Auschwitz Visitor Guidelines

Independent Visit: Allows more time for reflection and exploration beyond the standard route. However, it requires thorough preparation to grasp the immense historical significance of the site. Guided tours are mandatory at certain hours and for groups over 10.

Read the reviews before you decide.

Guided Tour: Provides structured information and historical context that may not be immediately apparent from signs or exhibits. Highly recommended for first-time visitors. Use the official site to book your visit, or pay more for a fully arranged tour package described below.

Organized Guided Tour: Perfect for travelers who value convenience, these tours usually cover transport from Kraków, entry tickets, and a guided visit—bookable via local agencies or online platforms.

Fewer Crowds: The site is quieter from November to March. Visit at 8 a.m. or late in the day for fewer crowds, as mornings and early afternoons are typically crowded with large groups.

Skip the Queues: Individual visitors and groups of up to 15 people can bypass the long entrance queues (ask the staff on site for assistance).

Best Weather: Visit between April–June or September–October. Summer months (July–August) tend to be hot and crowded, while winter can be harsh, with temperatures occasionally dropping below zero Celsius.

Memorial Opening Hours

📍 Location: Auschwitz is in Oświęcim – 70 km / 43 mi from Kraków (~1 hour by train or ~1.5 hours by bus)

🚆 By Train: Oświęcim station is ~1.5 km from the Memorial

🚌 By Bus: Lajkonik buses go directly to the Museum entrance

🚗 By Car: Take the A4 or DK44 route

🚐 By Private Transfer: Confirm the full cost upfront

The Tour Page outlines the sites visited during a standard sightseeing and beyond (use the button in the bottom right to find them on the map). Most visitors explore two locations:

1. Auschwitz I Main Camp
↓ Main gate "Arbeit macht frei"
↓ Blocks 4 & 5 – Exhibits on mass extermination and confiscated belongings
↓ Block 6 / 7 – Prisoners' lives and photos taken during registration
↓ Block 11 – The SS court, underground punishment cells, and execution wall
↓ Crematorium I – The only remaining crematorium and gas chamber

2. Auschwitz II-Birkenau
↓ Main gate – Iconic railway entrance
↓ Ramp – Selection site for deported Jews
↓ Ruins – Destroyed gas chambers and crematoria
↓ Monument – Memorial for all victims
↓ Barracks – Harsh prisoner living conditions
⇨ Exit

Since Auschwitz is not a typical tourist site, it's essential to be prepared both logistically and emotionally. When planning your visit, consider the conditions outlined above and your physical limitations, and be sure to check these pages:

• Tickets – Learn about tour types and booking options

• Arrival – Find out how to get there and move around

• Museum – See what to expect at the Memorial itself

• Tour – Discover the places you will see

Learning the site's history beforehand will help ensure that your visit is both educational and respectful.

Camp History on auschwitz.org

Eating is prohibited inside the Museum grounds, but snacks can be consumed outside.

Staying hydrated is encouraged—water and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed.

Restrooms are available at the entrances, with only a few facilities inside the Memorial: 🚾 Toilets at the Exhibition

✅ Required: Entry pass (printed or digital) & valid ID

✅ Recommended: Water bottle, an umbrella in case of rain or sun, and trekking shoes due to uneven terrain. The sightseeing is mostly outdoors, so dress for the season.

❌ Keep personal belongings minimal due to baggage size restrictions, avoiding unnecessary valuables and prohibited items listed below.

🛅 Storage on Site

To enter the Memorial, you must not carry any of the following: large bags, inappropriate clothing, loud audio devices, tripods, drones, pets, alcohol, drugs, weapons (including knives and scissors), hazardous substances, and any political, religious, or nationalistic flags, banners, or symbols (except during official ceremonies).

Check storage options below.

Personal photography and filming are allowed except:

🚫 Indoors with flash
🚫 Recording guided lectures
🚫 The victims' hair exhibit (block 4)
🚫 Block 11 basements
🚫 Security checkpoints

It is allowed to visit with children, but it's not recommended for those under 14 due to the sensitive content. Parents should consider their child's emotional maturity.

Visitors with infants should use a baby carrier as strollers are not allowed inside buildings. On the ground floor of the reception area, behind the restrooms and next to the security gates, there is a dedicated room equipped with amenities such as a changing table and a sink.

