Auschwitz Tickets
To start organizing your visit to Auschwitz, the first thing you should do is to buy tickets. If you do it online and in advance, you will save time and money.
Detail of Auschwitz | Lasma Artmane
Visiting Auschwitz is one of the great attractions that attracts thousands of travelers to Poland every year. This concentration camp opened by the Nazis in 1940 is composed of several areas, of which Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II can be visited.
To visit it, you will need to buy your tickets and it is best to do it online and in advance.
Auschwitz Day Trip from Krakow
Tickets, transfers and guided tour to Auschwitz at the best prices
If you are traveling to Krakow and want to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp, this option includes admission, expert guided tour and transportation to and from Krakow.
If you are planning your visit to Auschwitz you should know that taking a guided tour will help you to better understand this episode of history, to deepen your understanding of what you see on your way and to relive the daily life of the prisoners. For very little difference in price compared to the single tickets, buying this pack that includes the guided tour in English and the transfer to and from Krakow is a great option.
The tour lasts about 7 hours in total and includes skip-the-line tickets to the two Auschwitz-Birkenau camps. You will be able to choose between different departure times (the first being at 6:30 am and the last at 12:00 noon) and the guided tour itself will last about three hours.
Why I like this option: this is definitely the most comfortable way to visit Auschwitz. If you add a guided tour to your ticket, the experience will be much more complete.
Recommended if... you want to make the most of your time in Auschwitz to understand much better what life was like in this camp and delve deeper into Nazi history.
How to buy tickets for Auschwitz at the box office
Buying tickets for Auschwitz at the ticket office is possible, although it is not the most recommended option. Especially early in the morning there is usually quite a long queue at the entrance, as large groups also tend to arrive at this time.
If you still prefer to get your tickets there, you will have to pay about 23€ per adult. The tickets include free access to an audio guide with headphones that will serve to tour the camp with an expert voice that will explain everything you see.
Tickets with guided tours
For my taste, a tour with tickets without queues is much more complete, as it allows you to connect with the guide, the explanations are usually closer and dynamic and always include some anecdote. In addition, you can take the opportunity to ask questions or ask for recommendations. And all without having to wait in line once you get to the entrance.
I recommend you to check my article about excursions to Auschwitz from Krakow to see what they consist of, what they include, how much they cost...etc.
Auschwitz entrance fees
As I said, an adult ticket costs 23€, so for very little more, it is worth hiring the excursion that includes transportation and guided tour. I compare below the prices of the tours and tickets to Auschwitz:
- Standard ticket (adult rate): 23€.
- Entrance with guided tour and private transfer to and from Krakow: 25€.
- Transfer to and from Krakow and entrance fee (without guided tour): 23€.
- Excursion with entrance fees and guided tours to Auschwitz and Salt Mines: about 100€.
Auschwitz opening hours
The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is open from Monday to Sunday all year round except for Christmas, New Year's Day and Easter Sunday.
Auschwitz is always open from 8:00 am, but the closing time depends on the winter or summer season. While in the winter months it closes between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, in the summer it may close at 7:00 PM.
Is it possible to enter Auschwitz for free or without tickets?
No. To enter the concentration camp you must have purchased tickets in advance. There is no part of the camp that is free or can be visited without tickets.
However, there are reduced rates for groups, senior citizens and children under 21, so if you are part of any of these groups and can prove it (you will need an identity document in any case to enter Auschwitz), you can benefit from a discount on the rate.
Combined tickets for Auschwitz and the salt mines
Being two of the most popular attractions in Poland, there are options that combine the guided visit to both sites in the same day, so you get the most out of your day trip in Krakow.
In that case, the package usually costs about 100 euros and includes tickets with skip-the-line access to both attractions, the two guided tours and the transfer between the city, Auschwitz and the Salt Mines. Of course, the return transfer is also included.