From Krakow: Auschwitz Birkenau Self-Guided Tour

The bus driver did an outstanding job and the trip was smooth from start to finish. Everything was very well organized and there were no problems. Congratulations.

Helpful? Yes

The organization was a bit chaotic. The four hour wait and poor communication were the biggest drawbacks. However, the visit to Auschwitz was definitely worth it. Just getting the tickets, getting on the tour bus, and waiting for everyone to begin the tour took over four hours.

Helpful? Yes

What an incredible and profoundly moving experience it was. This is a must see for everyone, as it profoundly enhances your respect, understanding, and perspective on the tragic events and the immense suffering inflicted by one man and his followers. It's an experience I will always cherish, and I'm so grateful to have participated in this tour. Our guide, Martyna, was passionate and knowledgeable, bringing the history of Auschwitz vividly to life. I highly recommend this tour, not only for its well organized approach and quality, but especially for its personal impact.

Helpful? Yes

The driver was fantastic, as was our tour guide. He had an impressive knowledge of the subject and shared just the right amount of information. We were a little unsure what to do when we arrived at our first stop, but he patiently took the time to explain everything again. After that, the rest of the day went smoothly and without any problems. However, I do have one piece of advice for the organizers. Initially, the app showed the tour bus would depart at 8:00 AM, but we later received a WhatsApp message changing the departure time to 8:55 AM. This was fine, but a later email from the organizers still showed it as 8:00 AM. I contacted them to confirm, and they told me 8:55 AM, but then another email contradicted them, saying it was 8:00 AM. This was quite confusing. Luckily, we opted for the later time, which was better since it was cold outside. I recommend double checking follow up emails to make sure all the information matches. This will definitely improve the experience for future guests. Overall, everything was perfect once the tour started.

Helpful? Yes

Our guide Adrianna was truly outstanding. She had everything well organized, and her deep enthusiasm for the site was very evident throughout the tour. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to others.

Helpful? Yes

A delightful journey with an exceptional guide. Truly worth every penny.

Helpful? Yes

The guide demonstrated impressive expertise throughout the tour.

Helpful? Yes

The explanations were clear and detailed, with sufficient time allocated and a personal focus on each topic.

Helpful? Yes

This tour was incredible. Although we've been on this tour three times before, this was the best experience. We thought we'd just be dropped off and left to explore, but instead we visited an area we hadn't seen on previous trips. The guide was fantastic, and the bus driver was very friendly. I highly recommend this tour.

Helpful? Yes

We went from Krakow to Auschwitz and Auschwitz Birkenau by bus. The tour includes transportation to all the key sites, and then you'll have free time to explore on your own without a guide. Don't forget to bring a raincoat in case of bad weather and enough food and water to last you the day.

Helpful? Yes

The staff was understanding and very friendly. It was a bit disappointing that the audio guide was in Spanish, but the tour guide only spoke English.

Helpful? Yes

The tour was very well organised, started on time and the guide was both approachable and full of useful information.

Helpful? Yes

An excellent day trip both highly educational and captivating throughout.

Helpful? Yes

The tour was well arranged with excellent service and a knowledgeable guide.

Helpful? Yes

We were disappointed by the last minute schedule change. This change was announced the day before, and the start time was moved from 8 AM to 1:30 PM. The tour we booked was supposed to be in Italian, but it was in English. The description stated that a guide would be present throughout the tour, but this was not the case. The guide initially handed out brochures in the chosen language and gave a brief introduction in English, after which the tour was conducted independently. On the plus side, the driver, Paulina, was excellent and punctual. The guide, Adrianna, was very knowledgeable, but unfortunately she was not available for the duration of the tour or in our chosen language.

Helpful? Yes

This place is definitely worth a visit. However, it's important to manage your schedule well to avoid long waits. On two occasions, we had to wait about an hour each time, especially when the meeting time was unexpectedly moved up two hours, from 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. The guide was excellent and provided clear and comprehensive explanations throughout the tour.

Helpful? Yes

Overall, everything went well. The only problem was that I texted the guide to ask if he could translate what I said on the bus. He completely ignored me. Despite this, it was still an enjoyable day.

Helpful? Yes

I completely agree with the description given. The guide shared many helpful tips, and transportation between the various sites was smooth. Perhaps a little more time could have been allocated to get a more comprehensive experience of both Birkenau and Auschwitz I.

