I got several emails regarding my last posts and people were wondering about how easy it is to get to Auschwitz, things they should know etc. So here are a few tips for visiting the concentration camps for those who may find themselves in the region and interested in going.
Also if you want to read more about the visit there, please free to also check out my posts on Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau as well.
Of note, I’ve been working on a longer Visitor Guide Post to Auschwitz that is worth checking out too. Let me know what you think.
Tour Options & Transportation Options
There are many options for getting to Auschwitz, you can take an organized tour at one of the tourist agencies in Krakow or take the bus or train on your own.
If you decide to take an organized tour, note the cost and how much time you are going to have at the camps. Remember that it takes about 1.25 – 1.5 hours each way to and from Auschwitz. Generally, these tours include the museum tour although you are still going to pay significantly more than you would pay to do it independently (and you’ll have to adhere to the tour company’s schedule). But if you feel more comfortable with an organized option there are tons available and easy to book while in Krakow. A good place to book tours is the tourist info booth in the Cloth Hall in the old market square.
Visiting Auschwitz Independently
If you decide to go independently, I would recommend taking the bus. The bus and train station are near each other in Krakow and the will drop you near the entrance to the museum (while the train station is 2km away). Look for buses that say Auschwitz or Oświęcim (the polish city name).
The buses are also really cheap. It cost us 10 zł one direction and 12 zł the other.
Buses
You can get bus schedules at the tourist info booth explained above in the Cloth Hall. Make sure to get to the bus early, as they fill up pretty quickly. We got aboard about 20mins before departure and we were full about 10minutes before departure (and they even let extra people in the bus for standing, but who wants to stand for 1.5 hrs.). There are both mini-buses and regular buses and they go at different schedules so the bus at your preferred time might not have a lot of room. There are generally buses and mini-buses about every half hour (less frequently with the large PKSiS buses) until about 8pm in the high season and less frequently in the low season.
All buses back to Krakow arrive and leave from Auschwitz I. So please do keep that in mind if you are in Auschwitz II and it is getting late in the day. You still need to get back to Auschwitz I to catch your transportation back.
Buy a one-way ticket. There are multiple bus companies that service the Auschwitz route and each has a different cost (about 10-12 zł) so not buying a return ticket up front gives you some options with your return times. Also works out well in case you need to take the train back to Krakow.
Trains
There is a train option too if it is too long between buses (the train and bus stations in Krakow are near each other), but the Oświęcim train station is 2 kilometers from the museum. You should plan for the added time in your schedule.
The train costs about 15zł for each way and has a fair bit of options in terms of getting between the sites. Check here to see the latest schedule and book your train ticket.
By Car
Driving is certainly an option to Auschwitz. It takes about 1 – 1.5 hrs from Krakow to get to Oświęcim (the Polish name for the city). There is parking near Auschwitz I. You could also park in various areas on the street.
Visiting the Camps
If you want to visit the museum by yourself unguided during peak season (April 1 – October 31) you need to enter the museum before 10 am or after 3 pm. These days however you need to book through the official website for the free ticket. Select “Tour for individuals without an educator”. I understand the reason for the change but it is a bit of an annoyance (since people often book and don’t show up since it’s free).
The entrance to the museum is free, although the guided tour of the museum is 85 zł (75zł for students) and includes the film. For Polish it’s 75zł (65zł for students). Supposedly you can pay for the film separately although I swear I saw nowhere to do that. They just ended up letting us in when we asked about buying tickets for it.
Tickets can be booked up to 3 months in advance. So if you know your dates, it is recommended to book your slot as soon as you can. Times fill up regularly.
The guided tours run several times during the day. They seem to change a bit depending on the peak season, but officially the English tours run at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, and 13:20. Polish tours run at 11:00 and 13:30. French, German, Italian, and Spanish tours run at 12:30. The film screens every 30 minutes but does alternate to different languages, so verify the language before going in.
If you want to book a guided tour at the camps, particularly during the high season, you need to book these ahead of time through the Auschwitz Museum Website. The tours can fill up fast (particularly English), so this is a good way of guaranteeing your spot. I’ve seen them start more tours (if guides are available), but this is not guaranteed.
To get between the camps there is a free shuttle bus. It runs generally twice an hour and takes visitors to the gates of both camps. You can alternatively walk between the camps if you prefer.
Also, remember that traveling to Auschwitz from Krakow is a full day affair. Expect to spend a total of 6 – 8 hours for the visit. It takes about 1.25 – 1.5 hrs. each way to and from the camp, and then expect to spend at least 4 – 6 hours visiting the camps. It is an exhausting day both mentally and physically, so plan accordingly. Several people, I had met thought they would try to do several things in one day (like the camps and the salt mines) only to later realize how impractical that is.
While in the Camp
Photography
Photography is allowed in the camps. But please do be respectful. There are several places where they ask you to refrain from taking photos, and please do. Remember this a place where millions of people suffered and died, so tread carefully.
How to Dress
There is no specific dress policy for Auschwitz. However, in terms of what to wear it is recommended to dress respectfully for the location. It is a place for many people lost their lives.
Be sure to wear comfortable footwear as you will be walking around a lot, particularly on uneven ground. Birkenau can be especially muddy, so plan for that as well. Your shoes may get pretty dirty.
Be sure to also dress season and weather appropriately as you will be outdoors much of the time.
What to do with your Bags?
Small bags are permitted to be carried with you. But larger bags will need to be stored. There are lockers on-site, although they can fill up. Price for luggage lockers are 5 zł.
Other Things of Note
Food options do exist at Auschwitz I (there are no options by Auschwitz II). The cafeteria at the museum that serves some hearty (and what I thought heavy) meals. There is also a hotel nearby that also does lunch (and breakfast if you get there before the museum opens).
There are hotels in Oświęcim and at least one very close to the museum (Hotel Olecki). Although honestly, there isn’t much to do in the town in the evenings, so I would recommend staying in Krakow instead. But it is an option if you prefer to stay here or are stopping here on your way to somewhere else.
The weather in Auschwitz varies a lot throughout the year. Winters are really cold (and days short) and the summers are quite hot. Be sure to dress weather appropriately as you’ll be spending the majority of the time outdoors.
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I hope this makes someone else’s trip a bit easier when trying to plan a visit to Auschwitz while in Poland. It is a tragic and emotional place, but one that I was very glad to have had the opportunity to see and experience first hand. Also recently many folks have emailed me about recommendations on guidebooks for Poland/Auschwitz. I really like the one by . It has a great deal of info on Auschwitz and does a good job of taking you on a self-guided tour.
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P.S. Did you find the information useful? Please feel free to share (social links at left) so others can benefit as well. If there is information you are still seeking please contact me or leave a comment below. Any other recommendations (format, additional info, changes) please let me know as well so I can continually improve the information. Also, consider supporting this site by booking through our various affiliate links here. It costs you the same and helps defer hosting costs.
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Larry says
It seems as though you are giving great information and I have been looking for someone to help me out regarding a private tour at Auschwitz.
I plan on touring Auschwitz with my wife, mother-in-law and our two sons (ages 19 and 16) plan on visiting Auschwitz. My wife’s father (his wife is coming with us) was in Auschwitz for approximately 8 weeks prior to being transported to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp outside of Berlin, where he was there for several years as a child. Sachsenhausen has a special exhibit about him and several other children that survived and they will be giving us a private tour several days prior to our visit to Auschwitz. I emailed Auschwitz and they just recommended doing some type of research tour.
I am looking for a guide who can take us to Auschwitz and give us a tour. Do you have any recommendations? I want to try to do something special. I’d also like to try and find what documentation there is of him being there. Do you know if there is anything done for the offspring of survivors?
Thank you so much
Anwar says
I don’t know of anything specially for survivors specifically but I imagine there must be. I’m sad to hear that Auschwitz wasn’t more help in themselves. I wish I could be more help to you on this specifically, I’ll try to reach out to some people I know who may have some information or be able to help but this is definitely a unique and special request which I haven’t heard of before. I would love to know what you find out though if you find out anything yourself.
