Auschwitz-birkenau Memorial And Museum With Private Transfers From Krakow

We travelled specifically to Krakow to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau and our trip ended as a disaster and resulted in a loss of $890 CAD. We were short changed the night prior to our trip and the only recourse we had was to accept an alternative trip with a 20% refund. This trip did happen, meaning we were picked up and dropped back to the hotel. The rest was a drive-by with little or nothing to see as the travel agent did not honour the sites we were supposed to visit in the alternative trip. Please stay away from Headup - they’re practically a sophisticated scam.

Terrible, they changed our scheduled pick up time from 9:30 to 5:45. The night before the trip. The information of that was poorly delivered and we missed our trip to Auschwitz Because of it. Customer service Said that they have us the information well in advance so that we could have canceled the trip. What a scam!

The visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau was deeply emotional and educational.The convenience of a private transfer made the whole trip more comfortable, especially since it was very helpful to get a pickup directly from the hotel. The guide explained everything in detail and sensitively throughout the time, which made the importance of the past events more clear. The place itself makes for extremely quiet and thoughtful - an experience that can never be forgotten.

Absolute shambles from start to finish, was picked up at 2am arrived around 3am,, kicked of the bus with no information apart from stand there and wait untill opening, waited 4.5 hours in freezing cold, no seats, no toilets, no were to get a hot drink, when any driver/guide seen you walking towards them they turned away ,as they basically couldn't be bothered to speak to you or give you any info, once threw the gate we had pre booked an English guide tour, but was then told we had to wait another 4 hours untill 12.30pm for it, so we had to op for the Polish one as we had already been waiting 5 hours and didnt want to wait another 4,, so was pointless as could understand the guide,, every was rushed ,, everyone racing threw, pushing shoving, far to over crowded,,we missed so much, other guides from other group shoving you along, telling you to move on quickly, i was actually shouted at by one guide"hurry up move along the next group are coming threw" i replied, "i understand, but i haven't had chance to see it myself yet" and recived a very dirty look, and told to move along quicky as possible again. didnt get chance to read/see and take in half of the trip, was just chaotic and no organisation, all our group off the coach was split up and sent in at different times , so upon leaving was told we had to wait another 2.5+ hours for everyone else to finish, so had to pay for uber back as we was exhausted, the place it's self( what we managed to see) was deeply moving, just a shame our experience was so slap dash, and unorganised, unhelpful staff , from start to finish was 7+hours waiting for a 3 hour rushed tour with no info along the way , so very dissapointed

Auschwitz and Birkenau tour booked, made our way via Krakow bus station to Auschwitz and was dropped right at the start. You can take food with you but just don’t consume it whilst on the tour. Our tour started at 0930 and our guide Patricia introduced herself, she got us set up with coms for her commentary. We started with a short film and then in through the entrance gate, The passion and emotion that was conveyed from Patricia was emotional to say the least. We had a small group of people and her care and attention to detail was thought provoking and a reminder of the history of the awful acts that humanity can inflict. There was a silence as Patricia guided us through Auschwitz. Informing us in detail of the horrific acts committed and how survivors had revisited the camp and how she had met people with their remarkable stories. After a short break for food and drinks we resumed our tour to Birkenau. There are ample toilets although not a lot of outside seating. We never used the food facilities provided. Birkenau is massive the amount of buildings used to house humans is thought provoking. Again l cannot praise Patricia enough for her professionalism and dedication and passion that she conveyed to our group . Check the weather before hand and wear suitable attire, this is a tour over undulating ground sturdy shoes recommended. Thoroughly recommend the 6 hour study guided tour for individuals. Take the bus from Krakow can be booked in advance. And stops right outside. Pick up was bang on time 3.30.

The transfers and access to the camps was very efficient and I would definitely recommend the company who arranged the tour The tour itself is a little disappointing. Having visited 3 times previously I have experienced both Auschwitz and the Birkenau camps in far more detail It feels a little like the tour in nothing but a cursory whistle stop, particularly at Birkenau with an hour to visit one of the largest camps ever built Unfortunately I think anyone visiting now would miss the real experience and not be given the opportunity to explore and take in the masses of information and history on offer

It was an amazing day. The history of this place just makes you so sad but glad I went to visit. We booked a private transfer from krakow. Our hotel did it for us and our driver waited while we did the tour and then brought us back. It was very reasonable at about £120 for 5 of us. We booked the tour separately from the uk. I had read that booking a tour on another website didn’t alway guarantee you would get the time you wanted and some had even been cancelled and didn’t want to take the chance as it was the main reason we were visiting. Our guide was amazing and very informative and took her time even though it was very busy. I would say if you are at all mobility impaired some of it is quite difficult. There is a lot of walking involved both at Auschwitz and Burkenau.

