How to Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial stands in the town of Oswiecim, about 70 km west of Krakow, and reaching it takes roughly 1.5 hours each way by bus, train or organised tour. Entry to the memorial is free, but every visitor must reserve a timed entry pass in advance through the official museum website. This guide explains how to book, when a guided tour is required, how to travel from Krakow, how long to allow, and what to expect on site. For a fuller overview of the place itself, see our page on the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.

You cannot simply turn up. Entry passes are issued only through the museum's official reservation site, visit.auschwitz.org. Book directly there to avoid resellers and inflated prices.

There are two main options: a free entry card for individual visitors, and a paid pass that includes a guided tour with a museum educator. Passes are released for dates weeks ahead, and popular slots in spring and summer are often taken early, so reserve as soon as your dates are fixed.

Prices for guided tours and opening hours change with the season. Treat any figure you read online as a guide only and confirm current details on the official site before you travel.

During the busiest part of the day, entry is only possible with a museum educator as part of a guided tour. As of 2026 these guided-only hours run for most of the daytime, roughly from morning until mid-afternoon, and the exact window shifts by season.

Outside those hours, individual visitors can enter on a free entry card without a guide. If you prefer to explore at your own pace, aim for an early or late slot, but check the current rules when you book, because the timings are adjusted through the year.

Guided tours run in English, Polish and several other languages. A standard general tour covers both parts of the site and lasts about 3.5 hours as of 2026.

The simplest independent route is the direct bus. Services leave from the Krakow MDA bus station, next to Krakow Glowny railway station, and run to Oswiecim, with many stopping close to the museum entrance. The journey takes around 1.5 hours. Operators such as Lajkonik and FlixBus run frequent departures; buy tickets online or at the station.

Trains also connect Krakow Glowny with Oswiecim, but the railway station sits about 2 km from the museum, so you finish the trip with a local bus or a short taxi ride. For a wider view of your options, see our guide to getting around Poland.

Many Krakow agencies sell organised day trips that bundle return transport with a guided entry, which removes the planning and the booking steps. Check that the museum entry itself is included and that you are not just paying for a coach seat. A visit here is one of the more common day trips from Krakow.

Allow a full day. The guided tour of both sites runs about 3.5 hours, and with 1.5 hours of travel in each direction, door to door you should budget roughly seven to eight hours.

Because of this, it is best to keep the day clear rather than trying to fit the memorial around other sightseeing. Save Krakow's central sights, such as the Main Market Square, for a different day.

The memorial has two parts. Auschwitz I is the smaller former camp of brick barracks, where the exhibitions are held and where you pass beneath the inscribed gate. The displays here are detailed and confronting, and much of the tour is indoors.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau lies about 3 km away and is far larger, with the well-known brick railway gatehouse, the remains of the barracks and the ruins of the gas chambers spread across open ground. A free shuttle bus links the two sites, and most of Birkenau is outdoors and exposed to the weather.

Many people pair the visit, on a separate day, with Krakow's Jewish heritage sites, including Kazimierz, Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory and Ghetto Heroes Square, which give wider historical context.

The memorial is a place of remembrance and a cemetery, so quiet, respectful behaviour is expected throughout. The museum advises that the visit is not suitable for children under 14.

Security screening operates at the entrance, and large bags are not permitted. As of 2026 only small bags, up to roughly 35 by 25 by 15 cm, may be carried inside, so leave larger luggage behind or use the storage facilities. Photography is allowed in most areas without flash, though a few interior rooms are marked as no-photography out of respect.