Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow: A Practical Guide

About 70 km west of Kraków, in the town of Oświęcim, stands the site of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. More than a million people — the overwhelming majority of them Jews, alongside Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and others — were murdered here during the German occupation of Poland. Today the site is a State Memorial and Museum, and the most visited place of remembrance of the Second World War. This guide covers how to visit from Kraków and what to expect; it is written as practical help for a visit made with respect, not as a sightseeing itinerary.

What the site is

The Memorial covers two parts, about 3 km apart, connected by a free shuttle bus:

• Auschwitz I — the original camp, a grid of brick barracks entered under the infamous Arbeit macht frei sign. Several buildings now hold the main exhibitions.
• Auschwitz II–Birkenau — far larger, built for mass murder. Here are the railway line and ramp, the rows of chimneys where the wooden barracks stood, and the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria.

Seeing both is important to understand the scale of what happened, and most guided visits include them in sequence.

Booking and admission

Entry to the Memorial is free, but you must reserve a dated, timed entry in advance through the official Museum website — walk-up spaces are very limited. For much of the day, and especially in the busier hours, you can only enter as part of a tour led by a Museum-trained guide; the guided tour carries a fee and is the option most visitors take. Book as early as you can, as places fill well ahead in high season. Be wary of unofficial resellers; the Museum’s own site is the place to reserve.

How long it takes

The standard guided tour of both sites lasts around three and a half hours. With travel from Kraków and back, a visit takes most of a day — it is not something to combine with another major trip such as Wieliczka on the same day.

Getting there from Kraków

• Organised tour. The simplest option: round-trip transport, your timed entry and a guide arranged together, usually with hotel or central pickup.
• By bus. Buses to Oświęcim leave from Kraków’s main bus station (MDA), beside the railway station, and stop near the Memorial; the journey takes roughly 1.5 hours.
• By train. Trains run from Kraków Główny to Oświęcim station, from where a local bus or a short taxi reaches the site.
• By car. About 1.5 hours each way; there is a paid car park at the site.

If you travel independently, you still need to have reserved your entry online beforehand.

Practical notes

• Age. The Museum advises against visits by children under 14, given the nature of the site.
• Bags. Only small bags are allowed inside; larger luggage must be left in the cloakroom or your vehicle, and there is airport-style security on entry.
• Dress. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes for the weather — much of Birkenau is open ground — and dress and behave as you would at any memorial or cemetery.
• Photography. Allowed in most areas for private use, but not in a few clearly marked places; follow your guide.
• ID. Bring the booking confirmation and, if asked, identification.

Visiting with respect

Auschwitz-Birkenau is, above all, the largest cemetery in the world. Visitors are asked to keep quiet, stay with their group, and treat every part of the site with the dignity it demands. Many people find the experience difficult; it is meant to be. Allow yourself time afterwards before moving on to anything else.

For how this trip fits with the rest of your stay, see our guide to the best day trips from Kraków and the main Kraków travel guide.

Frequently asked questions