ABOUT THE Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour
This 5.5-hour day trip from Berlin to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial is a sombre yet crucial part of any trip to Berlin. Learn about the treatment of hundreds of thousands of Nazi prisoners inside the camp walls, and remember the tens of thousands who never made it out alive. You will also hear about the camp's post-war use under the Soviets from 1945 - 1950.
Your Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour meets in front of the Starbucks at the Brandenburg Gate (S/U-Bahn Brandenburger Tor).
The first purpose-designed Nazi concentration camp
This day trip from Berlin to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial is an important part of any visit to the German capital. Built in 1936 as the Berlin Olympic Games were taking place, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was the first Nazi concentration camp to be designed specifically for this purpose. Not only was it close to the Nazi's capital of Berlin, but it also served as the training grounds for camp guards and camp commandants before they were sent out to the other Nazi concentration camps.
Journey from Berlin out to the Sachsenhausen memorial
The tour begins at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, your expert local guide (who is accredited to the Sachsenhausen memorial site) will take you on the train out to the camp, giving you an important background of the Nazi's concentration camp system as you go. Once you arrive in the town of Oranienburg, where Sachsenhauen was built, your guide will point out the march the prisoners were taken on through the streets and past the townspeople to get to the camp. Upon arrival at the Sachsenhausen memorial, you will see the model layout of the camp, as your guide explains why it was built that way, before taking you inside the former camp itself.
The lives and deaths of prisoners inside the camp
Once inside the former camp, your guide will tell you about the daily lives of the prisoners - you will see how the prisoners slept in the overcrowded barracks, stand on the square where the daily roll call would take place, and learn about some of the cruel work details they were forced to carry out. You will hear about punishments and murders in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and you will also see the cell block building, where prisoners were put into isolation and brutally tortured, before being taken to the foundations of the former Station Z building, purposefully built to kill prisoners and dispose of their bodies quickly. You will also learn about the final days of Sachsenhausen concentration camp, including the death march the prisoners were forced to go on in April 1945, and the prisoners who were simply left behind to die.
While the majority of this tour takes place outdoors, there are a few small museums within the memorial itself. It is possible that queues may prevent you from being able to enter these exhibitions on particularly busy days. However, your expert, licensed guide will ensure that you do not miss out on any information from this important site.
The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour starts in front of the Starbucks at the Brandenburg Gate (S/U-Bahn Brandenburger Tor)
Learn about the brutality of the Nazi concentration camp system
See the kinds of overcrowded living quarters the prisoners were forced to sleep in
Hear about the work details they were forced to carry out, including the infamous shoe testing track
Remember the tens of thousands of victims who did not make it out of the camp, or who died on the death march in the final days of WWII
See the much-feared cell block, and the foundations of the former Station Z
Learn about the camp’s post-WWII use under the Soviets as Soviet Special Camp no. 7
TOUR SCHEDULES
Today
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PHOTOS
Inclusions & exclusions
What’s included
Expert local guide, accredited to the site
Entrance and donation to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp memorial site
What’s not included
Train pass (ABC day ticket required)
Food or drinks
Additional Information
You will need to purchase an ABC day transport ticket for this tour and validate it before joining the trip
Children up to 2 years old may join for free. But must have a ticket reserved for them. Please note that some content may not be suitable for younger guests.
Wheelchair accessible, but please note the ground can get muddy during the winter months, and not all parts of the exhibitions are accessible.
Tour runs rain, hail or shine, but is entirely outdoors, so please dress appropriately
Wear comfortable shoes – tour covers 3-4km of walking
You can stay and spend more time in the memorial museums on your own, or return with your guide on the train to central Berlin
Please purchase drinks and snacks prior to joining the tour
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MAP
The tour to Sachsenhausen starts in front of the Starbucks at the Brandenburg GateOpen in Google Maps
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Customer reviews
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour
My friends proposed the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour and I am really happy that we took it. From all the tours I took in Berlin, this is the most memorable one. Our guide Rob Shaw was brilliant! His approach made this the best tour I had in Berlin because he gave us so many important topics to think about even after the tour was over. He has a very broad understanding of the historical and political context of the events that occurred in Germany and the whole Europe at the time, and great knowledge of the camp itself. I really appreciated him giving us some explanations from psychological aspects of human nature, about how it was even possible that such camps existed. I would highly recommend the tour and especially Rob as a guide.
Fran was our guide as we did a walking tour with her to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp just outside of Berlin. It was an excellent tour. Fran was very knowledgeable and answered our questions in a thoughtful intelligent way. In fact we asked so many questions that the tour went 30 minutes longer then scheduled. Highly recommend the tour especially if you have Fran as your guide.
My friends and I decided that we would like to book Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour and it turned out to be best decision ever. Reservation was super easy over web page. I have to say that this was best tour that I've taken in a long time. Our guide Rob Shaw was incredible! He made this trip so interesting and fulfilling. He has incredible knowledge on all history parts and you can really learn a lot from him. He was super easy going, full of knowledge, polite and opened for all questions also he encouraged us to ask! This tour I would highly recommend to all and especially with guide Rob Shaw!
Very informative tour around the concentration camp. Mark the tour guide was very knowledgeable. Lots to see and learn. Public transport from the centre of Berlin just by Brandenburg gate. One ticket needed for the day and no changes on the train.
I went to Berlin with a couple of friends in September and we had no plans of visiting a concentration camp originally. We heard of the tour through during another local tour of downtown Berlin, and decided on a whim to go. Of our trip through Berlin, Barcelona, and Paris, this was hands down the best part of the entire vacation! It was a fascinating lens into a dark part of history, and our tour guide Rochale was incredibly professional, helpful, and knowledgable about the entirety of German, Holocaust, and WWII history. She drew lessons and conclusions that can be applied to political phenomena that exist today. Her insights were truly breathtaking. I cannot recommend this experience enough. I will never forget it.
Select Tours focus on a particular area or district of a city, a certain aspect of its history or culture, or take you outside the city on a day trip. Select Tours are perfect for those who have enjoyed an introduction to the city and wish to delve deeper into the stories the city has to offer. These tours often venture further afield and make use of local public transport.
As with the Free Tour, Select Tours are provided by local freelance guides in partnership with SANDEMANs NEW Europe, who bring their personal flair and expert knowledge to these specifically themed tours. Select tours have a fixed ticket price - we recommend purchasing your ticket in advance, either during a Free Tour or online.
Explore Berlin’s final World War II battlefield and uncover the profound scars still found in the ci ...
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€ 350
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Explore Berlin’s final World War II battlefield and uncover the profound scars still found in the ci ...
Info & Booking
€ 350
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