Best Terezin Concentration Camp Tours

The city of Terezín is linked to some of the darkest episodes of World War II, as it was home to a concentration camp. It was not an extermination camp but a transit camp to other camps such as Auschwitz and Treblinka, but the conditions to which those who passed through it were subjected were horrific and around 35,000 of the more than 140,000 people who passed through this place died.

If you decide to visit Terezín, I recommend that you opt for an excursion from the Czech capital. Below are some of the options available for your visit.

The best option

Terezin Concentration Camp Day Trip from Prague

Discover the history of Terezin with this excursion from Prague

This excursion, lasting approximately 5 hours, includes transport, admission and a tour of the largest concentration camp in the Czech Republic.

From £51 at Hellotickets

With this excursion to Terezin from Prague, you will delve into one of the most moving episodes in recent history. Accompanied by an expert guide, you will tour this former concentration camp that witnessed the horrors of World War II in the Czech Republic.

During the approximately 5 hours of the activity, you will visit key sites such as the Small Fortress, used as a prison by the Gestapo, and learn about the harsh conditions endured by the prisoners, as well as the historical context that marked an entire generation.

A powerful and necessary experience for those who want to better understand Europe's past.

Recommended if... you are passionate about history and want to delve deeper into the legacy of World War II.

On this excursion to the Terezín concentration camp, which departs from Prague by bus, you will visit the Small and Large Fortresses and the Jewish Ghetto Museum. You will also attend a screening of the film The Story of Terezín in English. Finally, you will visit the Jewish National Cemetery.

During the bus ride, the guide will provide context about this dark episode of the Second World War and tell you about the devastating events that took place in Terezin. Once at the concentration camp, the tour will begin at the Great Fortress. Throughout the tour, you will visit the buildings, the shooting ranges... and witness the atrocities experienced by those who passed through the concentration camp.

This tour, which costs from £57 and lasts from five hours, is available in English and Spanish. Throughout the tour, there will also be free time to explore the different facilities.

• Price: From £57.
• Duration: 5 hours.
• **What's included...**Guided tour, admission to the large and small fortresses.
• **Transportation...**Bus.

There are other options available for visiting the Terezín concentration camp, depending on whether you want a more private experience or would like to complement this tour with other activities. Here are the main ones:

Half-day semi-private tour with admission included

On this semi-private tour of the Terezin concentration camp for up to six people, as on the other tours, you will visit the Great Fortress and the Small Fortress with an expert guide who will provide you with all the historical details. Of course, as this is a semi-private experience, you will be able to delve deeper into the details and discuss the different explanations without slowing down the pace of the group.

This tour, which costs from £49 and lasts four hours, is available in Spanish and is conducted by minibus.

• Price: From £49.
• Duration: 4 hours.
• **What's included...**Guided tour, transfer from Prague, entrance to the large and small fortresses.
• **Transportation...**Bus.

Tour to Terezín without admission

This tour departs from Prague early in the morning, around 9 a.m., and follows the same route as the trains that transported prisoners to Terezín. Once there, you will visit the different areas of the concentration camp with a Spanish-speaking guide: the Ghetto Museum, the office where prisoners were registered, the cell courtyards, the cemetery ...

The tour lasts approximately six hours and costs from £35, but you must add the entrance fee to the concentration camp, which costs from £9 per adult and £7 for children under 16, seniors over 65 and students.

• Price**...**From £35.
• Duration**...**Approximately 6 hours.
• **What's included...**Transfer from Prague to Terezín and guided tour of the concentration camp.
• **Transportation...**Transportation by private vehicle.

Private tour to Terezín

If you would like to visit the Terezín concentration camp in a more intimate setting, you can opt for a private tour. In this case, the price is a little higher, but not disproportionate. The excursion for four people can be booked from £175, for six people from £210, for eight people from £315, for 15 people from £500 and for 19 people from £588. However, this price does not include admission to the concentration camp (from £9 per adult and £7 for seniors over 65, children under 16 and students).

Of course, this option also includes transport from Prague and a guided tour in English of the different areas of the concentration camp.

• Price**...**From £150 for the tour for up to four people.
• Duration**...**Approximately 5 to 6 hours.
• **What's included...**Transfer to Terezín and private guided tour of the concentration camp.
• **Transportation...**Transportation by private vehicle.