The Museum is not fully adapted to maintain the site's historical authenticity. Visitors with a disability ID and a guardian may receive special entry.

Hearing aid devices may not work well with the headset.

Wheelchairs are available on site, but they cannot be used in the Auschwitz I Main Camp buildings. Navigating the uneven terrain may require assistance.

Guide dogs are permitted with valid training and vaccination certificates.

Prepare before your visit to fully understand the site’s significance. Use trusted sources such as:

• The official Auschwitz Memorial website

• Documentaries, survivor memoirs, and academic books

Tip: Make a list of specific places or blocks you want to see during your visit. On a guided tour—ask questions and take notes for better understanding.

Consider a Study Tour for Deeper Insights: Join a 6-hour guided study tour with an expert Museum educator which includes access to less-visited areas and detailed context.

⚠️ Avoid unreliable or fictionalized accounts. Even bestselling titles like "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" or "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" contain false depictions.

Allocate at least 4–5 hours to visit Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

Consider Staying Overnight Nearby: Traveling from Kraków can be tiring and affect your visit, which is emotionally and physically demanding. Staying close lets you rest and explore more exhibitions.

Free-entry passes are only available in the afternoon. Book the early slots and consider combining a morning guided tour with later self-exploration.

Sites beyond the usual 3.5-hour route reveal further layers of history:

At Auschwitz I:
• Bathhouse remains (between blocks 1–2)
• Preserved blocks 2 & 3 (only on 6-hour study tours for individual visitors)
• Fire Reservoir (behind block 6)
• Block 10 (site of medical experiments)
• National Exhibitions (blocks 13–21)
• SS quarters near Crematorium I

At Auschwitz II-Birkenau:
• Fire reservoirs along the tracks
• Registration building (e.g. "Sauna")
• Ponds with human ashes
• Crematoria IV & V ruins
• “Canada” sorting warehouses
• Sector BIII ("Mexico")

See full list with photos: Beyond the Regular Tour

Several nearby sites deepen the context of your visit. Most are not accessible via public transport—consider renting a car or booking a private driver:

• Art Exhibition in Harmęże – “Labyrinths” by survivor Marian Kołodziej

• Foundation of Memory Sites Near Auschwitz-Birkenau – Preserves remnants of former sub-camps

• Remembrance Museum of Oświęcim Residents – Focus on locals who aided prisoners

• Jewish Museum & Synagogue in Oświęcim – Preserves pre-war Jewish history

• Association of Roma in Poland – Honors the Roma victims through exhibits and education

See full list with photos: Places Related to Auschwitz

I hope it’s ok to share my two very different experiences visiting Auschwitz with and without a guide:

My first visit was at the beginning of last May (2024) with my son. We opted for the guided tour (used the train to get there from Krakow). The tour was late in the morning and the English speaking group was quite large. Whilst on the tour we were fairly near the back of the group and we were often hearing about things that we hadn’t quite reached. It was incredibly informative though and our guide was very knowledgeable. I remember feeling very heavy hearted on leaving and the train journey back to Krakow was in silence whilst I think we both tried to process the experience.

On my second visit (again with my son) we decided to book a self guided tour so that we could read the information boards and not feel rushed. We visited at the beginning of May and our tour was at 4pm. When we arrived there were a few tour groups going in but nowhere near as many people as the previous year. We were among only a handful of people self touring at 4pm. As we walked through the tunnel and entered the camp there was nobody else around, there was barely a sound. As we followed the route we caught up with a few tour groups at points inside buildings but could hang back until they moved on. In the prison block again we were completely alone. When we reached the gas chamber and crematoria we were the only ones there.

This visit really hit me in a completely different way. I remembered everything I’d seen the previous year and felt extremely sad but this time I couldn’t stop the tears. The gas chamber was overwhelming this time and I had to get out. I just wanted to leave. I couldn’t face going back to Birkenau.

I’ve thought about why it was so different. Last year it was warm and sunny, it was very busy and we concentrated hard on taking in all the information from our guide, moving at speed. This year it was cold and overcast, starting to get darker. There were no crowds and sometimes we were completely alone in the silence. The impact was much more intense, completely overwhelming, and since coming home my mind has often gone back to the experience. I feel very privileged to have been able to visit twice to pay my respects and I hope this might help those unsure which tour to take.