Salman Ahmed says
Hi.
I thought this post was the most informative one ive read about this place on the internet. Thanks alot! I wanted to go alone and spend tiem by myself. I think this post itself is a pretty good guide for me while walking there. But anyways are there guide books or audioguides (with headphones..ive seen them in some other places in Europe) in both Auschwitz 1 and 2 camps so that I alone travellers can get some kind of info? Any idea about their price?
Thanks again.
AY says
I don’t know of an audio guide, but there are many different books and guidebooks with great write-ups of the camps. In all honesty, the tours are really really good, so if you are looking for a guide consider taking one of them.
Salman says
Yeah I would like a guide but I would prefer not paying 40PLN and moving at my own pace and rather reading a book or something.
Beth says
Thanks for the tips! I’m going on Wednesday, and was worried I’d have to pay for the guided tour just to get in.
I visited Terezin in Czech Republic last June, so I’m preparing for a somber, “ghost town” experience.
Manda says
Hi
Is there maybe a car hire company that I could use? Or would you still recommend public transport. I’m trying to book a trip for oct-nov time… Also is there anywhere else you can recommend to sleep nearer to Auschwitz?
Thank you
Manda
AY says
I don’t recommend sleeping near Auschwitz if you don’t have to. It is so much better to sleep in a bigger town nearby but that all depends on your schedule for sure. Its very easy by public trans and it’ll be expensive to drive unless you have others to share the cost. You know your budget best!
Joseph Dunn says
I must add as a Jew myself, men be respectful and wear a hat. Ladies, please be dressed modestly. Everyone be careful where you stand and walk. YOU ARE VISITING A JEWISH CEMETERY AND THIS ALL WARRANTS YOUR UNDIVIDED RESPECT. Every non Jew in Europe must by law be forced to visit this place, their ancestors created it.
Richard says
“Forced by law”? You’re not forcing me to do anything.
JWG says
My ancestors did it? How do you work that out?
egenbergerUSA says
Thank you for the tips. I really want to go to Germany, Poland, and possibly Moscow. Do you have any ideas on a company that would be best for arranging that? Have you been to Moscow and if so, any tips you can share would be great. Thanks again, I found this very helpful.
AY says
I have not been to Moscow and would love to hear any advice you have post trip. I don’t know much in regards to company planning things I tend to do most travel self planned
lauren says
this has been so helpful me!! I am hoping to visit Auschwitz in april! this has really helped me.
Fajar says
I wish I can visit Auschwitz during mu holiday to Germany on December 2014, next mont. I might go alone from Berlin. How easy to get there from Warsaw? Thanks!
AY says
To get to Auschwitz from Warsaw? Well if you are going by public transportation you would go to Krakow first (which is about 3hrs by train away) and then from there to Auschwitz.
Marianna says
I have booked air tickets for vist Warsaw at 14ofMay 2015.We want to vist Kracowe ,auchwitz. And salt mines also.We are 8 people.We arrive inWarsaw at 16,h.
I feel a little confused because I don.t know how I have to organize the trip in order to see all of them we think to stay 2 days in Warsaw and2days more to kracowe.
Please help me how I have to reach from one town to other and when to go to the points I have referred above?
My return day will be 18 of May at 16h from Warsaw.
I will very much appreciate you if you could help me.
Thanks in advance
AY says
Wow that is a lot. Feel free to email me if you could instead of commenting and I can try to help more possibly. There are trains / buses between Krakow and Warsaw that you need to factor in as well as its about 3hrs by train between Warsaw / Krakow.
Oscar says
Hi AY, I´m glad to find all this valuable information in your site.
I´m travelling to the camp on 12th November so any info about how to travel in between 2 camps would be very appreciated.
Many thanks.
AY says
Have a safe trip. I’m glad the information was useful to you! Sorry to reply late, have been traveling with very limited internet.
Ana says
Hello,
I have sent an email for PKSIS, but it remains unanswered so far.
I want to sleep in Auschwitz in a nearby hotel, so my question is: do you know if the return ticket bought at PKSIS allows us to return on the following day? Because at their site, they only say that we can return at any time (I assume in the proper day), and they only inform about return tickets. I don’t even know if they sell single tickets.
