auschwitz concentration camp day trip

Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau: Guided Tours and Helpful Tips

Auschwitz-Birkenau, officially known as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, stands as a testament to one of the darkest chapters in human history. Located in Oświęcim, about 70 km from Krakow, it was the largest of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camps. Known primarily for its mass executions, including the use of gas chambers, Auschwitz-Birkenau has become a symbol of the Holocaust, during which over 1.1 million people lost their lives, mainly Jews, but also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and individuals of other nationalities.

Why Visit Auschwitz?

Although a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau can be emotionally taxing, it serves as a crucial testament to the inhuman acts and the scale of the Holocaust crimes. Touring this site is not only a tribute to the victims but also an important lesson in history and a reflection on the contemporary threats of hatred and intolerance. The museum presents exhibitions that depict the daily lives of the prisoners, their hardships and survival, as well as preserved artifacts that bear witness to the cruelty of those times. How to Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp from Krakow?

Visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum from Krakow is a poignant and profound experience that offers deep insight into one of humanity’s darkest chapters. If you are planning to organize this visit on your own, there are several transport and touring options to consider to ensure that your trip is both educational and well-coordinated, including a visit to both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

Types of Visits at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum for Individual Visitors

Tour with an educator.

Before your planned visit, you should reserve your entry tickets to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. Tickets are available online on the official museum website. Due to high demand and limited availability, it is recommended to book your tickets well in advance, especially during the tourist season.

Free Visiting Hours

The museum also offers the possibility of free entry without a guide after the last guided tour of the day, depending on the time of year and opening hours. While admission is free, the number of entry passes is limited and they must also be booked in advance.

Transfers from Krakow to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and MuseumBy Private Vehicle

If you choose to drive, make sure to familiarize yourself with the available parking options and the route to the museum. The tour typically starts at Auschwitz I, where there is paid parking available. After visiting the first part of the museum, you can move your car to a second parking area near Birkenau, about 3 km away, for another fee. Or use the museum’s free shuttle bus.

Public Transport Options

For those preferring public transportation, buses and trains from Krakow to Oświęcim are available. It is advisable to book your bus and train tickets in advance due to limited seating and high demand, especially for visits to the Auschwitz Memorial. Plan to arrive at the entrance to the museum at least 30 minutes before the start of your tour. Note that the train and most buses go to the Oświęcim bus and train station, which is about 2 km from the Auschwitz site.

Taking a Taxi

Another option is to hire a taxi. The cost of a taxi ride from Krakow to Auschwitz starts at around 50 euros per person one way. Although more expensive, this option offers direct and hassle-free travel.

Organized Auschwitz Tour from Krakow

An organized full-day tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow is an easy and convenient way to experience this historical site without the stress of planning every detail. Companies like KrakowBooking offer comprehensive packages that take care of all the essentials for a smooth and reflective visit. You can check out their offer on their website at Auschwitz Birkenau Tours with KrakowBooking .

These tours typically include round-trip transportation by coach or minivan, which alleviates the worry of finding your way to and from Oświęcim. Once aboard, you can relax and prepare mentally for the visit without the hassle of navigating public transport or driving yourself.

Upon arrival, a professional guide takes over, leading the group through Auschwitz I and Birkenau. The guided tour is invaluable as it provides not only historical context and poignant stories but also ensures that visitors gain a deep understanding of the sites and their significance.

Guided or non guided tours options: What to choose?

When planning a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, deciding between a guided and a non-guided tour is crucial. Here are key reasons why a guided tour often proves to be the better choice:

1. Depth of Knowledge: Guided tours are led by knowledgeable experts who provide crucial historical context and insights into personal stories that enhance understanding and make the visit more meaningful.

2. Convenience: Guided tours simplify logistics by handling all arrangements including transportation and entrance tickets, allowing visitors to focus on the experience rather than planning details.

3. Emotional and Educational Support: The emotional weight of visiting such a historical site is significant. Guides offer not only detailed explanations but also emotional support, helping visitors process the intense feelings that can arise during the tour.

But sightseeing without a guide has two additional advantages that you can consider:

1. Cost: One clear advantage of a non-guided tour is that it can be free, especially if you visit outside of peak hours or book through the official museum site well in advance. This can make the visit more accessible for those on a tight budget.

2. Flexibility for Personal Reflection: A non-guided tour allows you to move at your own pace, spending as much or as little time as you wish in different parts of the museum and memorial. This can be particularly important in a place as emotionally charged as Auschwitz-Birkenau, where you may need more time to reflect personally on the history and the individual stories within the camp.

Overall, a guided tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau is generally recommended due to its comprehensive benefits, making the visit both profound and well-supported. However, some people may also benefit from visiting the Auschwitz Memorial without a guide, especially if it is not the first visit to this museum or memorial site.

How Long is Auschwitz Tour?

When planning a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum from Krakow, it’s important to consider the overall time commitment involved to ensure a thorough and respectful visit. Here’s what you can expect in terms of duration and travel: Duration of the Museum Visit

The tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau itself typically takes about 4 hours. This duration allows visitors to carefully explore both Auschwitz I (the main camp) and Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the extermination camp). The guided tour is structured to give a comprehensive view of the historical site, including exhibitions and preserved areas such as the barracks, the unloading ramp, and the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria. Travel Time from Krakow

Auschwitz-Birkenau is located approximately 80 kilometers from Krakow. Travel time one way usually takes about 1.5 hours, depending on traffic conditions. Considering the return journey, the total travel time can be up to 3 hours. Overall Time Commitment

Combining both the travel time and the duration of the museum visit, a complete trip from Krakow to Auschwitz-Birkenau and back typically totals about 7 hours. This estimate is especially useful for those scheduling their visit amidst other sightseeing activities or within a tight itinerary.Additional Tips

• Early Start : It’s advisable to start your trip early in the morning to avoid the larger crowds that gather later in the day and to fully utilize the daylight hours, especially if visiting during the shorter days of winter.
• Preparation : Given the emotional weight and physical demand of walking through the extensive grounds of the camps, visitors should prepare mentally and ensure they wear appropriate and comfortable clothing and footwear.
• Booking in Advance : Whether you are opting for a guided tour or planning to visit independently, booking your entry tickets in advance is crucial as the museum limits the number of visitors per day to preserve the solemn nature of the site.

Planning your visit with these details in mind will help ensure a smooth and respectful experience at one of the most significant historical sites in the world.

Rules that you need know book your Auschwitz TourVisiting

Auschwitz-Birkenau is a deeply sobering experience, and it is important to approach it with the respect and sensitivity it demands. Here are some general guidelines and rules of conduct to keep in mind when visiting:

Respect and Solemnity: Remember that Auschwitz-Birkenau is not just a historical site but also a place of immense suffering and a mass grave. It is crucial to maintain a respectful demeanor throughout your visit. Avoid loud conversations and inappropriate behavior. Dress Appropriately: Wear modest clothing out of respect for the memory of those who died here. This includes avoiding flip-flops, shorts, and sleeveless tops. Comfortable footwear is recommended due to the amount of walking involved. Photography Rules: Photography is permitted in most areas for private, non-commercial use. However, inside the buildings and in specific areas, such as near the “Wall of Death” or in the gas chambers, taking photos is prohibited. Always follow the signage and instructions from museum staff regarding photography. No Eating or Smoking: Eating and smoking are not allowed on the museum grounds, except in designated areas. This rule helps maintain the solemnity of the site and keeps the premises clean. Silence Zones: Some areas within Auschwitz-Birkenau are designated as silence zones to allow visitors to reflect on the gravity of the place. Be mindful of these zones and keep conversations to a minimum. Children: The content and nature of the museum can be distressing. It is generally recommended that the visit is suitable for children aged 14 and above. Parents and guardians should use discretion based on the maturity level of younger children. Prohibited Items: For the safety and preservation of the site, certain items are not allowed within the museum, including large bags or backpacks, pets (except for service animals), and alcohol. Guided Tours: While you can tour Auschwitz independently, guided tours are highly recommended to gain a deeper understanding of the complex history of the site. Guides are trained to convey the sensitive nature of the site and can provide context that enhances the educational value of the visit. By adhering to these guidelines, visitors ensure that they respect the memory of those who suffered and died at Auschwitz-Birkenau and contribute to the preservation of this important site as a place of memory and education.

Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau is a profound and moving experience that lingers long in memory. Opting for an organized tour from Krakow not only facilitates comfortable access to the site but also enables a deeper understanding of its history and significance, thanks to the narratives of a qualified guide. This educational journey highlights the importance of remembering the past to protect the future from similar tragedies.

Make sure you have everything you need

What to pack for your next trip.

Make your next trip as simple and as enjoyable as possible by packing smart. It’s amazing how much stress top travel items can save you, so choose carefully. Things like lightweight travel backpacks, for example, are ideal for short trips and allow you to move around with ease, and a passport holder will make sure you keep your documents safe at all times. Check our travel checklist guide for 2021 to make sure you haven’t missed anything, and travel to your next destination in style and with maximum comfort.

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Visiting Auschwitz – How to Plan the Auschwitz Tour

Visiting Auschwitz, albeit a very somber experience, is one of the must things to do in Poland. The largest Nazi Germany concentration and extermination camp during World War II, where over 1,3 million people lost their lives, needs no introduction. Conveniently located near Krakow , Auschwitz can be an easy addition to your Poland itinerary.

It took me almost 37 years to finally visit Auschwitz (although I’ve been to other Nazi Germany camps in Poland), and even if I knew very well what to expect, the place still overwhelmed me with its cruelty and tragedy. And I think everyone should plan a trip to Auschwitz to understand history better and see what people are capable of when the ideology brainwashes them. And, of course, to pay respect to all the unnecessary victims. It’s important to visit places like Auschwitz so we can do our best to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

If you are visiting Poland (especially Krakow , Warsaw , Katowice , or Wroclaw ), I prepared this guide to help you plan your Auschwitz tour without too much hassle. There are different ways to visit Auschwitz, but no matter which one you choose, be prepared for one of the most difficult yet necessary travel experiences of your life.

Table of Contents

Where is Auschwitz

The former Nazi Germany Concentration Camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, is located in a town of around 37.000 inhabitants called Oświęcim in southern Poland. Krakow is less than 70 km away, and Katowice is 35 km away. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is around 330 km away from Oświęcim.

A brief history of Auschwitz

Even if Auschwitz is known mainly as the extermination camp, it was established as a concentration camp in mid-1940. It was one of over 40 camps in Poland that were supposed to be a solution to the problem of overflowing prisons full of arrested locals. The first people were brought to Auschwitz on June 14th, 1940, from the prison in Tarnow.

Since 1942 Auschwitz has also been used as the extermination camp where Nazis implemented their plan to murder Jewish people from all over Europe. At the peak of its operation, in 1944, Auschwitz was divided into three parts: Auschwitz I (the oldest one, in the old Polish military barracks), Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the largest one, founded in 1941, the majority of victims were killed here), and Auschwitz III (this was a group of over 40 sub-camps created near industrial plants, made for work prisoners).

Numerous Polish villages were demolished, and locals were evicted to develop such a large institution. The camps were isolated from the outside world. The total area was around 40 square kilometers, including all three Auschwitz camps and the so-called “interest zone” used for the technical or supply background, offices, and barracks for Nazis.

Since Auschwitz had a strategic location on the front line, in August 1944, the camp’s liquidation began – the prisoners were taken to Germany, and the evidence of the crimes was covered up. The liberation of Auschwitz took place on January 27th, 1945, when around 7,5 thousand prisoners were still held there.

Altogether, in the almost four years of operation, over 1,3 million people lost their lives in Auschwitz; the majority were Jewish (around 1,1 million), but also Polish (about 150 hundred thousand), Roma people (23 thousand), and other nations.

In 1979 Auschwitz was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List – it is the only former Nazi concentration camp with that title in the world.

How to visit Auschwitz

You can visit Auschwitz two ways: with a tour from where you are staying in Poland (most likely Krakow, Katowice, Warsaw, or Wroclaw) or independently, reaching the site by car or using public transport. Both options are doable; however, the tour is a slightly better one as everything will be taken care of for you.

There is a wide selection of tours to choose from that depart from Krakow as well as other mentioned cities. Most of them cover more or less the same things: pick-up from your accommodation, transportation to/from Auschwitz and back, the entrance ticket to the concentration camp, and the guided tour on-site.

When I visited Auschwitz, I arrived by train from Warsaw, with the change in Katowice. I was at the museum almost an hour before my guided tour of the site was supposed to start, and despite the poor weather (it was raining on that day), there was no place to hide and wait for the tour. Visitors were not allowed to enter the museum until a few minutes before the tour was about to start. Me and a few other unlucky visitors just stood near the trees, hiding under the umbrella and waiting for our time to enter the site. I can’t say it was a comfortable situation (but at least the weather worked perfectly well for such a sad place to visit). Recently, a new visitors center was opened so hopefully the situation is better.

When using public transport, you need to rely on the schedule of trains/buses and, just in case, plan to be at the site with some extra time ahead; hence a tour is a better option. Still, visiting Auschwitz is doable independently – I did it, and once the tour of the site started, it was really good.

Visiting Auschwitz – practical information

Visiting Auschwitz memorial site is free of charge; however, I recommend joining the tour with the educator provided by the museum. They have a huge knowledge of the place and the tragedy that occurred here and can answer all the questions visitors always have. Tours are available in various languages: Polish, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Czech, and Slovak.

Even if you decide to visit the site independently, you still need to book the entry pass – those with free entrance start in the afternoon. You can buy/reserve your ticket online at the website of Auschwitz Museum here.

Currently, the price for the tour with the educator is 80 PLN for Polish and 90 PLN for other languages. When booking the ticket, you must state your full name and surname – this will be checked later.

Since tickets can sell out quickly, booking one at least a month in advance is recommended. If there are no tickets left for the day you want to visit Auschwitz, you can join the organized tour from Krakow or other cities, as tour operators usually have tickets booked in advance. Due to the sensitive nature of the place, children under 14 years old should not visit Auschwitz Museum.

Once you have your ticket, you need to arrive at the Auschwitz visitors center 30 minutes before your tour starts to go through the security check (it’s rather thorough, similar to the airport), have your ticket inspected (remember to have the ID or passport with you), get the headset for the tour and meet your group. You are allowed to have a bag or backpack with a maximum dimension of 30x20x10 cm; any larger luggage must be left in the paid lockers.

Auschwitz Museum is open every day except January 1st, December 25th, and Easter Sunday. Opening hours vary depending on the month and are as follows:

• 7:30-14:00 in December
• 7:30-15:00 in January and November
• 7:30-16:00 in February
• 7:30-17:00 in March and October
• 7:30-18:00 in April, May, and September
• 7:30-19:00 in June, July, and August

The closing time means the last entrance – after that, you are allowed to stay on-site for an hour and a half. However, if you want to see Auschwitz Museum properly, you need at least 3,5 hours for that – that’s also how long the standard tour with the educator lasts. It is usually divided equally between Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II- Birkenau. A free shuttle bus runs between the two sites every few minutes.

Taking pictures and making videos is allowed in Auschwitz, for individual use, except in two places: the hall with the hair of Victims (block nr 4) and the basements of Block 11. Your educator will remind you not to take pictures there.

Remember what sort of place you are visiting and behave there with respect. It might be obvious for most, but I can’t count how many times I’ve read news about inappropriate behavior in Auschwitz and other similar sites in Poland, so I think it’s worth reminding this is not your typical tourist attraction but a place of one of the greatest tragedy that ever happened in the world.

Getting to Auschwitz independently

If you decide to visit Auschwitz on your own, you must get to the visitors’ center, where your tour will start. The new visitors center, which opened just recently, is located at 55 Więźniów Oświęcimia Street in Oświęcim ( here is the exact location ). If you drive there, there is a large parking lot where you can leave your car before visiting the museum.

If you use public transport, there are both trains and buses you can take to reach Oświęcim. I recommend trains as they are slightly faster and more comfortable; however, some buses stop next to the museum, so that’s convenient. You can check all the connections on this website , where you can also find the location of the bus stop in Oświęcim (there can be three different ones).

The train station in Oświęcim is located at Powstańców Śląskich Street, some 20 minutes walking from the Auschwitz museum. It’s a straightforward way; you can check the map with the directions here . I recommend catching the train that gives you at least an hour between arriving at Oświęcim and when your tour starts.

Auschwitz tour from Krakow

Numerous Auschwitz tours depart from Krakow, so you will easily find the one that suits your itinerary and needs. Here are some recommended ones:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial Guided Tour from Krakow
• Auschwitz & Birkenau – Fully Guided Tour from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour with Private Transport from Kraków
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour by Private Transport from Krakow

You can also combine visiting Auschwitz with Wieliczka Salt Mine , another UNESCO-listed site near Krakow and a must-visit place in Poland. Here are the tours that go to both places in one day:

• Day Trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow including Lunch
• Full-Day Tour of Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau and Salt Mine Tour with private transport from Krakow
• Combined: Auschwitz Birkenau and Salt Mine private chauffeur from Krakow

If you decide to go to Auschwitz from Krakow on your own, you can take the train from the main train station to Oświęcim. They are rather frequent, more or less every hour, and the journey takes a bit over an hour (depending on the connection, the longest one is 1h20min).

If you want to take the bus, they depart from the MDA bus station, next to the main train station. The price for trains and buses is similar, between 15 and 20 PLN, although trains tend to be cheaper and faster. You can check all the connections and buy a ticket here .

Auschwitz tour from Warsaw

Even if Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is located over 300 km away from Oświęcim, it is possible to go for a one-day Auschwitz tour. However, you can expect a long day, and a large part of it will be spent traveling. But if you are visiting Warsaw only, Auschwitz can be a good addition to your Poland itinerary, so you can better understand the country’s complex history.

Here are some of the recommended Auschwitz tours from Warsaw:

• From Warsaw Auschwitz and Krakow one day tour by train with pick up and drop off
• One day tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Warsaw with private transport

Going for the day trip from Warsaw to Auschwitz independently is also possible using trains. You can take the 6 am train to Katowice and then change for the train to Oświęcim, arriving in the town around 10:30. If you decide to do that, you can book your Auschwitz tour for 11:30 or 12:00. On the way back, you can catch the train after 16:00 from Oświęcim to Katowice, and after changing for the train to Warsaw, you will be in the capital after 20:00.

Auschwitz tour from Katowice

Since Katowice is less than 40 km from Auschwitz, it’s easy to go for a day trip. You need to take the local train to Oświęcim, it takes less than 50 minutes, and the connections are more or less every hour.

