Auschwitz-Birkenau tour from Krakow: 7-hour guided visit

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration7h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Two camps, one morning: Auschwitz then Birkenau, with a licensed guide and headphones

A 7-hour guided tour from Krakow to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking licensed guide, headphones, and skip-the-line entry to both camps. The tour covers the history and liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination complex, with a short break between the two sites. Valid ID or passport is required for all participants, and the operator will request full legal names at booking to secure entrance tickets.

Step-by-step itinerary

Auschwitz-Birkenau guided tour from Krakow

Pick up from accommodation
Travel to Auschwitz (1h 15m)
English guided tour of Auschwitz camp
Short break after Auschwitz visit
Guided tour of Birkenau camp
Return to Krakow accommodation

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your Krakow hotel, apartment or hostel between 7:00 and 10:00 am—the exact time is confirmed the day before. The drive to Auschwitz takes about 90 minutes in an air-conditioned minibus shared with up to seven other people. You'll travel with a licensed driver and arrive at the museum ready to begin the guided portion of the tour.

A licensed English-speaking museum guide leads you through both camps over roughly 3.5 hours, and you'll wear headphones so you can hear clearly throughout. Auschwitz I, the original camp, comes first. After a short break of up to 15 minutes, you move to Birkenau (Auschwitz II), built in 1941 under Heinrich Himmler's orders and designed to hold up to 90,000 people. The guide walks you through the barracks, selection areas, and other structures while explaining the history of the camps, the experiences of prisoners, the medical experiments conducted by Nazi doctors including Josef Mengele, and the liberation by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945. A documentary film is available depending on the day's schedule.

After the tour ends, the driver takes you back to Krakow—either to your original pickup location or another address in the city. The entire outing, including travel time, runs about 7 hours. Skip-the-line entry is included, so you move straight into the museum without waiting at the gate.

What’s included

Hotel, apartment or hostel pickup and drop-off in Krakow.
shared minibus transport with a licensed driver.
English-speaking licensed museum guide for both camps.
headphones for the tour.
skip-the-line entry to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
documentary film subject to availability.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Krakow Auschwitz - Tours

Is this one for you?Pick hotel pickup if you're staying in Krakow's city center and want door-to-door convenience; choose the meeting point option if you prefer to arrange your own way there and start earlier.