auschwitz tour id

From what time are free dates available?

Please be informed that booking of entry passes is available everyday from 12:00 noon (90 days in advance for individual visitors and organised groups)

Is entry to the premises of the Memorial free?

Entry to the premises of the Auschwitz Memorial is free. A fee is only charged for visits with a Museum educator, i.e., a person authorized and prepared to conduct guided tours on the premises.

Why have entry passes been introduced?

For the convenience of visiting and to ensure the safety of visitors the maximum number of persons that may enter the premises of the former Auschwitz I camp in one hour is specified. To this end, every visitor receives upon booking an individual entry pass, a document that grants entry into the premises of the Museum. The entry pass is issued to both individual visitors and those visiting with an educator.

Can I enter the Museum upon arriving without a pre-booked entry pass?

Entrance to the Museum is only possible with a personalized pre-paid entry pass. Reservations can be made at visit.auschwitz.org. The number of entry passes available is limited. We cannot guarantee the availability of entry passes on site on the day of the visit.

Should I have the entry pass on me?

Yes. Every entry pass has an individual bar code. The entry pass may be printed or saved, for example to a tablet PC or mobile phone. Entry Pass for Guided Tours for a tour without an Educator authorizes the holder indicated with a name and surname of proof of identity to explore the Museum upon presentation at the entrance to the Museum.

I paid for the reservation but have not received the entry pass, what should I do?

Entry passes are sent automatically by the system. If such an e-mail is not visible in your Inbox, it may have ended up in the spam folder. Check the spam folder. If you do not find the entry passes in your spam folder, contact us via email [email protected].

How do I book entry to the Museum without an educator?

In the system, select the following options: Visit for individual --> select a date --> Tour for individuals without an educator

How do I book a tour for an organised group?

In the system - after user registration - you should send a booking request via the booking form:  Visit for groups.  After sending the query you will receive an answer by e-mail.

Is there a tour organised with an educator for individual visitors?

Yes. Such tours are organised throughout the year in several languages and at specified hours. You can book such tours in the system. You should select the following options:

Visit for individuals --> select a date --> select language --> select the visiting hour --> basket

What should I do if I want to book an extended tour?

The panel has a “Visit for groups” tab, where you will find several tour options, e.g. 1- and 2-day study visits, tours for middle school groups etc. If you cannot find the desired tour option, please contact the visitors’ service centre:  [email protected]

Can I make changes to my reservation?

The system allows you to make changes to reservation parameters (day, hour or tour language). You can make changes within available dates. To effect changes, please contact our visitor’s service centre ([email protected]). Changes are limited to entry passes for organised groups.

Is the chosen hour of the visit the hour of entry into the Museum?

Yes. Please remember to leave bulky luggage in a car or bus before entering the Museum; organised groups must pick up their headsets and proceed to the security check. We recommend you arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the tour.

What happens if I am late for my reserved hour?

An individual visitor will be able to enter the Auschwitz Memorial in the first available time slot in between the hours for individual visitors without an educator.

Visitors who made a group reservation with an educator will have to reserve another entry time. These groups must start the visit at the specified time.

Organised groups of individual visitors who made a reservation for a visit with an educator will be able to enter the premises in the first available hour. It may, however, result in a shorter visiting time or impossibility of entering the Museum.

Will I receive a refund if I am late for a booked tour with an educator and cannot enter the Museum?

Due to the limited number of entry passes, we recommend making a prior reservation. At the moment there is no possibility of refunding payment for a tour with an educator; therefore, we ask visitors to make an informed and thoughtful decision prior to the reservation.

Can I use a drone at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial?

The grounds of the Memorial are in the no-fly zone DRA-P EP P20. The permit to fly over the Museum grounds is issued only in special cases (e.g. TV programmes or documentaries). Permissions are not given to recreational and private flights over the Museum grounds. More at  http://auschwitz.org/epp20

Can I cancel my reservation?

Reservations can be cancelled, but the cost of  visits with an educator cannot be refunded.

Copyright © 2014 Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau. All rights reserved

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Visiting Auschwitz – How to Plan the Auschwitz Tour

Visiting Auschwitz, albeit a very somber experience, is one of the must things to do in Poland. The largest Nazi Germany concentration and extermination camp during World War II, where over 1,3 million people lost their lives, needs no introduction. Conveniently located near Krakow , Auschwitz can be an easy addition to your Poland itinerary.

It took me almost 37 years to finally visit Auschwitz (although I’ve been to other Nazi Germany camps in Poland), and even if I knew very well what to expect, the place still overwhelmed me with its cruelty and tragedy. And I think everyone should plan a trip to Auschwitz to understand history better and see what people are capable of when the ideology brainwashes them. And, of course, to pay respect to all the unnecessary victims. It’s important to visit places like Auschwitz so we can do our best to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

If you are visiting Poland (especially Krakow , Warsaw , Katowice , or Wroclaw ), I prepared this guide to help you plan your Auschwitz tour without too much hassle. There are different ways to visit Auschwitz, but no matter which one you choose, be prepared for one of the most difficult yet necessary travel experiences of your life.

Table of Contents

Where is Auschwitz

The former Nazi Germany Concentration Camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, is located in a town of around 37.000 inhabitants called Oświęcim in southern Poland. Krakow is less than 70 km away, and Katowice is 35 km away. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is around 330 km away from Oświęcim.

A brief history of Auschwitz

Even if Auschwitz is known mainly as the extermination camp, it was established as a concentration camp in mid-1940. It was one of over 40 camps in Poland that were supposed to be a solution to the problem of overflowing prisons full of arrested locals. The first people were brought to Auschwitz on June 14th, 1940, from the prison in Tarnow.

Since 1942 Auschwitz has also been used as the extermination camp where Nazis implemented their plan to murder Jewish people from all over Europe. At the peak of its operation, in 1944, Auschwitz was divided into three parts: Auschwitz I (the oldest one, in the old Polish military barracks), Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the largest one, founded in 1941, the majority of victims were killed here), and Auschwitz III (this was a group of over 40 sub-camps created near industrial plants, made for work prisoners).

Numerous Polish villages were demolished, and locals were evicted to develop such a large institution. The camps were isolated from the outside world. The total area was around 40 square kilometers, including all three Auschwitz camps and the so-called “interest zone” used for the technical or supply background, offices, and barracks for Nazis.

Since Auschwitz had a strategic location on the front line, in August 1944, the camp’s liquidation began – the prisoners were taken to Germany, and the evidence of the crimes was covered up. The liberation of Auschwitz took place on January 27th, 1945, when around 7,5 thousand prisoners were still held there.

Altogether, in the almost four years of operation, over 1,3 million people lost their lives in Auschwitz; the majority were Jewish (around 1,1 million), but also Polish (about 150 hundred thousand), Roma people (23 thousand), and other nations.