The most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever experienced, it’s a place I would recommend everyone visit at least once in their lifetime but also recommend people watch a few YouTube videos of the survivors so you you know what your looking at when you go. Amazing day but my heart felt heavy looking at everything left behind. As it was winter it got dark pretty early so was quite haunting going in the bunkers with just your phone flash light on, the last photo I uploaded is when we were leaving and it’s a view I will never forget, I didn’t take photos in the work camp it just didn’t seem appropriate.

Booked a tour beforehand but was cancelled by operator the evening before. Mad dash to find another as this was one of the main reasons for coming to Krakow. Managed to find another with private transfers.. most definitely worth the extra cost! Auschwitz-Birkenau tour itself is busy!!! Possibly a bit too busy but maybe I like to take my time to understand what I am observing. Lots and lots of groups converge at the start and you have headphones so your guide can share information ( this is pretty good). You move around to specific parts of the site in groups.. sadly I feel that I missed much of the valuable information due to not going into all of the available areas. It’s like the groups are doing alternate routes rather than taking time to allow you to absorb the enormity of the horrific treatment that the people endured. I also feel that it depends on your guide too. Birkenau- a few km transfer from Auschwitz 1. I don’t think, unless you visit, can’t even begin to comprehend the enormity of the place. Again our guide seemed to race us around to the points of interest but to be honest the information boards painted enough of a picture of what happened. 1. Wear a jacket/ hoodie and good footwear as uneven surfaces and lots of mucky puddles. 2.Read the information boards or take pictures so you can read later. Honestly I’m glad we did because you can’t process it all. 3. Pay attention to the model in Auschwitz I as it makes more sense when you get to Birkenau I think it will be a good while before I stop thinking about this experience. I’m glad this is a UNESCO site.. and we should never ever forget what these poor souls endured.

Great experience. Service was very responsive through TripAdvisor. Our driver (Wiktor) was professional, friendly, safe, and very responsive. Wiktor reached out on WhatsApp, got us lunch in between tours, and handled transfers. The tour was very well done. Everyone must see it. Our tour guide (Joanna) was knowledgeable and clear. She was great.

What an experience. Indescripable. However all those people made it hard to really get into history. When that is mentioned it was a great, guided tour.

The overall experience was great. Couldn’t fault our driver as he was extremely friendly and polite. He was on time waiting outside our hotel to collect us. Provided us with water when I felt sick on the journey, along with a small packed lunch. Would highly recommend using this company and when I next return to Kraków I will be too.

An experience not to be missed. The tours were very informative , the guide was exceptional . The artefacts on display in Auschwitz 1 are horrendous bringing home the real atrocities that were carried out. Birkenau was equally disturbing , the entrance is a formidable sight together with the very long railway line to the gas chambers and incinerators.

This tour was unforgettable. It’s been on my bucket list for years. To see first hand the devastation and inhumanity and suffering is a life changing experience. I wish every high school student everywhere could visit. Highly recommended

If you are ever in or near this part of Poland this is a "got to do it at least once in your life" day tour that is absolutely worth it. I wish I had went 30 years ago. Prepare yourself for some harrowing stories, as this tour tells you all about the camps. There is a lot of walking and the guide does fly through it a bit so wear appropriate footwear and keep up. A truly humbling experience.

Must see tourist attraction and it puts so much into perspective. Such a solemn place. It is a must see historical site to commemorate the past. We booked a private transfer and private guide. However when we arrived we had to wait to join a group of 17 other people and we did not get the leisure time advertised in the booking we made. We were unable to go to all the buildings and were rushed on breaks due to the tour schedule. This was so appalling for the price we paid and the expectations we were sold. The tour guide was flawless and knowledgeable with precise English.

A harrowing and humbling experience one which I think everyone should visit once. So hard to imagine what went on here.

Confirmed twice by email before the day and picked up on time,Paul (Pawel) our driver was friendly and helpful. The tour was good but rushed, would have liked more time at the exhibits to take it all in as we have always wanted to come. Unfortunately you can’t but help feel as thou you are being processed a bit ( push the groups thru) due to time restraints. Not much time for lunch either. Overall definitely worth seeing, but if your deeply interested you would benefit buy taking your time to read and look at everything that is available to see.

Tour was well organized and you were allowed just enough time at each exhibit. There are some horrifying exhibits and details shown and really makes you question humanity. Let’s all make sure this does not repeat itself

A visit to Auschwitz will leave a lasting memory, although it represents the darker side of humanity its definitely worth seeing & experiencing. Pre-booked(recommended) tour involved pickup at out apt, travel time is about 1hr 20 mins, on arriving the tour is in 2 parts, 1st: Auschwitz 1 which takes about 2 hrs & 2nd: Birkenau which takes 1hr. Our tour guide was excellent, friendly, informative & patient. I did notice other guides rushing their tours through the exhibitions, this visit is a sobering experience which needs to be taken at a slow pace to capture the sheer capacity of what happened there. Not recommended for young children as some of the photos & descriptions are graphic & disturbing. You do get a 15-20 minute break between camps, there is a coffee shop onsite but would suggest to bring your own light lunch. Only small bags are allowed through security & if it's hot bring an umbrella for shade as the tour of Birkenau is mainly outdoors.

Excellent tour to Aushwitz and Birkenau using this firm. Picked up from our hotel on time - showed a video of Aushwitz en route and then superbly handed us over to our tour guide at the Museum. Highly recommend this firm. Professional friendly and great value for money. Thank you.

A true insight into man's inhumanity to man. Our guide was young but spoke with such passion and sincerity that it reminded me and everyone on the tour why this cannot be allowed to happen ever again. This is not a tourist attraction but a memorial to all those who lost their lives. Do not visit Krakow without visiting.

Anyone who is a realist ought to come here. Harrowing its true, but a life changing look at real horror, this actually happened in living memory !!!! Must never happen again. The look on other visitors faces is something to see, nobody says a thing, just stunned , gaunt and solumn faces. Fantastic, cant do this anywhere else.

The tours are well organized. Used them for both Auschwitz and Salt Mines. Picked-up from our hotel at the time we were given and taken in a comfortable minibus to Auschwitz I and the Salt Mines. Upon arrival they explain the process. (on the Auschwitz tour they provide a movie that is film footage shot by Soviets, assembled by Germans). Excellent driver and very polite. Upon arrival you will be added to a group of about 30 people with a guide from the actual site - either Salt Mines or Auschwitz according to your language preferences and arrival time. So, the driver is NOT your guide and the groups are 30 people. Salt mines is a lot steps; all down, take an elevator back up. Auschwitz it 2 parts and the driver drives you to Auschwitz-Birkenau. As everyone else says, it is a humbling and thought provoking tour, with a lot of information and sobering exhibits. You can take photographs except where indicated and almost everyone was respectful of this. There is food available at Auschwitz I and in our minibus the driver provided us with a small sandwich and bottle of water; enough to hold us over until our return to Krakow. Hopefully, you can book early enough to actually go to these places.

Although this trip is upsetting it is worth while going, just to see the scale of the number of people that were held in the camps & murdered & tortured. It’s definitely an education!

Well organised tour with efficient booking system, great guide and driver. Would highly recommend to all.

Since I was in high school I wanted to see the camps. I’m glad we came. It is a somber and eye opening place. You need a full day to experience it fully. Bring only a small bag and plenty of cash and credit card. There is food and drinks to purchase at a snack bar and a restaurant at the entrance. A couple of book stores and a luggage storage you pay for in polish money 4zl. Toilets will cost you 2zl each. I brought my own water so sorry to say I can’t tell you cost of food and drink. Many areas your not able to photograph any more because flash damages the exhibits. You will do a great deal of walking on store and rocky walk ways. You will walk up and down many stairs. We used a private driver which charged us a large amount but they arranged for our tickets and a guide in English. The tour guides take there jobs seriously and horsing around and silly selfys are frown upon. You must remember the area is now a grave yard and you are expected to treat it so.

Driver was fabulous! Tomaz thank you for being kind and informative, nothing was too much trouble. The museum speaks for itself and everyone should go and take in such atrocities and ask how did this happen! The service was first class and we would recommend time and time again...

We did the one day Auschwitz - Birkenau Memorial and Museum tour as a group of four fathers with four sons in their teens. And the tour hit us all like a hammer! How is this cruelty as a system, possible? What is a human life worth? The size and complexity of Auschwitz - Birkenau is just unbeliavable. Especially Birkenau as an "industrial camp"with it's 140 square acres and the size of the barracks in Auschwitz took us by suprize. The youngest were silent most of the trip and we hope they keep in mind the cruelty that happened at these consentration camps

Very impressed with this company. Booked from the UK in advance, they texted me the pick-up time the day before, turned up bang on time. Very good informative video on the trip to Auschwitz. No need to say that this is not in any way a fun day out, but the guide was superb in every way. Her English was excellent and she struck exactly the right balance in explaining exactly what went on with sparing the sensitivities of the audience. Highly recommended.

