The Self-Guided Tour of Auschwitz that No One Tells You About -

Tourists come from all over the world to visit Poland’s cute old towns, eat the pierogi, and drink their cheap vodka. If their visits take them to the southern part of the country, there’s the solemn visit to Auschwitz.

There’s a lot of information scattered out there on how to tour Auschwitz that left me terribly confused. Most people will be staying in Krakow and will be going on a day trip to Auschwitz from there. Almost all of these people will be visiting through a tour group, and few ever think of going on a self-guided tour of Auschwitz.

These tours are offered from almost every hotels and hostels for roughly $32.30 or 120 zl. These tours are the simplest to arrange and will even pick you up from your accommodation. Alternatively, people sometimes save a bit of money by finding tours around town for roughly $21.52 or 80 zl. You will have to meet the tour at their office for this cheaper option.

You can save even more money by signing up for a guided tour straight through the museum website. Of all the guided tours, this is the cheapest option at $12.10 or 45 zl plus transportation. This will usually require a few days of advance booking (or a couple weeks if you are an English speaker). You can show up the museum and hope there’s a slot open, but that’s highly inadvisable as you might be waiting for hours for a tour in your language.

If you decide to forsake all of these guided tour options and tour Auschwitz on your own, you can go on the tour for as low as $7.50 or 28 zl. Why do so few people do this? Well as I discovered (the hard way), hotels prefer you take the tours through them for that lovely commission and what information that is out there is often unreliable.

But before we discuss how, I’d like to discuss why.

Why Go to Auschwitz?

One afternoon, I was sitting in a hostel in Krakow, talking to a New Zealander about visiting the camp. He expressed that he wasn’t going to go, saying that “it’s not really my thing.”

Well I certainly hope concentration camps aren’t anyone’s “thing”.

But a surprising amount of people debate if it’s worth visiting the camp. I even met an observant Jew who said when he first got to Krakow, he didn’t think he needed to go. He had learned more than enough during his childhood studies and didn’t think a visit would add anymore to his understanding

This person ended up visiting and now advocates the same thing as me, that if you are in southern Poland, you should absolutely go.

1.3 million people died in Auschwitz alone. There has been no site in the history of the world, where so much human death and suffering have occurred in such a small area and for so long. Walking through Auschwitz will impress upon you the gravity of these death camps more than any textbook ever will.

Walking through the camp and seeing the sheer size, seeing the industrialization of murder, seeing the graves where countless thousands were haphazardly buried, will make this register deep down to your very bones.

Perhaps it’s because we forget that the holocaust is not as distant as we think. This all occurred over 70 years ago. It’s easy to forget that there are people alive who have witnessed one of the most horrific moments in human history.

So it’s worth the visit for the reminder. To remember and honor all those lost lives and so we never repeat the mistakes of the past.

I’ll get off the soapbox now.

Entrance to Auschwitz I

Why Go on a Self-Guided Tour of Auschwitz Instead of Going With a Tour Group (apart from cost)

Auschwitz is an emotional experience but also an informative one. Tour groups will certainly be knowledgeable when they take you around the sites. However, many tour groups will only go through the main area of both camps, skipping some of the items on the side.

Other common reports are that the tours may feel rushed. There are countless tours going through the camps, and they keep a tight schedule. I saw countless visitors linger behind their group, trying to further understand a particular exhibit that wasn’t given its due.

By going alone you are free to explore the camps at your own pace, which is advantageous in such an emotional visit. You can linger longer on exhibits that interest you or feel more impactful. There were times when it becomes so emotional that you may simply wish to sit and think.

Stone memorials in various languages

How to Go on a Self-Guided Tour of Auschwitz

Auschwitz actually consists of two different camps: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau. Auschwitz I is much smaller and functions more of a museum. To walk through Auschwitz I, you must be in a guided tour if you arrive between 10 A.M. – 4 P.M. Auschwitz II – Birkenau is much, much larger and is oriented more as a memorial. You can walk through Auschwitz II – Birkenau at any time of the day.

Almost all tours will start at Auschwitz I and then take you over to Auschwitz II – Birkenau, which is roughly a five minute drive away. If you are independently touring, you can catch a free shuttle between the two parks. To return from Auschwitz II – Birkenau, simply catch the shuttle back to Auschwitz I and then catch a bus back to Krakow.

So to tour both camps, you simply have to arrive before 10 A.M. or after 4 P.M. The nicest part is, admission is free! If you are staying in Krakow and would like to tour in the morning, the bus takes roughly 2 hours to get there, you must find a bus leaving no later than 7:30 A.M.

Bus tickets can be bought at the bus itself and schedules can be found on this site: en.e-podroznik.pl. There are trains available but they drop you off further from the camp and take longer, so this is not recommended. At the time of writing this post during the summer of 2017, useful departure times in the morning are: 6:20 A.M, 7:10 A.M, 7:50 A.M, 8:05 A.M, 8:15 AM and 8:30 AM. These are of course subject to change so check before you go.

These one way tickets costs 14 zl or $3.75. So that’ll make 28 zl or $7.50 for a round trip. That’s the only required expense for the day.

The museum does offer a pamphlet with a map and a lot of relevant information for 15 zl or $4.05. While this is not required, I highly recommend it as it gives you a good map so you don’t miss anything, and some extra information. With the free entry fee, it seems worthwhile to give back to the museum.

That’s all there is to it. I’ve included a few pictures so you can see what’s in store. Auschwitz is definitely a potent and unforgettable experience.