In 1979 Auschwitz was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List – it is the only former Nazi concentration camp with that title in the world.

How to visit Auschwitz

You can visit Auschwitz two ways: with a tour from where you are staying in Poland (most likely Krakow, Katowice, Warsaw, or Wroclaw) or independently, reaching the site by car or using public transport. Both options are doable; however, the tour is a slightly better one as everything will be taken care of for you.

There is a wide selection of tours to choose from that depart from Krakow as well as other mentioned cities. Most of them cover more or less the same things: pick-up from your accommodation, transportation to/from Auschwitz and back, the entrance ticket to the concentration camp, and the guided tour on-site.

When I visited Auschwitz, I arrived by train from Warsaw, with the change in Katowice. I was at the museum almost an hour before my guided tour of the site was supposed to start, and despite the poor weather (it was raining on that day), there was no place to hide and wait for the tour. Visitors were not allowed to enter the museum until a few minutes before the tour was about to start. Me and a few other unlucky visitors just stood near the trees, hiding under the umbrella and waiting for our time to enter the site. I can’t say it was a comfortable situation (but at least the weather worked perfectly well for such a sad place to visit). Recently, a new visitors center was opened so hopefully the situation is better.

When using public transport, you need to rely on the schedule of trains/buses and, just in case, plan to be at the site with some extra time ahead; hence a tour is a better option. Still, visiting Auschwitz is doable independently – I did it, and once the tour of the site started, it was really good.

Visiting Auschwitz – practical information

Visiting Auschwitz memorial site is free of charge; however, I recommend joining the tour with the educator provided by the museum. They have a huge knowledge of the place and the tragedy that occurred here and can answer all the questions visitors always have. Tours are available in various languages: Polish, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Czech, and Slovak.

Even if you decide to visit the site independently, you still need to book the entry pass – those with free entrance start in the afternoon. You can buy/reserve your ticket online at the website of Auschwitz Museum here.

Currently, the price for the tour with the educator is 80 PLN for Polish and 90 PLN for other languages. When booking the ticket, you must state your full name and surname – this will be checked later.

Since tickets can sell out quickly, booking one at least a month in advance is recommended. If there are no tickets left for the day you want to visit Auschwitz, you can join the organized tour from Krakow or other cities, as tour operators usually have tickets booked in advance. Due to the sensitive nature of the place, children under 14 years old should not visit Auschwitz Museum.

Once you have your ticket, you need to arrive at the Auschwitz visitors center 30 minutes before your tour starts to go through the security check (it’s rather thorough, similar to the airport), have your ticket inspected (remember to have the ID or passport with you), get the headset for the tour and meet your group. You are allowed to have a bag or backpack with a maximum dimension of 30x20x10 cm; any larger luggage must be left in the paid lockers.

Auschwitz Museum is open every day except January 1st, December 25th, and Easter Sunday. Opening hours vary depending on the month and are as follows:

• 7:30-14:00 in December
• 7:30-15:00 in January and November
• 7:30-16:00 in February
• 7:30-17:00 in March and October
• 7:30-18:00 in April, May, and September
• 7:30-19:00 in June, July, and August

The closing time means the last entrance – after that, you are allowed to stay on-site for an hour and a half. However, if you want to see Auschwitz Museum properly, you need at least 3,5 hours for that – that’s also how long the standard tour with the educator lasts. It is usually divided equally between Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II- Birkenau. A free shuttle bus runs between the two sites every few minutes.

Taking pictures and making videos is allowed in Auschwitz, for individual use, except in two places: the hall with the hair of Victims (block nr 4) and the basements of Block 11. Your educator will remind you not to take pictures there.

Remember what sort of place you are visiting and behave there with respect. It might be obvious for most, but I can’t count how many times I’ve read news about inappropriate behavior in Auschwitz and other similar sites in Poland, so I think it’s worth reminding this is not your typical tourist attraction but a place of one of the greatest tragedy that ever happened in the world.

Getting to Auschwitz independently

If you decide to visit Auschwitz on your own, you must get to the visitors’ center, where your tour will start. The new visitors center, which opened just recently, is located at 55 Więźniów Oświęcimia Street in Oświęcim ( here is the exact location ). If you drive there, there is a large parking lot where you can leave your car before visiting the museum.

If you use public transport, there are both trains and buses you can take to reach Oświęcim. I recommend trains as they are slightly faster and more comfortable; however, some buses stop next to the museum, so that’s convenient. You can check all the connections on this website , where you can also find the location of the bus stop in Oświęcim (there can be three different ones).

The train station in Oświęcim is located at Powstańców Śląskich Street, some 20 minutes walking from the Auschwitz museum. It’s a straightforward way; you can check the map with the directions here . I recommend catching the train that gives you at least an hour between arriving at Oświęcim and when your tour starts.

Auschwitz tour from Krakow

Numerous Auschwitz tours depart from Krakow, so you will easily find the one that suits your itinerary and needs. Here are some recommended ones:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial Guided Tour from Krakow
• Auschwitz & Birkenau – Fully Guided Tour from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour with Private Transport from Kraków
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour by Private Transport from Krakow

You can also combine visiting Auschwitz with Wieliczka Salt Mine , another UNESCO-listed site near Krakow and a must-visit place in Poland. Here are the tours that go to both places in one day:

• Day Trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow including Lunch
• Full-Day Tour of Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau and Salt Mine Tour with private transport from Krakow
• Combined: Auschwitz Birkenau and Salt Mine private chauffeur from Krakow

If you decide to go to Auschwitz from Krakow on your own, you can take the train from the main train station to Oświęcim. They are rather frequent, more or less every hour, and the journey takes a bit over an hour (depending on the connection, the longest one is 1h20min).

If you want to take the bus, they depart from the MDA bus station, next to the main train station. The price for trains and buses is similar, between 15 and 20 PLN, although trains tend to be cheaper and faster. You can check all the connections and buy a ticket here .

Auschwitz tour from Warsaw

Even if Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is located over 300 km away from Oświęcim, it is possible to go for a one-day Auschwitz tour. However, you can expect a long day, and a large part of it will be spent traveling. But if you are visiting Warsaw only, Auschwitz can be a good addition to your Poland itinerary, so you can better understand the country’s complex history.

Here are some of the recommended Auschwitz tours from Warsaw:

• From Warsaw Auschwitz and Krakow one day tour by train with pick up and drop off
• One day tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Warsaw with private transport

Going for the day trip from Warsaw to Auschwitz independently is also possible using trains. You can take the 6 am train to Katowice and then change for the train to Oświęcim, arriving in the town around 10:30. If you decide to do that, you can book your Auschwitz tour for 11:30 or 12:00. On the way back, you can catch the train after 16:00 from Oświęcim to Katowice, and after changing for the train to Warsaw, you will be in the capital after 20:00.

