Warsaw Jewish Ghetto: private tour by retro car with hotel pickup
Description
This private Warsaw Jewish Ghetto tour explores one of the most tragic chapters of World War II history. Before the war, Warsaw was one of the world’s largest Jewish cities. During the German Nazi occupation, the Jewish community was almost entirely destroyed and the ghetto erased. Traveling by vintage Żuk retro minibus allows you to visit multiple historically important locations that are difficult to reach on foot. With a knowledgeable local guide, you will learn about daily life under German Nazi rule, mass deportations, and the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The tour includes key sites such as Grzybowski Square and Próżna Street, preserved fragments of the Ghetto Wall, Waliców Street, Mila 18, the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, the POLIN Museum area, and the Umschlagplatz. As a private tour, the itinerary is flexible and can be adjusted to your interests. This experience is ideal for travelers interested in World War II, the Holocaust, and Warsaw’s history.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After hotel pickup, your guide introduces the historical background of Jewish Warsaw and the creation of the Jewish Ghetto during World War II, setting the context for the sites you are about to visit. The tour begins at the monument dedicated to Janusz Korczak, a Polish-Jewish educator, author, and director of a Warsaw orphanage. Despite opportunities to escape, he chose to remain with the children in his care and was deported with them to the Treblinka extermination camp.
Next, visit Grzybowski Square, once part of Jewish Warsaw and today a place that reflects the city’s dramatic 20th-century history. The area witnessed two world wars, two totalitarian systems, and the transformation of modern Europe. Nearby streets still preserve traces of pre-war Jewish life.
Próżna Street is the only street in Warsaw where pre-war Jewish tenement houses have survived. Today, it stands as a rare physical reminder of Jewish Warsaw and becomes a focal point during the annual Singer’s Warsaw Jewish Culture Festival.
Visit a preserved fragment of the Warsaw Ghetto Wall, marking the former boundary of the ghetto. Some sections remain hidden between buildings, and your guide takes you to one of the accessible locations to explain how the area was sealed off from the rest of the city.
At Waliców Street, see a ruined tenement house often referred to as the last visible “ghost” of the ghetto. A fragment of the ghetto wall is also preserved here, offering a powerful visual reminder of destruction and loss.
At Chłodna Street, learn about the wooden bridge built in 1941 to connect the two separated parts of the ghetto. The bridge rose above active street traffic, allowing trams and German vehicles to pass underneath. Archival photographs help illustrate this extraordinary structure.
Continue to Muranów, a post-war residential district built directly on the rubble of the destroyed ghetto. Although it appears to be a typical neighborhood, the ground beneath holds layers of wartime history revealed through your guide’s explanations.
Visit the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, located near the site of the first armed clashes of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The area also symbolizes post-war remembrance and reconciliation through events held over the last several decades.
Stop outside the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, built on the former ghetto grounds. The museum’s name refers to a legend connected with Jewish settlement in Poland. Entrance is optional and not included in the tour price.
At Mila 18, learn about the bunker used by Jewish resistance fighters during the 1943 uprising. When discovered by German Nazi forces, many of those hiding inside chose death rather than capture. Their remains are buried beneath the site.
The tour concludes at the Umschlagplatz, the former deportation point where Jews were transported to the Treblinka extermination camp. Today, the memorial at Stawki Street stands as a solemn reminder of the final chapter of Jewish life in wartime Warsaw.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup service from hotels, Airbnb and apartments is available up to 3 kilometres from the city centre. If your hotel/apartment is farther or inaccessible by car, our advisor will suggest the closest and most comfortable meeting point. Please note that transfer from and to the hotel counts into the total time of the tour. Therefore, sometimes it is better to meet the guide in the city centre rather than spend time transferring from the far-located pickup spot.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour can be booked instantly online for adults and children over 150 cm (4 ft 9 in). If you wish to book the tour for a child under 150 cm, please contact the tour operator in advance to check the availability of seat boosters, which are mandatory under Polish law.
- Each minibus accommodates up to 8 passengers, and a fleet of 5 minibuses is available.
- The vehicles are used primarily for transfers between locations, with walking segments at each stop. Please wear comfortable clothing and suitable footwear.
- Please note that classic vintage minibuses are not equipped with air conditioning, and some do not have seat belts (which is permitted for historic vehicles). All vehicles are equipped with heating for the winter season.
Reviews(13)
Tom (Tomek) was an excellent guide! We learned so much from him on our three hour walking tour. He made the Jewish ghetto more real for us by showing us black and white photos of the war period verses what is there today. JayWay had suggested this tour for us, and I argued at the time that I could do it on my own. In hindsight, I was glad to meet Tom and listen to his detailed explanations rather than reading from my guidebook.
The tour we had with Konrad was one of the absolutely best tours we have ever had on any trip. Konrad was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Jews in Warsaw, brought us to locations throughout the city to show us specifically some of the history of our people in the area and even had actual historical pictures of the areas he was showing us. My wife and I learned a phenomenal amount of history from that tour and we would both very highly recommend it.
