Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Trip from Krakow Old Town

This place is a reflection of a dark and depressing part of world history. And for people interested in history, this place should be on the list. The tour organized was also very good. Prompt communication was a huge plus. We received exact instruction a day prior where to take the bus and the bus was in good time ...our guide at both Auschwitz 1 and 2 was Berta and she was a delight. I truly would like to put in a word for her. She explained beautifully, was never in a rush, answered everyone s questions patiently and moreover, spoke with so much emotion that she conveyed the feel so well.

Our driver and guide were right on time and expertly brought us to the two sites. Our guide, having taken many groups through both memorials, had very in-depth knowledge to share. He was so respectful in the way he told us the stories of the men and women victims of the Holocaust.

The trip was well timed because there was so much to see.Our guide Ewa was very well informed and spoke with feeling and great respect for the place. Ready to answer questions and thought evoking

Turned up to find our booked had not been made after about 3hours we ended up touring auschwitz alone with no tour guide! they took us to Birkenau first so we did the tour back to front really poor communication

Very well-organised tour. Pick-up was punctual and everything worked like clock-work. The Italian guide was perfect. He had a good mastery of the English Language and gave us a vivid description of what went on behind the walls of these concentration camps. It was an experience never to be forgotten albeit of a sad content. Thank you.

We went on a guided tour and the experience was deeply moving and an emotional experience. The guide was knowledgeable about the place. I highly recommend anyone to pay this place a visit.

Really think this tour was the best way to see Auschwitz. The bus driver was friendly and met us easily at the designated meeting point. You see a video of some of the history on the bus. Once at the site you meet your guide and you are given an audio headset. You are then led through the two camps. The guide was excellent and told you many facts that you would not have been able to take in on your own. You will truly be touched by what you see. Wear comfortable shoes as quite a lot of walking on uneven and dusty ground.

My wife and I took this tour on Sunday August 4, 2019 and it was a profound experience. First off, this site is heavily attended and judging from the long lines and wait times for people visiting who weren't with a tour, you definitely want to go here with a scheduled tour. Also, be prepared for lots of walking on uneven surfaces. You'll also want to wear a hat and have some water with you. Our tour bus driver's English was excellent, but our guide in the camp had a nearly impenetrable accent. During the Auschwitz I - Museum part of the tour, we were able to hear our guide clearly through radio headsets, which was very helpful. One the Auschwitz II - Birkenau portion, there were no headsets. My advice there is to stay close to the guide and listen closely or you'll miss something. In spite of the accent, our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about trying to convey the weight of the things we were seeing. Visiting Auschwitz is a powerful and moving experience unlike anyplace else (other than another WWII German concentration camp) and well worth the visit. Be sure to have a good camera and be fast with it as the tour necessarily moves quickly. Also note there are several things you won't be allowed (and won't want) to photograph.

This was an excellent trip and we were glad that we had booked it due to our excellent guide. Our minibus was clean and comfortable and pick up and drop off was very convenient to our hotel. Auschwitz was very busy and I think has to be done with a guide. Our guide was very informative and certainly brought home the enormity of what had been done in this place. At times it was very traumatic and going into the gas chambers was not pleasant. The scale of Birkenau was vast and there was a lot more walking in the open but again very informative. This was a very well run trip and was good value for money. The tour operator was also very good at keeping me informed about the trip details.

Auschwitz itself was of course memorable. The pick up was on time and our tour guide was very knowledgable and really captured the horridness of the place with his commentary. The pace of the tour was quite fast but there was still enough time to see everything. We would highly recommend!

I have studied a lot about the holocaust and this trip has been on my travel list for years. The site is well preserved, probably a bit too well preserved, looking pristine. I found the displays very emotional but we were hurried round so quickly there was very little time to stand and reflect on what I was actually looking at, and the lives it represented. Because I had a wealth of background knowledge I was able to fill in a lot of details for myself because, unfortunately I felt that we were given a very sanitised tour. To be told “ Mengele was interested in twins” without actually being told why was a missed opportunity for the younger members of our tour to discover some of the horrors of the camp. Other examples were being shown an exhibition of prosthetic limbs “taken from the prisoners, upgraded and given to wounded German soldiers”. No mention of the fact that the disabled were automatically exterminated, as they couldn’t work effectively. I know the tour guides walk a fine line between imparting knowledge and shocking people, but this was a killing ground. I felt the truth was being withheld in order for the participants to have a “ nice tour”. In a way, I wish I’d never visited. I think what is in my head, from all I’ve read, tells a truer story than the memory of the camp that I carried away that day. Perhaps I’ll feel different after I’ve had more time to assimilate it all. I still believe that everyone should visit this site. It provoked so much discussion in our family. Please don’t let my review put you off visiting but please remember this was an horrendous place where unspeakable atrocities took place.

Very sad and emotional place to visit,very interesting and informative Not too far from krakow booking trip beforehand is good as the queue for ticket was long.

The tour guide was very informative. He explained what happened, how it changed people, what the experience was. This will never be a fun place to visit, but anyone who can stand it should go and remember. This tour was a great way to do this.

It was going to rain so they “shortened” the visit/tour. I had been there before and was with someone who flew over 5000 miles to see this. In reality, the guide we had spent most of his time chit chatting with the Auschwitz lady and we were left short! Disappointing!!!!!