Tour of Prague's Jewish quarter, the Terezín concentration camp and Lídice

Another tour option for visiting the Terezín concentration camp also includes a visit to Prague's Jewish quarter and Lídice, which was destroyed in a massacre during World War II

This seven-hour tour begins in Prague's Jewish quarter, where the visit lasts approximately two hours and you will be shown every corner of this district. Afterwards, you will travel in an air-conditioned vehicle to the Terezín Memorial, which also takes approximately two hours to visit, where you will tour the rooms open to the public, the cemetery, the museum and the barracks. Finally, the last stop will be at the Lídice Memorial.

This tour, starting at £175, includes admission to all museums (Židovské Muzeum v Praze, Terezín Memorial and Lidice Memorial), as well as transport and the services of a professional guide who will provide you with all the details about this dark chapter in Prague's history.

• Price: From £200.
• Duration: approximately 7 hours.
• **What's included...**Tour with professional guide through Prague's Jewish quarter, the Terezín concentration camp and Lídice, entrance fees and transfers.
• **Transportation...**Air-conditioned vehicle

What will you see on a tour of Terezín?

Terezín is located just over 60 kilometres from Prague and is divided into two areas: the Great Fortress and the Small Fortress.

• Ghetto Museum: Located in the building that used to be the old school, it shows what life was like there during the Nazi occupation. It includes drawings by children who lived in the camp, photographs... It is less than a kilometre's walk from the Small Fortress.
• Magdeburg barracks: During your visit to Terezín, you can also visit the barracks where prisoners lived in cramped conditions. To give you a true sense of how they lived, they have been faithfully reconstructed to their original state.
• The Small Fortress: Considered the main section of Terezín, during your visit you will see the terrible conditions in which the people who passed through the concentration camp lived from the moment they arrived. You will pass through the office where prisoners were registered and left all their personal belongings, the cell courtyards, the cells where the prisoners lived, and the hospital.
• The crematorium: This is usually the last stop on the tour. Initially, Terezín was a transit camp and not an extermination camp, but thousands of deaths have been recorded.

Excursions to Terezin from Prague start at €57 and last approximately four to seven hours. All include bus transport from the Czech capital, an expert guide, admission to the Great Fortress and the Small Fortress, a visit to the Ghetto Museum and a tour of the Jewish National Cemetery.

In my opinion, it is advisable to opt for a trip to Terezin from Prague withan expert guide. On the one hand, this way you will learn all the details of the history of the concentration camp. Otherwise, you will have to catch up on this episode of history to know everything that happened there. And, on the other hand, it is economical, as it includes return bus transport, admission and the services of a guide.

The Terezín concentration camp, located 62 kilometres from Prague, is open all year round except on 24 December from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the summer months, the opening hours are extended until 6 p.m.

All excursions to Terezin from Prague include return transport from the centre of Prague or even from your hotel, so in principle you don't have to worry about how to get from the Czech capital to Terezín. However, it is important to know that it is 62 kilometres from Prague and takes between 45 minutes and an hour to get there.

The best days of the week to take a trip to Terezin from Prague are Tuesday and Wednesday, as these are the days with the fewest visitors. Keep in mind that Terezin is a very popular excursion and is usually very crowded on weekends. Even so, the site is very large and it is unlikely that you will feel crowded.

The best time of year to take a trip to Terezin from Prague is during May, June or September, when temperatures are still mild but there are fewer tourists than in summer, which is high season in the Czech Republic.

If you are going on a trip to Terezin from Prague, I recommend that you keep the following tips in mind:

• Wear comfortable shoes. Terezín is very large and you will have to walk to get from one point of the concentration camp to another.
• If your trip coincides with the summer months, be sure to bring water and sunscreen. There are very few places with shade.
• With a few exceptions, photography is permitted in the Terezín concentration camp, so you can bring your camera.
• There are no shops nearby, so be sure to bring an energy bar, nuts or some snacks **...**whatever you think you might need.
• It is not advisable to take young children with you. It can be very difficult for children, and they may not understand the visit.
• You need to be mentally prepared for the visit. It is very difficult and, at times, you will feel distressed, overwhelmed and even suffocated. Just imagining what the people who passed through Terezín must have felt will shake you to the core. Even so, in my opinion, everyone should visit a concentration camp at least once in their life.

Also, before you travel to the Czech Republic, be sure to read our post on what to see and do in Prague.