Or you can go for a tour, here are the Auschwitz tours from Katowice:

• Auschwitz – Birkenau from Katowice
• Auschwitz & Birkenau English guided tour by private transport from Katowice
• Auschwitz tour from Wroclaw

Wroclaw is another popular place to visit in Poland, and since it’s located around 230 km from Oświęcim, you can go for an Auschwitz tour from Wroclaw too. If you decide to do it independently, you can take the train to Katowice and then change for the local train to Oświęcim. A one-way trip should take you less than 4 hours.

Or you can go for a tour; here are the recommended ones from Wroclaw:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour from Wrocław
• Private Full-Day Tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Wroclaw

Auschwitz Museum Tour

As for the museum itself, here is what you can expect.

You will start in the oldest part of the concentration camp – Auschwitz I, where the infamous gate with the sign “Arbeit macht frei” (meaning “Work Sets You Free”) is located. Here, you will visit numerous barracks where inmates were kept – now you can see different exhibitions there, showing the reality of Auschwitz and halls with personal belongings taken from arriving prisoners – luggage, shoes, glasses, etc., or hair of Victims. You will learn all about cruel practices here, including medical experiments or torture.

Visiting this part of Auschwitz museum is a very somber experience, and it’s really difficult to comprehend the tragedy that happened in this very place.

Besides the barracks in Auschwitz I, you will also see where the camp commander lived or the first crematorium where Nazis started their experiments with killing using gas. In this part of the Auschwitz tour, you can take pictures everywhere except the two places in Blocks 4 and 11 – they will be clearly marked, and your educator will remind you about this restriction.

The visit to Auschwitz I takes around 1,5 hours. Afterward, together with your group and educator, you will take the shuttle bus to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, located some 3 km away.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau is where around 90% of victims died. It is a huge area that worked kind of like the killing factory, with four gas chambers and crematoriums. This is also where most prisoners arrived – you most likely know the view of the railway tracks and brick gate – that’s Auschwitz II-Birkenau. This part of the visit is mostly outdoors.

You will walk around the area, see the remnants of the camp, visit some barracks inside, and learn all about the horrific tragedy that happened here. When Auschwitz I has a more intimate, even claustrophobic feeling, Auschwitz II-Birkenau can overwhelm you with its scale and enormity.

You will spend around 1,5 hours here, too; afterward, you can take the shuttle bus back to the visitors center when you started your tour.

Final thoughts on visiting Auschwitz

Even though I’ve lived in Poland almost my whole life, and Auschwitz has been a familiar topic since I remember, it took me nearly 37 years to finally visit the place. Before I was in different Nazi Germany sites in Poland, mostly in Majdanek in Lublin, so I didn’t feel the need to visit Auschwitz too. But I don’t regret the decision to go there eventually.

You can read and learn about the place, but nothing can prepare you for visiting Auschwitz. Some areas look familiar (after all, pictures of the “Arbeit macht frei” sign or Birkenau gate are present everywhere), but you will still be overwhelmed by the place and seeing it in real life. It’s hard to comprehend the cruelty and tragedy that happened here, and dealing with all the thoughts invading your mind afterward can take a while. It can be one of the most difficult-to-understand places you will ever visit.

Still, despite it all, I think everyone should go to Auschwitz to see where fanaticism and totalitarianism can lead and why we should avoid them at all costs.

Further reading

I published many articles about Poland that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 37 Amazing Things to Do in Krakow, Poland
• 20 Great Places to Visit As Day Trips from Warsaw, Poland
• 17 Amazing Things to Do in Lublin, Poland
• The Complete Guide to Visiting Slownski National Park, Poland
• Visit Grudziadz – One of the Hidden Gems of Poland
• 19 Amazing Things to Do in Gdansk, Poland
• Visit Sandomierz, Poland – One of the Prettiest Towns in the Country
• Visiting Malbork Castle, Poland – the Largest Castle in the World
• 25 Amazing Things to do in Wroclaw, Poland
• and many more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.

Travel Resources

You can find the best accommodation options at Booking . They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Poland

Never travel without travel insurance , you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Poland here.

I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here .

For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:

• Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
• Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
• I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Poland too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!

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Home » Travel Guides » Poland » 12 Best Auschwitz Tours

12 Best Auschwitz Tours

In April of 1940, Auschwitz was established as an extermination camp for Jews shipped in from all over Europe.

Arguably one of the most historically significant and poignant attractions in the world, for most visitors, it ends up being one of the most shocking and memorable experiences of their lives.

A variety of tours are offered, and most originate from the nearby city of Krakow.

The facility includes hundreds of buildings, watchtowers, and gas chambers, and fascinating first-hand accounts of soldiers and prisoners who stayed at the camp during World War II.

Below are 12 of the best tours of Auschwitz.

1. Auschwitz and Birkenau Tour with Licensed Guide

Auschwitz and Birkenau were ground zero for many atrocities committed during the Second World War, and previous visitors agree that they’re both heartbreaking and memorable places.

This full-day tour lasts between six and seven hours and includes the services of a licensed guide.

The tour includes stops at prisoner barracks, the gas chambers, crematoriums, and soldiers’ quarters, all of which contain informative signs so you’ll learn about the things you’re seeing.

Tours end at the memorial, where it’s common for visitors to relax and take a few moments to contemplate the magnitude of events that took place more than 80 years ago.

2. Guided Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour from Krakow

Though pretty much everyone is relatively familiar with the basic history of Auschwitz, the salt mines at Wieliczka aren’t so well-known.

This 11-hour guided tour from Krakow is a bit on the long side, but it offers guests a look into the area’s macabre history that’s more in-depth than typically found on shorter tours.

You’ll see all the main attractions in the camp, as well as the underground labyrinth of salt mines, where forced laborers toiled in abominable conditions.

The tour includes both guided portions as well as free time for personal exploration and quiet contemplation.

Transportation, park entry fees, and headphones are included in the tour.

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3. Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum & Camp Guided Tour

For some visitors, spending a full-day in Auschwitz and Birkenau is too much.

The site is brimming with horrors that can be overwhelming to many; for those, it’s wise to consider a brief half-day tour to start.

If, on the other hand, you’re ready for full immersion, this eight-hour tour might be a great fit.

You’ll get to see the camp’s main attractions, as well as learn about its status as the Third Reich’s largest extermination center that wasn’t liberated until January of 1945.

The tour includes round-trip transportation from Krakow, entrance fees, the services of a local professional guide, and the use of headsets while in the museum.

4. Self-Guided Tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow

For quiet, reflective types, spending a full-day with a talkative guide may not be the best way to spend time at Auschwitz and Birkenau.

Self-guided tours are popular options for many travelers; though you may miss some unique insights, the facility is packed with exhibits, historical plaques, and first-hand accounts.

Due to their location, Auschwitz and Birkenau were primarily filled with Poles, but nearly one million Jews from all over the continent would eventually be sent there for work and extermination.

This seven-hour tour includes transportation to and from Krakow, an English-speaking driver, and all entrance fees.

Food and drinks are available, but they aren’t included in the cost of the tour.

5. Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour with 4 Guests

During much of World War II, Poland was occupied by Nazi troops; the city of Oświęcim was where they built the facilities to hasten their plan for genocide.

This small-group tour is limited to just four guests, so it’s perfect for those who’d rather get a more intimate experience than they would in larger groups.

Guests will get up-close-and-personal with the camp’s most heinous and historic attractions. Due to its small size, this tour is much more customizable than most others.

It’s open to those of most ages and levels of physical ability, but it’s not accessible for those who use a wheelchair.

6. Auschwitz-Birkenau Day Trip from Katowice

For those who want all the details of their trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau handled by professionals, this full-day tour would be a wise choice.

Transportation to and from Katowice is provided in a car, minivan, or bus, depending on the number of guests.

Guests will walk past the crowds with their skip-the-line tickets. Once on-site, they will have 3 ½ hours to explore with their English speaking guide.

Expect to be shocked, educated, and emotionally exhausted as you walk amongst the recreated ruins of the worst Nazi death camps of World War II before heading back to your hotel in Katowice.

7. One-Way Bus Direct between Auschwitz-Birkenau and Krakow

Round-trip transportation is a big selling point for many international travelers visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau, but for those who prefer to fly by the seat of their pants, one-way transfers are often the way to go.

The trip from Krakow to the camps takes about 1 ½ hours. Once on-location, guests will have the option of exploring the facilities on their own or hooking up with a guided group.

You’ll learn about the harsh and deadly lives the prisoners endured and see the camp’s facilities as well as the museum and memorial to the dead.

There are multiple departures daily, and return trips are available too.

8. Auschwitz Tour from Wroclaw

Wroclaw is a bit farther from the camps than Krakow, but it’s still a relatively easy day trip for those who’ve got an entire day to dedicate to one of the world’s most significant attractions.

Plan on being worn-out physically and emotionally after touring the camp and learning about the unspeakable atrocities committed.

For those traveling with kids, infant seats are available, but due to space restrictions, it’s not open to those using a wheelchair.

This tour is limited to eight guests, making it a good fit for families. From beginning to end, the day usually lasts between nine and ten hours.

9. Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow with Private Car

For history buffs and those whose lives were personally changed by the atrocities committed during the Second World War, Auschwitz and Birkenau are definitely must-visit attractions.

