Begin your tour by walking through the gate of Auschwitz I, the first camp, initially established as a concentration camp for Polish citizens arrested after Germany annexed the country in 1939. You'll pass under the infamous sign "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Makes You Free). This portion of the tour typically lasts two hours, during which you'll use a headset to hear your guide clearly. The group size is limited to 30 people, as per the Museum's regulations, ensuring a comfortable and accessible experience for all participants. Explore the original wooden barracks, fortified walls, barbed wire fences, gas chambers, and crematoria, which together leave a haunting impression and allow visitors to grasp the immense scale of the Holocaust.

After visiting the first camp, you'll have a short break of up to 15 minutes. Following this, we will take you to the second part of the tour—Birkenau (Auschwitz II), located just 3 minutes away. Birkenau, the largest camp, was built and operated with the sole purpose of making Europe "Judenrein" (free of Jews). Your guide will continue the powerful narrative at Birkenau, located in the village of Brzezinka. Constructed in 1941 under the orders of SS commander Heinrich Himmler, the camp could hold around 90,000 prisoners. You’ll hear harrowing accounts of the brutal living conditions, the cruel selection process, and the pseudo-scientific medical experiments carried out by Nazi doctors, including Josef Mengele. The tour concludes with a storey of liberation when soldiers from the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front opened the gates of Auschwitz on January 27, 1945, leaving you with a profound understanding that such genocide should never have occurred—and must never happen again.

At the end of the tour, you won’t be rushed. You’ll have at least a 20-minute break to visit a bookshop, or simply rest. After another 1 hour and 15 minutes of travel, you will be taken to a designated address in Krakow. After the tour you may attend the 1h Old Town Evening Walking Tour provided by a Local Guide. Your participation will be free of charge.