Things to do in Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
The Auschwitz-Birkenau complex has left its inglorious mark on human history. A symbol of the Holocaust, during its five years of operation over a million Jews, along with Poles, Romani and other groups, were systematically killed by German Occupiers in WWII. Confronting and emotionally charged, a visit to the complex is an essential part of the human experience.
Composed of two sections, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, together they convey the magnitude of the compound. Auschwitz I was the main site opened in 1940 with the now infamous sign on its gate Arbeit macht frei (‘Work sets you free’). It held the first camps, the offices of the SS and was where criminal medical experiments and the first gassings using Zyklon B took place. Auschwitz II-Birkenau came later and for all intents and purposes became an extermination camp. The remains of its gas chambers and crematorium, along with primitive barracks, can still be seen.
Since 1947 this site has become a memorial and museum dedicated to the many victims of Auschwitz. Both camps require at least 90 minutes each to gain a comprehensive understanding of the events that took place here. With over two million visitors per year, it’s well advised to book in advance.
Our recommendations in Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Use a convenient shuttle bus and visit Auschwitz - Birkenau Concentration Camp by yourself. It is the fastest and the most comfortable way to get there from Krakow,
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Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial full-day guided tour from Kraków
Visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial with this fully organised tour from Kraków. This experience includes transportation and an English-speaking guide.
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Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial guided tour from Krakow
Book a guided tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial from Krakow. Follow a licensed guide and visit the concentration camp.
en
Auschwitz-Birkenau Spanish Guided Tour with Hotel Pick-Up
Visit the former concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau with a fully organized day tour from Krakow with a professional German-speaking educator.
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Use a convenient shuttle bus and visit Auschwitz - Birkenau Concentration Camp by yourself. It is the fastest and the most comfortable way to get there from Krakow,
en, pl
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial full-day guided tour from Kraków
Visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial with this fully organised tour from Kraków. This experience includes transportation and an English-speaking guide.
en, it, fr, es, de, +1 pl
Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial guided tour from Krakow
Book a guided tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial from Krakow. Follow a licensed guide and visit the concentration camp.
en
Auschwitz-Birkenau Spanish Guided Tour with Hotel Pick-Up
Visit the former concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau with a fully organized day tour from Krakow with a professional German-speaking educator.
es
Auschwitz and Salt Mine guided tour with pickup from Krakow
Experience a poignant tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. Hear about the history of salt mining amongst impressive salt structures and more.
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Auschwitz-Birkenau guided tour with pick-up from Krakow
Visit the Auschwitz Museum and Birkenau Camp in Oświęcim during your tour from Krakow. Book your tickets online and learn more about the history of Poland with a professional guide.
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Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow with lunch
Uncover Poland's history with a guided tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine with lunch included. Book now for an unforgettable day of exploration!
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Auschwitz-Birkenau French Guided Tour with Hotel Pick-Up
Visit the former concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau with a fully organized day tour from Krakow with a professional French-speaking educator.
fr
Auschwitz-Birkenau Italian Guided Tour with Hotel Pick-Up
Visit the former concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau with a fully organized day tour from Krakow with a professional Italian-speaking educator.
it
Auschwitz-Birkenau German Guided Tour with Hotel Pick-Up
Visit the former concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau with a fully organized day tour from Krakow with a professional German-speaking educator.
de
Auschwitz-Birkenau English Guided Tour with Hotel Pick-Up
Visit the former concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau with a fully organized day tour from Krakow with a professional English-speaking educator.
en
Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour with Pickup
Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine in one day from Krakow.
en
How to get there
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Krakow
Poland
Reviews Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
“We had booked the tour with a 6am collection time, which got changed the day before to 4am. We didn't realise that booking with the tour group meant we wouldn't actually have tickets, so we got to aushwitz at 545am to get to the ticket office at 9am to be given a 1230 tour time. The tour itself was brilliant and the guide was very knowledgeable, but the experience and waiting and tiredness made it hard to fully appreciate. We would have been better booking directly through the aushwitz website”
“When we arrived at auchvitz we're told that if we wanted a English guide then we had to wait 5 hours so we had to go round with a polish guide who we didn't understand and rushed round then we had the same guide at the second place. The place was amazing but the experience for the cost was very disappointing”
“While the transport & organisation to the site was excellent I didn't feel the experience met my expectations. The guide seemed bored. Repeated the same information multiple times. It felt rushed; we were always being moved along when surely visiting a place such as this necessitated time and reflection.”
“The tour itself was very good. But the pick up contractor was diabolical. We booked an early tour so we could have a nice evening in town after the tour to let the experience of Auschwitz sink in. Had to call TUI to find out what time pick up was. Then 1hrs later got text from pick up and said tour was delayed by 2hrs. Then following morning another text to say it had been delayed again by another 2 Hours. Got back to hotel at 21:00. Too late for us to at our age to enjoy the sert of the evening”