Helpful? Yes

Overall, the trip was both informative and educational, and it helped us put the stories we read and saw into clearer perspective. However, we were deeply saddened and disturbed by the fact that many visitors to Auschwitz took photos of their personal belongings and the interior of the crematorium. I believe there should be guards stationed at these areas to prevent people from photographing such sensitive areas.

Helpful? Yes

The name of the tour was a bit misleading. We took a bus to Auschwitz and waited in line for over an hour to get our tickets. We then visited one museum, then another, had a lunch break, and then went to Birkenau to finish the day at Auschwitz. Unfortunately, the place we most wanted to see was scheduled last, by the time we were already exhausted. Other than that, it was a good experience, and everything went surprisingly smoothly. The departure was 40 minutes earlier than expected, which was disappointing, as it left no time for breakfast before departure.

Helpful? Yes

The tour was well organized and the guide was very knowledgeable, but overall, it felt too long. We spent a lot of time in the memorial museum, mostly just sitting and waiting for the next tour. We also had to wait in line for an hour to buy tickets upon arrival. I recommend reviewing the itinerary to avoid unnecessary delays.

Helpful? Yes

The shuttle left on time, but the journey felt a bit long because the driver avoided the highway and drove rather aggressively. Upon arrival, the guide gave us an informative booklet and escorted us to each site. Without a full fledged guide, the story was less extensive, but I appreciated having the freedom to explore at my own pace and spend as much time as I wanted at each site. Many groups had guides, but I personally preferred going without. If you keep a steady walking pace, the total time is sufficient.

Helpful? Yes

This trip suffered from significant problems, particularly due to poor organization. Our bus schedule had been changed by six hours just the day before. Upon arrival, we had a long wait and didn't spend enough time in the camps. Overall, planning and time management were poor. While the site itself is undoubtedly worth seeing at least once in a lifetime, this tour didn't seem like the right choice for that experience.

Helpful? Yes

The guide was completely disorganized. We sat on the bus for hours, waited in line for almost an hour, and were taken to random places just to fill time. Although we were picked up at 8:45 AM, we didn't enter the camp until 4:30 PM, which was ridiculous. Furthermore, there weren't enough guidebooks, so I had to explore the sites without any information. I recommend visiting independently rather than using a company. The long wait in the morning wasted a lot of time and ruined the entire experience. I plan to go back to Auschwitz, but next time I'll go on my own.

Helpful? Yes

We were picked up from the meeting point at 8:45 AM. The tour guide's English was vague and not very fluent. After spending over four hours on buses with nothing to see except the ticket office, it felt quite disorganized. We only managed to enter Auschwitz II around 4:00 PM. Everything went well before then, but there wasn't enough time to fully explore Auschwitz. Also, the Dutch guidebook was missing, so we were given an English version even though I'd specifically booked the Dutch version. It's important to ensure there are enough guidebooks in all languages. Overall, the tour was quite chaotic, and having a fluent and clear speaking guide would have made a huge difference.

Helpful? Yes

The trip was very poorly organized. We were out for 14 hours, leaving at 7:30 am and arriving in Krakow only at 9 pm, leaving us with a long wait. Arriving at Auschwitz at 8:30 am, we had to buy our own free 4 pm entrance tickets, which the tour operator hadn't booked. We spent the morning visiting other museums, but our time there felt unnecessarily long and could have been shortened. For lunch, after being offered a packed lunch, we stopped at a restaurant that had been reserved for us, but food and drinks weren't included. We returned to Auschwitz around 3:50 pm, then took a shuttle bus to Birkenau, where we finally paid to visit the main site. We then returned to visit Auschwitz before returning to Krakow. These are important sites worth seeing at least once, but I recommend experiencing them in a completely different way.

Helpful? Yes

Unfortunately, the stops were poorly planned. We spent two hours at the small museum at the beginning, which felt too long, then over an hour for lunch. We only had an hour to visit Auschwitz I, which was definitely too short, and then two hours at the second camp, which was plenty.

Helpful? Yes

I was directed to the wrong meeting point, and the operator refused to acknowledge it, despite sending photographic evidence. There were others waiting at the same location. The bus driver had to return to pick us up, which meant waiting for almost 45 minutes with two young people.

Helpful? Yes