Online Virtual Tours of Auschwitz-Birkenau

The online guided tour is a genuine and meaningful engagement with Auschwitz-Birkenau’s history — not a pre-recorded slideshow, but a live session conducted by the same educator-guides who lead tours on site. It exists for visitors who cannot travel to Poland, for schools and groups preparing for or reflecting on an in-person visit, and for anyone who wants to engage with the history from wherever they are in the world.

What the Online Tour Includes

The live online guided tour lasts approximately two hours and is structured in two parts:

Part 1 — Auschwitz I (Main Camp)
The guide covers the history and structure of the original camp: the deportations, the prisoner registration process, the conditions of camp life, the exhibitions in the blocks, Block 11 and the Death Block, and Crematorium I where Zyklon B was first used.

Part 2 — Auschwitz II-Birkenau
The guide moves to Birkenau: the construction of the extermination facility, the railway ramp and the selection process, the prisoner barracks, the gas chambers and crematoria, and the International Monument to the Victims.

Throughout both parts, the educator-guide uses:

• Archival photographs and documentary images
• Maps and diagrams of the camp complex
• Documents and original records from the Nazi administration
• Testimony excerpts from survivors

Interaction with the guide is possible throughout — participants can ask questions via the session’s chat or audio function. This is not a one-way broadcast but a live educational session.

Who the Online Tour Is For

The online tour is appropriate for several distinct audiences:

Visitors who cannot travel to Poland. Whether due to health, distance, cost, or other constraints, the online tour makes engagement with Auschwitz-Birkenau’s history accessible to people who would otherwise be unable to visit.

Schools and educational groups. The museum specifically offers the online tour as an educational resource for school classes and university seminars. It can function as a preparatory experience before an in-person visit, as a standalone Holocaust education session, or as a post-visit reflection tool. For schools in countries far from Poland, it is a way of bringing Auschwitz-Birkenau into the classroom in a form directly connected to the memorial itself.

Groups preparing for an in-person visit. Experiencing the online tour before travelling to the site deepens the experience of the physical visit. Participants arrive with contextual knowledge that allows them to engage more deeply with what they see.

Individuals who have already visited and want to revisit. The online format allows returning visitors to engage with the history at a different pace, asking questions they may not have thought to ask during an in-person tour.

Available Languages

The live online guided tour is currently available in the following languages:

• English
• French
• German
• Hebrew
• Italian
• Polish
• Spanish

If your preferred language is not on this list, contact the museum directly to ask about availability — the range of languages for the online tour may expand over time.

How to Book the Online Tour

Online group tours for pre-formed groups (schools, organisations, and community groups) are booked through the group booking system at visit.auschwitz.org. After registering for an account, submit a booking request via the “Visit for Groups — Online” section, specifying your preferred language, date, and group size.

Individual visitors can also join live online tours at scheduled times — check visit.auschwitz.org for current scheduling and availability.

Fee: Approximately 45 PLN per person, subject to change. Verify current pricing at the time of booking.

How It Compares to an In-Person Visit

The online tour is a valuable and genuine educational experience, but it is not a substitute for visiting in person. Understanding the difference helps you decide which is right for you.

The physical reality of Auschwitz-Birkenau — the scale of Birkenau visible from the watchtower, the smell of the preserved wooden barracks, the silence that falls over a group in the gas chamber ruins — cannot be replicated online. The online tour conveys history; the in-person visit conveys both history and place. If visiting in person is at all possible, it is the more powerful experience.

That said, for schools, community groups, and individuals for whom the journey is not possible, the online tour is a genuine and respectful way to engage with this history directly through the memorial itself.

Practical Requirements

To participate in the online guided tour, you will need:

• A stable internet connection
• A device with a camera and microphone (recommended for interactive sessions, though viewing-only participation is possible)
• The video conferencing platform used for the session — confirm with the museum when booking, as the platform may vary
• A quiet environment suitable for an approximately two-hour educational session

For school groups, the museum recommends that the teacher or group leader coordinates the technical setup in advance, including testing the connection and platform before the session date.