Auschwitz-Birkenau tour from Krakow: Private transfer and guide

Walk both camps with a guide who knows the history

A 7.5-hour tour from Krakow to Auschwitz-Birkenau with private hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional on-site guide, and entry to both the Auschwitz I compound and Birkenau. Your driver collects you from your hotel and waits while you tour the camps with a guide speaking English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language of your choice. The tour covers the original buildings, barracks, exhibitions, the rail ramp at Birkenau, and the sites where prisoners were held and killed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Auschwitz-Birkenau tour from Krakow

• Pickup from Krakow hotel
• Drive directly to Auschwitz-Birkenau
• Join guided tour at Auschwitz I
• Visit exhibitions and barracks
• Tour Birkenau camp and rail ramp
• Return drive to Krakow hotel

The experience

You're picked up at your hotel at a time you choose and driven directly to Auschwitz-Birkenau outside Oświęcim, with no other passengers joining the car. The drive takes you straight there without stops. When you arrive, a professional guide meets you at the gate to Auschwitz I (the one bearing the inscription Arbeit Macht Frei), and leads you through the original camp established in 1940. You walk past the watchtowers, fences and original roads, and enter the barracks that now hold exhibitions and documents, as well as the belongings taken from prisoners on arrival.

The second part of the tour moves to Birkenau, the largest of the 40-plus camps in the complex. Built starting in 1941 on the site of a demolished village, it was designed to hold 125,000 prisoners at once. You walk the preserved barracks and see the rail ramp where Dr. Mengele conducted selections, deciding in seconds who would go to the gas chambers 200 meters away. Your guide explains the conditions prisoners endured and the history of the camp's operation from 1941 until its liberation by Soviet forces in 1945.

After the tour, your driver is waiting to take you back to your hotel. The whole experience runs 7.5 hours from pickup to return. You choose which language your guide speaks (English, Spanish, Italian, French or one of three others) at checkout.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Krakow location.
• private round-trip transportation in a dedicated car.
• a professional English-speaking driver.
• entry to both Auschwitz I and Birkenau.
• a guided tour led by an on-site professional in your choice of language.

Options for this experience

5 options

German Guided TourAvailable from 26 Dec · 07:45Includes a German-speaking guide and private transport from a chosen place in Krakow, with pickup included

English Guided TourAvailable from 24 Nov · 06:00 and 10:15Includes a French-speaking guide and private transport from a chosen place in Krakow, with hotel pickup included (pickup is included)

Spanish Guided TourAvailable from 26 Dec · 08:45Includes a Spanish-speaking guide and private transport from a chosen place in Krakow, with pickup included

See 2 more options

French Guided TourAvailable from 25 Oct 2027Includes a French-speaking guide and private transport from a chosen place in Krakow, with pickup included

Italian Guided TourAvailable from 26 Dec · 09:15Includes an Italian-speaking guide and private transport from a chosen place in Krakow, with pickup included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 10:15

Book up to2d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by DISCOVER CRACOW

Is this one for you?The private car means you set the departure time and travel without waiting for other passengers. The on-site guide leads you through both camps at a pace that allows you to absorb the history and see the original buildings, exhibitions and sites: useful if you want to understand the context rather than move quickly through the complex.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

In German, at 07:45. In English, at 06:00 and 10:15. In Spanish, at 08:45. In French. In Italian, at 09:15.

What exactly will I see at Auschwitz I?

Auschwitz I holds the original camp buildings, including barracks that now house exhibitions and documents, the watchtowers, fences, original roads and the death wall. You walk through the gate with the Arbeit Macht Frei inscription and see the belongings confiscated from prisoners when they arrived.

What is different about Birkenau compared to Auschwitz I?

Birkenau was the largest camp in the complex, built in 1941 to hold 125,000 prisoners. It was designed as a concentration and extermination center. You see the preserved barracks, the rail ramp where selections took place, and the proximity to the gas chambers, which were only 200 meters away.

Do I need to arrange my own transport from Krakow?

No. Your driver picks you up at your hotel at your preferred time and waits during the tour, then drives you back. You travel in a private car with no other passengers.

What can I bring into the museum?

Backpacks and handbags cannot exceed 30 by 20 by 10 centimeters. If you're traveling with an infant and need a car seat, let the operator know when you book.