Visiting Auschwitz: A Guide to Tours to Auschwitz from Krakow

If you are reading this article, you are probably trying to find out how to get from Krakow to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, a former concentration camp in Oświęcim. In this article, in the most precise way, we will try to give you all the information and possible solutions on how to get to the Auschwitz Museum, how to buy tickets and which tour option is best for visiting. After reading the following information, you will be able to make a decision based on your needs and preferences. How far is from Krakow to Auschwitz? The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial Center is located in Oświęcim, a small town located about 66 kilometers west of Krakow. Auschwitz is the German name of the town and a part of the name of the world-famous Nazi concentration camp that was built there in the 1940s. The entrance gate to the camp, with the characteristic sign “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work sets you free”), is located about 2.5 kilometers from the city center of Oświęcim.

There are several ways to get to Oświęcim. The first option is to rent a car. If you are planning to rent a car at the airport (Krakow or Katowice airport are the nearest ones), this may be the easiest option. The museum is located on the outskirts of the city of Oświęcim. The Visitor Center and the Museum is located at ul. Więźniów Oświęcimia 55. The tour begins at the former Auschwitz I camp. If you are traveling by car, it is best to enter Oświęcim Prisoners Street from Legionów Street (DW 933). There is a parking on the spot.

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Another option to reach the Auschwitz Museum is by train. We recommend the Koleje Małopolskie trains. A regular train ticket costs 16.50 PLN, and the train ride from Kraków Główny to Oświęcim takes about 1.5 hours. From April to October, a special bus line “M” runs between the train station and the main entrance to the Museum. The journey takes five minutes and the bus runs every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available at the ticket machine. The train is definitely a convenient option for people who live in the center of Krakow (the Krakow Główny train station) and want to get to KL Auschwitz in a relatively cheap and comfortable way.

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There are also Lajkonik buses (detailed timetable and tickets here) that go directly to the Museum of KL Auschwitz from the city center of Krakow. The bus station is located right next to the main train station, in the city center of Krakow, near Old Town. Ticket prices start at 10 PLN, and the journey takes about 1.5 hours, which is similar to traveling by train (although it can take much longer due to traffic jams in the city)!

If you don't plan to rent a car and don't want to use public transportation because you find it too complicated, you can use private transportation. There are many small, private buses that go to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Museum. You can also order a taxi to pick you up directly from your hotel and take you there. If you don't plan to rent a car and don't want to use public transportation because you find it too complicated, you can use private transportation. There are many small, private buses that go to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Museum. You can also order a taxi that will pick you up directly from the hotel and take you to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Museum. You can also use the services of a company that organizes both the ride and the tickets. The cost of such transportation by bus, including a ticket to visit the Museum in English, is about 200 PLN if you get to the meeting spot on your own, or about 250-300 PLN with pick-up from the hotel. The price for a ticket on the official website of the Auschwitz Museum with a tour in English is usually 27 euros. So it may turn out that such a transfer with the tour will be the most convenient option. Here is a link to the company that organizes transfers and tickets to Auschwitz.

It is best to buy tickets to the museum in advance, at least one month in advance (especially if you are a family or a group)! On the museum's official website, you can choose between a 3.5-hour general tour or a 6-hour studio tour. This is the link to the website. Entry to the Museum site with an educator (guide), both to the former Auschwitz I camp and to Birkenau, is only possible with a pre-booked, named admission ticket. The cost of a ticket for a standard tour is about 110 zł. The price includes a tour of the former camps Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau with an educational guide and the rental of a set of headphones. The museum provides a transfer between the two former camps

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VISIT WITHOUT A GUIDE

Visits without a guide are possible at certain times of the day with free admission tickets, which can be downloaded in the reservation system for visits:

• January, November: from 1pm

• February: from 2pm

• March, October: from 3pm

• April, May, September: from 4pm

• June-August: from 4pm

• December: from 12pm.

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On the dates listed below, entry to the museum is only possible with a guide:

• January, November: from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• February: 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• March, October: 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• April, May, September: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• June-August: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• December: 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.