The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is in Oświęcim, west of Krakow, in Poland. Entry is free, but a named entry pass booked online at visit.auschwitz.org is mandatory: no pass is issued on site. At the busiest hours, entry is only with a guide-educator (paid); a self-guided visit is possible only late in the day. This page explains how to book, what time to visit Auschwitz without a guide depending on the month, how to get there from Krakow and which rules to respect at this place of remembrance.
The visit is most often prepared from Krakow: see our guide to visiting Krakow, our page on the best time to visit Poland and our comparison Krakow or Warsaw.
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Auschwitz-Birkenau: key facts
- Entry: free, with a named entry pass booked online (visit.auschwitz.org), in limited numbers — checked on 24 October 2026 on auschwitz.org
- Opening: every day except January 1, December 25 and Easter Sunday; entries from 7:30 am until 2 pm (December) to 7 pm (June to August), then 90 minutes of visiting are possible after the last entry
- Standard guided tour: about 3 hours 30 minutes, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau; guides in 20 languages; price on the official guided tours page
- Bags: 35 x 25 x 15 cm (13.8 x 9.8 x 5.9 in) maximum; paid left-luggage at the car park
- Age: the museum does not recommend the visit for children under 14
- Address: 55 Więźniów Oświęcimia Street, Oświęcim; main car park free; arrive at least 30 minutes before your visit time (security check)
Booking your entry pass: how it works
According to the official page for individual visitors, entry to the two sites, Auschwitz I and Birkenau, is only possible with a named entry pass. Reservations are made only online at visit.auschwitz.org; « no entry passes are available at the museum entrance ». The number of passes is limited and the museum advises booking in advance — checked on 24 October 2026 on auschwitz.org.
Two options exist for an individual visitor: the self-guided visit, free, only at certain times, or the visit with a museum guide-educator, paid. Groups must take a museum guide, and groups of more than 10 people must use a headset system. Only guide-educators approved by the museum may guide on site.
Self-guided or guided: hours by month
This is the point many travelers discover too late: at busy hours, entry is only with a guide-educator. Self-guided visits open only late in the day. The table cross-references the official hours with sunset, so you know how much daylight you have left, especially at Birkenau, which is largely outdoors.
| Month | Possible entries | Self-guided visit from | Sunset (15th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:30 am – 3 pm | 2 pm | 16:09 |
| February | 7:30 am – 4 pm | 3 pm | 17:00 |
| March | 7:30 am – 5 pm | 4 pm | 17:47 |
| April | 7:30 am – 6 pm | 5 pm | 19:36 |
| May | 7:30 am – 6 pm | 5 pm | 20:22 |
| June | 7:30 am – 7 pm | 5 pm | 20:54 |
| July | 7:30 am – 7 pm | 5 pm | 20:47 |
| August | 7:30 am – 7 pm | 5 pm | 20:02 |
| September | 7:30 am – 6 pm | 5 pm | 18:57 |
| October | 7:30 am – 5 pm | 4 pm | 17:52 |
| November | 7:30 am – 3 pm | 2 pm | 15:59 |
| December | 7:30 am – 2 pm | 1 pm | 15:41 |
How to read the table: in November or January, the self-guided visit starts at 2 pm and the sun sets around 4 pm. You would therefore walk part of Birkenau at dusk. In June or July, the self-guided visit starts at 5 pm and the sun sets around 8:50 pm: nearly four hours of daylight. If you want to visit in daylight in winter, the morning guided tour is the only option.
Languages of guided tours for individuals
The museum publishes a calendar of departures by language. According to the official page for individual guided tours (checked on 11 November 2026), English-language tours start at Auschwitz I and last about 3.5 hours, with the number of daily departures depending on the month: from 4 a day in December to 29 a day in July and August. Times change every month: check them before you book.
