How to get to Auschwitz from Krakow, step by step

Before choosing a bus or a train, it helps to know exactly where you are heading. The Memorial lies on the edge of Oswiecim, beside provincial road No. 933, and visits always begin at Auschwitz I.⁸ The entrance, the Visitor Services Center and the main car park are at Wiezniow Oswiecimia 55.⁷ This is where buses, taxis and tour coaches stop, and it is the address to put into any map app when you work out how to get to Auschwitz from Krakow.

The journey is the easy part. The entry pass is what needs planning. You need a named entry pass for both parts of the Memorial, and the supply is limited; visit.auschwitz.org issues them, and none are available at the gate.^11,9 The Memorial calls visit.auschwitz.org the only official site for entry cards.¹² Book there before you buy a bus or train ticket.

Once you hold an entry pass, work backwards from its time. Plan to be at the entrance half an hour ahead of your tour time, for the security checks.¹⁰ Sales of entry passes for language tours end 15 minutes before the tour begins.¹³ Public transport leaves little room for delays: choose a connection that gets you there comfortably early rather than just in time, and keep the next departure in mind as a fallback.

If you are staying in the Old Town, the question of how to get from Krakow city center to Auschwitz starts on foot. From the Main Market Square you reach Krakow Glowny in 10 minutes on foot, with the bus terminal attached to the station.^28,20 Allow extra time on an early morning: the station complex is large, and you will want a few minutes to find the right platform for your bus. The map on this page shows the market square, the station and the bus terminal.

Trams and buses also stop near the station, but for an early departure walking is often easier, and in the dark it is worth checking the route the evening before. The station's ticket offices open from 7:00am to 9:00pm and its ticket machines work 24/7, which helps if you go by train.²⁹ There is an automatic left-luggage office if you need to leave a suitcase, which you should: the Memorial does not allow large bags inside.^29,30

A guided tour removes the walk entirely. The guided day this site sells starts from a meeting point or with pickup in Krakow, depending on the option you book. Its listing names drop-off points such as Wielopole 2 and Starowislna 65, both close to the center. If you are staying deep in the Old Town or Kazimierz, ask where you will be collected: one salt mine tour notes that both are restricted traffic zones, so its pickups there shift to the closest point a vehicle can reach.

With a car the drive is simple. The Memorial suggests driving into Wiezniow Oswiecimia Street from Legionow Street, which is provincial road 933, and the car park there has luggage lockers.⁵³ The Museum publishes its GPS position as 50.029787, 19.204869.⁷ If you plan to drive between the camps, note that there is a paid municipal car park at the former Birkenau camp.²⁶ Arrive with time to spare for finding a space before the security check, and keep your parking ticket somewhere safe for the exit.

Taxis work well for the stretch between the station and the Museum, or between the camps. The Memorial names HALO TAXI as the taxi service: there is a rank in front of the Museum entrance, and you can call +48 32 19 194.²⁷ A taxi all the way from Krakow is possible; agree the fare before you set off. Admission to the grounds is free, while a guided visit with an educator is charged separately, whichever way you arrive.^54,55

Remember what you can and cannot bring, whatever vehicle you arrive in. Bags above 35x25x15 cm do not go in, so leave anything bigger in the vehicle.^30,56 Drones are not allowed without the Museum's prior approval.⁵⁷ There is paid luggage storage if you come straight from the airport with a suitcase.⁵⁸ If you fly in, either of the region's airports puts you within about 50 kilometres of the Memorial's town.³⁴

The parts of the Memorial are 3.5 km apart, and the Memorial says it is essential to see both.^62,63 For individual visitors on a guided tour, the Museum provides a shuttle bus between Auschwitz I and Birkenau, and the bus has a platform for wheelchair users.^55,64 Your educator will tell you where and when to board. On a tour from Krakow, the group may travel in its own vehicle; the tour with lunch lists a 10-minute coach ride between the sites.

You can also walk. The Memorial describes a route of about 3 kilometres through Wiezniow Oswiecimia, Jaracza, Leszczynskiej and Meczenstwa Narodow streets, across the former camp's industrial grounds.⁶⁵ On the way you pass the remains of railway sidings and the Alte Judenrampe, where trains with deportees stopped and the SS carried out selections.³⁸ It is a sobering walk, and worth doing if you have the time and the weather allows.

The Birkenau entrance is at ul. Ofiar Faszyzmu 12, via the gate building.^39,40 If you came by car, the paid municipal car park is close to that entrance.²⁶ When you leave, return to the Auschwitz I car park for the Lajkonik bus or for a taxi to the station. Keep an eye on the time: the Memorial lets you stay 90 minutes after the last entry hour, and the walk back takes longer than you think after a long visit.⁶⁶