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“My two uncles died here…they were my heroes” our tour guide, Dorota, proudly told us. I realized this wouldn’t be like any other tour I’d taken. There are moments of profound sadness where you just can’t fathom how people could do such things to one another. Then a burning anger as you hear the stories in great detail. It was an emotional rollercoaster of a tour, but I still believe an Auschwitz day trip from Krakow is a must do. It’s something that will stay with me for a long time.
Why Would Anyone Want To Visit Auschwitz?
There are no bright spots on a tour of Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. It’s hard hitting, emotional, almost incomprehensible the atrocities that occurred right where you stand. Over one million people (mostly Jews) died here during the Second World War. So why would anyone want to visit?
Dark Tourism sites such as Auschwitz can be polarizing. Yes, there’s often a fascination with the macabre that people have. But for me, a bit of a history buff, it’s a desire to learn.
What’s that quote? Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Maybe more people should be encouraged to visit such sites.
The flip side of this are the stories of survival. Such a terrifying place filled with unimaginable horrors, how did people actually get out of here alive? To know that some did and were able to recount their tales just adds to the intrigue about Auschwitz.
Where Is Auschwitz Concentration Camp?
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is located in southern Poland, not too far from Krakow. Since it’s only about an hour and a half from the city, an Auschwitz day trip from Krakow is very easy to do on your visit.
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum is in the Polish town of Oświęcim. The infamous Nazi concentration camp’s name is a German variation of the Polish town in which it was built.
THE BEST WAYS TO GET TO AUSCHWITZ FROM KRAKOW
An Auschwitz day trip from Krakow can be done in one of the following ways:
- Self-drive day trip – 1-1.5 hours away, parking at both Auschwitz I (larger car park) and Auschwitz II – around 20 zloty/day – can get full later in day; FREE parking at Oświęcim park & ride, a bus takes only about 5 mins to reach the museum.
- Public transportation – Bus or train from Krakow takes around 1.5 hr. From the train/bus station you can either take a local bus (see park & ride above) for a few zloty, a taxi, or walk along a well-established route (about 30 mins).
- Organized tour – Most tours will cover both Auschwitz I and II, and the full tour lasts around 7 hours. Tour pricing is $30-60 USD per person and includes a guided tour of the museum site.
If you’re comfortable using public transportation for an Auschwitz day trip from Krakow might be a good way to go. It’s about $5 USD each way by train to Oświęcim so quite cost effective, more so if you walk from the station instead of taking a bus/taxi.
I was visiting with my parents who, being older, I wanted the easiest way to visit with the least amount of walking. We therefore took this tour through GetYourGuide. It was really convenient and easy, although we did feel a bit rushed at times given the need to fit in both Auschwitz I and II. I’m still glad we went with this option though.
How Much Is An Auschwitz Day Trip From Krakow?
Entry to Auschwitz is FREE. That is if you just want to go in and explore the memorial and museum site by yourself. However, to do it justice I would recommend taking a tour by an educator. This can be a private tour, or a group tour.
TOP TRAVEL TIP: You don’t need to do a day tour from Krakow by bus to be able to join a group tour. Often you can book as individuals into a group tour at your desired time.
To join a guided tour as an individual will cost 110 zloty (around $27 USD). The tour lasts 3.5 hours and includes both Auschwitz I and II, Birkenau. Tours are offered in a number of languages throughout the day. A timeslot must be booked and places are limited.
Non-guided visits also should be booked in advance, and mostly seem to be in the afternoon only (larger tour groups tend to arrive in the morning).
I booked an Auschwitz day trip from Krakow with a tour bus for around $35 USD per person. It was 7.5 hours including travel time there and back, with a 1.5 hr tour of Auschwitz I and a one hour tour of Auschwitz II-Birkenau.
TOP TRAVEL TIP: Book your visit in advance. Some tickets may be available the day of, but it’s a really popular and busy place and I wouldn’t risk getting there for it to be full. Even FREE visits can be booked online in advance.
