Auschwitz-Birkenau Guide
Auschwitz is one of those places that no matter how many times you see it on television or hear stories about it, you can’t experience it properly until you’ve been there. It’s eerie at times, and saddening at others, but it is well worth visiting.
Most people who visit Auschwitz-Birkenau do so on a day trip from Krakow, so that’s what this guide will concentrate on.
Brief History
Auschwitz-Birkenau is made up of three parts: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Auschwitz III-Monowitz.
Auschwitz I, the buildings of which were part of a former military base, opened in 1940 as a detention center to hold Polish political prisoners. The role quickly changed and Auschwitz I became a concentration camp and the site where mass exterminations were carried out.
Auschwitz II – Birkenau was opened in 1941, to keep up with the large numbers of political prisoners and Jews that were being deported to Auschwitz.
Auschwitz-Birkenau became the primary site of the Nazi’s “final solution to the Jewish problem.” The statistics are sobering. It is estimated that 1.3 million people were sent to Auschwitz and of these, 1.1 million died. Most people deported to Auschwitz were sent immediately to the gas chambers. Those who did not die in the gas chambers died of other causes, including starvation, infection, medical experimentation, and forced labor.
In January 1945, Auschwitz – Birkenau was liberated with the arrival of Soviet troops.
What To Expect
There are two parts to a visit to the Auschwitz concentration camp: Auschwitz I and Birkenau. On a guided tour (which you must do for Auschwitz 1), it takes about 1.5 hours to visit Auschwitz and 1 hour to visit Birkenau, with a 15-minute break in between which is spent travelling to the 2nd camp.
You tour starts with a quick pass through security and a short line to get your audio guide.
This audio guide is really just a pair of headphones that allows you to hear your guide. With these headphones, you can easily hear everything your tour guide says and he or she doesn’t have to yell out to the 30 people in your group for the next 3 hours. Plus, you can still hear your guide when they are out of sight (which does happen as you tour the buildings).
AUSCHWITZ I
Auschwitz I is the original concentration camp. While you are here, you will tour the barracks, view black and white photographs taken while the camp was in operation, view the prison cells, and learn some harrowing statistics.
Without going into too much detail, since you will learn all about this on the tour, below are a few photos, just so you know what to expect. These include everything from luggage from the victims, barb-wire fences, and gas chambers.
The tour starts with a walk through the gate “Arbeit Macht Frei” which means “work sets you free.” This, of course, was a lie.
BIRKENAU
Auschwitz I and Birkenau sit a few kilometers apart. If you are on a tour or have a driver, they will shuttle you between the two sites. If you are traveling independently and have only had the tour for Auschwitz 1 but want to go to 2, there is a shuttle bus that runs every 10 minutes between the sites, and it’s free. (Birkenau is free to enter unlike Auschwitz 1, and you do not need a guide)
Birkenau is massive. This is the camp that was built in 1941 to house the huge number of deportees from Europe. Just before liberation in January 1945, the Germans blew up most of the barracks and the crematoriums to hide their crimes, but this is still well worth the visit. It’s seeing the sheer size of Birkenau where you really get the sense of how big of an operation this was. It can be a very unsettling experience and is mind boggling!
Birkenau was the largest of the more than 40 camps and sub-camps that made up the Auschwitz complex. During its three years of operation, it had a range of functions. When construction began in October 1941, it was supposed to be a camp for 125 thousand prisoners of war.
Again, here is a tour through Birkenau in photos.
By the thousands, people were transported to Birkenau by train.
The tour ends at Birkenau. If you arrived by private driver or tour, you will be taken directly back to Krakow from here. If you arrived by bus, train, or your own car, you will have to take the shuttle back to Auschwitz I and then get to the bus or train station.
Opening Hours and Ticket Prices
Admission: Admission to Auschwitz-Birkenau is free, however, you have to pay for the guided tour with an “educator” at Auschwitz I
Guided Tour with an Educator: 75 PLN in Polish; 85 PLN in other languages, including English
Hours of Operation: Daily 8:00 am to 8:30 pm June, July, and August; reduced hours the remainder of the year. Closed on January 1, Easter Sunday, and Christmas. The museum can close during official state visits. Click here for full operating hours and possible closures.
VISITING AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU WITHOUT A GUIDE
Time slots are available to tour Auschwitz-Birkenau without a guide. These time slots are available in the late afternoon. It is free to tour Auschwitz-Birkenau without a guide but you do need to reserve your time slot in advance. On the official website, these time slots are referred to as a Tour for individuals without an educator.
VISITING AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU WITH A GUIDE
Guided tours of Auschwitz-Birkenau last approximately 3.5 hours. Multiple tours are offered per day in Polish, English, Italian, Czech, German, French, and Slovak. On the official website, these are referred to as a General Tour.
You can book your tickets in advance on the official Auschwitz website or when you arrive at the main entrance.
A guided tour costs 85 PLN per person (in English) and covers your educator (tour guide) and audio guide.
To book your tickets online, visit the official website. Tickets can be booked online up to 5 days before your visit. If you need to book your tickets less than 5 days in advance, you can contact the museum via email.
If you want to be picked up from your hotel in Krakow, its best to buy a guided tour via our recommended partner:
How to get there
Auschwitz-Birkenau is 75 kilometers west of Krakow. You can get to Auschwitz-Birkenau by car, bus or train. The closest town to Auschwitz is Oswiecim.
BY BUS
The bus is the cheapest method of transportation.
One-way tickets cost approximately 13 PLN and the journey takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. There are several buses to choose from and they leave from the bus station next to Krakow train station. Drop off locations near Auschwitz depends upon the company you choose.
Click here to see the bus timetables.
BY TRAIN
There are trains that connect Krakow to Oswiecim, the city that is located 2 km from the Auschwitz concentration camp. It takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours to get to Oswiecim from Krakow. You will also have to compensate for travel time to the Krakow train station and from the Oswiecim station to Auschwitz. Train tickets cost approximately 16 PLN one-way. Click here to see the timetables.
BY CAR
If you have your own car, it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow.
BY PRIVATE DRIVER
Consider hiring a private driver. You are paying more for the convenience, but you are also saving time.
Krakow Direct gets rave reviews and we saw a lot of their vans during our visit to Auschwitz. They operate Mercedes vans with air-conditioning. They charge 48 euros per person for a group tour or 80 euros for a private tour.
Website: krakowdirect.com
BY TOUR
Joining a tour from Krakow is the most convenient but most expensive option. By joining a tour, your transportation and visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau is covered. The tour company arranges your transportation and your guided tour of Auschwitz. This is the option we did both visits, and can’t recommend enough.
We hope you enjoyed this guide to Aushwitz. Feel free to leave comments below or to ask us any questions.
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