Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
From €89
5 Hours
English
Private Van
Sachsenhausen was designed as a model concentration camp. Built in 1936, it became a prototype for the camp system that followed and an administrative centre from which the SS controlled concentration camps across Nazi-occupied Europe.
Around 200,000 people were imprisoned at Sachsenhausen between 1936 and 1945. They included political opponents, Jews, prisoners of war and people persecuted by the Nazi regime for many other reasons. Thousands died through forced labour, starvation, disease, mistreatment and systematic murder.
The history did not end in 1945. After liberation, the Soviet authorities used part of Sachsenhausen as Special Camp No. 7/No. 1 until 1950, where thousands more were imprisoned and died.
On this five-hour historian-led tour from Berlin, we explore Sachsenhausen's surviving buildings, reconstructed areas and memorials to understand how the camp functioned, the experiences of the people imprisoned here and how the site has been remembered since the war.
We travel from Berlin by private van rather than public transport. This means no trains and no long walk from Oranienburg station, giving us more time to explore the memorial itself. With a maximum of just seven guests, the journey also gives your guide time to introduce the history and answer questions before we arrive.
Tour Highlights:
The SS Inspectorate — See the headquarters from which the SS administered the concentration camp system across Nazi Germany and occupied Europe. When the building is accessible, we also go inside.
Station Z — Visit the camp's main killing complex, including the remains of the execution facilities, gas chamber and crematorium, and learn how systematic murder developed at Sachsenhausen.
The Prison & Camp Interior — Explore key areas within the camp and examine how imprisonment, punishment, forced labour and everyday life were organised.
The Soviet Special Camp — Discover what happened after 1945, when the Soviet authorities used Sachsenhausen as a special camp until 1950.
Private van from Berlin — Travel directly to Sachsenhausen without trains or the long walk from Oranienburg station, giving you more time at the memorial and historical context from your guide along the way.
Learning Outcomes:
How the concentration camp system worked — Understand how Sachsenhausen was designed, organised and administered, and its role within the wider Nazi concentration camp system.
The full history, 1936–1950 — Follow the site's history from its construction under the Nazis through liberation and its later use as a Soviet special camp.
The people behind the system — Examine the perpetrators who worked at Sachsenhausen, the choices they made and the structures that enabled persecution and mass violence.
The experiences of the prisoners — Explore the lives of the people imprisoned here, why they were persecuted and the conditions they faced.
Book Your Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour
Choose your preferred date below to check availability and book your place.
Can't Find a Date That Works?
We may be able to arrange an additional date or a private tour. Let us know when you'll be in Berlin and we'll see what we can arrange for you, including private tours in English or German.
Tour Itinerary
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![On the Front Tours meeting point outside Park Inn Alexanderplatz before departing for Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp]()
Pick-Up & Departure
Meet your guide in central Berlin and travel to Sachsenhausen by private van. Your guide introduces the historical context during the journey, so you arrive ready to explore the site.
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![WWII historian introducing guests to the former SS Inspectorate during a Sachsenhausen tour]()
The SS Inspectorate
Begin at the headquarters of the organisation that administered the concentration camp system across Nazi Germany. Most visitors walk straight past — we start here to understand how the system was organised and controlled.
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![Former SS training grounds and administrative buildings at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp]()
The SS Training Ground
See where SS personnel lived and trained beside the camp, and learn how the site was later repurposed as a police training centre.
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![Visitors entering Tower A at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp during a guided tour from Berlin]()
Tower A - the "Arbeit Macht Frei" Gate
Enter through the main prisoner gate and examine how Sachsenhausen was designed to control, intimidate and dehumanise those imprisoned here.
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![View across the former prisoner grounds at Sachsenhausen with the central memorial in the background]()
The Shoe Testing Track
Discover how prisoners were forced to walk up to 40 kilometres a day testing footwear for German companies — one example of how forced labour and commercial exploitation became part of the camp system.
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![Reconstructed prisoner barracks inside Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial]()
The Jewish Barracks
Explore the escalating persecution of Jewish prisoners at Sachsenhausen, from discrimination and forced labour to deportation and mass murder, through the experiences of those imprisoned in these barracks.
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![Interior prison cell inside Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp where special prisoners were held]()
The Internal Prison Cells
Step inside the camp's prison within a prison, where inmates were isolated, interrogated and punished. Hear the stories of some of the political prisoners held here and the resistance connected to the site.
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![WWII historian leading a small group tour at the Central Memorial at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp near Berlin]()
The Central Memorial - and What Came After
Discover what happened after liberation, when the Soviet authorities used Sachsenhausen as a special camp from 1945 to 1950, and examine how the site was later transformed into a memorial.
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![Station Z execution trench and memorial area at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp]()
Station Z
Visit the camp's main killing complex, including the remains of the execution trench, crematorium and gas chamber, and learn how mass murder was carried out at Sachsenhausen.
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![Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp reconstructed Medical Barracks and Brothel]()
The Infirmary and the Brothel
Examine two difficult aspects of camp life: medical treatment and experimentation in the infirmary, and the exploitation of women forced to work in the camp brothel.