Must Read Tips For A Visit To Auschwitz
An Auschwitz day trip from Krakow is a popular activity for visitors to the city. Follow these tips for a good experience for you, and others.
- Wear comfortable shoes – There’s much more walking than you’ll expect. In and out of buildings, up and down stairs and around the massive area of both camps;
- Take tissues – Guides will share personal stories of inmates, info boards tell you about the horrific events that occurred here, and some of the artifacts will leave you with a lump in your throat;
- Book a guided tour – It’s an additional cost, and you can visit without a guide, but my advice is DON’T. Let an educator explain what can’t be read, and tell tales of heroism and personal connections to Auschwitz;
- Don’t take selfies – This shouldn’t have to be said but I’ll say it anyway. People died here and even those who survived endured their worst days. Posing and smiling for a selfie in Auschwitz is incredibly disrespectful. Don’t be that person;
- Pack snacks – Time between museums is limited so bring a few snacks to eat instead of running to the café. There is no eating allowed within the museum;
- Layer up – Winter in Poland is no joke and Auschwitz is open to the elements. Pack a hat, gloves, scarf, thicker socks etc. In summer shade may be limited so pack a hat and sunglasses, or a light jacket in case of rain;
- Talk quietly – If you must speak, keep voices low. You don’t know the reason someone might be visiting and everyone wants to be able to read the information, or listen to their guide.
This is a place where terrible things happened and RESPECT is key to visiting. If you’re not sure about something just ask the guides or staff.
What You’ll See On An Auschwitz Day Trip From Krakow
The Memorial & Museum of Auschwitz is a huge, multi-site visitor attraction. Which means that unfortunately with one visit you’re never going to see it all. But you can get a good overview of some of the key areas of the Nazi concentration camp that operated in southern Poland in the early 1940s.
AUSCHWITZ ENTRY GATE
Arbeit Macht Frei. The notorious sign synonymous with Auschwitz that translates to “Work sets you free”. Unfortunately this was just one of many lies that were told about Auschwitz to its former occupants.
If they were not immediately shipped off to the gas chambers, this was a prisoner’s first sight of the Auschwitz camp. They would walk through these gates to enter the camp – most would never walk back out.
HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS
One exhibition room, in a former barracks block, detailed the process from deportation to arrival, selection and intake of prisoners. Black and white photos showed hordes of people at train stations around Europe, and those arriving at Auschwitz awaiting their fate.
Supplementing the historic photographs are information boards with all kinds of shocking statistics. The construction history of Auschwitz, the number of people imprisoned, and high percentage that were killed.
While there were many Polish, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and other nationalities of prisoners, the majority of the camp was made up of Jewish prisoners. Persecuted for nothing more than their religion. Over 90% of the victims of Auschwitz were Jews.
HARSH LIVING CONDITIONS
Enter former barracks, see how close prisoners had to sleep, sometimes three to a bed that consisted of straw and lice. Crammed together in close quarters, no escape from disease or infection, this was where inmates lived.
Occasional photos, and staged recreations of housing blocks show the awful conditions people were forced to endure here at Auschwitz. With minimal food rations, long working hours, and less than comfortable accommodation, it’s a surprise anyone was able to last very long here.
GUARD BOOTHS
Long, harsh winters means it got pretty cold at Auschwitz. Prisoners had to suffice with thin clothing and minimal heat in their accommodation. But outside was even worse, where they often spent long days working. The guards though, at least had shelters for bad weather.
Here they could keep out of the cold, snowy or windy weather, and have some protection. Some of the guard towers are still there and can be seen in front of imposing barbed wire fences, with ominous signage posted around.
DID YOU KNOW? Roll calls happened twice a day and could often last an hour or more. The longest roll call in Auschwitz took place in July 1940 and lasted 19 hours.
GAS CHAMBERS
While all the gas chambers were destroyed before the end of the war in a bid to hide evidence, there remain some signs of the apparatus that exterminated over a million people.
In Auschwitz II – Birkenau you can see the destroyed remains of one or two of the gas chambers. Empty canisters of Zyklon B, the gas used to kill the inmates, are on display in one of the exhibitions in Auschwitz I.