They’re the perfect places to get caught up on historical events, pay your respects to the fallen, and get shocking insight into the dark side of humanity.

This private car tour begins and ends in Krakow and includes entrance fees, round-trip transportation, and the services of a guide if that option is chosen at booking.

It’s typically a six or seven-hour day, which means guests are back in Krakow by late afternoon.

10. Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Tour from Krakow

Tours with options are big hits these days, especially with savvy travelers looking to stretch their travel dollars and spend their time seeing the things that interest them.

If you fall into this category, this memorial tour from Krakow is worth a look.

Guests will have the option of exploring the two sites on their own or signing up for a guide to show them around.

Whichever option is chosen, you’ll have ample time to see everything for which the camps are known.

Transportation via air-conditioned vehicle is included, but food, drinks, and tips are the responsibility of the participants.

11. Private Tour of Auschwitz from Prague

The distance from Prague to Auschwitz is nearly 280 miles, but there’s a doable day-trip tour option for those with boundless energy.

It’s about five hours of driving each way, but once at the camp, guests will have about four hours to explore on their own or hook-up with a professional guide if they choose that option.

Most guests agree that four hours is sufficient to see the camp’s sights, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

Though food and drinks aren’t included, there will be the opportunity to stop en route at restaurants and cafes in both Poland and the Czech Republic.

12. Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Minivan Tour from Krakow

Auschwitz’s most revolting features include gas chambers, gallows, and barracks, where overworked inmates spent long nights fighting against hunger, frigid weather, and physical exhaustion.

Needless to say, the site tends to bring a host of emotions to the forefront. During the war years, it was where the lives of more than a million poor souls were taken.

These days, much of the facility has been constructed to near-original condition, and this guided minivan tour from Krakow allows guests a few hours to explore the grounds.

The tour also includes a side excursion to nearby Birkenau, where guests will have about 1 ½ hours before loading up and heading back to Krakow.

Round-trip transportation, entrance fees, and headsets are all included.

12 Best Auschwitz Tours:

• Auschwitz and Birkenau Tour with Licensed Guide
• Guided Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum & Camp Guided Tour
• Self-Guided Tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour with 4 Guests
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Day Trip from Katowice
• One-Way Bus Direct between Auschwitz-Birkenau and Krakow
• Auschwitz Tour from Wroclaw
• Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow with Private Car
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Tour from Krakow
• Private Tour of Auschwitz from Prague
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Minivan Tour from Krakow

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By: History.com Editors

Updated: January 24, 2024 | Original: December 15, 2009

Auschwitz, also known as Auschwitz-Birkenau, opened in 1940 and was the largest of the Nazi concentration and death camps. Located in southern Poland, Auschwitz initially served as a detention center for political prisoners. However, it evolved into a network of camps where Jewish people and other perceived enemies of the Nazi state were exterminated, often in gas chambers, or used as slave labor. Some prisoners were also subjected to barbaric medical experiments led by Josef Mengele (1911-79). During World War II (1939-45), more than 1 million people, by some accounts, lost their lives at Auschwitz.

In January 1945, with the Soviet army approaching, Nazi officials ordered the camp abandoned and sent an estimated 60,000 prisoners on a forced march to other locations. When the Soviets entered Auschwitz, they found thousands of emaciated detainees and piles of corpses left behind.

Auschwitz: Genesis of Death Camps

After the start of World War II , Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, implemented a policy that came to be known as the “Final Solution.” Hitler was determined not just to isolate Jews in Germany and countries annexed by the Nazis, subjecting them to dehumanizing regulations and random acts of violence. Instead, he became convinced that his “Jewish problem” would be solved only with the elimination of every Jew in his domain, along with artists, educators, Romas, communists, homosexuals, the mentally and physically handicapped and others deemed unfit for survival in Nazi Germany.

Did you know? In October 1944, a group of Auschwitz "Sonderkommando," young Jewish males responsible for removing corpses from crematoriums and gas chambers, staged a revolt. They assaulted their guards, using tools and makeshift explosives, and demolished a crematorium. All were apprehended and killed.

To complete this mission, Hitler ordered the construction of death camps. Unlike concentration camps, which had existed in Germany since 1933 and were detention centers for Jews, political prisoners and other perceived enemies of the Nazi state, death camps existed for the sole purpose of killing Jews and other “undesirables,” in what became known as the Holocaust.

Auschwitz: The Largest of the Death Camps

Auschwitz, the largest and arguably the most notorious of all the Nazi death camps, opened in the spring of 1940. Its first commandant was Rudolf Höss (1900-47), who previously had helped run the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany. Auschwitz was located on a former military base outside Oswiecim, a town in southern Poland situated near Krakow, one of the country’s largest cities. During the camp’s construction, nearby factories were appropriated and all those living in the area were forcibly ejected from their homes, which were bulldozed by the Nazis.

Auschwitz originally was conceived as a concentration camp, to be used as a detention center for the many Polish citizens arrested after Germany annexed the country in 1939. These detainees included anti-Nazi activists, politicians, resistance members and luminaries from the cultural and scientific communities. Once Hitler’s Final Solution became official Nazi policy, however, Auschwitz was deemed an ideal death camp locale. For one thing, it was situated near the center of all German-occupied countries on the European continent. For another, it was in close proximity to the string of rail lines used to transport detainees to the network of Nazi camps.

However, not all those arriving at Auschwitz were immediately exterminated. Those deemed fit to work were employed as slave labor in the production of munitions, synthetic rubber and other products considered essential to Germany’s efforts in World War II.

Auschwitz and Its Subdivisions

At its peak of operation, Auschwitz consisted of several divisions. The original camp, known as Auschwitz I, housed between 15,000 and 20,000 political prisoners. Those entering its main gate were greeted with an infamous and ironic inscription: “Arbeit Macht Frei,” or “Work Makes You Free.”

Auschwitz II, located in the village of Birkenau, or Brzezinka, was constructed in 1941 on the order of Heinrich Himmler (1900-45), commander of the “Schutzstaffel” (or Select Guard/Protection Squad, more commonly known as the SS), which operated all Nazi concentration camps and death camps. Birkenau, the biggest of the Auschwitz facilities, could hold some 90,000 prisoners. 

It also housed a group of bathhouses where countless people were gassed to death, and crematory ovens where bodies were burned. The majority of Auschwitz victims died at Birkenau. More than 40 smaller facilities, called subcamps, dotted the landscape and served as slave-labor camps. The largest of these subcamps, Monowitz, also known as Auschwitz III, began operating in 1942 and housed some 10,000 prisoners.

Life and Death in Auschwitz

By mid-1942, the majority of those being sent by the Nazis to Auschwitz were Jews. Upon arriving at the camp, detainees were examined by Nazi doctors. Those detainees considered unfit for work, including young children, the elderly, pregnant women and the infirm, were immediately ordered to take showers. However, the bathhouses to which they marched were disguised gas chambers. Once inside, the prisoners were exposed to Zyklon-B poison gas. Individuals marked as unfit for work were never officially registered as Auschwitz inmates. For this reason, it is impossible to calculate the number of lives lost in the camp.

For those prisoners who initially escaped the gas chambers, an undetermined number died from overwork, disease, insufficient nutrition or the daily struggle for survival in brutal living conditions. Arbitrary executions, torture and retribution happened daily in front of the other prisoners.

Some Auschwitz prisoners were subjected to inhumane medical experimentation. The chief perpetrator of this barbaric research was Josef Mengele (1911-79), a German physician who began working at Auschwitz in 1943. Mengele, who came to be known as the “Angel of Death,” performed a range of experiments on detainees. For example, in an effort to study eye color, he injected serum into the eyeballs of dozens of children, causing them excruciating pain. He also injected chloroform into the hearts of twins to determine if both siblings would die at the same time and in the same manner.

Liberation of Auschwitz: 1945

As 1944 came to a close and the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Allied forces seemed certain, the Auschwitz commandants began destroying evidence of the horror that had taken place there. Buildings were torn down, blown up or set on fire, and records were destroyed.

In January 1945, as the Soviet army entered Krakow, the Germans ordered that Auschwitz be abandoned. Before the end of the month, in what came to be known as the Auschwitz death marches, an estimated 60,000 detainees, accompanied by Nazi guards, departed the camp and were forced to march to the Polish towns of Gliwice or Wodzislaw, some 30 miles away. Countless prisoners died during this process; those who made it to the sites were sent on trains to concentration camps in Germany.

When the Soviet army entered Auschwitz on January 27, they found approximately 7,600 sick or emaciated detainees who had been left behind barbed wire. The liberators also discovered mounds of corpses, hundreds of thousands of pieces of clothing and pairs of shoes and seven tons of human hair that had been shaved from detainees before their liquidation. According to some estimates, between 1.1 million to 1.5 million people, the vast majority of them Jews, died at Auschwitz during its years of operation. An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 Poles perished at the camp, along with 19,000 to 20,000 Romas and smaller numbers of Soviet prisoners of war and other individuals.

Auschwitz Today

Today, Auschwitz is open to the public as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum . It tells the story of the largest mass murder site in history and acts as a reminder of the horrors of genocide.