With my wife, I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau in June, this year. We were very lucky to have Lukasz as our guide. That day was unforgettable in many ways.

Of course, we knew the place somehow from history, but all the massive tragical things which happened 80 years ago on-site stopped our minds.

At the same time, Lukasz challenged our thinking. It is not difficult to draw a link to the horrible things still happening around us – every day, and not far away.

Quietly, I talked to many people from several countries in our English language group. Everybody got a new sight on history and present days, and everybody respected Lukasz’s guiding very high. The sad place and the tour with Lukasz left a strong mark in our minds.

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At the camp, he cleared land and helped build the fence before creating plans, maps, and sketches of the area. In 1941, he was imprisoned in block 11 for smuggling food and medicine, then sent to the penal unit. His artistic talent was noticed, leading to a role in the employment office, where he worked until his escape.

Escaping Auschwitz in 1942 with fellow inmates, Komski took office documents with him. A year later, he was caught attempting to reach Warsaw, arrested, and sent to Montelupich prison, where his false identity was exposed.

Sent back to Auschwitz in October 1943, Komski was registered under the false name Jan Nosek (camp number 152 884), recognized only by his camp friends. Weeks later, he volunteered for transport to KL Buchenwald, where he was diagnosed with eczema and transferred to a Kraków prison for investigation into his false identity. There, he was beaten and tortured.

In mid-1944, Komski was registered at Gross-Rosen concentration camp under his real name. He was later transferred to other camps and was liberated in April 1945. After the war, he emigrated to the USA, where he lived for the rest of his life, working as an illustrator for The Washington Post. Komski passed away in 2002 in Arlington.

Source: Camp Life on Canvas

While in the camp, he worked in the carving shop, crafting objects and painting for the SS, while secretly documenting the camp’s grim reality through forbidden artwork and caricatures.

With the help of Witold Pilecki, Wincenty Gawron escaped Auschwitz in May 1942. He carried crucial information from the camp resistance to Warsaw, then rejoined the Home Army. Escaping both a transit camp in Pruszków and an NKVD prison, Gawron joined the Second Polish Corps in Italy, where he met Pilecki once again.

After demobilization, Gawron settled in the USA, where he worked as a graphic artist until his death in 1991.

Source: Portraits in the Memorial Collections

During his time at Auschwitz, Kościelniak produced roughly 300 paintings that documented the everyday experiences of the prisoners. His works are displayed throughout the Memorial, including in room 3 of block 6.

Liberated in May 1945 by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Group at Ebensee Concentration Camp in Austria, Kościelniak painted portraits of U.S. military personnel. After the war, he lived in Warszawa, then Ustka, and later in Słupsk, where he died in 1993.

Source: Kościelniak on Wikipedia

While in the camp, Władysław Siwek painted signboards, including warning signs. After creating a portrait of an SS officer, he received requests from other German officers for portraits and landscapes. He also privately painted more than 2,000 portraits of his fellow prisoners.

In October 1944, Siwek was transferred to Sachsenhausen, where he was liberated by Allied forces in May 1945. After the war, he created paintings depicting life in the concentration camps, some of which are displayed in block 6. Siwek later worked at the Museum, first as the head of the education department (1949–1952), and then as director (1952–1953). He passed away in Warszawa in 1983.

Source: Siwek on Wikipedia

When World War II broke out, she worked as a paramedic in Pomerania. After being deported to Kraków, she continued her work and also worked as an office assistant in the Water Economy Office in the city. While in Kraków, she founded a secret intelligence cell, gathering crucial information. In May 1941, her activities led to her arrest by the Gestapo. After enduring severe interrogation in the Montelupich prison and being held at the Helclów Institute, she was sent to Auschwitz in April 1942.

In the camp, Janina Tollik worked in various kommandos, including the penal unit, where she began sketching scenes from camp life. In October 1944, she was transferred to Flossenbürg concentration camp in Bavaria, where she survived until liberation. She returned to Poland in 1949 and passed away in Warszawa in 1994.

Source: U kresu sił...

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IG-Farbenwerke Auschwitz.jpg – Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, courtesy of the German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-2007-0055). Displayed in the section: Places related to Auschwitz

Zamek w Oświęcimiu.jpg – Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 International. Displayed in the section: Worth visiting in Oświęcim

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