There’s also a scale model of the gas chamber, showing how it looked, and how it worked. Information boards share with excruciating detail the process of prisoners being taken to the gas chambers.
A shocking 70% of people who came to Auschwitz were taken straight to the gas chambers. Since prisoner records were created at intake, and initial selection happened before this, the number of people actually killed could be much higher than the estimated 1 million that is often referenced.
PERSONAL EFFECTS
Many people who visit Auschwitz say this is the hardest part for them, and I have to agree. Seeing the personal effects of the many inmates who likely didn’t make it out alive is heartbreaking.
One barracks block has displays of reading glasses, shoes, luggage complete with names and addresses, and mounds of sheared hair.
For me this was one of the things that really got me. I caught sight of the curled blond locks of a woman’s hair, and couldn’t help think that she probably put on her best clothes and did her hair ahead of being deported, thinking she was going somewhere different than where she ended up.
No photos are allowed in the rooms containing personal effects. Please be respectful and listen to your guide when they tell you what you can and cannot photograph.
In one room I saw a pile of children’s shoes which was especially sad. DID YOU KNOW that according to records over 200,000 children came to Auschwitz, and only 700 were liberated?
PRISONER CELLS
If a prisoner was found doing something they shouldn’t they were punished (even more than they were already being punished). Many were shot on the spot, especially if trying to escape. An officer would be rewarded with personal leave, vodka or cigarettes for stopping someone escaping. But some were held in cells awaiting their fate.
You will be taken into the darkest depths of one of the buildings where you can peer into the cells that held those accused of a variety of crimes. Helping others escape, resistance, even locals from outside of the camp who were caught helping prisoners.
All prisoners here, regardless of crime, usually met the same end. Death by hanging, usually in front of the other prisoners who were forced to watch as a deterrent to committing similar crimes. Or shot in front of the so-called Death Wall next to the jail, the victims memorialized with flowers and candles.
Our guide Dorota told us that her uncles, local Polish men, were part of the resistance against the Nazis. They were eventually caught and imprisoned in the cells here – Dorota showed us the cell where her uncles were detained. They were hanged at Auschwitz, however they saved a lot of people before they were caught.
AUSCHWITZ PRISONER MUG SHOTS
In one of the buildings you will see walls filled with prisoner photos. They had their mug shot taken from the standard three angles – profile from each side, and facing the camera. Men’s photos line one wall, women’s line the other.
Our guide told us that they didn’t always take photos of their prisoners. At some point I guess it got too much, there were just too many people coming through the gates of Auschwitz. But another reason is that a couple months in, people didn’t look anything like their photos anymore. One of the reasons why Auschwitz tattooed their inmates – easier identification.
Further Reading: I recently read The Auschwitz Photographer by Maurizio Onnis & Luca Crippa. It was a really interesting insight into the photographing of prisoners at Auschwitz.
Planning Your Day Trip To Auschwitz From Krakow
No matter the time of year, Auschwitz is a busy and popular place to visit. I booked my tour two months in advance to ensure I got the day I wanted.
A guided tour including round trip transportation from Krakow is usually the most cost effective way to visit when you factor in transportation costs. Tour companies get discounted rates on larger groups (versus you booking into a group tour independently).
Most tour companies won’t guarantee pick up time until 48-24 hours before the visit. Our original pick up time was 7am, the day before they told us to meet at 8:30am instead. Therefore best not to plan any other major activity the same day.
The only downside to an organized tour is timing. You have to go with the flow and while it might not feel rushed, I would have liked more time to go at my own pace at certain points.
If I were to visit again I probably wouldn’t take a tour, and would just make my own way there and around. But for a first time visitor, a guided tour of the site is a must.
Final Thoughts On Visiting Auschwitz
This may not be a tour for everyone. It’s not recommended for children under 14, and even for those old enough it’s not an easy experience. But history isn’t always comfortable, and I’m grateful to have had the chance to visit Auschwitz.