Images from the Death Camps

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From Krakow to Auschwitz: 5 Best Ways to Get There

Written by Joni Sweet and Diana Bocco Updated Feb 22, 2024 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial camps are a somber reminder of the darkest part of WWII. Built as extermination camps and partially destroyed by the Nazis at the end of the war to hide their "Final Solution" plans, the camps have been converted into museums and receive over two million visitors every year. They are located about 70 kilometers away from Krakow and are easy to reach by bus, train, or car or, on an organized tour.

Although entry to the camps is free , Auschwitz limits the number of entry passes per time slot, and advanced reservations are highly recommended, especially during the summer months. You are r equired to book a 3.5-hour tour with a guide-educator if you visit during busier periods, which start at 7:30am and go until the early or late afternoon, depending on the month.

English language tours take place every 30 to 60 minutes. If you prefer to explore on your own, plan to visit late in the day and reserve an entry pass ahead of time. Check the Auschwitz website for the most up-to-date schedule and visitor requirements.

The park opens at 7:30am throughout the year and welcomes visitors as late as 7pm during the summer months. You can stay at the site for up to 90 minutes after the last entrance hour, allowing you to explore until as late as 8:30pm in June, July, and August.

Whether you're planning on visiting the camps on your own using public transportation or you prefer the comfort and convenience of a guided tour, here are the best ways to get from Krakow to Auschwitz.

On This Page:

• From Krakow to Auschwitz by Organized Small Group Tour
• From Krakow to Auschwitz by Private Tour
• From Krakow to Auschwitz by Bus
• From Krakow to Auschwitz by Train
• From Krakow to Auschwitz by Car

1. From Krakow to Auschwitz by Organized Small Group Tour

If you are considering whether to take a Krakow to Auschwitz guided tour or not, consider this: over two million people visit Auschwitz every year. The lines to get in are always long, no matter the season—during particularly busy times, you can easily wait two to three hours just to get in if you haven't reserved an entry pass in advance.

One of the benefits of joining a tour is that there's no waiting time . Tours enter through a side entrance without any wait—plus you don't have to worry about transportation, moving from one camp to the next, or finding the right English-language tour once you get there.

A good option is the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial Guided Tour from Krakow , led by an English-speaking, professional guide.

On the day of the tour, an air-conditioned minibus and an English-speaking tour guide will pick you up from your hotel or a central city point in Krakow. During the one-hour drive , you'll be able to watch a documentary about the camps, so you can have a better understanding of WWII's Holocaust and what happened at the camps.

Once you arrive, your guide will take you to the main buildings at the UNESCO-listed former Nazi concentration camp complex, including the gas chambers and crematoriums, old prison blocks, and dormitories, and a number of exhibitions documenting the life of prisoners. You'll also see the watchtowers once used by the Nazi officers at Birkenau.

After touring the two camps, your driver will bring you back to 2 Wielopole Street in Krakow.

2. From Krakow to Auschwitz by Private Tour

If you're looking to get a deeper understanding of the WWII events that led to the construction of the camps, the seven-hour Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour by Private Transport from Krakow will give you just that.

This tour starts right at your Krakow hotel, where a driver will pick you up in an air-conditioned vehicle anywhere between 7:30am and 11am, based on your preferences. From there, it's a one-hour trip to the main camp and museum, where you will join an English-speaking guided tour for a 90-minute tour of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

The tours include both indoor and outdoor spaces. You will see the permanent exhibitions and main buildings at Auschwitz I before you move on to Camp II, where you'll see the unloading platform (ramp) and a train carriage, the ruins of crematoria and gas chambers, and the barracks where prisoners lived.

You will be provided with headsets, so you can hear your guide clearly, as the museum requests that people keep their voices down while walking through Auschwitz.

After your tour is over, you'll get a private ride back to Krakow. You will be dropped off at your hotel no later than 4pm.

3. From Krakow to Auschwitz by Bus

If you are planning on using public transportation, buses are the cheapest and easiest way to get to the camps . From the Kraków MDA main bus station, you can catch a local bus in the direction of Oswiecim and get off at the stop called "Oswiecim Muzeum." This is right at the entrance of the Auschwitz Museum.

Make sure you check the bus schedules in advance on the official MDA Bus Transportation website, as not all buses traveling in that direction stop at Auschwitz.

Your other option is the Lajkonik buses . Choose the bus covering the route - Kraków - Chrzanów - Libiaz - Oswiecim, and get off at the last stop, right at the museum. You can book a seat online—a particularly good idea in summer, as the number of visitors increases, and you might not get a space otherwise. The first bus leaves for Auschwitz at 6:20am, and the last one back to Krakow departs from the museum at 6:45pm, so plan accordingly. During operating hours, the buses run roughly every hour to 90 minutes, although more frequent departures occur during the mornings and around noon.

Keep in mind that these buses take you only to Auschwitz-Camp I . To reach the second camp, Birkenau, you can walk the three kilometers that separate the camps or look for the museum shuttles that run back and forth between the two camps . The free shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes between November and March, increasing in frequency to every 10 minutes from April through October.

4. From Krakow to Auschwitz by Train

Kraków Glówny, the main train station near Krakow Old Town, has a number of trains that can get you close to the camps. You can check schedules on the Polish railway website to pick the best option.

Most trains have an average travel time of just over an hour and can get crowded on weekends, so pick an early morning one if you don't have tickets in advance and want to make sure you get a seat.

Trains leave every hour starting around 4 or 5am. For the camps, taking the 6:39am train is the best option, as you'll arrive in Oświęcim just before 8am.

All trains drop you off at Oswiecim's central station, 1,500 meters away from Auschwitz. You can opt to walk to the museum, which takes about 25 minutes or jump in a taxi. Another way to reach the museum from the train station is by boarding the seasonal "M" line bus. It runs every half hour from 9:07am until 4:07pm between April 1 and October 31. You can catch the bus at the Dworzec PKP stop just outside the train station or from the park-and-ride garage to the museum entrance. It takes approximately five minutes.

The last direct train back to Krakow departs at 8:39pm. If you miss that one, there's another that leaves at 8:52pm, but you'll need to transfer at Mysłowice. It takes more than 2.5 hours.

5. From Krakow to Auschwitz by Car

The Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and museum is located in the city of Oświęcim, about 70 kilometers from the center of Krakow . The trip takes about an hour and 15 minutes in normal travel conditions if you take the A4 motorway in the direction of Oświęcim.

Take the exit at Balin and follow signs for Oświęcim to get to the museum. As signs aren't in English here, having a GPS is essential , or you might find yourself taking the wrong turn here or there.

While the A4 is a toll road, light passenger vehicles are exempt from paying the fee as of July 2023. So as long as you're in a regular vehicle, rather than a large van or truck, you should be able to take the A4 on a toll-free basis.

There are paid parking areas at the camps . Both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau camps have their own parking, but keep in mind that you should start your visit at Auschwitz I, so if you park at the other camp, you will need to walk back to Birkenau or wait for the museum shuttle. The camps are 3.5 kilometers away from each other.

You can also opt to use the multi-story park-and-ride garage next to the Oświęcim train station. From there, you can hop on the "M" line for a five-minute ride directly to the Auschwitz museum. The bus runs continuously from 9am to 4pm, but is only in operation from early April until late October.

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Auschwitz Day Tour from Warsaw

Overview of the tour in Warsaw

Auschwitz-Birkenau has become a primary symbol of the Holocaust. It was a network of concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The collection of the museum contains original documents, suitcases, shoes, and other belongings of murdered prisoners. There you will find original fences, wooden watchtowers, and railway ramps have been preserved. The tour also includes a short ride to Birkenau camp, which functioned as a war camp, extermination camp, and place from people were sent to labor in Nazi Germany. More than 90 percent of prisoners, mostly European Jews, were killed there.

This activity includes:

• Fundacja Auschwitz Birkenau
• Transportation by car/minibus
• Pick up from your hotel
• English speaking driver
• Tour in Auschwitz in English
• Entrance fee and tour in Auschwitz-Birkenau Museums and Camps
• Basic lunch (soup, main course, water) in regular restaurant

Meeting point

any point in Warsaw

Pickup from your hotel in Warsaw.

Things to note

Important: 1 person 365 € 2 person 265 € 3 person 150 € 4 person 120 € 5 person 105 € 6 person 96 € 7 person 87 € 8 person 80 €

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Free Cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity starts. Late cancellation or your non-arrival is not refundable.

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Tours & Trips including Auschwitz 2024/2025

Find the right tour for you through Auschwitz. We've got 111 adventures going to Auschwitz, starting from just 3 days in length, and the longest tour is 28 days. The most popular month to go is August, which has the largest number of tour departures.

111 Auschwitz tour packages with 1,214 reviews

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Harmony of Central Europe (Small Groups, 13 Days, Door To Door)

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Krakow, Auschwitz & Wieliczka Salt Mine - 4 Days

We cannot say enough about our terrific tour guide, Seweryn Osowski. We highly recommend Seweryn and Tour Radar for excellent service and providing us with a truly memorable visit to Krakow. From the time of booking the tour, Seweryn proved to be an excellent communicator, making sure we were carefully informed of all the important details of the trip. Seweryn expertly and flawlessly handled a myriad of details, from early arrivals, airport pickup and transfers, museum tickets, late departures, etc. An avid student and teacher of history, Seweryn’s knowledge of Krakow is very impressive and he made sure that each stop on our tour was meaningful to us. Importantly, when needed, Seweryn, without missing a beat, quickly and efficiently adjusted the trip to meet our particular needs and preferences. His recommendations for restaurants were superb. We especially liked The Black Duck! We would definitely recommend Seweryn and TourRadar to anyone who is planning a trip to Krakow.