How to get to Auschwitz from Krakow
The museum is on the outskirts of Oświęcim, on provincial road 933. According to its access page, Lajkonik buses run directly from Krakow to the museum car park. Buses and minibuses from Krakow and Katowice also stop nearby. By train, Oświęcim station is about 1,500 meters (0.9 mi) from the museum. Krakow-Balice and Katowice-Pyrzowice airports are about 50 km (31 mi) from Oświęcim — checked on 24 October 2026 on auschwitz.org.
Between Auschwitz I and Birkenau
The two camps are 3.5 km (2 mi) apart. A free museum shuttle, equipped for wheelchairs, links them. You can also make the trip on foot, through the former industrial zone of the camp, where sidings and the « Alte Judenrampe » survive. A paid municipal car park is located at Birkenau.
What you will see
The visit starts at the former Auschwitz I camp: the blocks of the permanent exhibition and the national exhibitions. At Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the general tour shows the prisoners’ barracks, the unloading ramp and the ruins of the gas chambers and of crematoria II or III. The museum advises visiting both sites and allowing at least 90 minutes for each. Some parts of Birkenau and some exhibitions may be temporarily closed: the list is kept up to date on the museum’s website.
Organized tours from Krakow: official or reseller?
Entry is sold only by the museum, at visit.auschwitz.org. Many Krakow agencies sell excursions with transport, and the visit on site is then led by a museum guide-educator. Before paying, check: is the entry pass included? In which language is the visit on site? What is the cancellation policy? An excursion is not a « skip-the-line ticket »: the access rules remain those of the museum. Before you leave, you can pick up some basic Polish with Targumi’s online lessons, with 30% off via our link.
Rules and common mistakes
- Arriving without a reservation: no entry pass is issued on site.
- Bringing a large bag or a suitcase: above 35 x 25 x 15 cm (13.8 x 9.8 x 5.9 in), leave it at the paid left-luggage or in the vehicle.
- Photographing everywhere: photos for personal use, without flash or tripod, are allowed, except in the room of the victims’ hair (block 4) and in the basements of block 11. Drones require authorization.
- Arriving exactly on time: the museum asks for 30 minutes’ margin for the security check.
- Forgetting that this is a place of remembrance: the museum asks visitors to observe « solemnity and respect » and to dress appropriately.
Accessibility
The museum warns that preserving the authenticity of the site may make getting around difficult for people with disabilities. Wheelchairs are lent free of charge at the visitor center, and the shuttle between the two sites is equipped with a platform.
Planning the rest of your trip
Most travelers stay in Krakow and devote one day to Auschwitz-Birkenau. For weather and the best season, see the best time to visit Poland; for the country, our guide to traveling in Poland; for the capital, visiting Warsaw. For entry requirements, see our Poland guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to book to visit Auschwitz?
Yes. Entry is free but requires a named entry pass booked online at visit.auschwitz.org. No pass is available at the entrance.
Can you visit Auschwitz without a guide?
Yes, but only late in the day: from 5 pm from April to September, 4 pm in March and October, 3 pm in February, 2 pm in January and November, 1 pm in December. Before that, entry is with a guide-educator.
How long does a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau take?
The standard guided tour lasts about 3 hours 30 minutes. The museum advises at least 90 minutes for each of the two sites.
Are there tours in English?
Yes. The museum schedules guided tours for individuals in English, with between 4 and 29 departures a day depending on the month (official page, checked on 11 November 2026).
Can you come with children?
The museum does not recommend the visit for children under 14.
How do you get from Krakow to Auschwitz?
By bus (the Lajkonik company serves the museum car park), by minibus, or by train to Oświęcim, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from the museum, according to the museum’s access page.
Our sources
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum (auschwitz.org): Opening hours, Basic information, Individual visitors, Tours options, Getting to the Museum pages, consulted on 24 October 2026; guided tours for individual visitors page re-read on 11 November 2026 (English departures)
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, applied by Destination de Voyage to the GPS coordinates published by the museum (15th of each month, year 2027, clear horizon)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.
