Hotel pickup
Guided tour, pickup
Auschwitz I and Birkenau
- Length7 to 10 hours
- Birkenau75 minutes
- GuidesEnglish and others
Cost for your party
Auschwitz day tour from Krakow, hour by hour
From Krakow: Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour & Hotel Pickup
★ 4.5 · 39,056 ratings
Answer in brief
An Auschwitz day tour from Krakow collects you early, drives about 1.5 hours west, spends about 3.5 hours with a licensed educator at Auschwitz I and Birkenau, and brings you back the same day.
The day
Compare all 4 options
What the day costs for your group
Choose a day tour, then add your travelers.
- Guided tour, pickup7 to 10 hours · for each guest from €16
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View - Official tour, pickup7 to 7.5 hours · for each guest from €16
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View - Tour with lunch7 to 8 hours · for each guest from €17
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View - With the salt mine11 hours · for each guest from €42
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View
Currency conversion uses the ECB reference rate on GetYourGuide from-prices. The exact price is displayed when you book.
What an Auschwitz day tour from Krakow involves from the moment you are collected: the pickup window, the drive west, the guided visit of both camps and the way back.
Editorial team, auschwitzandsaltminetour.com · Updated November 9, 2026 · Takes 9 min
Main facts
- PickupBetween 5:00 AM and 1:30 PM, confirmed the day before.
- The driveAbout 1.5 hours each way on the itineraries.
- At the MemorialA guided visit of about 3.5 hours across both camps.1
- Whole day7 to 10 hours, or 11 hours with the salt mine added.
- BringID that matches your booking and a bag no bigger than 35x25x15 cm.2
What an Auschwitz day tour from Krakow covers
An Auschwitz day tour from Krakow follows a fixed shape, whichever operator runs it. You are collected in the city, driven west to Oswiecim, guided through the former camps by an educator licensed by the Museum, and brought back the same day. The Memorial itself is clear on the order: every visit begins at the former Auschwitz I, and the guided route then continues to Birkenau.3,4 What changes between tours is the pickup time, the size of the group and the share of the day spent driving.
On the Auschwitz-only listing with 39,056 reviews, the itinerary reads like this: about 1.5 hours by coach, 2 hours with the guide at Auschwitz I, a 10-minute break, 75 minutes at Birkenau and about 1.5 hours back. The official tour sold on the rules page of this site has the same drive and the same first part, then 1.5 hours at Birkenau. Neither listing controls the pace inside the Memorial. The Museum's visitor service decides how long each part of the guided visit lasts.
This page walks through that day in order, so you know what each hour is for and what to have ready. It is a long day and an emotionally heavy one. Treat it as a visit to a place of memory rather than a sightseeing trip, and plan the evening accordingly, with a quiet dinner and an early night rather than a packed schedule. If you are also curious about the salt mine in Wieliczka, the combined day is covered on its own page.
Compare the days
Auschwitz day tours side by side
| Tour | Length | Auschwitz I | Birkenau | Pickup window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided tour and hotel pickup | 7 to 10 hours | 2 hours | 75 minutes | 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM |
| Official tour and hotel pickup | 7 to 7.5 hours | 2 hours | 1.5 hours | 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM |
| Guided tour with lunch | 7 to 8 hours | 2 hours | 1.5 hours | 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM |
| Auschwitz with the salt mine | 11 hours | 2 hours | 1 hour | 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM |
Times as each listing gives them; the Memorial's visitor service sets the real pace on the day.
Pickup: windows, names and meeting points
Anyone weighing up the best Auschwitz tour from Krakow with hotel pick-up should look at the pickup window first. On the large Auschwitz tours the possible start runs from 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM. You choose a preferred time when you book, but it is not guaranteed, and the exact start time reaches you the day before. Keep in mind that the Memorial's entry passes are personalised and their number is limited.7 Keep the evening before free to read that message, and set an alarm that works even if the time moves earlier.
Names matter more than on almost any other excursion. Every entry pass is personalised, and staff can turn you away if your booked name and the name on your ID do not match exactly.7 The Memorial asks every visitor to carry both the personal entry card and an identity document.8 When you book for a group, type each name exactly as it appears in that person's passport or ID card, including middle names if the document shows them.
Hotel pickup is common on the larger tours, but not every street can be reached. The listing sold on this site's salt mine page warns that the Old Town and Kazimierz are restricted traffic zones, and pickups there move to the nearest possible point. Other tours use fixed meeting points instead: the lunch tour picks up at Pawia 18a, Starowislna 65 and Wielopole 2. If you are staying in the center, find your nearest meeting point on the map before the day, and allow a few minutes to walk there in the dark.
Where the time goes
An Auschwitz-only day, in minutes
- Drive there90
- Auschwitz I120
- Break10
- Birkenau75
- Drive back90
Itinerary times of a guided Auschwitz-only day tour from Krakow with hotel pickup; the Memorial's visitor service sets the real pace.