Krakow & Auschwitz

I felt like I was the only person involved in this "group" tour. When I booked this I was under the impression I would be with a group. I never met a consistent guide or any other consistent person on the same activities. It seemed like the accommodations and tours were arranged for me through TourRadar/Euroadventures. But quite honestly, I could have done that myself with better accommodations.

Krakow, Auschwitz, Enamel Factory & Wieliczka Salt Mine - 4 Days

Seweryn is very friendly and appropriately animated. His English and knowledge on the scenes are excellent. He never lacks information and suggestions on local food, transportation, and more. The tour plan gives plenty of free time to explore, which I like a lot.

Highlights of Southern Poland

The Poland tour was excellent! The group leader Beata was awesome and all guidance, planning and itinerary was wonderful. Totally recommended!!

• Sightseeing

6 days in Krakow and Szczawnica- private exclusive tour for 2 people

7 days in Krakow and Szczawnica- private exclusive tour for 5-8 people

Pearls of Poland (for couples)

I think this tour is just right for covering the best sites in Poland in a week's time. I doubt few travelers know anything about Poland's history. So a brief outline of the essentials at the start of the tour would facilitate understanding in Warsaw and Krakow. Our guides were excellent, but if they had structured their presentations, they would have communicated the details at the sights visited much better. Since we two were the only tourists on this tour in this Covid-marred year, we traveled with a driver (Piotr) who was tops.

Highlights of Poland

I was in the May 20-27, 2023 Poland tour. The tour got off to a bad start for me because the promised airport transfer pickup was not anywhere in sight at the Warsaw airport. When I called the help phone numbers provided all I got was Polish speaking messages.I called an Uber. I was later told by another fellow traveler in my group (who was on my same airplane) that while he also was not able to find the transfer person at first, after he walked around for while, he somehow found the transfer driver sitting in his car in a remote area. So he was fortunately able to get his transfer. The tour itself was very fulfilling. Everything promised in the three cities was delivered and it was all very exciting and very interesting. The tour guide worked hard to arrange extra excursions, at the spur of the moment, so everybody had options as to filling in any free time and also to participate as a group. He arranged dinners at night so that the whole group could eat together if they wished. There is a huge amount of walking on this tour. The salt mine tour by itself was 8 miles for just that one tour. I enjoy walking and do so every day, but it was sometimes hard to keep up at 77 years old. Most difficult was walking from hotels to train stations and back with all of our luggage. There were steep stairways that had to be dealt with while carrying all of our luggage. Overall, I’m very glad I did the tour and had a great time with all of my fellow tour participants. I believe all twelve tour participants had a lot of fun together. I do recommend this tour but try to do it before age might become too much of a factor because of all of the fast paced walking.

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Highlights of Poland (Classic, 10 Days)

Exceeded our expectations! Our introduction to beautiful Poland was thorough and at a pace that suited everyone on the bus, from young juniors to the seniors. The regional taste treats along the way added to the fun and local info guides made us aware of Poland’s stunning history and the grit and determination of the Poles.

Tailor-Made Private Trip to Southern Poland with Daily Departure

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

Portrait of Poland

I would prefer better meals and better WiFi service on the bus

• Walking Adventure

Best of Poland (11 Days)

Kacha the tour leader is amazing. Very well organized, knowledgeable and accommodating. I loved the tour

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Best of the East

Such a fun and alternative trip to take! We went to Prague, Poland, Budapest, and Austria. Even though it was one of the coldest weeks, our tour guide made it beyond enjoyable. She had so many suggestions of places to go and all were great. My favorite stop was Krakow, Poland, what a beautiful city and so much fun. I had an absolute blast while on this trips, the tour guide were energetic, fun, and knowledgeable, the trip was well run and flexible which I enjoyed, the company had optional activities set up for us which was nice to not feel pressured to do them if you wanted to explore on your own. The accommodations were always comfy and clean and the buses we took for all the trips were enjoyable and filled with fun movies to watch. I would highly recommend traveling with Euroadventures, their attention to detail, responsible yet fun guides, and flexible, activities filled schedule are all beyond worth it.

Tailor-Made Private Poland Tour with Daily Departure

What people love about auschwitz tours.

Seweryn was a fantastic tour guide and very knowledgeable about Krakow's history. I enjoyed learning about the many historical and religious details we saw around Krakow. He also went above and beyond to help me when I had trouble purchasing train tickets, and when I got sick offered to reschedule one of the tour days. I really enjoyed his tour and would highly recommend it.

Did their Krakow, Poland trip in December during the Christmas markets. Really a great trip and experience. Everything was very organized, had really good hotel near the square/old town (I booked the 3-star hotel, private room option with my husband), guides were very good & knowledgeable and the excursions/tours were very good. We also received a lot of extra information and recommendations for things to do and places to go (food and drink too) in our free time which was really nice and helpful. I was a bit nervous reading a few of the reviews here on Yelp but our experience was fantastic and nothing like what some others wrote in their reviews. Krakow was an amazing city and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Definitely recommend this trip and company.

I had a great first time experience of Krakow through this tour. My tour guide Seweryn was very friendly, flexible, organised and helpful and made the whole process very smooth. The trips to the mine, factory and camps were well laid out and gave me plenty of time for independent sightseeing and fun. If you want to come to Krakow I would highly recommend you do a trip this way!

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The yearly memorial march at the former death camp at Auschwitz overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war

U.S. university presidents joined Holocaust survivors and thousands of Israelis on Monday for the March of the Living, a yearly memorial march at the site of Auschwitz that honors the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and celebrates the state of Israel. (AP video/Rafal Niedzielski)

People walk through the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau as they attend the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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People sit on the train tracks at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau as they attend the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

A man walks through the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024 during the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

People holding an Israeli flag pose for a photo at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024 during the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

People carry Israel’s flags as they march through the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau during the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

A man holds Israel’s flag at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau during the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

People pose for a photo at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau as they attend the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

People attend the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Protesters wave Palestinian flags as the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims takes place in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

People attend a ceremony at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau during the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Holocaust survivors attend a ceremony at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau during the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the “March of the Living” in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) — Holocaust survivors and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel were among thousands who took part Monday in the March of the Living, a yearly memorial march at the site of Auschwitz that honors the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and celebrates the state of Israel.

This year, the mood at the march was overshadowed by the war in Gaza after the October attack on Israel by Hamas, the deadliest violence against Jews since Adolf Hitler’s regime sought to destroy the entire Jewish population of Europe.

That attack, in which Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 250 people hostage, unleashed a deadly Israeli offensive that has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, destroyed much of Gaza and pushed hundreds of thousands of people to the brink of famine.

Israel’s Gaza offensive has been fueling pro-Palestinian protests, including at many U.S. campuses . Israel and its supporters have branded the protests as antisemitic, while critics of Israel say it uses such allegations to silence opponents.

While some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, organizers of the protests, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.

In the Polish town of Oswiecim, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters waving Palestinian flags stood along the side of the road as participants marched with Israeli flags from the Auschwitz site in the Polish town of Oswiecim to that of Birkenau about 3 kilometers (2 miles) away. The area was under German occupation during World War II and today the former death camps are preserved as memorials by the Polish state.

AP AUDIO: The yearly memorial march at the former death camp at Auschwitz overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war

AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports on an 80-year-old Holocaust survivor from Israel, marching to the site of the death camps in Poland, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

“Through this protest we want to say that we bow down to the victims of the Holocaust too,” said Omar Faris, president of an association of Palestinians in Poland. “At the same time, we demand an end to war, an end to genocide.”

The march took place on what is Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Jewish calendar. A grim landscape of watchtowers and barracks were filled with the blue and white of Israeli flags, a celebration of Jewish survival at the place of genocide.

The event, now in its 36th year, usually draws thousands of participants, including Holocaust survivors and Jewish students, leaders and politicians. This year, Israeli hostages released from captivity in Gaza and families whose relatives are still being held captive also joined.

Judith Tzamir, a Holocaust survivor from Germany who moved to Israel in 1964, had long avoided visiting Auschwitz. But she was inspired to join this year’s march after her kibbutz fended off an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7

“See, I try not to remember it all the time. But on the 7th of October they brought me the remembrance very, very harshly back,” she told The Associated Press at the site of the former death camp. “And that was a moment when I decided, ‘okay, this is the time you should go to Auschwitz.’ To see it, even to myself, to remember it again.”

Amid the backdrop of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled American campuses, Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University in New York, led a delegation of leaders from Catholic, Evangelical and historically Black colleges and universities.

“The message here is clear. The dangers of allowing hate to go unchecked are real. And we don’t need to get to the cattle cars in order for it to be unconscionable and unacceptable,” he said, referring to the cattle cars used to transport Jews to their deaths at camps under German wartime occupation.

He said it was essential for university leaders “to call out, and in no uncertain terms, when there is intimidation and hate and antisemitism. We’re seeing it on campuses and college campuses, and it needs to have a response.”

Some who had planned to attend had to cancel to deal with the protests at home, Berman told the AP, though he did not name them.

Vanessa Gera reported from Warsaw.

Urgency of remembrance stressed during March of…

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Urgency of remembrance stressed during march of the living.

Then, on Oct. 7, Hamas invaded Israel, perpetrating the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust — and bringing another tragedy to Haim’s family: Yotam, her grandson, was taken hostage by the terror group. He escaped with friends, only to be killed by Israeli soldiers in a case of mistaken identity in December.

“I can’t believe I’m here. I’m shaking,” Haim told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency outside a barrack in the death camp. She said she believed the Holocaust would never repeat itself.

“But then it did,” she said, referring to the Hamas attack, in which roughly 1,200 people were murdered and 250 taken hostage, including Yotam.

“My walking here today is revenge against all the evil in the world,” she said. “The time has come.”

Haim was visiting Auschwitz as part of the March of the Living, an annual journey that takes thousands of participants, including Holocaust survivors, to Nazi concentration camps in Poland and then to Israel. The group always includes Holocaust survivors; this year, seven months after Oct. 7, they were joined by 23 survivors and relatives of victims of Hamas’ massacre, as well as by TikTok pro-Israel influencers who have battled antisemitism online. People in all of the groups told JTA that this year, the program carries an extra layer of meaning and urgency.

“Every year it’s important to be here,” said Thomas Hand, whose 9-year-old daughter Emily was taken hostage by Hamas and released during a ceasefire in November. “But this year it’s times a hundred more important. We’re living through another Holocaust. We’re actually in one. This is supposed to be never again, but this is again.”

The centerpiece of the itinerary is a march on Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, between the concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau, which the group completed on Monday. Budapest-born Laszlo Selly, who lives in Miami and came with a group of high schoolers from Florida, said he felt “tremendous sadness” being in Auschwitz, along with “tremendous hope” for the future.

“Since Oct. 7, it is now more important than ever for these kids to learn about what happens if people with hate in their hearts gain control so that they do everything in their power to prevent it from happening again,” he said.

Born in 1937, Selly was 7 years old when he and his twin brother were rescued from Budapest and hidden during the Nazi occupation of Hungary. Selly’s father escaped from a work camp and returned to Budapest. He and his sons were eventually saved by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who issued diplomatic papers to thousands of Jews, preventing their execution.

“I remember an awful lot,” Selly told JTA. The woman who hid the brothers, he said, was a member of the Nazi-allied Arrow Cross fascist party. Selly said she wore both a swastika and the arrow cross symbol on her uniform. “But maybe she wasn’t a real Nazi,” he added.

Some actions on the march drew connections between the Holocaust and Oct. 7 as well. Near Selly, across from the barracks, Jacques Weisser, a hidden child survivor, broke down in tears as he dedicated the final letter in a Torah scroll that was being completed at Auschwitz. Completed by emissaries of the Chabad Hasidic movement, the scroll’s writing had been initiated at the site of the Oct. 7 Nova music festival massacre .

“It’s very special,” said Weisser, who came with the march’s British delegation. “I dedicated the letter to the family that I lost here. It means a lot, obviously. An unbelievable experience.”

The trip also marked a first for Walter Bingham, a 100-year-old Kindertransport survivor who earned the Guinness World Record for being the world’s oldest working journalist three years ago.

“It’s extraordinary being here but very difficult,” said Bingham, who moved to Israel from the United Kingdom two decades ago and lit a torch and said the Mourner’s Kaddish at the event.

Bingham also served as a bridge of sorts between young and old. Hundreds of university students were on the trip, and a gaggle of TikTokers surrounded Bingham, hoping to film a clip on the video social platform with the centenarian.

The TikTok influencers were part of a group of 30 influencers, Jewish and non-Jewish, who came on the March. Five content creators from the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States, who have approximately 30 million followers among them, filmed a video with a call to release the hostages. The company, which is facing regulatory pressure in the United States in part because of concerns about antisemitism on the platform, brought the power-users on the trip, according to posts that some uploaded from Auschwitz.

American-Israeli influencer Shayna Heidi said Oct. 7 underscored the need to continue remembering the Holocaust.

“Up until now, the Holocaust felt very far. We thought it was in the past and that we’d be won. We had a state,” said Heidi, who has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok. She added, referring to Oct. 7, “But since then we now know we need to carry on spreading the message.”

The march also encountered protest. As the marchers walked over a bridge on the two-mile stretch between Auschwitz and Birkenau, roughly a dozen pro-Palestinian protesters lined the street below, chanting at the marchers.

“To counter a peaceful march just like that, I’m sorry for my expression, but this is so f—ed up,” Youssef Elazhari, the Morocco director of a Middle Eastern dialogue group called Sharaka, told JTA. “I will never tolerate that.”

There were several Muslim and Arab delegations, including from Israel. One was Atidna, which brought a group of Arab Israeli youth. Its leader said he’s seen global perceptions of Israel shift.

“When we first came on March of the Living in 2021, Israel was known as the Startup Nation. In every place in the world, Israelis were in demand,” Suleiman Suleiman, Atidna’s co-CEO, told JTA. “But we chose to tie our fate with the state of Israel and the Jewish people in good and in bad. This is the test.”

The trip also included Israeli celebrities. Noa Kirel, who represented Israel at the Eurovision song contest last year and lost relatives in the Holocaust, told JTA it was “meaningful and powerful” to participate.

Adir Miller, a popular comedian and actor, came on the march with his family and mother, a Holocaust survivor who was born in Budapest during World War II. They also visited that city on the trip, which gave Miller an uplifting takeaway amid the discussion of tragedies past and present.

Miller said it was moving “to come here and to Hungary with my mother, who was a baby who they tried to destroy.” He added, “That baby has made it here, three generations later, with her kids and grandkids.”

To read more content visit www.jta.org

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'The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ TV series ending, explained

Warning: The following story contains spoilers for the TV series “The Tattooist of Auschwitz.”

“The Tattooist of Auschwitz” is now available to watch, and some major plot points reside in the final 58 minutes.

The six-part series on Peacock tells the story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, who was held as a prisoner at Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. After garnering respect from fellow prisoners and some Nazi soldiers, Lale, who also goes by Lali, becomes one of the camp's tattooists, marking those entering with a number.

In the first episode, Lali is tasked with marking the arm of Gita Furman, and the two immediately fall for each other. The TV series “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” tells their love story , based on the bestselling 2018 novel by Heather Morris.

In the newly released show, Jonah Hauer-King plays a young Lali, Harvey Keitel plays an older Lali, Anna Próchniak portrays Gita and Melanie Lynskey plays Heather.

If you've just watched the final episode and are overwhelmed at how quickly the story moved, you likely aren't alone. Here's a breakdown of what happened at the end of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz."

Lali works for the Russian authorities

After Lali escaped while being transported to another concentration camp, he stumbled upon a group of Russian authorities who gave him food and shelter in exchange for his work. In this final episode, the Russians task Lali with using his charm to invite women to “dances.”

Once the “dances” have begun, they lock Lali in his room. One night, though, he gets out to see what really happens at these events. To his disgusting shock, the Russian officers were sexually assaulting these women.

Gita escapes and makes her way to Bratislava

After escaping the female group leaving Auschwitz, Gita and her friend are temporarily taken in by a woman who gives them warm food, a bath and new clothes.

The two then set off to Bratislava, Slovakia, on foot, where Gita and Lali had agreed they would meet, and are seen hiding from soldiers traveling through the same wooded area. In one scene, they are crouched down in a ditch and eventually fall asleep. Gita then awakens to a soldier attempting to sexually assault her friend, and she beats him with a piece of wood. After successfully knocking him unconscious, the two run off to continue their journey.

Lali reunites with his sister

After the latest Russian "dance," Lali takes an opportunity to escape after a soldier asks him to complete a task and leaves him alone in the town square. He asks to use a woman's bike and rides away.

Lali is then seen at the same Slovakian train station he originally left his family at to head to Auschwitz. He makes his way to his childhood home, where he has an emotional reunion with his sister. While the two are catching up, she reveals to him that she's been in hiding while their parents were taken days after he left for the camp.

Lali then tells his sister about Gita, which then prompts her to bring him a horse. She instructs him to take the horse to Bratislava to reunite with Gita.

Lali and Gita reunite in Bratislava and get married

Once in Bratislava, Lali writes a note to Gita and pins it to a board where messages go for people who are missing amid the Holocaust. In the meantime, Gita also arrives in Bratislava with her friend.

Originally, Lali had told her to meet at a department store, but the location had since closed. So, Gita wanders for a bit with her friend and even passes the boards, but she doesn't see the note from Lali.

As she's losing hope of finding him and goes to sit on the stairs, she sees Lali ride away on a horse and runs out to the street. She shouts, "Lali!" and he turns around, then the two run into each other's arms for an emotional embrace.

The next time a young Lali and Gita are seen together, they are getting married with Gita's friend and Lali's sister by their sides.

Lali is asked to testify on behalf of an SS soldier

Some time after getting married, Lali and Gita are seen settled in Australia and one day, they are approached by Australian officials. The officers deliver a letter from Germany requesting that Lali provide testimony on behalf of SS soldier Stefan Baretzki, who presided over Lali during their time in Auschwitz. After the Australian officials leave, Gita says the SS soldier was a "monster" and while Lali didn't disagree, he mentions that Stefan helped him and Gita while in the concentration camp.

Lali is visibly torn on what to do, but Gita is clear about her views that he should in no way stand up for this man. After fighting about it, Gita says she needs a moment to go visit Europe.

