Auschwitz Tour from Warsaw

Two ways to reach Auschwitz-Birkenau from Warsaw: by express train via Kraków with a group tour, or by private car from your hotel. Guided visit of both camps included.

Tour Details

• Options: by train via Kraków with a group bus tour, or by private car directly from Warsaw
• Duration: approx. 16 hours by train; approx. 12 hours by private car
• Departure: 6:00 AM from Warsaw Central Railway Station (train); morning hotel pickup in Warsaw (private car)
• Travel time: train around 2.5 hours to Kraków plus around 1.5 hours by bus to the Memorial; private car around 3.5 hours each way
• Guided visit: up to 3.5 hours at Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau
• Guide languages: English and Spanish; other languages on request
• Price: from 129 EUR per person

Description

The Auschwitz tour from Warsaw comes in two versions, both completed in a single day. The first follows rail and road: an early express train takes you to Kraków, where you join a group bus to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. On the way back, you have free time in Kraków before the evening train. The second is a private car that collects you from your Warsaw hotel, drives you to Oświęcim and brings you back to the same door about 12 hours later.

Whichever way you travel, the visit at the Memorial is the same. A licensed guide leads you through both parts of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp for up to three and a half hours: around two hours in Auschwitz I and around an hour and a half in Birkenau. Entrance tickets are included in both options. The train version costs less, while the private car means fewer connections and a shorter day.

Seeing the site with a guide makes it possible to follow its history in order. Auschwitz was established in 1940 and became the largest German Nazi camp. Most of the people murdered there were Jews; Poles, Roma and Sinti, Soviet prisoners of war and people of other nationalities were also among its victims. The Memorial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves the places where these events took place.

Auschwitz Tour from Warsaw Itinerary

Option 1 – By train via Kraków (approx. 16 hours)

1. 6:00 AM departure from Warsaw Central
   The day begins at Warsaw Central Railway Station (Warszawa Centralna) with an express train to Kraków. If you would rather start from your hotel, a pickup can be added for 50 EUR per booking.
2. Train to Kraków (around 2.5 hours)
   The journey to Kraków takes about two and a half hours in second class.
3. Walk to the meeting point
   The departure point for the group tour is about five minutes on foot from Kraków’s main station. A map and directions are sent to you by email before the tour.
4. Bus to Oświęcim (around 1.5 hours)
   A group bus takes you from Kraków to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial in about an hour and a half.
5. Auschwitz I (around 2 hours)
   With your guide and headphones, you begin in Auschwitz I, set up in 1940 in former Polish army barracks. You pass through the gate with the inscription “Arbeit macht frei” and visit exhibitions in the preserved brick blocks. The route also includes Block 11, the camp prison, and the Death Wall.
6. Auschwitz II-Birkenau (around 1.5 hours)
   A short transfer takes you to Birkenau, about 3 km away. This was the largest part of the complex and the main site of the murder of European Jews. You see the railway unloading ramp, the remaining barracks, the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria blown up by the SS before liberation, and the International Monument to the Victims.
7. Bus back to Kraków (around 1.5 hours)
   After the visit, the group returns to Kraków by bus.
8. Free time in Kraków
   Before your train, you have free time to explore Kraków on your own.
9. Evening train to Warsaw
   The return train brings you back to Warsaw in the evening, about 16 hours after departure. If you booked the hotel transfer, you are then driven to your hotel.

Option 2 – By private car (approx. 12 hours)

1. Hotel pickup in Warsaw
   Your private driver collects you from your hotel in Warsaw in the morning.
2. Drive to Oświęcim (around 3.5 hours)
   You travel directly to the Memorial in a private air-conditioned vehicle, with no changes of train or bus.
3. Guided visit of both camps (up to 3.5 hours)
   A licensed local guide leads you through Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau along the same route as in Option 1. You spend around two hours in the main camp and around an hour and a half in Birkenau, and the transfer between the two sites is included.
4. Lunch break (around 1 hour)
   After the visit, there is about an hour of free time for lunch.
5. Return to Warsaw (around 3.5 hours)
   The driver takes you back to Warsaw and drops you off at your hotel, roughly 12 hours after pickup.

Prices

Option 1 – By train via Kraków: 129 EUR per person. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Warsaw can be added for 50 EUR per booking.

Option 2 – By private car: the price per person depends on group size, as the private vehicle and driver are shared among everyone in your group.

What is Included

Option 1 – By train via Kraków:

• Return 2nd class train tickets Warsaw–Kraków–Warsaw
• Group bus transport between Kraków and the Memorial
• Reserved entrance tickets to Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau
• Guided visit of both camps of up to 3.5 hours in your chosen language
• Free time in Kraków

Option 2 – By private car:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Warsaw
• Private air-conditioned transport for the whole day
• English-speaking driver
• Reserved entrance tickets to Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau
• Guided visit of both camps of up to 3.5 hours in your chosen language

Optional extra (Option 1):

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Warsaw: 50 EUR per booking

Before you go

• Book as early as possible: Entrance tickets and licensed guides at the Memorial are in high demand, and guided visits are often booked out weeks ahead, especially from spring to autumn.
• Bring a valid ID or passport: Tickets are issued by name, and you will need your document to enter the Museum.
• Bag size: Bags inside the Museum must not exceed 30 x 20 x 10 cm.
• Children: The Museum does not recommend visits for children under 14.
• Clothing: Much of the visit is outdoors, especially at Birkenau. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.
• For the train option: Be at Warsaw Central Railway Station in good time for the 6:00 AM departure, and keep the map of the Kraków meeting point from your confirmation email at hand.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions