Oświęcim Travel Guide: Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau

Oświęcim is a working Polish town of around 38,000 people, 60 km west of Kraków. It is visited almost exclusively because of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp complex, which operated on its outskirts from 1940 to 1945 and where approximately 1.1 million people — the vast majority of them Jews — were killed. The memorial and museum on the sites of both main camps is the most visited Holocaust site in the world.

Auschwitz I — The Main Camp

The original Auschwitz camp (Auschwitz I) was established in June 1940 in former Polish army barracks. By 1942 it had expanded to include the extermination infrastructure of Zyklon B gas chambers. The preserved site includes 28 brick barracks, many now housing documentation exhibitions covering the nationalities, identities, and fates of victims. The gas chamber and crematorium at Auschwitz I have been partially restored to their wartime configuration.

Booking: Online at auschwitz.org. Guided tours cost approximately PLN 70–100 per adult as of 2026 depending on tour type and language. Between 10:00 and 15:00, visitors must be with an authorised guide — individual visits without a guide are only permitted before 10:00 and after 15:00. For July and August, book 4–6 weeks ahead. Individual dates do sell out.

Practicalities: The site opens daily (except January 1 and December 25). No photography is permitted inside the gas chamber. Large bags must be left in the paid cloakroom at the entrance. The exhibition material is extensive and some of it extremely difficult — this is not a site to rush.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau

Three kilometres from Auschwitz I, Birkenau was constructed from 1941 as the main extermination centre of the complex. It is far larger than Auschwitz I — the camp covered 175 hectares and held up to 90,000 prisoners at its peak. The main gatehouse, the railway line that carried deportees directly into the camp, and the ruins of the crematoria (blown up by the SS in November 1944 as Soviet forces approached) are all accessible.

Entry to Birkenau is free. A shuttle bus runs between Auschwitz I and Birkenau; the journey takes approximately 5 minutes and runs regularly during opening hours. Many visitors walk between the two sites along the main road (approximately 3 km, 40 minutes) — this is a reasonable option if the weather allows.

Allow at least 1.5–2 hours at Birkenau, particularly the main memorial area at the far end of the railway, the ruins of Crematoria II and III, and the destroyed Hungarian Jewish transport buildings.

The Oświęcim Jewish Museum

At ul. Berka Joselewicza 5, the museum is housed in the Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot synagogue — the only surviving Jewish prayer house in Oświęcim, built in 1913. The exhibition covers the prewar Jewish community of Oświęcim, which made up 58% of the town’s population and was one of the oldest in the region. Entry is free. The context it provides on who lived here before the camp is valuable for understanding the full history of the site.

Where to Stay in Oświęcim

Most visitors to Auschwitz-Birkenau come as a day trip from Kraków, which has the best concentration of accommodation, restaurants, and transport links. For those who want to be on site for the early-morning independent visit window (before 10:00), staying in Oświęcim itself makes logistical sense.

Hotel Olimpijski — from PLN 200 per night The most consistently maintained hotel in the town, Hotel Olimpijski offers comfortable, straightforward rooms within 10 minutes’ walk of the Auschwitz I entrance. Breakfast included. From approximately PLN 200 per night as of 2026.

Ibis Budget Oświęcim — from PLN 180 per night A reliable chain option near the town centre with simple, clean rooms. No frills, but dependable standards. From approximately PLN 180 per night as of 2026.

B&B Centrum — from PLN 150 per night A small guesthouse in the centre of Oświęcim with a handful of rooms at competitive rates. From approximately PLN 150 per night as of 2026.

Getting to Oświęcim

From Kraków: Regular PKS and private buses run from Kraków’s main bus station (Małopolska) to Oświęcim in approximately 1.5 hours. Tickets approximately PLN 15–20 as of 2026. PKP trains also cover the route in a similar time from Kraków Główny, with connections via Trzebinia. Buses and minibuses are generally more direct than the train.

From the Oświęcim bus station, it is approximately a 15-minute walk to Auschwitz I, or a short taxi ride.

Getting Around the Memorial Area

The official shuttle bus between Auschwitz I and Birkenau runs during opening hours and is included or available for a small fee. Taxis are available from the visitor centre car park. The walk between the two sites takes approximately 40 minutes on foot.

Tips for Visiting

• Early morning is strongly recommended for Birkenau in particular — the site before 09:00 in summer is a different experience from the busier midday hours.
• Dress appropriately for an outdoor site in all weathers. The Birkenau site is exposed; bring a waterproof layer.
• Photography is permitted throughout, except inside the gas chamber at Auschwitz I.
• The museum café and visitor centre at Auschwitz I are the only food and drink facilities on site. Eating inside the camp grounds is not appropriate.
• Children under 14 are not recommended for the guided tour — the documentation exhibitions contain material on the murder of children that is extremely difficult for young visitors.