Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau from Kraków: Our Practical Guide

Before you go: book in the right place

Our most important piece of advice: book directly on the Memorial's official website, auschwitz.org, rather than through a third-party platform. This is also what Google itself recommends at the top of its results for a guided tour search.

True story, July 2026: we had booked our tickets more than three months in advance, in early April — strongly advised, as the site is heavily visited. We chose a guided tour in French, scheduled for 12:55 pm; in the end it was brought forward to the morning, at 9:40 am.

In full transparency: we didn't book on the official website but through the Headout platform, for a guided tour in French with skip-the-line access (about €180 for the four of us, or €45 per person). We were able to book without paying up front: our card was only charged shortly after the visit. Two days before, Headout's local partner running the tour wrote to us: the start time was brought forward from 12:55 pm to 9:40 am, with a meeting point in front of the museum entrance (Auschwitz I). They also told us our booking did not include transport, whereas we thought we had booked the option with a shuttle; so we had to get to Auschwitz on our own, by car. Contacted by chat, Headout's customer service first confirmed the time on our ticket, then asked us to follow the local partner's time; they replied that these conditions were stated on the offer page and offered no refund for the option. The official website offers paid guided tours in French. Free entry cards for a visit without a guide also exist, but they are limited in number, can be booked no more than seven days ahead and, from May to September, are only valid late in the day (entry from 5 pm): in practice, a daytime visit in summer means a paid guided tour.

How long the visit takes

Allow at least 2 hours for a visit to the Auschwitz camp alone, though longer options exist — up to 6 hours, or even spread over one or two days. We chose to visit both sites, Auschwitz and Birkenau, in the same day.

On the day: checks and organisation

The visit starts with a meeting point at the entrance to the Auschwitz camp with the guide and a group of other visitors. Security checks at the entrance are strict, comparable to an airport: all bags go through an X-ray scanner, and large bags are not allowed. A priority-entry option is available and saves time.

Practical note: all car parks, at both Auschwitz and Birkenau, are paid.

The visit: what we experienced

The visit begins with a long outdoor corridor several hundred metres long, a concrete path lined with the names of the millions of people murdered at Auschwitz. You then enter the camp itself, where you're guided through different sites, with explanations of how the camp operated and the extermination methods put in place by the Nazi regime.

True story, July 2026: it's hard to put this moment into words. It's a visit where the emotion never lets up, standing at the heart of one of the darkest chapters in human history. It's unimaginable that people could design this level of organisation to exterminate children, women and men of every age.

From Auschwitz to Birkenau

If you're driving yourself, once the Auschwitz visit is over, you need to get back in the car to reach Birkenau, barely five minutes away. A second paid car park awaits you there.

True story, July 2026: it was hot when we visited. We strongly recommend bringing a small bottle of water, especially for the Birkenau part, where there are no water points at all. The camp is vast, and the visit involves a lot of walking.

Without a car: alternatives from Kraków

The account on this page is based on a visit by car; for readers without one, several options exist from Kraków — worth double-checking when you book:

Whichever option you choose, you can still book entry itself directly on the Memorial's official website.