My husband and I took an anniversary trip to Poland and had the best time! While we were in Warsaw, we had the best tour guide, Konrad! We were so lucky we got to have him for both our Jewish History Tour and our WWII buffs tour. HE WAS AMAZING! We were able to go around the city in a mini bus but also walk around and show us all the major sites of where things were before they were destroyed and are now rebuilt. He has such a wealth of knowledge being born and raised in Warsaw that it cannot be beat. He even went above and beyond and showed us local restaurants, away from tourists, where locals hangout, drink, and drink. For anyone who is considering any tours in Warsaw, request Konrad, you will not be disappointed, gain so much knowledge, and have a great time!
Konrad is a wonderful tour guide - he’s very knowledgeable, polite and helpful. We learned a lot and highly recommend him!
My husband and I were lucky enough to have Tom as our tour guide and driver on this full day exploration of Jewish Warsaw and Treblinka. Tom gave us a full visit of ghetto sites, both south and north. Although we knew about the ghetto uprising, being in the locations brought the experience to life . Tom has a wealth of information and photos from the past to illustrate places and events that we could not see with our eyes but could now visualize at those locations. We then drove to Treblinka and felt the weight of this terrible place and learned more from Tom.
The guide is knowledgeable about the ghetto and its history. However, the narrative presented reflects a Polish perspective, emphasizing that 3 million Poles killed were "coincidentally" Jewish, while also suggesting that Jews were seen as communist sympathizers, leading to local resentment. This perspective aligns with a typical antisemitic narrative. The true victims of the Holocaust were the Jews—not the Poles, who, while they suffered, were also perpetrators in some cases. This distortion of history is similar to how Hamas terrorists attack Jews and then portray themselves as victims. The tour felt like an official propaganda session that we paid for. Additionally, the 3-hour duration was quite intense for such a heavy and difficult subject, especially when mixed with biased messaging. That said, despite these issues, I would recommend the tour.
Dear Elazar, My name is Marcin, and I was your guide that day. Thank you for sharing your emotions and opinions about our tour. Meeting you and your group was a meaningful experience, and I believe we all learned something from our discussions. My goal is always to provide accurate information and context, allowing my guests to understand these tragic events more deeply. I’m sorry to hear that parts of the presentation felt unbalanced or biased from your perspective. Throughout the tour, I aimed to illustrate the fate of Polish Jews, particularly during the Second World War, when our country was attacked and occupied by both Nazi Germany and the communist Soviet Union. It’s also the story of Polish Catholics and others of various faiths who bravely helped, such as Irena Sendler, as well as those who regrettably betrayed and collaborated with the Nazi regime. I also covered the tragic pogroms, the role of the "Polish Blue Police" in Warsaw, and the "Jewish Police" formation in the Ghetto. However, as it was an exceptionally cold day, I noticed some group members were unprepared for the weather. We shortened certain parts for everyone’s comfort, and I observed some people stepping away or unable to hear the full explanation—this may have resulted in missing or misunderstanding parts of the narrative. I sincerely regret if any part of the tour’s content or delivery made it seem as though I was downplaying Jewish suffering or promoting biased perspectives. I did not say that “3 million Poles killed were "coincidentally" Jewish”; this had to be the misunderstanding. German Nazis murdered 3 million Polish Jews during the Holocaust and around 2 million Polish Catholics, other faiths and minorities. I intended to emphasise that they were all citizens of Poland (before WWII). It also came to my attention that during a conversation in the car, someone from your group mentioned that “all the Poles were happy when the Jews were murdered.” This statement is deeply troubling, as it generalises and misrepresents the complexity of Polish attitudes during the war. While there were undoubtedly collaborators and those who committed terrible acts, there were also people who risked their lives to save their Polish Jewish neighbours. I stand firmly against any form of antisemitism or hate speech. My mission is to illuminate the complex and often painful history of wartime Warsaw, including acts of heroism, resistance, collaboration, and tragedy. I regret that the tour left you feeling it was “official propaganda”; I always intend to present history responsibly and comprehensively. Thank you once again for your feedback. It helps me develop and ensures I honour the memory of all who suffered during this tragic chapter of history. Sincerely, Marcin Grabowski
It has been a very interesting and amazing tour, I recommend it. The guide, Karol, was very passionate about the impact of the Jewish community and culture on the city. The historical van is a fun addiction to the tour.
Marcin was very interesting and friendly! He knows a lot about history, Jewish history to be specific. This is a small price to pay to access to all of his knowledge about the past of this communauty. He was in time at my hôtel with his retro minibus Zug (I loved Zug!) and drove me to several places in Warsaw. He even showed me pictures of the past when we were there. Awesome expérience: I do think this activity should be on every "things to see in Warsaw". I highly recommand it to everyone who wants to know more about the dark past of the Jewish community!
Must do Jewish Heritage Tour! From my first email to Marcin and all the planning in between, everything was great. Marcin promptly answers emails and helps with the planning stages . Our tour guide Mariusz was fantastic. We happened to have our scheduled tour on the anniversary of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and with Mariusz’ planning everything went smoothly. Our driver Matthiew navigated to streets flawlessly. Mariusz was extremely knowledgeable. He took us to a great little local spot for lunch in Praga. If you’re looking for a tour in Warsaw I highly recommend Warsaw Behind the Scenes.
Excellent tour and guide. Very interesting, Informative and professional. Would definitely recommend Martin as a tour guide.