Thank you for your information.
Ana Louro
AY says
They do sell one way tickets. you don’t have to buy the return ticket right away if you don’t want to.
Becky says
Thanks for a very informative write up, it really is very useful. I am considering planning a trip in January with my partner but I’m wondering if there are down sides to going so “out of season”. I noticed that the shuttle bus that runs between the 2 camps only operates April-Oct, do you know what (if any) the alternatives are for transport between the 2 and how much this might cost roughly? I wouldn’t mind walking normally, but having researched the temperatures in Jan I’m not sure that’s a very good option for us.
AY says
Sadly there are often downsides to going out of season. Things won’t be running as regularly between places for one and yea the temperatures will be rather cold. Its about 3 km between the sites so it is walkable, but ya who knows with the weather. I don’t know of any regular transport between the sites beyond the shuttle bus unfortunately but I will see if i can find out anything for you. There is always an option of taking a tour which would take care of those logistics however.
Teresa says
Thank you so much for your detailed breakdown for an independent traveler. I’m taking a shot at this by my lonesome, and I feel more comfortable in tackling this after reading your blog. Thanks again!
AY says
Glad it was of help Teresa. It is actually quite easy to do independently if you choose so I’m sure it will work out well for you. If you have any other questions please be sure to drop a note.
Emma Hurt says
Thank you so much for writing what is a very useful blog. I would be so grateful if you could help me. I’m planning a trip in February 2015 with my husband flying from London and staying in Krakow for 3 possibly 4 days. We plan to do as much independently as possible and would like to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau. Now I’m just trying to get my head around the logistics. Is it best to get a coach to the museum or taxi and is it right the museum is free to visit but you pay for a guide? I have been looking at lots of different travel websites but believe that the best advice comes from people who have been and can walk you through step by step what to do, where and how. Any help would be massively appreciated. We both feel compelled to visit. We know it will be harrowing but it’s important to remember and to educate our own children of the horrors that happened so that it may never be forgotten or happen again.
AY says
Buses are really easy to get to the museum and they are quite cheap. The bus station is next to the train station actually. There are large buses and the link in the article gives you the times for those buses as well. The buses drop you off right at the entrance to Auschwitz I actually. You are right, the museum is free and you pay for a guide. In February which should be low season you wont have as much issues but generally during the on season you have to pay for a guide if you arrive after a certain point. You need to decide for yourself what is best for you. The guides are really good but you might not like the pace of the tour perhaps. Also you don’t visit some of the blocks on the tour which I was glad to visit personally. Let me know if you have other questions and feel free to use the contact form if you prefer to email back and forth instead of comments.
Tom Bartel says
We just visited last month and were glad we booked a tour from our Krakow hotel. The times they let you visit the sites by yourself are very restricted (early morning and late afternoon,) and it would be disappointing to arrive too late and have to wait hours before they let you in by yourself. The tours were inclusive of transportation to and from Krakow and between the two camps, and an excellent guide provided by the museum. At about 40USD, I didn’t think it was unreasonable at all. Here’s an account of my visit.
AY says
Thanks Tom! Glad the tour you used was great and thanks for the recommendations. The tour guides are quite good but some of the companies providing the tours and travel aren’t as great. I think everyone does Auschwitz differently so I’m trying to let folks know the options available. I’ll certainly pass on the tour info to anyone who asks. The link you posted seems to be for Tallinn (which I loved too!) instead of Auschwitz. I’ll try to check out your site and read it however.
Tom Bartel says
Here’s the link to the Auschwitz story. For some reason it didn’t post in the comment. Your comment luv didn’t let me post it last time.
Andres says
Thank you, I found this useful.
Best Regards,
Andres
AY says
Thanks Andres. I hope it helps you.
Chata says
Thank you so much AY. You gave me a better idea of what to do for our visit to Auschwitz. We were going to pay tons of moneys on a tour that wouldn’t allow much time on the camp. Honestly or main reason to go to Krakow is to have the chance to visit the concentration camp. Thanks you!