I have no complaints about this tour. It was well organized and really eye-opening. The tour guide provided was really good in explaining the relevant things about the camp. I just wish there was more time to really take in everything, but this is of course limited because of the sheer number of people who visit the camp every single day. Overall, really good value for money.

The actual sites are extremely moving and most definitely worth a visit. Average rating due to fact we were rushed around, no time to reflect or comfort break at the end with tour operator. Birkenau also cut short, so missed much of this.

The tour guide was very knowledgable and tried to be patient ! His microphone packed up near the end so we missed a lot of the commentry , and the 2nd part of the tour we really struggled to keep up even though he waited we felt very pressured !

Nice driver, very good guide. We were given water and had a few 10-minute breaks between the tours. Auschwitz I was the most interesting part. At Auschwitz II Birkenau the guide didn't have radio device, and talked a bit silently so it was a little difficult to hear sometimes. Overall very worthwile trip.

Well worth the cost of the ticket. You see it on television, the movies and read about it in school books. But until you actually set foot and walk through the camp...words just can’t find a way to describe the feeling. I dubbed it the most evil place in the world, but you have to remember history so that it doesn’t repeat itself. BOTTOM LINE, this is a once in a lifetime visit, you have to go. Well worth it. 6/22/2019

A very harrowing experience delivered by our fabulous guide (think she was called Yola) she was extremely compassionate and delivered all the facts in a manner conducive to the setting. A must see if you as coming to Krakow even though it’s heartbreaking Thank you

Really well organized tour. The guide, who was a proficient english speaker provided us really good explanations. Very helpful staff! I definitely recommend!

We opted for the private transfer. The day before we were emailed to say there were no spaces on the trip we had booked and could they change us to the following day. We were due to fly home the day they wanted to rearrange so this caused some worry that we wouldn't be able to fit it in. It resulted in us changing all of our plans for the 2 days we were in Krakow, and if we had prebooked any other tickets we wouldn't have been able to accomodate their change of date, leaving us to find another tour at extremely short notice. We were told pick up would be at 7.30 but this was changed to 7.50. Pick up was efficient and from our hotel. The journey there was comfortable in a minivan. When we arrived we joined another tour organised by the same group. The group was quite large, and so if you didn't stay at the front of the group the microphone kept cutting out and you missed the commentary. I'm not sure if this is more a problem with the museum's equipment itself or the group size, but I did not have that problem last time I visited. The tour of Auschwitz 1 was very informative and interesting. The exhibits speak for themself. We were then sent back to the car to go to Birkenau. This took about 5 minutes and we then waited for the group to join us. This part of the tour felt quite rushed and we missed out some of the parts that we had visited in our previous visit (which some members of our party hadn't been on). We didn't get to go up the watch tower, or in the men's camp. There was also no time alloted to go up and see the memorial to pay respects. We booked the private transfer so that we could have some free time in Birkenau, so we did manage to see the men's camp and some of their barracks. It would have been nice to get some spare time in Auschwitz 1 as there are many buildings which you do not get taken inside on this tour. We were able to be dropped off at the airport after the tour which suited us well, given the change of date. Although it seems I am just complaining, overall this was a great transfer and the tour guide was very good herself.

Worth the visit. Need to walk a bit so be ready for walking at least 3 kms in total. Guide is also very good and informative.

I was picked up on arranged spot. Was on all locations on the tour, while the tour guide watched and took care of us. Was dropped of at the end on same location. I am thankful, and recommending Viator!

Great driver and tour guide. Small group and comfy car to travel Little rushed in some Auschwitz buildings but understandable as it was very busy.

We went on our tour friday. Well organised picked up as planned weather was beautiful tour guide was very a accommodating gave indept stories of events throughly enjoyed and would highly recommend

Moving and excellent tour, wanted my 15 year old son to see the destructive nature of extremism and to see what happens when democracy is replaced by tyranny. Have read many times about this dark period in history but nothing prepares for what you will see on the tour in Auschwitz. The freedom we have today is precious and was hard fought for, the rise of the Far Right again in Europe must be stopped.

An eye-opening reminder of how a democratically elected leader can take a nation down the path to fascism; exploitation of fear, anger and racism; and the false justification of crimes against humanity.

Viator team was super responsive whenever we had a question prior to our visit. Our driver arrived on time and was fun, engaged on conversations and gave us tips about Krakow. Once in Auschwitz, we met with our guide, an extremely knowledgeable guy that didn't limit himself in explaining about the place, but also made interesting comments and encouraged critical thinking. The visit was extremely rough — as it must be.

Our guide and driver was outstanding, with the right knowledge and passion to make the whole day very enjoyable, even with the subject involved. We had an early pickup and in hindsight a very good idea, we always seemed to finish just as the coaches arrived, everywhere we went. The trip did not feel rushed and I will be advising friends to use you again.

Excellent !

Sobering, but very good tour. The driver picked us up from our hotel in a very nice touring bus and after a few stops to pick up other passengers, we were in Auschwitz in about an hour. The drive was taken up by a very informative movie in the bus which gave some very good content to prepare us for Auschwitz. The guide was very knowledgeable but he moved very quickly and one of our older tour members was not able to keep up with him at Birkenau. The guide spoke quietly, but it was fine for us. The day we went Auschwitz was very crowded, but it was still a good trip.Birkenau is only a 10 minute drive from Auschwitz and it was much more large and open. Some of the members of our group continued on after Auschwitz-Birkenau to take a salt mine trip, but I would recommend doing that on another day, as our day was definitely filled by our tour.