We will be in Krakow in April and will be booking our Auschwitz tour soon. We plan to book the direct bus from Krakow to the museum so that we are not rushed into a set return time. My question is about the different tour options offered within the site. I understand that most tours are 3.5 or so hours long, but as a history teacher I am considering the more in depth 6 hour option. I want to see/learn as much as possible but am a bit concerned about stamina in such an intense experience without a break. Does anyone have direct experience or advice regarding the 6 hour tour vs the 3.5 hour option?
Thanks!
Posted by
Irving
2956 posts
No, I took the 3.5-hour tour and after an hour I stopped listening and so did everyone else. It was too hard to absorb. Watch Ken Burns documentary on the Holocaust on PBS so you know what to expect. The 3.5-hour tour at Auschwitz and the Ken Burns documentary are similar and equally traumatic. There is no way you can absorb that much horror in a short time.
Posted by
By the Rims
150 posts
A few years ago we took the bus to Auschwitz and did our own tour. Not sure this is allowed these days, but we saw and experienced plenty of the horror and pain without getting stuck in a tour. My biggest advice is after the tour and on the way back to Krakow. This experience is very exhausting and emotional so plan accordingly for the rest of the day and evening. We explored more of Krakow but nothing that needed our complete attention as we were drained.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5519 posts
I learned plenty on my half day tour; I’m not sure I could have handled a longer tour. There are lots of parts of the site that require little explanation. When you see a room full of shoes, you know the horrific fate of the owners of those items. I felt pretty numb touring the site. A week later going through the Deutsches Museum in Berlin, I couldn’t stop tearing up when I went through the WWII section. I just kept remembering Auschwitz.