During the Auschwitz tour from Krakow you will visit a shocking place that witnessed unimaginable human suffering and pain. The camp in Auschwitz was established in occupied Poland in mid 1940, initially for Polish political prisoners. In 1942, it was the prime target of the extermination of Jews in occupied Poland. In January 1945, the camp was closed, absorbed in unimaginable human loss.
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial of Holocaust and tragedy of World War II
In this former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, they murdered more than a million people (including over a million Jews, nearly 100,000 Poles and many other nations). The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum is one of the most memorable places in the world to commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust. It is also a place where the fates and sufferings of many nations affected by World War II are intertwined.
Testimonials: I visited Krakow in June, 2019 with some friends. I’d heard that one can’t visit Krakow without visiting Auschwitz. We were late to get our tour set up, but Seweryn came through! He was highly recommended by a friend, and he didn’t disappoint.
He set us up with an early morning 3.5 hour tour of Auschwitz/Birkineau. We were set up with shuttle buses leaving from Krakow. Drivers were courteous and buses were clean. It was easy to set up a pick-up point near to our Air BNB that was located on a no-traffic street. The tour guide at Auschwitz was a guide employed at the memorial site.
Guided Auschwitz Birkenau tour from Krakow includes:
- hotel/hostel pick-up
- professional Museum guide
- hotel/hostel drop-off
Duration
- 7 – 8 hours (approx.)
Rates
Guided tour with private transport. The tour includes the convenience of private transport and visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau with a regular tour led by the Museum’s guide. Price: 525 zloties per person (minimum 2 people)
FULL TOUR DESCRIPTION
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum is a place that for several years of its existence witnessed the death of over 1 million people. Visiting the camp in Auschwitz makes you at least partially aware of the scale of genocide carried out by the Nazis in occupied Poland. I invite you to read the detailed plan of the tour to Auschwitz from Krakow.
The tour starts in Krakow when we pick up our guests from the hotel. The journey by car to Auschwitz takes just over an hour (the distance is about 70 km). After arriving at the place the proper part of the tour begins. The first stage of the tour involves visiting the Auschwitz I camp, and then we will go to Auschwitz II – Birkenau (Brzezinka) which is about 3 km away.
AUSCHWITZ TOUR FROM KRAKOW
During the tour we will learn about the history of the camp, which was first established for Polish political prisoners, and in 1942 it was transformed into the main camp for the extermination of Jews. In Auschwitz-Birkenau over 1 million people died in total. They were mainly Jews (about 1 million), but also Poles (about 70 thousand), Roma (about 21 thousand) and people of many other nationalities. By 1945, when the camp was liberated, only about 7.5 thousand prisoners had survived. Many of them went home immediately after regaining freedom, while others were placed in makeshift hospitals where they recovered.
Some witnesses of those events are still alive today, and on successive anniversaries of the liberation of the camp, they meet at the site to participate in ceremonies commemorating the events of those years. Former prisoners still have camp numbers tattooed on their arms, which, apart from the memories, are indelible proof that the events in Auschwitz really took place.
“Arbeit macht frei”
Even before the tour begins, we can see the gate with the inscription “Arbeit macht frei”, meaning “work makes you free”. Prisoners saw this inscription every day going out to work in the commandos and coming back in the evening. This inscription also appeared on the gates to other German Nazi concentration camps. After the war it became a symbol of the German Nazi concentration camp system, and later also a symbol of Nazi extermination.
A visit to the Auschwitz camp includes a tour of the museum section, which contains, among other things, photographs taken of prisoners and numerous items taken from them during their admission to the camp. These include ordinary things such as shoes, suitcases, and toys, as prisoners were not allowed to carry anything of their own. Newly arrived prisoners were given their number, which was tattooed on their arm, and striped clothing identical to their fellow prisoners.
During the tour of the camp, you can see photos of the prisoners, learn about their daily life in the camp, and learn about the experiments the Nazis performed on the prisoners. Viewing all the elements of the exhibition and the camp buildings is an experience that remains in the memory for a long time. This place makes a huge impression on visitors, showing the scale of the Holocaust.
Auschwitz II – Birkenau (Brzezinka)
After visiting the first part of the camp we will go to Auschwitz II – Birkenau (Brzezinka). It is there that you will be able to see the most horrible places in the camp – the wooden barracks where prisoners lived, but most of all the gas chambers and crematoria. It was there that millions of people of various nationalities, especially Jews, died, and the scale of extermination still evokes horror. Within the camp in Birkenau, railroad tracks have also been preserved, along which successive prisoners, sentenced to extermination, were transported in cattle cars.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A tour to Auschwitz from Krakow starts and ends in the royal city, in the place agreed upon by the participants. It can be a hotel or any other place where the visitors stay. The price of the tour includes transport, a ticket and visiting Auschwitz with a guide.
The entire tour takes about 7-8 hours. This time also includes travel, and the tour of both parts of the camp itself takes about three and a half hours. The trip to tour to Auschwitz from Krakow costs 45 Eur per person.
Most of the visit to the camp takes place outdoors, so it is very important to adjust your clothing to the weather conditions. It is advisable to take care of appropriate footwear, since the ground within the camp has been preserved in its original condition. You should therefore take into account that there may be mud or puddles and therefore it is a good idea to wear appropriate footwear. You should also adjust your dress to the character of the place, preserving due respect for the place of remembrance, which is the site of the camp. Before entering the Auschwitz site, for security reasons, every tourist is subject to personal and luggage inspection.
Important information about Auschwitz tour from Krakow
How long the tour takes?
Around 3,5 hour. You will visit both Auschwitz and Birkenau (which is about 3,5 kilometers from the Concentration Camp).
What can I take with me?
Small bags are permitted. Please notice that in Auschwitz is strict security control. You are allowed to take with you only small backpacks, bags (must not exceed 30x20x10 cm) and personal belongings (ex. wallet, mobile). Other things (ex. suitcases) you can leave in a car.
Is there a dress code in Auschwitz?
No, but please remember this is the Memorial place, therefore you should dress appropriately. Please cover shoulders, in the summer season wear dresses or skirts below the knee.
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