Impressive to see up close the horrors that happened there. The darkest period of mankind. It leave you speechless and in tears.

Amazing place full off history and sad reminders, lots to see a must if your visiting Poland. English speaking tour guide Teresa was very helpful providing lots of information. Well organised tour not to be missed. X

We booked this trip through trip advisor, and it did not disappoint. Although the tour is depressing, the guide gave a lot of information. The guide Michal knew his stuff. Giving the tour an insight to the lives of the poor victims of WW2. Would recommend 100%. A guide is a must.

On our first day visiting Poland we decided to go on the Auschwitz-Birkenau full day tour. Although the drive from Krakow to Auschwitz is around 1 hour 20 minutes, it is absolutely worth the drive. The guide we were provided with delivered all of the historical information in an amazingly clear and interesting way, and gave us an experience that we will truly remember for life. Although the experience is, for obvious reasons, upsetting and shocking it is definitely one that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. The tour is executed in a very efficient manner, with everyone being giving a headset allowing them to clearly hear the tour guide who has a microphone, and this also meant that if you wanted to hang back to look at something for a little longer, you still didn't miss anything said by the tour guide. The tour was also executed in a way that felt very respectful, and with guides that are clearly very passionate about sharing their knowledge of this very important site. As a side note, I would recommend that visitors travelling from Krakow take a pack lunch with them on the bus on the way to the tour, as, for obvious reasons, you can't eat on the tour, however it is a very long tour and has little time for a break for lunch. The only small thing that we were slightly disappointed with was that we weren't shown a video on the bus on the way to Auschwitz, which was supposedly included in the price - however, I don't feel that this massively took anything away from the experience.

This was one of the reasons for us visiting Krakow in the first place, and it really is a must see. Personally I'd make everyone go. We were collected from our apartment on time and on the way the minibus driver played a somber video as way on an introduction to what went on at these death camps. The journey took roughly an hour. When we arrived we did have to wait a while for the rest of our group but with what we were about to see I can't think this is any cause to complain. The guide we had was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and courteous with out being patronising - my headphones began to play up about half way round the tour but I could still hear her. I know the history of events surrounding Auschwitz-Birkanau but actually standing in the places where these tragic events took place really brings the horrors home. I wouldn't go again after seeing it but as I said everyone should go once.

good experience. The driver (Paul <Pawel>) picked us up right on time, drove the two of us safely to Auschwitz. There he had the tickets for our tour and told us where to go, etc. You must take a guided tour from April through October. After the tour, he took us to Birkenau to meet up again with our tour group who transfered together by bus. I was glad we did it this way, since the official tour in Birkenau is an hour with the guide only imparting very little information at a few select spots in the enormous area. Since we had our own transportation, we were able to peel off from the group and explore on our own. We stayed two hours and saw a great deal more than the group and at our own pace. If we had known exactly how it worked, we would have split off at the end of the official tour in Auschwitz and taken more time there. There were additional buildings open with exhibits that the tour did not visit. We could have easily just gone to Birkenau on our own. They did not collect tickets there. We left our hotel in Krakow at 10 a.m. and returned at about 5:30. The only thing that wasn't perfect is the inability to eat in between. There is no real food available at Aushwitz and none at Birkenau. We didn't know this and hadn't eaten all day by the time we returned. We asked the driver to let us stop in a village to eat but he said they would charge quite a bit per half hour to do so. It probably would have been worth it. To make this a perfect tour, I would have arranged for lunch in Oswiecim between the camps with the transportation company ahead of time.

A must visit when in Poland it was a good 6 hrs so make sure you have time to see both sites very informative and so humbling. Excellent value for money.

A sombre but enlightening tour. A reverential site in which horrors were committed. No food or drinks except water are meant to be allowed on site as a mark of respect for those that lived and perished there and we were disgusted to see a group of people eating sandwiches sitting on the steps to one of the prisons just metres inside Auschwitz 1. Some people have no respect. It's a fascinating and poignant tour through the sites of Auschwitz 1 and the much larger site of Birkinau. A Must do tour.