Auschwitz tour from Katowice

Since Katowice is less than 40 km from Auschwitz, it’s easy to go for a day trip. You need to take the local train to Oświęcim, it takes less than 50 minutes, and the connections are more or less every hour.

Or you can go for a tour, here are the Auschwitz tours from Katowice:

• Auschwitz – Birkenau from Katowice
• Auschwitz & Birkenau English guided tour by private transport from Katowice
• Auschwitz tour from Wroclaw

Wroclaw is another popular place to visit in Poland, and since it’s located around 230 km from Oświęcim, you can go for an Auschwitz tour from Wroclaw too. If you decide to do it independently, you can take the train to Katowice and then change for the local train to Oświęcim. A one-way trip should take you less than 4 hours.

Or you can go for a tour; here are the recommended ones from Wroclaw:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour from Wrocław
• Private Full-Day Tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Wroclaw

Auschwitz Museum Tour

As for the museum itself, here is what you can expect.

You will start in the oldest part of the concentration camp – Auschwitz I, where the infamous gate with the sign “Arbeit macht frei” (meaning “Work Sets You Free”) is located. Here, you will visit numerous barracks where inmates were kept – now you can see different exhibitions there, showing the reality of Auschwitz and halls with personal belongings taken from arriving prisoners – luggage, shoes, glasses, etc., or hair of Victims. You will learn all about cruel practices here, including medical experiments or torture.

Visiting this part of Auschwitz museum is a very somber experience, and it’s really difficult to comprehend the tragedy that happened in this very place.

Besides the barracks in Auschwitz I, you will also see where the camp commander lived or the first crematorium where Nazis started their experiments with killing using gas. In this part of the Auschwitz tour, you can take pictures everywhere except the two places in Blocks 4 and 11 – they will be clearly marked, and your educator will remind you about this restriction.

The visit to Auschwitz I takes around 1,5 hours. Afterward, together with your group and educator, you will take the shuttle bus to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, located some 3 km away.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau is where around 90% of victims died. It is a huge area that worked kind of like the killing factory, with four gas chambers and crematoriums. This is also where most prisoners arrived – you most likely know the view of the railway tracks and brick gate – that’s Auschwitz II-Birkenau. This part of the visit is mostly outdoors.

You will walk around the area, see the remnants of the camp, visit some barracks inside, and learn all about the horrific tragedy that happened here. When Auschwitz I has a more intimate, even claustrophobic feeling, Auschwitz II-Birkenau can overwhelm you with its scale and enormity.

You will spend around 1,5 hours here, too; afterward, you can take the shuttle bus back to the visitors center when you started your tour.

Final thoughts on visiting Auschwitz

Even though I’ve lived in Poland almost my whole life, and Auschwitz has been a familiar topic since I remember, it took me nearly 37 years to finally visit the place. Before I was in different Nazi Germany sites in Poland, mostly in Majdanek in Lublin, so I didn’t feel the need to visit Auschwitz too. But I don’t regret the decision to go there eventually.

You can read and learn about the place, but nothing can prepare you for visiting Auschwitz. Some areas look familiar (after all, pictures of the “Arbeit macht frei” sign or Birkenau gate are present everywhere), but you will still be overwhelmed by the place and seeing it in real life. It’s hard to comprehend the cruelty and tragedy that happened here, and dealing with all the thoughts invading your mind afterward can take a while. It can be one of the most difficult-to-understand places you will ever visit.

Still, despite it all, I think everyone should go to Auschwitz to see where fanaticism and totalitarianism can lead and why we should avoid them at all costs.

Further reading

I published many articles about Poland that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 37 Amazing Things to Do in Krakow, Poland
• 20 Great Places to Visit As Day Trips from Warsaw, Poland
• 17 Amazing Things to Do in Lublin, Poland
• The Complete Guide to Visiting Slownski National Park, Poland
• Visit Grudziadz – One of the Hidden Gems of Poland
• 19 Amazing Things to Do in Gdansk, Poland
• Visit Sandomierz, Poland – One of the Prettiest Towns in the Country
• Visiting Malbork Castle, Poland – the Largest Castle in the World
• 25 Amazing Things to do in Wroclaw, Poland
• and many more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.

Travel Resources

You can find the best accommodation options at Booking . They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Poland

Never travel without travel insurance , you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Poland here.

I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here .

For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:

• Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
• Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
• I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Poland too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!

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Auschwitz Birkenau Tour with Licensed Guide