Planning Your Tour
Meeting Point
The tour meets at the Park Inn by Radisson, Alexanderplatz, at the main vehicle entrance on Alexanderstraße.
Your guide will be waiting with a sign reading “Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.”
Address: Alexanderstraße, 10178 Berlin
What’s Included
Expert historical guide
Private van transport from Berlin
Sachsenhausen Memorial entry
“Then & Now” photographs and maps
Bottle of water
WiFi in the vehicle
Small group — maximum 7 guests
What to Bring
Comfortable walking shoes
Weather-appropriate clothing — much of the tour is outdoors
Water and a snack if needed
Your questions and curiosity
Cancellation
Free cancellation and rescheduling up to 24 hours before the tour
Pricing
Public Tour: from €89 per person
Private Tour: from €549 for up to 7 guests
Why Choose Us?
Understand the wider system
We begin outside the camp at the former SS Inspectorate, helping you understand how Sachsenhausen fitted into the wider Nazi concentration camp system before entering the memorial itself.
Small groups, maximum 7 guests
With only seven guests, there is more opportunity to ask questions, discuss what you're seeing and engage directly with your guide throughout the day.
Explore the complete history
From the concentration camp and its prisoners to the Soviet Special Camp and the site's later history as a memorial, we explore Sachsenhausen across the different chapters of its history.
Travel by private van from Berlin
Travel directly from Berlin without trains or the long walk from Oranienburg station. Your specialist guide provides historical context along the way, so the journey becomes part of the experience.
Which Tour Is Right for You?
Small-group experience · Maximum 7 guests
Join one of our scheduled departures
Travel from Berlin by private van
Follow the complete Sachsenhausen itinerary
Plenty of opportunity to ask your guide questions
From €89 per person
Your group · Your guide · Greater flexibility
Just you and your group
Private van pick-up from your accommodation
More flexibility with timing and pace
More time to explore particular subjects or questions
Available in English or German
From €549 for up to 7 guests
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our tour travels by private van directly from central Berlin, taking around 40 minutes each way — no trains and no long walk. Sachsenhausen is approximately 35 km north of Berlin; reaching it independently typically involves a train to Oranienburg followed by a walk or local transport. We meet at Alexanderplatz, or private-tour guests can arrange hotel pick-up. Your guide also uses the drive to introduce the historical context before you arrive.
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Yes — admission to the Sachsenhausen Memorial is free, and you can visit independently. The site is extensive, and many of the original buildings no longer survive, so understanding what you're seeing often requires historical context. A specialist guide can help reconstruct how the camp functioned, explain the purpose of the different areas and buildings, and place Sachsenhausen within the wider Nazi concentration camp system. Our tour also covers the site's post-war history as a Soviet special camp.
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The tour lasts approximately 5 hours, with around 3 hours spent at the Sachsenhausen Memorial. Travel from central Berlin takes approximately 40 minutes each way by private van. Your guide uses the journey to introduce the historical context before you arrive and is available for further questions and discussion on the return journey. There is also a short break during the visit.
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Not at all. The tour is designed to be accessible whether you're visiting a concentration camp memorial for the first time or already know the subject well. Your guide will provide the historical context needed to understand the site, while those with deeper knowledge will have plenty of opportunity to ask questions and explore particular subjects further.
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The minimum age for this tour is 14. Sachsenhausen deals with difficult subjects including persecution, imprisonment, forced labour, mass murder and medical experimentation. We present this history carefully, accurately and without sensationalism, but some of the themes can be distressing for younger visitors. For this reason, guests must be at least 14 years old to join the tour.
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With care, accuracy and respect for the site. Sachsenhausen is a place of persecution and suffering, and we treat it accordingly. Your guide presents the history honestly and without sensationalism, allowing time for reflection as well as questions and discussion. Our small group size — a maximum of seven guests — helps create the space for that.
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Yes. For public tours, hotel pick-up and drop-off can be added for €30 when booking. Alternatively, you can meet your guide at the Park Inn by Radisson at Alexanderplatz. Private tours include hotel pick-up and drop-off as standard.
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We provide a bottle of water for each guest; food is not included. We recommend bringing a small snack, particularly as the tour lasts around five hours. There is time for a short break during the visit, and you can also eat in the van during the journey.
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Yes. There is a toilet stop at the visitor centre before entering the camp, and we take a short break at the camp kitchens partway through the tour. The site is almost entirely outdoors, so we recommend comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.
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Yes. Private Sachsenhausen tours are available from €549 for up to 7 guests, with hotel pick-up included. Private tours run on your schedule and allow more flexibility with the pace and focus of the tour. They are ideal for families, groups, educational visits, or anyone looking for a more personal experience. Private tours are available in English or German.
Still Have Questions?
Not sure which option is right for you, or have a question before booking? Send us a message and we’ll be happy to help.
More Concentration Camp Tours in Berlin
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Sachsenhausen, a former Nazi concentration camp near Berlin, offers a haunting yet vital look into Holocaust history. Visitors can explore the memorial site with guided tours to learn about this dark chapter and honour the victims.