AY says
yeah that was one of my main reasons to go to krakow too. It is an exhausting trip but very much worth the time and effort to go there. I hope you have a good trip to Krakow and beyond. Please do drop me a note to let me know how it goes!
Karin says
Thank you for useful and well put together information on visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Kind regards Karin from Sweden
AY says
Thanks Karin, I appreciate the feedback.
Amanda says
Thank you so much for this blog! My friends and I visited Auschwitz today and your tips were invaluable and saved us a lot of money. This was definitely the most helpful blog I read about traveling to Auschwitz!
AY says
I appreciate the kind words there Amanda and glad that it was so helpful for your trip!
Janice Stringer says
Thank you for this,
I intend to visit Auschwitz with my family and this is the first time I have found any travel information. It is so helpful. Did you visit Schindler’s factory as well?
AY says
I did visit Schindler’s factory too when I was in Krakow. Definitely worth the visit too.
Jayne says
Hiya! Can i just turn up at the museum one morning and definitely get in? Or do you have to book in advance? Is Poland quite a cheap country to visit? i.e Food, drink, etc?
Thank you!!
AY says
Poland is cheaper than other parts of Europe, but it all depends on where you are coming from I suppose. You don’t have to book in advance.
Jayanthi says
thank you very much. very useful tips.
Alan mcclelland says
Very useful information it will save me a few pounds doing the tour privately thank you very much.
AY says
There is definitely value in the tour in the information they provide. However if you have some info on the camps I definitely enjoyed just wandering at my own pace. I appreciated being able to go as slow as I wanted though.
Shannon says
I’m planning to visit Auschwitz next month with my brother. I’m a bit scared but I think I need to go there, I mean everyone should, it’s our moral duty not to forget. Thanx a lot for the info, now I know it’s possible to go on our own, unguided. I guess it’s a very emotive experience, very personal too, I’d rather be with my brother than surrounded by strangers. Again thank you.
AY says
Glad you found the information useful. I liked going on my own through there at my own pace (and you get to see more too). It is definitely a worthwhile experience. I would be interested to hear about your experience after you return as well.
Deepak says
Greetings ! I plan to visit Auchwitz in June 2014. I have a wife, 2 daughters ( 21 and 8 ) and son ( 5 ).
We are from India. We do not have a great budget but our heart goes out for Israel and so we wish to visit.
Which is the Airport we must fly in to ?
Then how do we reach Auchwitz ?
How expensive is the food ?
Any other tips will be useful, Sir.
Thanks
Deepak Jariwala
AY says
The food at Auschwitz isn’t too expensive actually, there is also a hotel nearby that has better options for food than the museum itself. It is certainly not as cheap as you would get further from the museum though. There is a town there although most of the things are far from the museum if you don’t have your own transport. You should fly into Krakow. To reach Auschwitz you can drive, take a bus, or a train.
Pawel says
And remember as well that last bus going to Krakow departs quite early – about 6pm!
AY says
Thanks for sharing the info Pawel!
Sara says
Thank you so much. Very well written and informative post.
AY says
Thanks! I’m glad you found it useful!
Ashley says
Very Helpful. Been trawling the internet for hours trying to find a guide to visiting Auschwitz and this one was most informative. Thanks
AY says
Thank you, I’m glad you found it helpful, that means a lot. If there is something more you think you’d want to know, let me know and I can see about adding it as well.
Suren Shah says
Thank you for posting. We were planning to do a day trip to both camps plus the salt mine. I think we will go on our own by Bus early and spend more time then a tour. Thanks again for your time.
Can we do the salt Mine own our own?
Suren
AY says
You can do the salt mine on your own too. There is a bus there. Do catch the bus from the start of the route and not closer to the end (we found out the bus had been rerouted due to construction and couldn’t get it in time).
