light T-shirt turns out to be too thin. In winter it is the other way round. After going down 380 steps, a thick down jacket becomes a burden you have to carry for the next 3 kilometres.

That is why layered clothing works best. In practice this means a short- or long-sleeved T-shirt, a thin sweatshirt or jumper and a light jacket that you can take off and tie around your waist. Long trousers are more comfortable than shorts, because the damp and the cold are felt most in the legs during stops.

How to dress in different seasons

In summer, a sweatshirt or thin jumper over a T-shirt is enough. In spring and autumn, a T-shirt, sweatshirt and windcheater work well. In winter it is worth leaving your thick jacket in the car and going underground in a fleece or jumper, as there is no cloakroom on the route and the temperature does not drop below the mid-teens.

People who feel the cold easily can add a thin scarf or shawl. They take up little space and fit in a small bag, and they are particularly useful in high chambers such as the Chapel of St. Kinga (Kaplica św. Kingi).

Weather on the surface	What to wear underground	What to leave in the car
Hot (above 25°C)	T-shirt, long trousers, thin sweatshirt in your bag	Cap, sunglasses, large bottle of water
Spring, autumn (10-20°C)	T-shirt, sweatshirt, light windcheater	Umbrella, spare socks
Winter (below 5°C)	Long-sleeved T-shirt, fleece or jumper	Thick jacket, hat, gloves
Rain	Layers as in spring, shoes with dry soles	Wet raincoat, umbrella

Shoes for 800 steps

Footwear matters more than a jacket. More than 800 steps, 380 of them right at the start, and about 3.5 km of walking on wooden steps and salt floors make up a route on which uncomfortable shoes make themselves felt within a quarter of an hour.

Trainers with a flat, grippy sole work best, or comfortable everyday shoes that have already been worn in. New shoes, however good, are better saved for another occasion. Blisters after three hours of walking up and down stairs are a common reason for cutting short the rest of a visit to Wieliczka.

What to avoid

We advise against high heels, flip-flops, backless sandals and shoes with very slippery soles. The steps are secured and well lit, but in some places the floor can be damp, and in a crowd it is hard to pay full attention to every step. People planning to go out to a restaurant in the evening can bring a second pair of shoes and leave it in the car.

A good test is to ask whether you could comfortably spend a whole day walking around town in a given pair of shoes. If so, they are also fine for the mine. For children it is worth choosing lace-up or Velcro shoes that hold the foot, rather than fashionable unstructured trainers.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the mine’s official website describes the tour as not requiring above-average fitness. Tired feet are usually a bigger problem than breathlessness, so comfortable shoes matter more than any training beforehand.

Luggage and the 35 x 20 x 20 cm limit

The 2026 visitor regulations state clearly that only hand luggage with maximum dimensions of 35 x 20 x 20 cm is allowed in the mine workings. That is roughly the size of a small city backpack or a shoulder bag. A large hiking backpack, holdall or suitcase will not be allowed on the route.

Under the regulations, larger luggage, including pushchairs and suitcases, must be left in the car, the coach or the left-luggage office. The mine runs a left-luggage office in the “Górnik” building as well as automatic lockers by the Daniłowicz Shaft building. However, the regulations point out that the mine does not guarantee the availability of lockers in the automatic left-luggage area. In the high season, with full groups, there may be no free lockers.

The car as the simplest left-luggage option

For those arriving by car, the most convenient solution is to leave everything you do not need in the boot. The distance from the car park to the entrance then becomes important. The car park 30 m from Daniłowicz Shaft lets you put a jacket or shopping back in the boot at the last minute and return to the meeting point without rushing. The car park has 24/7 CCTV, so belongings left in a locked car are monitored for the whole of your visit.

The regulations also point out that luggage must not be left unattended on mine premises. An abandoned bag or backpack may be treated as a potentially dangerous object, which ends with the police being called.

What to pack in a small bag

Since space is limited, it is worth thinking about what goes in your bag. The list of things that are genuinely useful underground is short.

• A small bottle of water, as the air in the mine is damp and salty and the route takes several hours.
• A thin sweatshirt or scarf, if you are not wearing them from the start.
• A phone or camera for photos.
• Tickets on your phone or printed out, plus any document entitling you to a concession.
• Tissues and any regular medication.
• A small snack for children.