The drive west and arriving at the Memorial
The morning drive is a chance to rest, or to read a little about the history ahead. Itineraries give about 1.5 hours each way by coach or minibus. Some operators use the time to prepare you: one listing shows a documentary film on the ride, with about 75 minutes in a van each way. The official tour notes that you travel by bus or van depending on the size of the group, and that the tour leader on board may not speak your chosen language, since the language applies to the museum tour itself.
The Memorial asks every visitor to arrive at least 30 minutes before the tour starts, because of the security checks.5 Your bags may be inspected, including with X-ray scanners for luggage.12 Backpacks and handbags may not exceed 35x25x15 cm, and the Memorial asks you to leave larger bags in the car or coach.2,13 On a tour this is easy, since larger luggage can stay in the vehicle in the car park.14 If you arrive with a suitcase on the way to the airport, there is paid luggage storage at the entrance.15
Everything starts from the Visitor Service Centre and car park on Wiezniow Oswiecimia Street, on the outskirts of the town.16,3 Your tour leader hands over the group to the Memorial's educator, and you receive a headset: groups of more than 10 people are required to use a headphone guiding system.17 Test it before you enter. Once the visit starts, the educator speaks quietly and the group moves steadily, and a dead battery means missing the explanations in the rooms where they matter most.
Plan your day
Which departure suits you?
Fit the departure to your energy and your evening.
If I want the calmest start
Ask for an early pickup
If I land in Krakow that morning
Choose a later pickup
The possible start reaches 1:30 PM on the large tours.
If I travel in December
Go in the morning
The last entry in December is 2:00 PM.10
If I want more time at Birkenau
Take the official tour
Its itinerary allows 1.5 hours at Birkenau.
If I want lunch arranged
Book the tour with lunch
It runs 7 to 8 hours with pickup included.
Pick a day
Day tours from Krakow compared
Licensed guide
Official tour, pickup
Licensed guide
- Length7 to 7.5 hours
- Birkenau1.5 hours
- GroupSmall group option
Salt mine added
With the salt mine
Auschwitz and Wieliczka
- Length11 hours
- EndsAround 8:00 PM
- GuideEnglish
Inside the Memorial: Auschwitz I, a pause, then Birkenau
With an educator, the standard visit of both parts takes about 3.5 hours.1 At Auschwitz I you walk through the gate and the brick blocks that hold the permanent exhibitions. Allow for a long walk: around 1300 metres at Auschwitz I alone, a good part of it right at the start.19 Expect stairs inside the blocks and a slow pace, with stops in front of photographs, documents and personal belongings.
After Auschwitz I comes a short break, 10 minutes on most itineraries and 15 minutes on others. Use it for the toilet and a drink of water. You cannot eat inside the grounds: the regulations prohibit consuming food in the areas open to visitors.6 The sites are 3.5 km apart, and the Museum provides transport between them for individual visitors on guided tours.20,21 The tour with lunch moves its group by coach, a 10-minute ride.
Birkenau is a different experience: open, vast and quiet. The Memorial speaks of nearly 200 hectares, with the remains of gas chambers and crematoria and ground where human ashes lie.18 Here the educator takes the group along the ramp, into the barracks and to the remains of the gas chambers and crematoria.22 Itineraries allow between 75 minutes and 1.5 hours for this part. The walking is long and on uneven historic roads, so good shoes matter more than at any other point of the day.23
The day
From hotel door to hotel door
Pickup
Collected in Krakow
Between 5:00 AM and 1:30 PM, confirmed the day before.
1.5 hrs
Drive to Oswiecim
Coach or minibus west to the Memorial.
Arrival
Security check
Arrive at least 30 minutes before the tour starts.5
2 hrs
Auschwitz I
The gate, the blocks and the permanent exhibitions.
10 min
Short break
Toilets and water; no food on the grounds.6
75 min
Birkenau, then home
The ramp, the barracks and the ruins, then about 1.5 hours back.
How long is the Auschwitz tour from Krakow?
If you are asking how long is the Auschwitz tour from Krakow, the honest answer is a range. The Auschwitz-only day with hotel pickup and 39,056 reviews is listed at 7 to 10 hours. The official tour is listed at 7 to 7.5 hours, and the tour with lunch at 7 to 8 hours. The variation comes from the pickup round, traffic on the way back and the Memorial's own pace, which neither the operator nor GetYourGuide controls.
Adding the salt mine stretches the day considerably. The guided day this site sells, with both the Memorial and Wieliczka, lasts 11 hours and usually finishes around 8:00 PM. Its schedule adds a 1.5-hour drive to Wieliczka, 1 hour of free time, 2.5 hours in the mine and a 45-minute drive back. Depending on guide availability, the salt mine may even come first in the morning. Pick that option only if you are sure you have the energy for both.
