In this guide
💡 The Short Version: A coach tour from Kraków includes the transport, the Memorial’s guided pass and a tour leader, and takes 6 to 10 hours. On your own the Lajkonik bus (PLN 54, £10.50 return) plus the guided pass (PLN 150, £29) come to PLN 204 (£39.50), with a fixed bus timetable and a pass you book yourself. The most-booked tours are GetYourGuide’s guided tour with hotel pick-upad (4.5 stars from 41,471 reviews) and the tour with official guide and hotel pick-upad (4.6 stars from 33,703). Give the name exactly as it appears on your ID: the pass is personal. Prices vary by option and date; the checkout shows the total (GetYourGuide).
Auschwitz-Birkenau is a memorial. The Auschwitz-Birkenau tickets page has the Memorial’s own booking rules, hours and bus times. This page compares the coach tours that book the pass for you.
Tour or go alone
| On your own | Coach tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | You book it at visit.auschwitz.org, up to 90 days ahead | Booked for you, in your name |
| Guide | Memorial educator, PLN 150 (£29) in English | Memorial educator, in the booking |
| Transport | Lajkonik bus from MDA, 1 hour 25 minutes, PLN 54 (£10.50) return; 8 departures a day | Coach or minibus from a meeting point or your hotel, about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 each way |
| Timetable | The bus times and the slot you book | Fixed by the operator; the pick-up time is sent the day before |
| Day length | About 8 hours on the October timetable | 6 to 10 hours |
A tour’s pick-up can come early: one operator’s window runs from 05:00 to 14:00. On your own, the Lajkonik buses start at 07:10 all year (06:15 as well from November to March), and the tickets page shows how the first bus fits the first English slot.
The tours
Each of these includes the entry pass with a guide from the Memorial, unless the entry says otherwise. Ratings are GetYourGuide’s.
Auschwitz-Birkenau guided tour with hotel pick-up
4.5 stars from 41,471 reviews · 7 to 10 hours · Royal Cracow
The guided tourad includes the entry pass with a licensed Memorial guide, the coach, pick-up from your hotel or a meeting point depending on the option, skip-the-line entry through the express security check and a tour leader. The pick-up window runs from 05:00 to 14:00, and the exact time is sent the day before. Guides work in English, Dutch, Italian, French, German and Spanish. It is not suitable for children under 12.
Auschwitz-Birkenau tour with official guide and hotel pick-up
4.6 stars from 33,703 reviews · 6 to 7.5 hours · Super Cracow
The tourad includes the coach, the skip-the-line entry ticket and a licensed guide at both camps, with a meeting point or hotel pick-up. Its guided visit is 2 hours at Auschwitz I and 1.5 hours at Birkenau. The start can fall anywhere between 05:00 and 13:30, according to the Memorial’s schedule, and the operator confirms it a day ahead. Guides work in English, German, Italian, Spanish and French.
Auschwitz-Birkenau live guided tour with hotel pick-up
4.6 stars from 6,352 reviews · 7 hours · Krakowdirect
The live guided tourad goes by van, with a short film about the liberation of the camp on the way, 2 hours at Auschwitz I and 1.5 hours at Birkenau, and pick-up at a meeting point or your hotel. The listing also offers a self-guided option with a guidebook instead of a Memorial guide; pick the live guide to match the guided pass. Guides work in English and Spanish.
Auschwitz-Birkenau tour, guaranteed or waitlist
4.5 stars from 9,119 reviews · 7 to 8 hours
The listing’s options are labelled guaranteed or waitlist. Book a guaranteed optionad if your dates cannot move.
Auschwitz-Birkenau guided tour, several options
4.6 stars from 4,694 reviews · 7 to 8 hours · Hello Cracow
The tourad meets at the Kiss & Ride lay-by at the start of Wielopole Street, beside the Main Post Office, with a coach each way of about 1.5 hours. Groups are limited to 30, or 15 in the option that adds hotel pick-up. One option is self-paced and has no Memorial guide, so the entry is not the guided pass; choose a guided option.
Auschwitz-Birkenau tour limited to 15 visitors
4.7 stars from 577 reviews · 7 hours
The small-group tourad is capped at 15 visitors, against 30 on the larger coaches.
Museum transport only
3.8 stars from 1,030 reviews · 1.5 hours
The transport-only listingad takes you to the Museum and does not include the pass, which you book yourself at visit.auschwitz.org. The Lajkonik bus does the same journey on a published timetable.
Tours that start in Oświęcim
4.3 stars from 5,397 reviews and 4.4 stars from 3,561 reviews · 3.5 to 4 hours
Two listings start at the Memorial and include the pass, the guide and a headset but no transport: the skip-the-line guided tourad and the entry ticket and guided tourad. Both fit a journey by the Lajkonik bus or the train. In Spanish or Italian, the camp complex tourad (4.7 stars from 891 reviews, 7 to 12 hours) adds Monowitz.
What the tour covers
The guided visit takes about 3.5 hours. It starts at Auschwitz I, with the permanent exhibitions in the original buildings, and moves by vehicle to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, a few minutes away, where it takes in the prisoners’ barracks, the unloading platform and the ruins of a crematorium. The tours listed spend about 2 hours at Auschwitz I and 1 to 1.5 hours at Birkenau. Parts of Birkenau, part of Block 5 and the Russian exhibition in Block 14 are closed to visitors. Both camps are needed: the Memorial says it is essential to visit both (auschwitz.org). Eating is prohibited inside the site: the tours break between the camps, so bring food, and a restaurant with kosher snacks stands near the visitor centre.
The railway line at Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Photo: Steven Lek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Practical information
- The name on the booking. The pass is personal, and entry can be refused if the name differs from your ID. Give your name as it appears on the ID you will carry, at least 24 hours ahead.
- Bags. The largest bag allowed is 35 x 25 x 15 cm. Paid lockers at the visitor centre take larger bags.
- Age. The Memorial recommends the visit for ages 14 and over.
- Behaviour. Due solemnity and respect, and dress to match. Phone calls inside buildings, music and flags are prohibited, and so are audio or video guides, including phone apps.
- Cancellation. The GetYourGuide listings above allow free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. The Memorial’s passes bought direct cannot be changed or refunded.
- Hours. The Memorial is closed on 25 December 2026, 1 January 2027 and Easter Sunday, and December entry ends at 14:00.
Auschwitz is one of the day trips from Kraków. To see both the Memorial and the salt mine in one day, see Auschwitz and Wieliczka in one day, and for the other trip that fits a day, the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Kraków public transport covers the way to MDA, and what to book before you go to Kraków has the city tickets. For the nights around it, see where to stay in Kraków.
Common questions
How long is an Auschwitz tour from Kraków?
Between 6 and 10 hours door to door, depending on the tour. The coach takes about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 each way, and the guided visit of Auschwitz I and Birkenau takes about 3.5 hours.
Does an Auschwitz tour from Kraków include the entry pass?
Yes, on the guided coach tours: the pass, the Memorial's licensed guide, the coach and a tour leader are in the booking. One option on some listings is self-paced and has no Memorial guide, so check the option you choose.
What name do I give when I book an Auschwitz tour?
The name as it appears on the ID you will carry. The Memorial's passes are personal, and the operators warn that entry may be refused if the name on the booking differs from the ID.
Is it cheaper to go to Auschwitz on your own?
On your own the Lajkonik bus costs PLN 54 (£10.50) return and the guided pass PLN 150 (£29) in English, PLN 204 (£39.50) in all. A tour sells the same pass with the coach and a fixed timetable; its price varies by option and date and the checkout shows the total.