• Transport by air-conditioned bus
• Headsets to hear the guide clearly
• Professional local guide
• Visit at Auschwitz National Museum
• Entry/Admission - Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau
• Guaranteed to skip the lines
• Pawia 18b, 31-154 Kraków, Poland Kiss&Ride stop next to Mercure hotel
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Near public transportation
• Infants must sit on laps
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travelers can participate
• Please note that the tour is offered in English
• Please note, that the maximum size of backpacks or handbags brought into the Auschwitz Museum & Memorial can not exceed dimensions: 30x20x10 cm
• Please note, you MUST take your ID or Passport with you
• Please note that the time of departure might change due to availability of the guides at the museum. The change in time of departure does not qualify for a refund.
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• You'll start at Pawia 18b Pawia 18b, 31-154 Kraków, Poland Kiss&Ride stop next to Mercure hotel See address & details
• 1 Panstwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau Stop: 4 hours - Admission included See details
• 2 Brzezinka Stop: 90 minutes See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• kimeU3227BV 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles APPALLING!!!!!AVOID Absolutely appalling...do not use this company. Our along with many many other people had the prepaid for trip totally ruined by this company. Instead of 6.30am pick up get there at 8am tour starts at 8.30am we were all informed by text message late the night before to be ready for 4.30am take it or leave it!!!. They hadn't even brought the tickets yet. We arrived at Auschwitz at 5.40am and had to wait in the cold until 8.30am. Our guide just dissappeared and left us. It was disgusting. Read more Written April 25, 2024
• L2432XFtomd 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fantastic underground experience in Wieliczka Salt Mine Fantastic underground experience in Wieliczka only a few minutes drive from Central Krakow.. Plenty of chambers, lakes, corridors and sculptures along the way. The highlight was probably the chapel placed 1100 meters underground, with everything made of salt including the altar. Do not just pass by the Miner's Tavern towards the end of the trip, enjoyed the classic polish cuisine and drinks there, very reasonably priced. Read more Written April 25, 2024
• R7534VCjohno 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Astonishing Astonishing place but the physical demands of the steps and the amount of walking is rather glossed over in the advertising. Read more Written April 25, 2024
• calmk 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Good museum, rude staff at front entrance. Museum was good but staff at entrance need to be more aware that information on skip the line tickets is not clear and they will get asked questions by visiting public. I had to deal with a young lady who was rude to me who kept telling me to go back outside and join the queue , then she got an even ruder man to to repeat to me I needed to join the queue. I told him and her I had skip the line tickets that I had bought direct from the museum but they both ignored me. He actually rolled his eyes. I was very upset as I have mobility issues and we then had to wait outside in the cold and the rain. The information online about tickets on the museum website does not give full information about procedure to get the tickets other than to arrive 15 mins earlier than our time slot. We got there 40 minutes early so that we could be sure. I noticed another review similar to ours where the same has happened to others. It does make me wonder if they treat me differently as I am a person of colour. The 2 staff on the Sunday 21st April at 12.30pm were in my opinion are in desperate need of additional training in customer service and diversity and how to handle enquiries in the appropriate manner. I would like to thank one of the English speaking guides that was stood outside who saw I was upset and found out who I needed to see about the skip the line tickets. She was very professional and courteous. Read more Written April 24, 2024
• Inspire29670204458 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Salt mine Excellent trip from beginning to end very informative would recommend this place to anyone to visit you will enjoy the history immensely Read more Written April 22, 2024
• 395cheryll 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Go see the Salt Mines! So many stairs! So many breathtaking carvings! Well worth the visit and all the stairs leading down to salt mines. Driver was prompt in picking us up from the hotel and taking us back. Highly recommend. Read more Written April 22, 2024
• jodiew391 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great Worth Visiting Amazing lots of stairs but worth it on the way down. Lots to see and crazy how much is underground: Lift back upto the top: We have food in the underground restaurant and it was lovely and cheap. Our guide was brilliant. Read more Written April 21, 2024
• claire h 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great place to visit We didn’t pre book, we waited about approximately 20 minutes outside to purchase tickets there and then. We didn’t have a guide as didn’t want one, however you can have a guide if you wish. Took about 1.5 - 2hrs to go round. Not much about the factory, but it was how he helped the Jews through his connections and disapproval of there treatment. Great experience would definitely recommend. There was a few stairs within the factory, no issues for us, just if you have any mobility issues. Read more Written April 21, 2024
• justineb533 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles It has a chapel... Visited the salt mines as something to lighten the mood after mine and my brothers visit to Auschwitz and it was amazing! Absolutely stunning! If you are travelling to Poland to sight see, make sure you add the mines as a definite must visit! There was a lot more to see down there than I thought and will most definitely be returning in the future. Just be very aware that you go down 130 meters underground, by stairs. Which is almost as tiring as walking up stairs. You do get back up to the exit in a lift though. Read more Written April 15, 2024
• johnvK5662UN 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles A must if visiting Krakow Definitely worth a visit. Advice is to pre-book a tour or you'll end up queuing for at least an hour and maybe not get in (as happened to us the first time) Don't use Viator to book either - tour guide never showed so 2 hours wasted and a lot of hassle getting in touch and getting a refund. Thankfully a kind hearted security guard let us then jump the queue so we got in on day 2 and did a self-tour!! Would have liked to have seen more of the factory itself but it's a museum with a lot of information to absorb. Read more Written April 15, 2024
• beaneychris 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Very poor accessibility Although various literature and advice that the mine was accessible to those with mobility issues including those in wheelchairs, once we arrived we were told that this was only possible on the accessible tours at 8am or 6pm. This meant that we wasted all our money and hours of our day traveling there and back as we were unable to get back in the evening due to the area being shut down due to a car rally which blocked all the roads in the vicinity. We were really looking forward to this and it was very disappointing that there was nothing in the information provided by the tour operator to say that you needed to be able to walk down approximately 800 steps, which my wife would have found impossible as she had damaged her knee just prior to coming to Krakow. Read more Written April 15, 2024
• E6786UTclaired 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A must see experience! If you’re visiting Krakow this is a must for your list of things to do! Incredible tour, like an underground city. Our guide was very knowledgeable but also funny which really helped us to enjoy the experience. Not suitable for small children or those with walking difficulties as there are 800 steps down and lots of tunnels and chambers to explore. Book this trip and you won’t regret it! Read more Written April 15, 2024
• angelpaws2 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles High recommend! Be ready for lots of stairs but it’s very worth the descent ! The views were breathtaking and the chapels were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The tour guide was knowledgeable and witty, I was not bored once! Read more Written April 15, 2024
• B3882OQlucyb 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A fun half day out Such a smooth process from start to finish. Both our driver and the representative at the mine were friendly and communicated clearly. Our guide for the tour of the mine was so clear and knowledgable and she really made the day for us. Would 100% recommend! Read more Written April 14, 2024
• Quest49161247950 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Highly recommend but a little rushed Kept well informed of pick up times, excellent and knowledgeable guide. Fascinating mines with great history and much to admire. Some of the carvings were jaw dropping in their beauty and intricacy. A little rushed and could have done with a 20 minute break at the coffee shop not 10 mins bearing in mind the amount of walking you have to do. Besides this issue would highly recommend Read more Written April 13, 2024

More to explore in Krakow

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Auschwitz Birkenau Tour with Licensed Guide provided by Discover Cracow Tours

What to expect on your visit to Auschwitz

A couple of years ago, my girlfriend and I were hostelling our way through central Europe. We’d made it to Berlin, which is a little like those crossroads in movies, the ones with a dozen signs pointing in every possible direction.

There were too many choices as to what to do next. We could head north into Denmark, west to the Netherlands and Belgium, or south into the Czech Republic.

“What about Poland?” my girlfriend said. “We could see Auschwitz.”

The drive from Krakow

A couple of days later I was bouncing along in a small bus through the green lanes of southern Poland, just outside Krakow. The driver didn’t speak any English, nor did the other four sullen Poles on board. When we mentioned the word Auschwitz the driver just grunted and gestured to the seats.

The drive from Krakow to the old camp doesn’t take long. After thirty minutes we stopped on a road like any other road. A few of us got off and the bus rumbled away. Opposite was a shady boulevard lined with birch and oak trees. Glance up and you could just make out the red bricks and roofs of Auschwitz I, the original camp built by Polish political prisoners in the early 1940s.

Auschwitz I. Image Thomas Hee, Flickr

Auschwitz I

On busy days, over 30,000 tourists will walk through the grounds of Auschwitz. Dozens and dozens of tours run simultaneously through the old camp and Birkenau, a few minutes down the road. As such, they run a pretty efficient ship. When you arrive you sign up for a tour time and are equipped with a pass, headset and radio. Your guide has a microphone and a transmitter, so all you need to do is tune in to their frequency. You begin where so many prisoners once did, beneath the rusted metal words “Arbeit macht frei” (work makes you free).