Sue says
We (family of four grown ups) are going to Krakow in four days (28th Aug 2013) and although we have known we were going to visit Auschwitz, only today did I realise by reading your blog & other sites, that we have to get a guide to go in. If we get there at 3pm will we have time enough to queue to get in and time to see both camps? We usually take longer than most when visiting galleries etc. and had hoped to go independently so as to explore at out own pace. Are there information ‘wands’ to hire for walking around with? One site said at this time of year you’d have to book a guide two weeks in advance, is that the case still for the guides at the camps? Thank you in advance for your reply.
AY says
It is possible as the museum closes at 7pm on those days. It will be easier if you have your own mode of transportation however. You should try your best to call ahead and reserve a guided tour. They can fill up if it is really busy, especially if you are arriving late. What do you mean by wand thing? They have decent information at the different barracks. If you are looking for a guide book The Rick Steves’ book on Eastern Europe has a really good Auschwitz section. There is not as much information written in Auschwitz II so a guide or a good book would be very useful. You don’t need a guide to enter Auschwitz II between 10-3pm so you could reverse your trip but I found it more interesting the other way to see the progression of the camps and the war. You could also read my write-ups on the camps too if you haven’t they have a lot of information about what you’ll see in each area.
Lindsey says
We will visit in September or October this year. I was planning to reserve 3:10 pm, but it says the Museum closes at 6 in September and 5 in October. Is the Museum the same as the camps? If that’s the case, it sounds like we would not have enough time if we started at 3:10.
Anwar says
Yes the museum and the camp are the same thing. Are you able to visit earlier in the day?
Lindsey says
I think so, but preferred a later start due to taking the bus from Krakow, etc.. Auschwitz-Birkenau you can enter any time but you don’t recommend going out of order, right?
Ann-Katrin says
I recently visited Auschwitz-Birkenau myself and while I wouldn’t mind travelling out there on my own – trains and busses are easily accessible and cheaper than taking the full tour – I really think one needs the guide walking through the camp. This time of year it is also the only option. A tip is to go weekdays and not weekends, as the lines are shorter.
I believe everybody needs to see Auschwitz-Birkenau or some other camp, we need to keep history alive and we need to remember. It is heartbreaking, every death is a whole world lost, and in a war there are no winners. I am glad I went even though it is a horrifying experience.
AY says
Thanks for the advice. I do agree that having something for a tour is good. You can still do a tour if you go to the site by yourself, but then you can stay longer if you choose. I liked going to some of the exhibits in the front blocks that almost no other tourists visited.
I agree people really need to go see it. It is important to understand. Sadly I don’t know if we’ve learned as humans all the lessons from this time in history as we still see similar atrocities being committed.
ben says
hi there, this is definitely on my list of things to do next summer, do you have any other recommendations in europe?
AY says
I have tons. depends on what you are looking for. And where in europe too.
Andrew Graeme Gould says
Thanks for the guide here, Anwar. That previous post on Auschwitz is a must read/see for anyone who arrives at this post.
AY says
Thanks Andrew. I hope it helps people who are trying to visit there. I know it can be confusing finding out the information while in Krakow before you’ve done it already.
Emma's Bucket List says
This is going onto my bucket list! I just finished reading ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Victor Frankl and found his perspective of the meaning and value that the suffering he endured here gave to his life existentially that I felt a strong urge to see it, even if just to really see where it happened.
I have read that it’s a very humbling and emotive experience, and I am interested to note what you ‘felt’ whilst there, since aside from all of the really useful info on how to get there, what I was keen to read was your actual experience of the site and how it impacted upon your life and your comfort zone, and whether you felt it was worth taking the time for you personally?
AY says
Hi Emma. Thanks for the comment. Yes it is definitely a very humbling and emotive experience. I did write up two posts last week about my experiences in visiting the camps. So feel free to check them out here and here if you want. I updated my post as well here to add some links to those posts.
Jodi Aman says
I have always wanted to go. I feel that i should go before the survivors/tour guides are all gone. What do you think?
AY says
Thanks for visiting my blog Jodi. The tour guides in Auschwitz are mostly younger folks who were trained as official tour guides for the facilities. It is unlikely you will meet survivors visiting the museum unless perhaps for a special program there or something. I did previously meet an Auschwitz survivor years ago in the US when they were giving a presentation at a local library.