There is also a shorter version inside the Memorial itself. The Museum runs a shorter general tour before closing time, of around 2.5 hours.24 On the other hand, it also offers study tours of around 6 hours for visitors who want more depth.25 The timings in this guide follow the standard format of about 3.5 hours.1 If you have a strong interest in a particular subject, ask the Memorial about its specialist options before you settle on a group day tour from the city.
Video
A day trip to Auschwitz from Krakow
Bora Chen on YouTube · The clip loads only after you tap play.
It is essential to visit both parts of the camp, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, in order to acquire a proper sense of the place that has become the symbol of the Holocaust
The night before
Ready for the day
Documents3
- Passport or ID with exactly the name on the booking
- Read the pickup message sent the day before
- Personal entry card saved on your phone or printed8
Morning or afternoon departure, summer or winter
The Memorial is open every day of the year except January 1, December 25 and Easter Sunday.26 The first entry is at 7:30 AM all year, and the last moves with the daylight: until 2:00 PM in December, until 7:00 PM from June to August.10,9 Visitors may stay 90 minutes after the last entrance hour.27 Check the month of your visit before you pick a departure time, and remember that the pickup window and the entry hours have to fit together on the same day.
An early departure has practical advantages. You reach the Memorial in cooler air in summer and in daylight in winter, and the long walk at Birkenau happens before the light fades. An afternoon departure suits travelers who arrive in Krakow the same morning, but in December the visit is squeezed into a short day. In very hot weather the Memorial may shorten or change the route for safety, and the official tour notes that storms and heatwaves can shorten the visit.28
Seasons also change what you need to wear. In winter the regulations ask visitors to keep to the designated paths, and the light inside some historic buildings is limited.29 Dress in layers, with a waterproof jacket: much of the day is spent outdoors at Birkenau. Summer calls for a hat and a bottle of water on the coach. Whatever the season, the Memorial asks visitors to dress in a manner befitting the place. Leave beachwear and provocative slogans at the hotel.30
Food, breaks and the drive back to Krakow
Plan your meals around the fact that you cannot eat at the Memorial.6 Have a proper breakfast before an early pickup and carry snacks for the coach. The combined day this site sells includes a break for lunch, and its listing recommends bringing snacks as well. If you want lunch arranged for you on an Auschwitz-only day, the tour with lunch is listed at 7 to 8 hours, from €19.
The return drive takes about 1.5 hours. The ride back is often quiet, and a good tour leader leaves space for that. Drop-off is usually at the same points as the pickup: the site tour lists 6 drop-off locations in Krakow, including Wielopole 2 and Starowislna 65. If you need to be somewhere at a fixed time in the evening, allow a margin, because the end time depends on the Memorial's pace and the traffic back into the city.
If you would rather travel independently, the same visit can be done by bus or train with an entry pass booked directly with the Museum; our page on reaching Oswiecim covers every route. A tour removes the logistics; inside, the guiding is the same, since only educators licensed by the Museum may serve visitors.4 Whatever you choose, give yourself time after the visit. The day tends to stay with you, and a calm evening helps.
FAQ
Brief questions, brief answers.
What time does an Auschwitz tour pick up in Krakow?
Between 5:00 AM and 1:30 PM.
You choose a preferred time; the exact start is confirmed the day before.
How long is the drive from Krakow to Auschwitz?
About 1.5 hours each way.
That is the coach time on the itineraries of the large tours.
How long is the guided visit inside the Memorial?
About 3.5 hours.
The Memorial's standard guided tour covers Auschwitz I and Birkenau.1
Can I eat during the visit?
Not on the grounds.
Consuming food is prohibited in the areas open to visitors, so eat before or after.6
What happens if the name on my booking is wrong?
Entry can be refused.
If the booked name differs from your ID, you may be turned away.
How big a bag can I take in?
Does the tour visit both camps?
Yes, Auschwitz I and Birkenau.
The Memorial considers seeing both parts essential.11
How late does an Auschwitz day tour end?
Usually 7 to 10 hours after pickup.
The combined day with the salt mine ends around 8:00 PM.
Sources
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Basic information ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Basic information ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Getting to the Museum ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Guides, options for guided tours, prices ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Basic information ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Regulations for visitors (valid from 1.07.2026), PDF ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Individual visitors ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · visit.auschwitz.org booking system (Polish) ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Opening hours ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Opening hours ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Plan your visit ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Regulations for visitors (valid from 1.07.2026), PDF ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Visiting ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Individual visitors ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Basic information ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Getting to the Museum ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Basic information ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Plan your visit ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Accessibility ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Getting to the Museum ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Individual visitors ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Guides, options for guided tours, prices ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Accessibility ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Guides, options for guided tours, prices ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Individual visitors ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Opening hours ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Opening hours ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · visit.auschwitz.org booking system (Polish) ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Regulations for visitors (valid from 1.07.2026), PDF ↩
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum · Visiting ↩