The next few hours are hard to describe. Your guide leads you through the avenues and neat brick houses of Auschwitz I. There are bare dormitories, old corridors, chilly parade grounds and – everywhere – double lines of razor wire poles, each equally spaced from its neighbour, and arched in a candy cane curve.

Image c/o Monica Kelly, Flickr

In every room, rows and rows of faces stare out from the walls: old prisoner profiles in black and white. Most look blank and empty; they portray nothing. But studying them is worth the price of admission alone. You could look at the eyes for hours, searching for a glimmer of hope, a pang of fear or a hint of determination. You can’t help but wonder what they were thinking.

Your guide says, “Three weeks after these were taken, all these people were dead.”

Every piece of the place has a story attached. Here a room, three feet by three feet, where four men were made to stand in the dark until they died. There the square outside notorious Block 11, the prison within a prison, where inmates were routinely executed against a brick wall. The house of the camp commandant, Rudolf Hoss, and the gallows where he was executed by the Allies in 1947. The gas chambers, the piles of hair, glasses, shoes… children’s toys.

The fields of Birkenau. Image Mattia Panciroli, Flickr

Tourism in Auschwitz has attracted some criticism in recent years (the alleged ‘death tourism’) but I don’t really buy into it. You can criticise the actions of individuals, sure, but I think educating and illuminating future generations on one of the darkest times in human history can only be a good thing. Just like Winston Churchill said: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

After the original camp, the tour moves to Birkenau, which is an experience in itself. The close streets and heaviness of Auschwitz I are replaced by acres of grass, clear skies and two parallel railway tracks that come to an ominous, and very final, stop. There’s a warped tranquillity in Birkenau. Yellow wildflowers grow beneath the guard towers. You can see nearby villages and rolling hills. There’s the warble of distant birdsong. It’s hard to imagine that up to 20,000 people per day were killed and burned here. Apparently the nearby residents, the ones who hadn’t been rounded up in the first few years of Nazi occupation, could see and smell the smoke for miles. They slept with the distant glow of the ovens outside their window.

Image c/o Nick Perrone, Flickr

A visit to Auchwitz is the difference between reading the music and hearing it played. You can read about the horrors that happened there, watch documentaries that give you all the facts, but until you stand in the gas chambers, hear the eerie silence around the ash pools of Birkenau and see the dusty wooden bunks where prisoners would huddle together – you won’t understand it.

At the end of the tour you’re left standing outside the red brick main entrance to Birkenau. I remember thinking how quiet the place was. Even with so many people in it. there was so much silence in that place.

Travellers can visit Auschwitz on some of our trips through Poland . All entry fees to the World Heritage Site go towards preserving the camp for future generations. 

Feature image c/o Matti Panciroli, Flickr 

Feeling inspired?

James Shackell

I was born in 1987 and aged from there. I like the sound of pop-rocks and dislike the sound of styrofoam. The length of my forearm is approximately the same as the length of my shin. My favourite Beatle is Ringo. I believe that junk food tastes so good because it’s bad for you and that your parents did the best job they knew how to do. If Johnny Cash wrote a song about my travels it would be called ‘I’ve been to several places but still have many other destinations on my to-do list, man’. Sometimes I have trouble finishing sen

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The State Museum Of Auschwitz-Birkenau & Remember.Org Present

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A Virtual Tour of Auschwitz

by Alan Jacobs and Krysia Jacobs

Start Auschwitz Virtual Tour   Start Birkenau Virtual Tour

Overview – Virtual Tour of Auschwitz Updates

The Virtual Tour of Auschwitz explores the concentration camp complex of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest killing center in Nazi-occupied Europe. Located in Southern Poland, on the outskirts of the town of Oswiecim, it consisted of the original camp, Auschwitz I , and the much larger second camp of Birkenau (Brzezinka), 2 miles away, plus over 40 sub-camps [ link ], the largest of which was Buna (Monovitz) [ link ].

We’ve updated the original Virtual Tour into videos, which allow a 360-degree view while touring the camp. We’ve added the same videos with captions so you can learn what you are seeing. Be sure to check the updated Tour at the Auschwitz Museum , which grew from this original project as well.

View the Virtual Tour on YouTube

Original Auschwitz Virtual Tour   Captions – Auschwitz Virtual Tour

Virtual Tour of Birkenau - Auschwitz II

Birkenau russian graveyard for pow’s, birkenau judenrampe – the first unloading ramp, birkenau woods incineration, birkenau sauna interior, birkenau sauna and kanada, birkenau krematorium v, birkenau ash pond, birkenau little wood, birkenau camp end, birkenau krematorium ii, birkenau krematorium ii model, birkenau penal company.

The camp was established in 1940, less than a year after Germany occupied Poland in WWII, and grew over the next few years into an entire complex providing slave labor for the German industrial facilities in the area. In 1942, it became the largest death camp, carrying out Hitler’s “final solution” – the plan to systematically kill all Jews in Europe.

It is estimated that between 1.1 and 1.5 million people died here. At its peak, Auschwitz I held as many as 20,000 prisoners at a time, Birkenau 90,000 and Buna 10,000.

Historians estimate that among the people sent to Auschwitz there were at least 1,100,000 Jews from all the countries of occupied Europe, over 140,000 Poles (mostly political prisoners), approximately 20,000 Gypsies from several European countries, over 10,000 Soviet prisoners of war, and over ten thousand prisoners of other nationalities.

Virtual Tour of Auschwitz I - Original Videos and New Videos with Captions

Auschwitz concentration camp virtual tour, virtual tour of auschwitz credits, auschwitz krematorium 1, auschwitz block 11 basement cell, auschwitz block 11, auschwitz krankenbrau prisoners hospital, auschwitz electrified fence, auschwitz appelplatz roll call square, auschwitz entrance street, auschwitz map and complete video list, virtual tour of auschwitz.

The majority of the Jewish deportees died in the gas chambers immediately after arrival. Of the estimated 400,000 people who were placed in the main concentration camp or one of the sub-camps, less than half survived.

The camp continued operation till its liberation by the Soviet Army in January 1945.

For more information about the history of Auschwitz, visit this [ link ] on the Auschwitz Museum website.

Today, the site is managed by the  Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum  in Poland which, in addition to maintaining the camps and providing visitor support, is also a very large research and publications center. Over 25 million people have visited the Auschwitz Museum since its establishment in 1947.

This virtual tour of both camps tries to give viewers a first-hand experience of visiting the actual sites. The photographs were taken in 2003 and 2004, by  Alan Jacobs .