I have to confess I wasn't sure what to expect from this visit. We arrived early morning for the first tours of the day as apparently the places get very busy later on. We had an excellent local guide with us, and at times he clearly became quite emotional when describing many of the horrors of what went on. A few were fortunate enough to have survived when the camps were liberated in January 1945 by the Soviet armies, and of course have been able to provide the insight we now have into the unimaginable brutality and hardship of life in the camps. I found the day a very poignant and distressing experience. I would have no wish to ever make another visit, but equally I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to see these places. You cannot fail to be left with lasting memories of the photographs of the men, women, and children who lived and died here, the piles of clothing, shoes, and the hair cut off the heads of the women. These have all been preserved within the museum for posterity to see. One could see many of the visitors clearly distraught and in tears at what we were seeing. Certainly an experience I shall never forget.

An emotional day but a must see! It is surreal to stand where you know millions of Jews died. We enjoyed our private driver, sack lunch. Only bad side was keeping up with the 30 people on our group.

I was not so much interested in visiting, having seen many videos and knowing what happened here, but being told in front of the actual places and objects was really impressing me. We are prepared, but never enough. The only issue of the visit is that everything is organized as a touristic tour: you are in groups, groups should run, follow the guide, line one after each other, see and skip what he guide decides.

We joined a group of about 25 with Alexander , having been picked up from our hotel by our excellent driver Patrick . The tour was very informative and well presented and Alexander made sure that the group stuck together and answered all questions knowledgeably and sensitively . I would not hesitate to recommend .

What can I say that hasn't already been said? If you are in Poland you have to try and visit. Our accommodation host booked this tour for us, and we were promptly picked up at the arranged time and driven direct to the camp. We were staying in the Jewish Quarter part of Krakow, which gave us a transfer time of around 1hour 20 minutes. Depending on how busy it is on the day, be prepared to have some standing around waiting for your allocated tour time. This of course will depend on what language you require, but this would should have already been arranged and everyone on your minibus should be on the same tour. There are toilets available before you start your tour and you will need to pay for their use. At the time we went it was 2 zloty per person. There are also snack shacks dotted around just in case you missed breakfast or if you need a coffee before you start. Once your tour group is called, you have to line up to pass through security, which is airport like and can take some time. This line also serves as the line where you will be given headphones. This is NOT an automated, pre recorded audio commentary but is just for you to hear your guide more clearly. Once you are in, the tour will blow your mind. It's something that I will always remember and I believe everyone who can visit, should visit. Our tour took around 2hrs 30min maybe a little longer, and there is a fair bit of walking and stairs involved. So if you do have difficulty in walking bear this in mind. Once you have completed this tour, we had 10 minutes for a cuppa then it was off to Birkenau. Once again, this left me speechless. The shea scale of this site will blow your mind. There is a lot more walking involved here, which is on uneven ground, so again if you have walking difficulties ask for help. There is a book shop and toilets at this site, again you will need to pay for the use of the toilets. I guess these tours can depend on your guide, we were lucky and had a great one, but guide aside, facts are facts and pictures speak a thousand words. If you get the chance, book and do both sites.

On our visit to Poland we visited Auschwitz. As a History student I was instantly interested in the tour. It is a real eye opener of what some individuals would do to others, it’s really disgusting. Definitely recommend a visit if your don’t mind the horrible truth of the war. You should take a hat has there isn’t much shade, we found our selves hiding under the trees in our free time.

Reading history and listening to survivors share their experience of this terrible time in history is very upsetting and sobering. One can not help feel a variety of emotions on seeing the sites, photographs and possessions of the victims. It is a very solemn site and commands the respect for the many who were unable to live out their lives naturally. The guide was timely, respectful and superb in her delivery! The book shop has an array of books. I came away with five books and I look forward to reading them. Add Auschwitz to your list of places to visit when in Poland.

Really informative to our, the guide was so knowledgeable would highly recommend when visiting Poland

Staff were very friendly and were able to answer any questions and carter for all needs, this is a must do for anybody visiting Poland 🇵🇱!

Although a depressing place that everyone has heard about, you cannot help but visit. The guided tour was very informative and explained lots of detail about the exhibits and pictures. Auschwitz is well laid out and easy to walk between the different topics within each building. The trip to Birkenau only took about 10 minutes and when walking to the entrance you don't actually realise how big the place is. Once inside the tour once again was very informative but very harrowing. Sadly it's a must see place and it reminds us of the barbarity of the human race and hopefully could act as a lesson that we must not allow anything like this to happen again. It's a long trip, over 6 hours from collection to drop off but well worth it

As you are probably aware. Brings it all home when waalking around. We went to walk around ourselves. After queuing from 8am until we arrived at the counters, there were only guided tours left. We were given 3.30pm Went for some thing to eat and then returned. Beware! Aft we were given our time of 3.30 the queue was longer than it was when we arrived. They don't tell anyone it's full in the queue or give any idea if you are likely to get in. That was the only downside to the visit