Opening Hours of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Planning the timing of your visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau requires knowing not just when the gates open, but when last entry is — because this directly affects how much time you will have on site and how you coordinate your journey from Kraków or further afield. This guide covers the complete monthly schedule and everything that affects it.

Monthly Opening Hours

The museum opens at 7:30am throughout the year. Last entry times vary significantly by season, reflecting daylight hours and visitor management.

Opening Days: When Auschwitz Is Closed

Auschwitz-Birkenau is closed on three days each year:

• 1 January (New Year’s Day)
• 25 December (Christmas Day)
• Easter Sunday (date varies each year)

On all other days of the year — including all other public holidays, bank holidays, and weekends — the site is open to visitors.

Important exceptions:

• 27 January (Liberation Anniversary): The museum remains open on this date but may have restricted access during the commemorative ceremony held each year. The ceremony draws large crowds, world leaders, and survivors. Check the museum’s official announcements well in advance if your visit falls on this date.
• March of the Living: This annual international march, held in April, results in the museum being closed to general visitors on the day of the event and with limited access on the surrounding days. The exact date varies year to year. Always verify at auschwitz.org before booking.
• State visits and official ceremonies: The museum may close temporarily or restrict access during official state visits or other formal ceremonies. These closures are announced in advance on the museum’s website.

How to Book Your Entry Time

When booking, you select both your preferred date and your entry time slot. The time you select is the time you must arrive — it is not a general day pass. Our complete ticket booking guide walks through the process step by step.

Choosing your entry time should be done with two things in mind:

1. Your journey time. If you are travelling from Kraków by the Lajkonik bus (90 minutes), a 10:00am entry slot means departing Kraków by approximately 8:00am. See our getting to Auschwitz from Kraków guide for full journey time details.

2. The day’s last entry time. In winter months (December–January), last entry is at 2:00pm. If you book a 1:30pm slot in January, you will have limited time on site — the 3.5-hour guided tour will extend well beyond the maximum stay time. Book earlier in the day in winter.

Early Morning vs Afternoon: Which Is Better?

Morning entry slots — particularly the first available slot of the day — consistently offer a less crowded experience than afternoon slots. The site tends to build in visitor numbers through the morning and is at its busiest between approximately 11:00am and 2:00pm.

An early start also means you approach Birkenau with full energy — important given that the second part of the tour involves significant outdoor walking across an exposed site. Arriving for a 9:00am or 10:00am slot, completing the tour by early afternoon, and returning to Kraków with the afternoon ahead of you is the most consistently recommended approach.

If your only option is an afternoon slot, this is perfectly workable — but choose the earliest afternoon slot available rather than a late one, particularly in shoulder season when last entry times are earlier.

Museum Work Hours vs Visitor Hours

The museum’s administrative and research departments work standard weekday hours — typically 7:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday. This does not affect visitor access, which operates on the seasonal schedule above. Some specialist facilities — archives, research departments, the bookshop — may have specific access arrangements separate from general visitor hours.