About the Virtual Tour of Auschwitz Exhibition

The project was conceived some years ago when Alan (“Jake”) Jacobs first saw Quick Time Virtual Reality Films. Having photographed Auschwitz many times, it occurred to him that no matter how powerful a single photo, the observer is still outside the scene. This technology provided an opportunity for a photographer to lessen to some degree the viewer’s role as audience-observer, and enhance his perception as a participant-observer. As he already had a 35mm single-lens-reflex digital camera, a Canon D60, the next step was to purchase a solid tripod, and a Manfrotto Quick Time Virtual Reality Head, and practice, using a Canon EOS EF 17-35/2.8L USM wide angle zoom lens set to its widest at 17mm.

Krysia in Birkenau

Next Jake’s wife Krysia, the technical part of the team, purchased VR Worx, a program that stitched multiple photos, took out what wasn’t necessary, adjusted exposure from photo to photo, and produced in a very short time, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, a virtual reality 360º film. The photos were processed before this in full Photoshop on a variety of Macs.

Jake preparing to take aerial photographs in Auschwitz I

They went back to Auschwitz in 2003 and did some test shots with a Canon EOS 1D 35mm digital SLR and an EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM wide angle lens set to 16mm. While there, they checked with Editor in Chief of Auschwitz Publications, Teresa Swiebocka, who introduced them to senior editor Jarek Mensfelt.

Both were interested and over the next few months test shots were sent and the invitation to come and do the work was made by Auschwitz Vice-Director, Krystyna Oleksy, this to share an exhibition jointly with Remember.org – Cybrary of the Holocaust.

Then it was a matter of getting expense money. Jake spoke with Michael Declan Dunn the creator of The Cybrary of the Holocaust. Michael has published several exhibitions of Jake’s Auschwitz photos and he set to work raising the money. He found two donors, Liz Edlic, Scott Isdaner, whose grants made the project possible.

From the time of the invitation through the shoot at the camps, Auschwitz Editor and web designer Jarek Mensfelt and Jake exchanged many ideas about the project: tone, content, logistics etc. During the shoot an EOS 1D Marc II, a 35mm digital SLR, and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM, Canon EF 28-135 USM IS, Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L USM lenses were used, along with a Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM Wide Angle Lens. Returning to the States, the project was now in the hands of Krysia Jacobs. This meant processing the photos in Photoshop CS, stitching them with VR Work 2.5, converting to Flash with qtvr2flash, and then… designing the exhibition for the Internet. The following equipment was used in taking the photographs:

• Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM Wide Angle Lens
• Canon EOS EF 17-35/2.8L USM
• Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L USM
• Canon EOS 1D Marc II 35mm digital SLR
• Canon EOS 1D 35mm digital SLR

For more info please visit the  Virtual Tour Credits .

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Then and now 3 | auschwitz birkenau daily life, then and now 2 | birkenau panorama of the camp, then and now auschwitz paintings by survivors and recent photos, alan jacobs.

Photographs taken in Auschwitz and Birkenau in the years 2003-2004 , then converted into a VR presentation with QuickTime, now updated to a video based Virtual Tour. © 2003, 2004 Alan Jacobs all rights reserved Credits Photographs and Captions: Alan Jacobs Photoshop, QuicktimeVR & Flash processing: Krysia Jacobs On Site Support and Consulting Jarek Mensfelt, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museums This exhibition was prepared by invitation from Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Oswiecim, Poland Deputy Director: Krystyna Oleksy Editor in Chief: Teresa Swiebocka

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Auschwitz - Photograph

This content is available in the following languages, main entrance to the auschwitz-birkenau killing center.

Main entrance to the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center. This photograph was taken some time after the liberation of the camp in January 1945. Poland, date uncertain.

A child survivor is carried out of barracks at Auschwitz

Soon after liberation, an emaciated child survivor is carried out of camp barracks by Soviet first-aid workers. Auschwitz, Poland, after January 27, 1945.

This photograph is a still image from Soviet film of the liberation of Auschwitz . 

Women survivors at Auschwitz

Women survivors huddled in a prisoner barracks shortly after Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz camp. Auschwitz, Poland, 1945.

Child survivors of Auschwitz

Soon after liberation , surviving children of the Auschwitz camp walk out of the children's barracks. Poland, after January 27, 1945.

Suitcases that belonged to people deported to the Auschwitz camp

Suitcases that belonged to people deported to the Auschwitz camp. This photograph was taken after Soviet forces liberated the camp. Auschwitz, Poland, after January 1945.

Hair taken from women prisoners

Hair of women prisoners, prepared for shipment to Germany, found at the liberation of Auschwitz. Poland, 1945.

Rail cars containing confiscated belongings to be shipped to Germany.

Rail cars discovered by Soviet forces and containing possessions taken from deportees. This abandoned train was on the way to Germany loaded with personal effects (in this case, pillows) taken from Auschwitz victims. Auschwitz, Poland, after January 27, 1945.

A Soviet physician examines Auschwitz camp survivors

Soon after liberation, a Soviet physician examines Auschwitz camp survivors. Poland, February 18, 1945.

This photograph is a still image from Soviet film of the liberation of Auschwitz .

Auschwitz at the time of the liberation of the camp

View of a section of the barbed-wire fence and barracks at Auschwitz at the time of the liberation of the camp. Auschwitz, Poland, January 1945.

On January 27, 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Monowitz and liberated more than six thousand prisoners, most of whom were ill and dying.

View of Auschwitz-Birkenau upon liberation

View of Auschwitz-Birkenau under a blanket of snow immediately after the liberation. Auschwitz, Poland, January 1945.

Aerial photograph of Auschwitz III

Aerial photograph of the Auschwitz III (Monowitz) camp, which was adjacent to the I.G. Farben plant. The photograph was taken following US bombing missions. Poland, January 14, 1945.

Aerial photograph of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Aerial photograph of Auschwitz II (Birkenau). Poland, December 21, 1944.

This image is one of a series of aerial photographs taken by Allied reconnaissance units under the command of the 15th US Army Air Force during missions dating between April 4, 1944, and January 14, 1945.

Barracks in Auschwitz-Birkenau

Barracks in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. This photograph was taken after the liberation of the camp. Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland, after January 29, 1945.

Forced labor in the Siemens factory

Prisoners at forced labor in the Siemens factory. Auschwitz camp, Poland, 1940–44.

The Black Wall in Auschwitz I

The Black Wall, between Block 10 (left) and Block 11 (right) in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where executions of inmates took place. Poland, date unknown.

ID photos of an inmate at Auschwitz

Identification pictures of a female inmate of the Auschwitz camp. Poland, between 1942 and 1945.

ID photos of a Jewish inmate at Auschwitz

Identification pictures of a Jewish inmate of the Auschwitz camp. Poland, between 1940 and 1945.

Arrival at Auschwitz

A transport of Jews from Hungary arrives at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Poland, May 1944.

Arrival of Hungarian Jews at Auschwitz

A transport of Hungarian Jews lines up on the ramp for selection at the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center in German-occupied Poland. May 1944.

