Many of you have asked us for advice on which are the best tours to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau. For this we have thought of writing this practical guide where you can find all the best tours (from Krakow or other cities in Poland) and practical advice on booking tickets.
You will also find useful information on combo tours that allow you to visit Auschwitz and the famous Wieliczka Salt Mines on the same day, and on other interesting visits to do in Krakow, such as the Krakow Ghetto, the Płaszów Concentration Camp and the Schindler’s Factory.
Best Auschwitz Tours from Krakow
There is a wide offer of guided tours to Auschwitz from Krakow, for this reason we have decided to make a selection of the most reliable, complete and safe, based on our experience and that of travelers: reviews and comments, value for money, expertise of the guide, quality of experience.
FULL DAY TOUR TO AUSCHWITZ AND BIRKENAU FROM KRAKOW
This is the most popular tour among travelers, with over 10,000 positive reviews. Conducted by experienced local operators, it includes round-trip transport with pickup from your hotel or apartment in Krakow and a full visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau, with an official Auschwitz Museum guide (so-called educator) speaking the language of your choice. You can also cancel your reservation for free (up to 24 hours before the tour) if you need to.
We recommend this tour because the price is very affordable (basically cheaper than going on your own) and the organization is impeccable. Furthermore, you do not have the constraint of having to book your visit long in advance (on the museum website the availability of tickets is very limited) and you do not have to queue to enter.
COMBO TOUR TO AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU AND WIELICZKA SALT MINES
If you are short on time you could opt for a combo tour that allows you to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau in the morning and the Wieliczka Salt Mines in the afternoon. This is only possible by participating in a pre-arranged guided tour: everything is planned to ensure that you can fully enjoy both visits, in a comfortable and safe way.
SKIP-THE-LINE TICKET FOR AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU
If you want to get to Auschwitz on your own you have to keep in mind that to visit the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps you need to book your visit on the museum’s official website well in advance. This can be challenging during peak season, when you need to book months in advance.
However don’t worry, it is usually possible to book the ticket through the most important online agencies (regardless of availability on the museum website). Here the one we recommend.
Best Auschwitz Tours from Warsaw, Wroclaw or Katowice
Auschwitz is also easily accessible on a day trip from Warsaw and other major cities in Poland.
- GUIDED DAY TOUR TO AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU FROM WARSAW
- GUIDED DAY TOUR TO AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU FROM WROCLAW
- GUIDED DAY TOUR TO AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU FROM KATOWICE
Free Walking Tour of the Krakow Jewish Quarter
One of the must-do things to do in Krakow to better understand its turbulent history is to visit the picturesque Kazimierz district, what was once the Jewish Quarter (not to be confused with the Krakow Ghetto, which was later created in the nearby district of Podgorze).
This is one of the oldest and most authentic districts in Krakow and is where the film Schindler’s List was filmed. You can visit it easily by joining an excellent free guided walking tour. The tour runs every day, but advance booking is required (groups are usually small, so availability is very limited).
The passionate guys who organize these tours also offer another very interesting free guided walking tour: the Free Walking Tour of Krakow, which allows you to explore the most hidden gems of Krakow Old Town.
Płaszów Concentration Camp Tour
To better understand the atrocious history of WWII in Krakow you should go to the lesser known Płaszów Concentration Camp. This used to be the main forced labor camp located near Krakow and is where Schindler’s List was set.
Here it is still possible to see the house from which the camp commander shot Jews in a famous scene from the film (it was really the home of Amon Goeth, commander of the camp). Your guide will tell you the history of the Ghetto and interesting facts about life in Krakow in those dark years. This guided tour is a must if you are a history buff just like me.
Oskar Schindler’s Factory Guided Tour
Schindler’s Factory is located in an old industrial district a few steps from the Krakow Ghetto and today is one of the most famous museums in Krakow. Take part in one of the very interesting guided tours that allow you to visit it at its best.
Made famous by the film Schindler’s List, during the Nazi occupation of Krakow this factory had become a sub-camp of the Płaszów Concentration Camp, where hundreds of Jews worked under the German industrialist Oskar Schindler. In this way Schindler was able to save thousands of people from death. Today his factory is the most significant museum on the Krakow Ghetto and on life during the Nazi occupation of the city.
Learn about the history of Krakow after the end of WWII
After the end of the war, Poland passed from the Nazi occupation to communism. Here Stalin decided to build one of the most important steelworks in the world, with the idea of transforming the city of Krakow, historically inhabited by intellectuals, into a model working-class city.
If you are a history buff or if you simply want to find out what life was like here during the years of communism, book one of the exciting tours to Nowa Huta: passionate guides will take you in an original socialist-era car to the Nowa Huta neighborhood, where everything seems to have remained like the old days, and where you can visit old nuclear bunkers and old-fashioned Soviet canteens.
