4 Best Day Trips to Auschwitz from Krakow

Unfortunately, a place like this needs no introduction. What decades ago was a torture camp today is a historical museum that seeks to explain to the new generations the mistakes of the past, preventing the memory of the victims from being lost.

When we talk about Auschwitz we refer to not one but three different camps: an administrative center (Auschwitz I), an extermination camp (Auschwitz-Birkenau) and a labor camp (Auschwitz III). They are about an hour and a quarter from Krakow and there are different excursions to visit them from Krakow.

The most classic and popular option is to book an excursion to Auschwitz, which includes round-trip transportation from Krakow, entrance to both concentration camps and the accompaniment of a professional guide. It is an educational and moving experience to learn about one of the darkest episodes in history.

For about 7 hours, you will visit Auschwitz I, which houses exhibits with photographs, documents and personal belongings of the victims, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the largest extermination camp in the complex, where the remains of the crematoria and gas chambers are preserved.

Details of interest

• Price: from 34
• Duration: approximately 7 hours
• Recommended if... you want to get to know Auschwitz in an educational and accessible way**.**

If you are looking for more comfort, you can book a guided tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau with pick-up from your hotel in Krakow that includes transfer from your accommodation, entrance to the two concentration camps and the company of an expert guide who will delve into the history of this place.

The tour lasts approximately 7 hours and includes Auschwitz I, where you will see the historical exhibits, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, where you will tour the railway tracks, the barracks and the remains of the crematoria.

Details of interest

• Price: from 45
• Duration: approximately 7 hours
• Recommended if... you want more comfort and direct pick-up from your accommodation.

For an even more complete experience, you can book this tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau with lunch option that includes transportation from Krakow, entrance to both camps and the option to add a lunch to make the most of the day.

The tour lasts about 7 hours and goes through Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, accompanied by a professional guide who will explain the history of these places while you visit the most significant points of the camps.

Details of interest

• Price: from 115
• Duration: approximately 7 hours
• Recommended if... you want an organized tour from start to finish.

If you want to make the most of your day, I recommend booking this combined excursion to Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mines which includes entrance fees to both sites, the accompaniment of a professional guide and round-trip transportation from Krakow.

The experience lasts about 10.5 hours and combines a visit to the Auschwitz concentration camps with a tour of the impressive Wieliczka Salt Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Details of interest

• Price: from 120
• Duration: approximately 10 hours and a half
• Recommended if... you want to make the most of your day visiting Auschwitz and the salt mines.

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If you are wondering how much it costs to visit Auschwitz, you should know that prices may vary depending on which option you choose. If you book a tour to Auschwitz from Krakow, you will pay $34 euros from the Hellotickets website.

For me, this is the most convenient option, since for the little difference in price you can get to the gate of the concentration camp in a private bus and after the visit you will be dropped off back in the center of Krakow, without worrying about waiting times and most importantly, accompanied by an expert guide. Here is an article with all the information about tickets to Auschwitz.

The excursions to the Salt Mines from Krakow are, together with the visit to Auschwitz, the most popular attractions in the country. If you know that you do not want to leave Krakow without visiting both, there is a very convenient option, which is to buy together the excursion to Auschwitz and Salt Mines.

With this option you will save money and time, since you will not have to queue at either of the two sites and you will be accompanied at all times by a guide who will explain everything you see, both in the concentration camp and in the mines.

It is most convenient to get to Auschwitz concentration camp on a guided tour from Krakow, so you don't have to worry about finding a method of transportation on your own. The tours usually use a private bus or minivan to take you to and from Auschwitz-Birkenau from the center of Krakow.

But if you prefer, you can also go by train, by bus or even by car, if you have decided to rent a car during your trip. I leave you all the details about each option here: how to get to Auschwitz from Krakow.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is open every day of the week, every day of the year (except Christmas, New Year's Day and Easter Sunday).

In general, Auschwitz opening hours vary depending on the season from winter to summer, but usually open between 8 am and 3 pm in winter and until 5 or 6 pm in summer.

Depending on the option you choose (if you do a guided tour or if you do it on your own) you will need more or less time, but calculate that you will need between half a day and a full day to organize the round trip from Krakow and the tour inside the complex.

For example, the excursion to Auschwitz from Krakow offered by Hellotickets takes about 7 hours and you can choose to do it early in the morning or leave later, being the last option at noon. About 6 or 7 hours later you will be back at your hotel.

If you opt for the combined visit to Auschtwitz and the Salt Mines, the excursion time is inevitably longer, but it will allow you to do both visits in one day. Estimate the total duration to be between 10 and 11 hours. See my article on Auschwitz tour duration and Auschwitz tours to better organize your day.

During your visit to Auschwitz you will see:

• Iron Gate of Auschwitz I: On this gate you can read in German the macabre phrase "Work will set you free".
• Auschwitz I: The visit begins at this concentration camp built in 1940 by the Nazi regime to house between 15,000 and 20,000 prisoners.
• Auschwitz II: Auschwitz II Birkenause was built later, increasing the number of prisoners to 90,000. The latter is where the gas chambers were located, which were destroyed at the end of the war by Nazi officials in an attempt to hide their crimes.
• Auschwitz Birkenauwatchtowers.
• Documentary: With a duration of 15 minutes, it is projected in the visitor center and will orient you contextually through the history associated with the site.
• Firing Wall.
• Main building leading to the gas chambers.
• Chimneys.
• Barbed wire fences.

If you want to know more details about what to expect from your visit, here is my article about what to see in Auschwitz.

In any other excursion, the recommendations that can be given before leaving are usually more practical: what to take in your backpack, what kind of shoes you need, where to eat, where to take the best pictures... However, the first recommendation should be of an emotional nature. I leave you here a step ahead, but you can consult this article with 10 tips to visit Auschwitz from Krakow.

The most emotional part

There are many who question the visit to the Auschwitz camps because they consider it morbid. However, if done with due respect, it is a valuable history lesson to preserve the memory and remembrance of the victims.

By this I want you to keep in mind that Auschwitz is not an amusement park or a place to take pictures; always try to conduct yourself with the utmost respect. Also, the Auschwitz tour may be hard for the more sensitive and is not recommended for children.

Printed guidebook

The printed guidebook that you can buy at the entrance in different languages for less than 3 euros is essential to orient you during your visit. As for how to get there, if you do not have a private transfer, you can take a train from Krakow's main station which takes about two and a half hours.