There is no mobile signal underground. The mine’s official website says that a designated spot has been set up with free Wi-Fi and the option of making calls. For this reason it is worth having your tickets saved offline on your phone or printed out, and arranging a specific time and meeting place in advance with anyone outside your group.

Before going down, visitors receive audio devices for listening to the guide, which must be handed back at the end of the route. The regulations provide for a charge for a lost or damaged device, so it is worth keeping a free pocket or space in your bag for it, so that you do not lose it while taking photos.

Photos, restrictions and things to leave on the surface

According to the 2026 regulations, taking photos and filming for private purposes is permitted while touring the workings. However, using photos and recordings for commercial purposes without the mine’s consent is prohibited. Anyone planning a photo shoot or a recording for publication should contact the mine beforehand. In practice, phone photos come out well in the lit chambers, but it is worth having a charged battery, as over several hours people usually take more photos than they planned. A small power bank will fit in your bag without exceeding the limit.

The list of prohibited items includes weapons, pyrotechnic, explosive, flammable and toxic materials, alcohol and other intoxicating substances. In the workings, open flames, smoking and the use of e-cigarettes are not permitted. Drinking alcohol is prohibited outside designated areas.

Animals are not allowed into the mine, with the exception of assistance dogs and guide dogs. The regulations advise against pushchairs because of the steps, so a baby carrier is often more convenient for small children.

Health before going down

The regulations also list people who should consult a doctor before visiting. These are pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses, in particular claustrophobia, severe respiratory or circulatory insufficiency and epilepsy. The tour takes place in a confined space, with narrow passages and a ride in a miners’ lift.

The Miners’ Route compared with the Tourist Route

The Miners’ Route is a different kind of trip and requires slightly different preparation. The regulations give an average temperature of about 15°C for it, two degrees lower than on the Tourist Route. According to accounts published by RMF24, among others, participants change into miners’ overalls in a changing room and are given a helmet, a lamp and a protective breathing device.

This means your own jacket is less necessary here, but it is worth wearing comfortable, thin clothing under the overalls that does not restrict your movement. Shoes matter even more, as the route involves physical tasks and stretches of uneven ground. The rules on hand luggage are the same as on the Tourist Route.

According to material published to promote the route, it is open to participants aged 10 and over, and the whole expedition takes about three hours. Before buying a ticket, it is worth confirming the current conditions on the mine’s website, as they concern age, the group’s language and the number of participants. For families with younger children, the Tourist Route remains the more predictable option, as you can bring a baby carrier and leave heavier items on the surface.

How to pack in three steps

The simplest way to a successful day at the mine is to split your things into three groups while packing at home. The first group is the clothing you wear on the route, meaning layers and tried and tested shoes. The second is a small bag with water, a phone and tickets. The third is everything else that stays in the car, including a thick jacket, shopping, an umbrella and spare shoes.

When travelling by car, it is worth planning to arrive at least 30 minutes before your entry time. That is enough time to park, sort out your things, use the toilets at Daniłowicz Shaft and walk calmly to the meeting point. In the high season, when traffic in the centre of Wieliczka is heavy, the Salt Mine car park with online booking guarantees you a space. A ticket with a QR code arrives by email and is shown at the entrance, and entry is possible from 7:00 to 18:00. Exit is available around the clock, so after the tour you can stay in town for dinner without any rush.

Two hours of parking is usually not enough once you add the walk, waiting for your group and 2-3 hours of sightseeing. A full-day ticket is the safer choice, especially if your plans also include the Saltworks Castle (Zamek Żupny), about 4 minutes’ walk from the car park, or a stroll to the Rynek Górny square, about 7 minutes away. We say more about parking options in town in our article on parking in Wieliczka.

Anyone planning lunch after leaving the mine can leave smarter clothes in the car to change into. After three hours in damp, salty air, a fresh T-shirt can be a welcome change. We have collected ideas for a meal nearby in our article on where to eat in Wieliczka.

The biggest challenge is often coordinating a family or a group of friends. A good idea is to send everyone a short list the day before of what to bring and what to leave behind, along with the luggage limit. This avoids a situation where one person has to take a large backpack back to the car just before the entry time.

Changes to the visitor regulations

For years the mine has been expanding what it offers and adapting its rules to growing visitor numbers. The visitor regulations are updated every year, and the 2026 version includes, among other things, detailed rules on using the audio guide devices and on buying a lift ride down or up in Daniłowicz Shaft, although the mine does not guarantee this service to everyone who wants it.

It is likely that more and more of the formalities will move online. Online tickets are already standard, as is booking a parking space for a specific day. For visitors this means less waiting at the ticket offices, but also a greater need to prepare in advance, as there is less room for improvisation on the spot at the height of the season.

Interest is also growing in adventure-style routes such as the Miners’ Route, and in tours adapted for people with reduced mobility. Each of these has its own requirements for clothing and footwear, so before you travel it is always worth checking the current regulations on the mine’s website. The rules on luggage and the temperature, however, have stayed much the same for years and can be relied on when planning.

The constant temperature and humidity result from the nature of the salt deposit, so they will not change from one season to the next. What can change are the opening hours, ticket prices and the availability of extra services such as the lift ride or space in the left-luggage office. That is why it is a good habit to check the mine’s website the day before you travel.

What to bring to the mine at a glance

The answer to the question of what to bring to the Wieliczka Salt Mine comes down to a few simple rules. Underground there is a constant temperature of about 17°C on the Tourist Route and about 15°C on the Miners’ Route, with humidity of up to 75 per cent. Layered clothing that you can take off or add during the tour therefore works best.

Shoes matter more than a jacket. The route is about 3.5 km long with more than 800 steps, 380 of them on the descent alone. Comfortable, worn-in footwear with grippy soles makes all the difference to the whole visit.

The regulations only allow luggage up to 35 x 20 x 20 cm to be taken underground. Large backpacks, suitcases and pushchairs stay in the car or in the left-luggage office, where the mine does not guarantee free lockers. That is why, for those arriving by car, the simplest solution is the boot of a car parked close to the entrance.

So we come back to the point made at the start. It is best to go down into the mine travelling light, with one extra layer and in comfortable shoes. Such a list fits on a single sheet of paper and works whatever the season. With good preparation, three hours underground are spent admiring the salt chambers, not thinking about cold hands or sore feet. Before you travel, it is worth taking a moment to book a parking space in Wieliczka and check the current visiting hours on the mine’s website.

Questions about preparing for your visit

Is it cold in the Wieliczka Salt Mine?

The average temperature on the Tourist Route is about 17°C, and on the Miners’ Route about 15°C. In summer it feels cool, in winter pleasantly warm. A light sweatshirt is enough all year round. The cold is felt most during longer stops in the chambers, so people who feel the cold easily can add a thin scarf or an extra layer.

Can I enter the mine with a large backpack?

No. The visitor regulations only allow hand luggage up to 35 x 20 x 20 cm. Larger bags have to be left in the car, at the left-luggage office in the “Górnik” building or in the automatic lockers by Daniłowicz Shaft. The mine does not guarantee free lockers, especially in the high season. A small city backpack or shoulder bag usually fits within the limit, but if it is borderline, it is better to measure it at home.

Does my phone work in the mine?

There is no mobile signal underground. The mine has set up a designated spot with free Wi-Fi, but it is better to have your tickets saved offline. With anyone not going underground, it is worth agreeing on a time and meeting point before you go in.

Can I take photos in the mine?

Yes, the 2026 regulations allow photos and videos for private use. Using them for commercial purposes requires the mine’s consent. A charged phone or a small power bank comes in handy, as people usually take a lot of photos. In a crowd, a tripod and a flash are more of a hindrance than a help.

How many steps are there on the Tourist Route?

According to the mine’s official website, more than 800, of which 380 are on the descent down Daniłowicz Shaft to level I. The remaining steps are spread along the roughly 3.5 km route, and you return to the surface by miners’ lift.

Can I take my dog into the mine?

No. Animals are not admitted, with the exception of assistance dogs and guide dogs for blind and partially sighted people. During the visit the dog must therefore be left in someone else’s care, never alone in a hot car. A few hours of sightseeing is too long even on a cooler day.

Do I need special clothing for the Miners’ Route?

You do not need to bring any. Participants are given miners’ overalls, a helmet and a lamp on site, and it is worth wearing comfortable, thin clothing underneath and good shoes. The average temperature on this route is about 15°C, and some of the tasks require freedom of movement.