In mid-May 1944, the Hungarian authorities, in coordination with the German Security Police, began to systematically deport the Hungarian Jews. SS Colonel  Adolf Eichmann  was chief of the team of "deportation experts" that worked with the Hungarian authorities. The Hungarian police carried out the roundups and forced the Jews onto the  deportation  trains.

In less than two months, nearly 440,000 Jews were deported from Hungary in more than 145 trains. 

Hungarian Jews on their way to the gas chambers

Jewish women and children from Subcarpathian Rus who have been selected for death at Auschwitz-Birkenau , walk toward the gas chambers. May 1944.

US B-17 bomber during a raid over the IG Farben plant

Bombing raid over the I.G. Farben Buna plant. Poland, August 1944.

Candles mark the railway tracks leading to the Auschwitz camp

Candles mark the railway tracks leading to the Auschwitz camp during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the camp. Poland, January 27, 2005.

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Nelly Korda ties LPGA Tour record with 5th straight victory, wins Chevron Championship for 2nd major

Nelly Korda kisses the trophy while posing for photos after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda, left, holds up the trophy after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda jumps into the lake after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda smiles after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda hits a tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda high-fives young fans while celebrating her win at the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Nelly Korda tees off on the sixth hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Nelly Korda watches her shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Nelly Korda poses with the trophy after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Lauren Coughlin hits from the first hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Brooke Henderson, of Canada, hits a bunker shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Lauren Coughlin watches her shot on the 17th hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Nelly Korda couldn’t have imagined the incredible run she’s put together this season while at home recovering from a blood clot that required surgery in 2022.

“Because obviously then I was just more scared for my health,” she said. “Competing was kind of on the back seat. I was not thinking about competing at all. But I think all of the sad times and the health scares that I have gone through have made me who I am today.”

Fully healthy now, Korda is seemingly unstoppable. The world’s No. 1 player hasn’t lost a tournament since January, and now she’s a two-time major champion.

Korda etched her name in the LPGA Tour record books Sunday, winning her record-tying fifth straight tournament with a two-stroke victory in the Chevron Championship.

Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only players to win five consecutive LPGA events. Her previous major victory was in 2021 at the Women’s PGA Championship.

“It’s been an amazing feeling these past couple weeks knowing that I can go on this stretch and that if I stay in my bubble and I keep golf in a sense simple and let it flow, then I can have so, so much fun out here,” she said.

Korda shot a 3-under 69 in the final to outlast Maja Stark of Sweden, who birdied her final two holes to shoot 69 and pull within one. Korda stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, easily clearing the lake in front of the green and setting up an easy up-and-down birdie for a two-shot victory.

She had a four-day total of 13-under 275 at Carlton Woods.

Korda nearly aced the par-3 17th , with her tee shot hitting the hole and hopping in the air before settling within 10 feet. She settled for par to maintain her two-shot lead.

Korda wowed the large crowd, which followed her throughout the day, by chipping into the wind for birdie on the par-4 10th hole to take a four-stroke lead. The 25-year-old raised her club above her head with one hand and pumped her fist after the ball rolled into the hole.

Her parents — former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova — beamed as she was presented with the trophy.

Nelly Korda smiles after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament, April 21, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

“She had a difficult ’22 and ’23 in certain ways,” Petr Korda said. “She did not win a tournament in ’23 and some things probably made her humble and (she) put a lot of work into where she is right now. Without the work and commitment, she would not be here. So seeing that, I’m very happy.”

Korda’s older sister, Jessica, is a six-time LPGA winner who’s taking a break from golf after giving birth to her first child.

Korda took home $1.2 million from a purse of $7.9 million, a significant increase from last year’s purse of $5.2 million. That brings her season earnings to $2,424,216 and her career earnings to $11,361,489.

Winners had been jumping into Poppie’s Pond off the 18th green at Mission Hills since 1988, and Korda became the second to do it in Texas by doing a cannonball off a small dock into brown-tinged water. World No. 2 Lilia Vu was first to jump into the pond here after her win last season. Vu withdrew from this year’s tournament before the first round after experiencing “severe discomfort” in her back during warmups.

While still shivering from her post-win plunge Sunday, Korda confirmed she’ll be competing in the JM Eagle LA Championship next week in Los Angeles. She was then asked about the possibility of becoming the first to ever win six straight LPGA tournaments.

“I’m going to enjoy this right now and then I’ll think about that,” she said. “But yeah, it’s been an amazing time. Hopefully keep the streak alive. But I’ve been so grateful to compete week in and week out and get the five in a row, too.”

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is on a similar tear, on his way to a fourth victory in five starts until rain interrupted the final round of the RBC Heritage . He couldn’t help but check in on Korda.

“I actually was checking the scores this afternoon when we were in the rain delay,” he said. “I’m extremely happy for her and proud of her. That’s some pretty special stuff. It’s been a treat to watch.”

Korda entered the last round one shot off the lead after completing the last seven holes of the weather-delayed third round early Sunday morning on a windy and unseasonably cool day. She was wiped out after her big win because she’d been up since 4 a.m. to prepare for the end of the third round.

She birdied two of her first four holes to take the lead. Lauren Coughlin birdied Nos. 13 and 14 to get within two strokes, but bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes put her four behind. She shot a final-round 68 to finish tied for third with Brooke Henderson.

Coughlin got emotional when discussing her best finish in a major.

“It’s really cool to see all of the work that I’ve put in, especially with my putting and my short game, and putting specifically showed off this week, as well,” she said.

Henderson was tied with Korda for second to start the last round after she shot a 64 in the third round to set a scoring record for the tournament since its move from Mission Hills, California, to Texas last year. But the Canadian, who has 13 LPGA wins with two majors, also faltered early in the final round, with a bogey and a double bogey in the first four holes.

Haeran Ryu of South Korea shot a bogey-free 67 to enter the final round leading Korda by one. But the 2023 Rookie of the Year bogeyed the first two holes of the fourth round. She closed with a 74 and finished fifth.

Eighteen-year-old amateur Jasmine Koo provided an unlikely highlight on the 18th hole. Her second shot bounced off the advertising board in the water and back into play. She ended up with a birdie to shoot 71.

AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

College of Agricultural & Life Sciences

Physical Address: E. J. Iddings Agricultural Science Laboratory, Room 52 606 S Rayburn St

Mailing Address: 875 Perimeter Drive MS 2331 Moscow, ID 83844-2331

Phone: 208-885-6681

Fax: 208-885-6654

Email: [email protected]

Branching Out

An aptitude for math and science led EmmaRae Parsons to consider pursuing a degree in civil engineering. When a high school teacher asked why she was interested in that topic she realized she didn’t have an answer.

