Auschwitz Birkenau is one of the most important and recognizable places in the world. This place is proof of what one human being can do to another. With an English-speaking driver, get picked up from a chosen location and enjoy a comfortable bus to the city of Oświęcim, where the Auschwitz 1 death camp was located.
When you arrive, you will first meet the activity provider's greeter, who will then introduce you to the place and give you the official museum guidebook. He will tell you about the rules of the tour and after you go through security gates.
The tour begins at the legendary gate "Arbeit Mach Frei". The place where murderous and destructive work was performed by prisoners. The sightseeing route leads through all the most important barracks, which are dedicated to specific topics, such as daily life, work, selection, and extermination.
There is an original exhibition in each of the barracks. Original and stolen belongings of prisoners, such as suitcases, glasses, or children's toys, all this, combined with the story told in the guidebook, makes you think and does not allow you to pass by indifferently over this exhibition.
The last, but also the most dramatic place on the Auschwitz 1 route is the gas chamber and the place where the corpses of prisoners were burnt. This place and its silence are just terrifying. After visiting the first part of the camp (Auschwitz 1), there will be a short break (about 10 minutes).
Board the bus to the second part of the camp called Auschwitz II (Birkenau). The ride takes 10 minutes and you will continue visiting in the second site. Visiting the second part of the camp will take about 1 hour.
Auschwitz II Birkenau is an open space and a place that shows in its vastness the scale of the crime that happened here. Gas and cremator chambers were located here, where thousands of people were murdered. You will see the place where the selection was made, the so-called ramp.
It was here that the decision about life or death was made. In Birkenau, you have to walk about 1 km so you should wear comfortable shoes. After the sightseeing and a short break, you will return to the driver who will take you back to Krakow.
Important Information:
• Due to the availability of guides at the Auschwitz Memorial, your preferred tour time may change and is not guaranteed. In that case, the activity provider will contact you the day before the tour to confirm the change. The time change does not qualify for a refund
• As per the requirements of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, all participants are required to provide their full name and contact details as part of the booking
• Entrance may be refused if the name provided on the booking is not identical to the name on the ID provided when entering
What to bring:
• Passport or ID card
• Comfortable shoes
• Rain gear
Not allowed:
• Pets
• Baby strollers
• Smoking
• Luggage or large bags
• Alcohol and drugs
Not suitable for:
• Children under 12 years
• People with mobility impairments
• Round-trip transfer by air-conditioned bus
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum ticket
• Museum greeter
• Official museum guidebook in your language
• Tips
• Food and drinks (unless option selected)
• The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial