Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp tour Berlin: Italian guide

Stand where prisoners stood, and learn the names behind the numbers

This six-hour guided tour of Sachsenhausen Memorial departs Berlin with an Italian-speaking guide, taking you through the camp's layout, barracks, gas chamber ruins and infirmary to understand how it became the prototype for the Nazi camp system. You'll meet at Potsdamer Platz, travel by train to Oranienburg, and walk the grounds with a guide who grounds the history in selected prisoner biographies rather than abstractions. A €3 donation collected on the day supports the Memorial itself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Potsdamer Platz10m
2. Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum3h

Visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

• Meet at Potsdamer Platz no. 10
• Pay €3 donation to guide
• Take train to Sachsenhausen Memorial
• Tour Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
• Return by train to Berlin

The experience

The tour starts at Potsdamer Platz station in central Berlin and departs five minutes after the official start time by train to Oranienburg, so arriving 15 minutes early is essential. The guide cannot accommodate late arrivals. Once at the Memorial, the route moves through the camp's architecture as a teaching tool: the SS Officers' Casino first, to show the contrast between guard comfort and prisoner conditions. Then Tower A and the main gate, where the layout itself enforced total control. The Roll Call Square is where you learn about the long, punishing daily assemblies that were part of the camp's routine.

The guide takes you through Barracks 38 and 39, focusing on the persecution of Jewish prisoners, and into the former camp kitchen, now a museum holding documents and testimonies about forced labor. At Station Z (the ruins of the gas chamber and crematoria). You confront the camp's function as a place of systematic extermination. The tour ends at the infirmary and pathology lab, where medical experiments and abuse occurred. Throughout, the guide draws on selected biographies to move away from statistics and toward the individual stories of the 200,000 inmates from 40 countries who passed through Sachsenhausen.

Bring water and something to eat. There are limited facilities on site. The €3 donation collected by the guide at the start goes directly to the Memorial. The return train departs from Oranienburg back to Berlin, and the whole day runs six hours from start to finish.

What’s included

• Italian-speaking guide for the full six hours.
• train travel from Berlin to Oranienburg and back.
• access to the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum grounds, including the barracks, roll call square, former kitchen, gas chamber ruins, infirmary and pathology lab.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturday and SundayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (under 12): free

GroupUp to 25

Live guideItalian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on site€ 3

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Vive Berlin Tours

Is this one for you?The tour moves at a steady pace over six hours with several hours of walking and standing on the camp grounds, so it suits travelers who are comfortable with a full day on foot and ready to engage with difficult history in depth. If you prefer a shorter visit or need to limit walking, this full memorial tour may not be the right fit.

Traveler reviews

4.97★★★★★★★★★★

91 verified traveler reviews

5 ★88

4 ★3

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (under 12): free.

What exactly do I see at Sachsenhausen that shows how the camp controlled prisoners?

The camp's physical layout enforced total control: Tower A and the main gate show how the design itself restricted movement, and the Roll Call Square reveals where prisoners stood for hours during daily assemblies. The barracks, kitchen and infirmary are still standing, so you walk the actual spaces where daily life and abuse took place.

Is this tour in Italian the whole time?

Yes, the guide speaks Italian throughout the six-hour tour, starting at Potsdamer Platz and ending after the return train from Oranienburg.

How much walking is involved at the Memorial itself?

The tour is on foot and covers the main grounds of the camp, moving between the barracks, roll call square, kitchen, gas chamber ruins and infirmary. The site is accessible by wheelchair, and all surfaces are paved, though the day involves several hours of standing and walking.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to bring?

The guide and access to the Memorial are included. You'll pay a €3 donation at the meeting point that goes to the Memorial. Bring water and food. The site has limited facilities, and the guide recommends it.

Do I need to buy a train ticket separately to get to Sachsenhausen?

The tour includes the train journey from Oranienburg back to Berlin as part of the itinerary. You'll depart Berlin by train five minutes after the official start time at Potsdamer Platz, so arriving early is essential to catch it.