Auschwitz Museum tour from Krakow: the rules to know

An Auschwitz Museum tour from Krakow is not a normal museum visit, and the Memorial runs it under its own regulations, valid from 1 July 2026 in their current form.⁶ Most of them follow from the nature of the place: a former German Nazi camp, a cemetery and a museum at once. The Memorial asks for solemn, respectful behaviour from everyone, and for clothing that suits a place like this.⁴ Read the rules once before you travel, and the day itself becomes simpler.

Entry is personal, and it is checked. Each visitor needs a named pass covering both sites; passes are capped, and visit.auschwitz.org is the only place to get them.^7,8 The Memorial requires visitors to carry their personal entry card and an identity document.³ Tours from Krakow book the passes for you, and their listings warn that a mismatch between the booked name and your ID can cost you entry.

Arrive early for the security check. Be there half an hour before your tour time, as the Memorial requests, and expect security staff to check people and bags, X-ray scanners included.^9,10 None of this should worry a respectful visitor, but allow time for the line at busy hours. Keep your entry card and your ID in a pocket you can reach easily, and pack your bag so that it opens quickly for inspection.

There is no formal dress code, but the rule is plain enough: your clothing has to suit the place.⁴ A sensible reading is modest clothing, no slogans that could offend, and nothing that would look out of place at a memorial service. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything: the Memorial notes about 1300 metres of walking at Auschwitz I alone, and the roads at Birkenau are uneven.^31,32

Follow the educator and the Museum staff, and stay within the areas open to visitors. With a guided entry pass, you may not leave the group to continue the visit on your own.¹² Areas marked No Entry are off limits.³³ Telephone calls are prohibited inside the buildings on the tour and in the courtyard of Block No. 11, which is a zone of silence.²⁵ Put your phone on silent before you pass the gate, and keep conversations quiet.

Candles and memorial candles may be lit only at the Execution Wall at Auschwitz I and at the International Monument to the Victims at Birkenau.²⁶ Recording the educator's lecture is prohibited.³⁰ In winter, keep to the designated paths: the regulations ask for particular care because of uneven surfaces and limited lighting.³⁴ During heat waves the Memorial may also cut or adjust the route.³⁵

The Memorial is clear in its advice: it is not recommended that children under 14 visit, and its regulations recommend the Museum for visitors aged 14 and over.^27,6 Near the Museum there is a facility where children can be left under supervision during the visit.²⁷ If you travel as a family with younger children, consider splitting the day, with one adult visiting while the other stays with the children in Krakow, or using that facility.

For a teenager of 14 or more, preparation makes the difference.⁶ Talk beforehand about what the camp was and what they will see: the exhibitions include personal belongings of the victims and photographs.⁴¹ Let them know that silence, questions afterwards and strong feelings are all normal. The Memorial offers online lessons on the history of Auschwitz, which work well as preparation, and the visit itself lasts about 3.5 hours.^42,43

Students and school pupils aged up to 26, visitors over 75 and disabled visitors can get a reduced pass with a valid document.³⁶ Bring a student card if you have one, and check that the age and the name on it are easy to read. On the day, keep a teenager close to the educator so that the headset works, and plan a calm evening afterwards. Expect questions later, sometimes much later.