When I planned this trip to Krakow with my parents I said that this a must for me. They weren’t so sure at first, but eventually decided they would go with me as they might regret not visiting when they had the chance. As difficult as it was, they agreed afterwards that they were glad they’d done it.
It’s hard to prepare for what you will witness at Auschwitz. I expected to potentially be on the verge of tears for most of it, like visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam or the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York. While there were a couple of moments, the main feelings during my visit to Auschwitz were disbelief and anger.
Our tour guide, Dorota, would tell us stories as we walked, and frequently ended by asking “Can you imagine?”. The question hit hardest of all, because you just really can’t imagine any of it. But unfortunately these events did occur, and Auschwitz is one of the last remaining sites you can visit to learn in the place where it all happened.
If you’ve appreciated reading this post please leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you done an Auschwitz day trip from Krakow before? What are your thoughts on Dark Tourism?
What an excellent post about visiting Auschwitz. I believe everyone should be required to visit it at least once in our lives. The respect that you demonstrate throughout this article is clear.
I visited several years ago and the things I saw there made a huge impression on my soul. It’s such an important place to visit with its dark history but we need to keep the events resulting from the Nazi era close in our memories to recognize the signs of creeping fascism and hate and to remind us to loudly call out examples in our modern life.
This is a very powerful and respectful post about visiting Auschwitz. It sounds as though a guided tour is essential as it gives you a very particular insight, and it was interesting to learn that your guide had a personal connection to this most horrific of places, which must have made the visit all the more heartbreaking.
In this modern age, it remains hugely important that we learn from history.
I know not everyone is a fan of visiting places like this, but I find it important to carry their stories with us – to honor them. You’ve done a great job being respectful and teaching us how to be respectful for our visit. I think a guided tour should be required to give more context to everything. Thank you for sharing
Auschwitz is a place that needs to be talked about, preserved and kept as a monument and testament of a horrific time. We cannot let anything like this ever happen again. It’s brave for anyone who hasn’t been in touch with this part of history to go, experience and understanding it. Honestly I appreciate the interest, care and respect visitors and internationals show for these dark tourism places. As for me, please understand I am German and have been tormented with this part of history for most of my school years at a very young age. My school took us to every Concentration Camp possible, showed us Mengele videos and to this day, the world likes to remind me about a war which I haven’t fought and which is over 100 years ago. I am not ignorant and I care and value what has happened, but I am also traumatised by it and as such would not actively pursue a visit.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
So hard visiting these sort of places but so important too. I’ve visited Dachau in Germany, I haven’t yet been to Auschwitz but would be somewhere I’d visit from Krakow or nearby. Very thought-provoking and we can only hope to learn from the past.
It’s so important to keep the memories and lessons from Auschwitz alive, especially as generations pass since these horrific events. I do think a tour would be the best way to visit, to get the most out of the visit.
Well done article. We must never forget and we must learn from the past. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for your suggestions. Not all travel is easy to do but this is something that everyone needs to witness.
Feck. It really is hard hitting. Just reading about it makes me feel sick. I know we should visit (but I know I’ll find it really hard.) I always feel similar visiting Hiroshima (I guess that counts as dark tourism as well…)
It still blows my mind that some people try to say events like this didn’t happen. And that folks might want to take selfies in Auschwitz.
I would imagine this to be an incredibly sobering and moving experience, and I’m glad to read that your parents went with you to experience this tour. You said it perfectly, it’s not for everyone. This is one of the tours I certainly would not do on my own, this should be an experience with families. I have always believed that history should be seen and experienced, and sunlight is the best disinfectant in terms of the worst aspects of history. Unfortunately, these sites serve as excellent reminders and are needed now more than ever. “Never again” is just not enough.
Regardless of the negative charge that Auschwitz has, it is an unmissable place to visit. This horrific chapter in human history should not be forgotten.
I thought the post was extremely well done, not only from the point of view of helping anyone who wants to visit the place, but also because of the sensitivity with which you presented such delicate subjects, without sensationalizing them. Congratulations on the post!