Growing up surrounded by farms and ranches in the small rural town of Arco and participating in 4-H horse and sheep projects had given Parsons an appreciation for agriculture, but she hadn’t considered a career in the industry. Friends and neighbors encouraged her to explore options offered in the University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“I was always passionate about being outside and I love the people I grew up with and a lot of them are farmers and ranchers,” she said. “Most of those that had gone to college were Vandals and were very passionate about it.”

Parsons discovered the biotechnology and plant genomics  degree at U of I and her mother encouraged her to try it out, combining her skills in math and science with her interest in agriculture.

Learning Through Experience

Once Parsons arrived on campus she began working as a research assistant in Professor Fangming Xiao’s plant molecular biology lab where she was able to work on genotyping projects and learned basic procedures such as PCR and tissue culture.

She also decided to add a second degree in agricultural economics: agribusiness emphasis  and completed a directed study project with Assistant Professor Alexander Maas. She learned to use R, a programming language for statistical computing and data visualization, to plot a map with latitude and longitude, creating buffers to figure out crop mixes for dairies and how it changes the further you move out in the buffer.

Parsons was encouraged by fellow students and faculty to apply to two prestigious programs while at U of I, the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture program and the American Society of Agronomy’s (ASA) Greenfield Scholar program.

The Future Leaders program featured a weeklong tour of Washington, D.C., including attendance at the Agricultural Outlook Forum, the USDA’s largest and premier annual gathering. Parsons was one of 20 students selected for the program and was able to meet U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and World Agricultural Outlook Board Chairperson Mark Jekanowski.

Parsons was one of four students selected for the Greenfield Scholars program in 2023. The program provides a mentor and allows students to attend the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America’s annual meeting. Parsons also joined other Greenfield Scholars on a trip to Washington, D.C. where she met with Idaho senators and representatives to advocate for agriculture.

“I loved going to D.C. and meeting with staffers to advocate. Most of them were Vandals so it was really cool,” she said.

Despite her busy schedule, Parsons also found time to join the U of I Polo Club, competing on the varsity team for the past two years.

“I love getting to ride and being around fellow horse people,” she said. “When the team is really meshing together, that’s such a fun thing. I was a runner in high school and didn’t do team sports, so this was a new thing for me.”

Parsons will graduate in May 2024 and begin her career as a crop insurance analyst trainee with AgWest Farm Credit based in Twin Falls. Her decision to pursue the agribusiness side of her degrees came after a summer internship with the company.

“With my experience with R, I did quite a few projects last summer testing different systems we were trying to develop which was really fun,” she said. “I was a little sad to give up the plant sciences, but it came down to location and company culture and the people I worked with made a huge difference.”

The educational experiences and opportunities to grow as a leader at U of I have helped set Parsons up for success. Looking back, she’s happy she took the advice of Vandals in her community to attend U of I.

“It is a family. You find your people that you really love to be around and it’s just a huge support system,” she said.

• Agricultural economics: agribusiness, B.S.
• Biotechnology and plant genomics, B.S.

Article by Amy Calabretta , College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Photos by Rio Spiering, Visual Productions

Published in April 2024

Report: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy among big PGA Tour payouts

Rory McIlroy explains why the PGA Tour's equity figures are insufficient to compete with LIV Golf's payouts. (0:19)

• ESPN News Services

Tiger Woods , Rory McIlroy and other PGA Tour stars are about to receive massive bonuses for their loyalty.

The Telegraph reported Wednesday that Woods will receive up to $100 million in equity as part of the newly created for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises, with McIlroy getting about half that amount.

The payouts, which are set to be disclosed to the players by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Wednesday, are a way to thank players for sticking with the PGA Tour instead of jumping to the rival LIV Golf League and huge paydays from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Nearly 200 players will receive a stake, with $750 million of it going to the top 36 players based on a formula that weighs career success and cultural popularity, according to The Telegraph. Other notable payouts include $30 million each for Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas , while $75 million is targeted to go to notable retired players.

To receive the money, players would have to continue to remain loyal to the PGA Tour, with the funds vesting over the next eight years, according to The Telegraph. And going forward, the PGA Tour plans to award $100 million per year to the players.

McIlroy, playing this week in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, was asked Wednesday how much would make players feel validated for their decision to stay with the PGA Tour.

"I think the one thing we've learned in golf over the last two years is there's never enough," said McIlroy, who also said that he's interested in returning to the PGA Tour's policy board, as has been reported and is pending a board vote that could take place this week.

"At the end of the day, it's not quite up to me to just come back on the board," McIlroy said. "There's a process that has to be followed."

The other board members are Patrick Cantlay , Peter Malnati , Adam Scott , Spieth and Woods.

PGA Tour Enterprises received an investment of up to $3 billion earlier this year from Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of sports team owners that includes the New York Mets ' Steve Cohen and the Atlanta Falcons ' Arthur Blank.

A week later, Monahan outlined the first-of-its-kind equity ownership program in a Feb. 7 memo to players.

Any deal with PIF would most certainly increase the value of the equity shares.

A source with knowledge of the Player Equity Program told The Associated Press that the equity money is not part of the SSG investment. That money was geared toward growth capital.

Golf.com, which received a series of informational videos on the Player Equity Program that was sent to players, reported only 50% of the equity would vest after four years, 25% more after six years and the rest of it after eight years.

The 36 players from the top tier were judged on "career points," such as how long they were full members, victories, how often they reached the Tour Championship and extra points for significant victories, Golf.com reported.

"It's really about making sure that our players know the PGA Tour is the best place to compete and showing them how much the Tour appreciates them being loyal," Jason Gore, the tour's chief player officer, said in one of the videos obtained by Golf.com.

Emails also were sent to 64 players who would share $75 million in aggregate equity based on the past three years, and $30 million to 57 players who are PGA Tour members. Also, $75 million in equity shares was set aside for 36 past players instrumental in building the tour.

The program has an additional $600 million in equity grants that are recurring for future PGA Tour players. Those would be awarded in amounts of $100 million annually started in 2025.

Players only get equity shares from one of the four tiers now, although everyone would be eligible for the recurring grants.

Even with equity ownership geared toward making the PGA Tour better, the concern was players questioning who got how much and whether they received their fair share.

The PGA Tour and LIV are in merger talks, but they have been protracted, with no clear end in sight. Both tours have continued to operate independently, keeping many of the top names in golf from competing against one another for most of the golf calendar -- major tournaments (Masters, US Open, British Open and PGA Championship) excepted

"I think I could be helpful to the process," McIlroy said of a formalized unification of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. "But only if people want me involved."

He said he aims to promote compromise while also trying "to help people see the benefits of what unification could do for the game and what it could do for this tour in particular."

"We obviously realize the game is not unified right now for a reason, and there's still some hard feelings and things that need to be addressed," McIlroy said. "But I think at this point, for the good of the game, we all need to put those feelings aside and all move forward together."

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.