An older Lali then recalls a sequence of emotional events: his and Gita's fighting, his moral decision whether to help the soldier and a hardship Gita was having around fertility.

Gita is pregnant

Gita arrives back home after her trip to Europe and the two seem grateful to see each other once again. Gita tells Lali that she almost didn't get on the plane because she felt sick — and reveals that she is pregnant.

Lali asks Heather to accompany him on a trip to Auschwitz

At the end of the final episode, an older Lali and Heather are seen chatting on a bench. Lali asks Heather to join him on a trip to Auschwitz, where he says he hasn't visited since he was held captive there. Heather asks if he would rather bring his son, and Lali reveals that he and Gita "never spoke to him about the past." Heather then agrees to go with him.

In the last moments of the series, Lali appears to see one final vision of Gita sitting on their bed, holding their baby son. With a big smile on his face, Lali goes to lay next to her on the bed.

Showing spots around their home, the text on the screen then reveals that Lali died “peacefully” on Oct. 31, 2006. The text also read that 11 years later, Heather finally found a publisher for Lali's story.

In the final scene, Heather is seen walking through Auschwitz alone.

All six episodes of “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” can now be streamed on Peacock, which is part of our parent company, NBCUniversal.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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At Auschwitz march, participants rally around concern over hostages and antisemitism

O ŚWIĘCIM, Poland – A shofar call rang out at Auschwitz on Monday, signaling the start of the annual commemorative march by thousands of Jews to Birkenau, part of the former Nazi death camp, situated about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away.

Yet instead of the solemn silence that usually characterizes this moment of the March of the Living through the camp near Krakow, the shofar prompted a burst of chants by dozens of students from Canada.

“Bring them back,” chanted members of the Canadian delegation, sandwiched between the Belgian and the Panamanian ones, as they began to march. They held up posters of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza, and the chants spread across the delegations, triggering applause from participants.

This strong focus on the aftermath of October 7 at the start of this year’s Holocaust commemoration event at Auschwitz, held on Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, continued to define the event throughout.

It reflected both Israel’s centrality to how Jews commemorate the Holocaust, and the incorporation of the trauma felt by many Jews over October 7 into the greater, defining one caused by the Nazi genocide.

The International March of the Living, the nonprofit that organizes the march at Auschwitz for Jewish youth movements and others, acknowledged the event’s focus on October 7, when about 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists murdered some 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 252.

This year’s March of the Living, in which some 8,000 people participated, “holds profound significance, as the horrors of the past intertwine with the present ongoing nightmare faced by […] Israel,” Phyllis Greenberg Heideman, the president of International March of the Living, said in a statement.

October 7 determined much of the content at the event, as well as the main controversy — a small anti-Israel protest staged by nine activists along the march’s route.

On stage, during a closing ceremony that followed the march, six Israeli Holocaust survivors whose lives were directly affected by the October 7 onslaught lit one of seven commemorative torches.

Usually, there are only six torches — one per million Jews murdered in the Holocaust — but organizers added a seventh in recognition of the October 7 onslaught and its victims.

Daniel Luz, a France-born survivor of both the Holocaust and October 7, spoke to the participants, telling them he recalled feeling a “fear greater even than in the Holocaust” as Hamas terrorists murdered people and burned homes in his Kibbutz Be’eri community.

He said that he and the other survivors lit the torch for the victims of both the Holocaust and of October 7, his voice cracking with emotion.

Other torch lighters included Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, a former chief rabbi of Israel who survived the Holocaust in Poland; Marc Schneier, a promoter of Jewish-Muslim dialogue from the US, and Doron Almog, the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Also attending the march were relatives of hostages and former hostages held in Gaza, including Thomas Hand, whose daughter Emily was abducted and later released in a November deal.

En route to the ceremony, a handful of protesters with Palestinian flags and a sound amplification system staged the first anti-Israel rally in the March of the Living’s 36 years of existence.

They accused Israel of perpetrating “another genocide,” speaking from a parking lot overlooking the halfway point of the march.

Wearing keffiyehs around their necks or on their faces, the protesters shouted to the marchers, who were mostly not Israeli: “Are you not ashamed of what your government is doing?”

The main organizer of the protest, Alena Palichleb, who said her father is Palestinian and whose mother is Polish, lectured the marchers on how they should behave at Auschwitz.

“What are you cheering for? Why are you waving flags here? This is a cemetery, the epicenter of a genocide, show some respect! Your mothers are watching!” she shouted.

She told The Times of Israel: “You should see the mess and dirt that Israeli visitors leave here.”

The marchers, who often sing Hebrew-language songs about revival during the procession that celebrates the Jewish people’s survival, responded with a thunderous rendition of the Israeli national anthem and jeers. “There’s no such thing as Palestine,” one marcher shouted until another hushed them and told them to “avoid provocations.”

Several Polish policemen surrounded the anti-Israel protesters. One police officer told The Times of Israel the protest was legal and pre-approved.

Alena’s father promised this reporter that “we will return to Palestine.”

He added: “October 7 was the beginning of our role, of our country to be free, Palestine,” adding: “We have nothing against Jews.” Palestinians, he also said, “would never accept a Jewish state, but also not an Islamic state, only a democratic state.”

The man also seemed to suggest that Hamas terrorists treated hostages kindly and that reports of atrocities were made up by mainstream media.

Bella Haim, a Holocaust survivor at the march whose grandson Yotam was abducted to Gaza by Hamas and killed there accidentally by Israeli troops, called the protest “shocking.”

It was “a vivid display of what we hear about, the antisemitism out of control on campuses all over the West,” she said.

In a statement, the International March of the Living wrote: “The half a dozen protestors who perversely saw this as an opportunity to voice hatred against Israel and the Jewish people serve as a timely reminder of the importance of Holocaust eduction and remembrance.”

One of the dozens of Muslim marchers at the event, Youssef Elzahari, also condemned the protest.

“They just tried, unsuccessfully, to hijack an event commemorating the murder of six million people. I’m not sure what they think they’re achieving,” said Elzahari, 30, from Marrakech, Morocco. He was a member of a delegation from the Sharaka nonprofit, which promotes ties between Israel and Arab- and Muslim-majority countries.

Also participating were members of a delegation from Atidnah, which focuses on Arab-Jewish understanding in Israel. They wore shirts emblazoned with the logo of their group and the Israeli flag.

The many students at the march said that campus antisemitism and anti-Israel vitriol, which exploded after October 7, strengthened their resolve to unite and fight back, and also attend the march.

“It’s all part of the same thing: The hostages were abducted for the same reason people were murdered here: for being Jewish,” one student from Canada, Evelyn Gorodetzky, told The Times of Israel.

She called the situation on campuses “terrible” when asked about antisemitism there. “But we’re vocal and we fight,” said Gorodetzky.

Benjamin Signer, an 18-year-old high school student from Los Angeles, was supposed to travel from Poland to Israel, along with other participants in the march from his Jewish school. But the Israel leg was canceled after October 7, he said. “It’s disappointing but it makes this experience, which to me is about Jewish unity, even more significant,” he said of the march.

The unity he sees, Signer added, “is important because of the isolation we feel as Jews right now. It gives strength going forward in life.”

The post At Auschwitz march, participants rally around concern over hostages and antisemitism appeared first on The Times of Israel .

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The order of the day

The working day began at 4:30 in the summer and 5:30 in the winter. The prisoners got up at the sound of a gong and carefully tidied their living quarters. Next, they attempted to wash and relieve themselves before drinking their “coffee” or “tea.” At the sound of a second gong, they ran outside to the roll-call square, where they lined up in rows of ten by block. The prisoners were counted during roll call. If the numbers did not add up, roll call was prolonged. This could be especially tormenting for the prisoners, particularly in bad weather. Finally, the order came to form up by labor details. The prisoners walked out to working groups, with musical accompaniment in the form of marches played by the camp orchestra.

Prisoners laboring in places several kilometers distant did not participate in the roll call—they left for work earlier. Nor did the prisoners from such internal labor details as the hospital, kitchen, or orchestra attend roll call. Morning roll call was abolished in February 1944, in order to maximize the time spent laboring. From then on, the second gong was a signal to form up by labor details.

Prisoners performed various kinds of labor inside and outside the camp boundaries. From the end of March 1942, the minimum working day numbered 11 hours. This time was extended in the summer and shortened in the winter. The break for the noon meal lasted from 12 until 1 o’clock. Depending on the time of year, it might be extended to 2 hours or shortened to half an hour. In the early days, a roll call followed the noon meal, but this was abandoned over time.

Prisoners returned to the camp under SS escort before nightfall. They frequently carried the corpses of those who had died or been killed while laboring. The evening roll call began at 7 o’clock and, as in the morning, could be prolonged by discrepancies in the number of prisoners. After roll call, the prisoners received their evening bread with its accompaniment. They had free time after the evening meal. Until the first gong, the signal for everyone to return to their quarters, prisoners waited their turn for the washrooms and toilets. They could also receive mail (and, after 1942, parcels) or visit acquaintances in other blocks. The second gong, at 9 o’clock, announced the nighttime silence.

Prisoners did not have to labor at all on Sundays and holidays, which they spent tidying up their quarters, mending or washing their clothes, or shaving and having their hair cut. They could also attend concerts by the camp orchestra and, every other week, send official letters to their families.

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