Walking around Auschwitz-Birkenau typically takes 3 to 3.5 hours for a standard guided tour, covering both Auschwitz I (the main camp with exhibitions) and Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the extermination camp), with a short break and shuttle between sites. Visitors should allocate at least 90 minutes for each site for a meaningful experience, and it involves significant walking over varied terrain.
Auschwitz covers an area of about 12 square miles (30 square kilometers), and although shuttle buses run between the areas open to visitors, you will still do a lot of walking. Wear sturdy shoes suitable for uneven terrain and clothing that will keep you comfortable for the duration of the tour.
A tour lasts approximately 3.5 hours and it starts at Auschwitz I. The price includes a tour of the former Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau camps with a guide-educator, rental of a headset. The Museum provides transfer between both sites of the former camp.
Entrance to the Museum, to both Auschwitz I and Birkenau parts, is possible only with a personalized entry pass. Their number is limited. Individual visitors may tour the Memorial independently (without a guide) or in organised groups with a guide. Reservations can be made at visit.auschwitz.org.
Material may be used only in undertakings and projects that do not violate the good name of the Victims of Auschwitz. Photography and filming on the Museum grounds for commercial purposes, at spaces closed to visitors or with a drone, require prior approval by the Museum.
A cynical lie: the inscription above the main gate of Auschwitz I concentration camp: “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” (work makes you free). When the SS ordered them to make this sign, the prisoners placed their hidden message in the word “ARBEIT”: they turned the letter “B” upside down.
1. Light candles in places other than specifically designated areas, i.e., the Death Wall in Auschwitz I and the International Monument to the Victims of the Camp in Auschwitz II-Birkenau. 2. Carry and consume food or alcohol; smoke cigarettes and e-cigarettes on the visiting route.
Two hours is generally not enough time for a meaningful visit to both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, as official tours take around 3.5 hours, with most visitors needing 3-5 hours total to experience both sites properly, considering walking and transport between them. While you might rush through key parts of Auschwitz I in 2 hours, you'd barely see Birkenau, the larger extermination camp, making it a very superficial experience, and official guided tours, which are recommended, last much longer.
Mala Zimetbaum, the first woman and the first Jewish woman to escape from Auschwitz-Birkenau, was born on January 26, 1918, in Brzesko, Poland, the fifth and youngest daughter of Pinhas and Chaya Zimetbaum.
How many Auschwitz survivors are still alive in 2025?
As of 2025, there are around 220,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide, though the specific number of Auschwitz survivors isn't detailed separately, with their median age being 87, and numbers rapidly declining as 70% are projected to pass within the next decade. Organizations like the Claims Conference https://www.claimscon.org/demographics2025/ track these demographics, highlighting the urgent need for testimony as these witnesses, many of whom were at Auschwitz (like the 99-year-old Leon Weintraub at the 2025 liberation anniversary), are the last generation to share their direct experiences.
You should also remember that the sensitive nature of the exhibitions means that photography is banned in many parts of the Auschwitz museum; however, it is permitted in most outside areas. Eating, smoking, and using cell phones (except to take photos) are prohibited on-site.
Auschwitz wait times vary wildly: pre-booked, skip-the-line tickets mean short security waits (10-30 mins), but arriving without tickets, especially in peak season, can mean 1-2+ hour queues just for entry, even with online booking confirmation, as many third-party sites don't secure immediate entry. For the best experience, book direct via visit.auschwitz.org and arrive 30 mins early for security; otherwise, expect significant waits, especially if you need to pick up tickets or buy them on the day.
Visits to the memorial site (Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau) are free of charge. Due to the large volume of visitors, visitors are now only permitted to visit the memorial site without a guide at certain times. The memorial offers a wide selection of guided tours for individuals and groups.
The ground, especially at Auschwitz-Birkenau, is very uneven. We strongly advise against wearing any form of heeled shoe or light trainers such as converse. Waterproofs / umbrella.
Visitors planning a trip to Auschwitz should be aware of museum closures and increased crowds in April: April 24, 2025 – The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum will be closed due to the March of the Living. April 20, 2025 – The museum will also be closed for Easter Sunday.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau opening hours vary based on the month. The opening hours are 7:30 AM to 2 PM in December, 7:30 AM to 3 PM in January & November, 7:30 AM to 4 PM in February, 7:30 AM to 5 PM in March & October, 7:30 AM to 6 PM in April, May, & September, and 7:30 AM to 7 PM in June, July, & August.
Was Schindler's List actually filmed in Auschwitz?
To avoid filming inside the actual death camp, the film crew constructed a replica of a portion of the camp just outside the entrance of Birkenau. There were some antisemitic incidents. A woman who encountered Fiennes in his Nazi uniform told him: "The Germans were charming people.
The tattoo was the prisoner's camp entry number, sometimes with a special symbol added: some Jews had a triangle, and Romani had the letter "Z" (from German Zigeuner for "Gypsy").
