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Tours & Trips including Auschwitz 2024/2025

Find the right tour for you through Auschwitz. We've got 107 adventures going to Auschwitz, starting from just 3 days in length, and the longest tour is 28 days. The most popular month to go is August, which has the largest number of tour departures.

107 Auschwitz tour packages with 1,131 reviews

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year

Krakow, Auschwitz & Wieliczka Salt Mine - 4 Days

Any foreign place is best known if you have someone local to walk you through it - with Seweryn it feels like being guided by your best friend.

Krakow & Auschwitz

Did their Krakow, Poland trip in December during the Christmas markets. Really a great trip and experience. Everything was very organized, had really good hotel near the square/old town (I booked the 3-star hotel, private room option with my husband), guides were very good & knowledgeable and the excursions/tours were very good. We also received a lot of extra information and recommendations for things to do and places to go (food and drink too) in our free time which was really nice and helpful. I was a bit nervous reading a few of the reviews here on Yelp but our experience was fantastic and nothing like what some others wrote in their reviews. Krakow was an amazing city and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Definitely recommend this trip and company.

Krakow, Auschwitz, Enamel Factory & Wieliczka Salt Mine - 4 Days

I had a memorable experience in Krakow. My hotel was perfectly selected and placed for my complete convenience. The Jewish Quarter on my doorstep, and Schindlers Enamel factory within a short walk as was the Old Town. I had plenty of time between tours to visit the Old Town and investigate. The tours to Auschwitz, the largest of the German concentration camps and the centuries old Wieliczka Salt Mine were excellent well planned tours with informed tour guides, who were happy to answer additional questions. Finally I was very lucky to have my tour to Krakow overseen by Seweryn a tour guide with TourRadar, he was there for general support, ask questions any time of day. Seweryn had substantial knowledge of Jewish history in Krakow, so it was very useful to be accompanied by Seweryn and a privilege to be able to share his knowledge walking around the Jewish Quarter and the Enamel Factory for the first couple of days. If you need a tour guide in Krakow ask for Seweryn.

• Coach / Bus

Highlights of Southern Poland

The Poland tour was excellent! The group leader Beata was awesome and all guidance, planning and itinerary was wonderful. Totally recommended!!

• Sightseeing

Pearls of Poland (for couples)

I think this tour is just right for covering the best sites in Poland in a week's time. I doubt few travelers know anything about Poland's history. So a brief outline of the essentials at the start of the tour would facilitate understanding in Warsaw and Krakow. Our guides were excellent, but if they had structured their presentations, they would have communicated the details at the sights visited much better. Since we two were the only tourists on this tour in this Covid-marred year, we traveled with a driver (Piotr) who was tops.

Highlights of Poland (Classic, 10 Days)

Poland is a great country, however the itinerary is much too structured and fast-paced. There was no time to just enjoy the city without getting information overload. Everything was on a strict time constraint. There needs to be in a change in the itinerary, and for the price that was paid I much rather go with another tour operator. That being said I will say the food and the accommodation work great as well as the tour leader.

6 days in Krakow and Szczawnica- private exclusive tour for 2 people

7 days in Krakow and Szczawnica- private exclusive tour for 5-8 people

Highlights of Poland

Well done to our tour guide Justyna and well done to Explore for putting this on in difficult times.

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Portrait of Poland

Overall, the tour was wonderful. A lot was squeezed into the 7 days. There were a few stops we would like to have spent more time at. The evening included meals were average or below average- it would have been nice to have more local cuisine. Breakfast meals were good; the breakfast buffet at the Regent Warsaw Hotel was excellent. Our tour guide Kasia was very knowledgeable & engaging - she did an excellent job! Really enjoyed her commentary & she was so helpful.

Tailor-Made Private Trip to Southern Poland with Daily Departure

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

Best of the East

Such a fun and alternative trip to take! We went to Prague, Poland, Budapest, and Austria. Even though it was one of the coldest weeks, our tour guide made it beyond enjoyable. She had so many suggestions of places to go and all were great. My favorite stop was Krakow, Poland, what a beautiful city and so much fun. I had an absolute blast while on this trips, the tour guide were energetic, fun, and knowledgeable, the trip was well run and flexible which I enjoyed, the company had optional activities set up for us which was nice to not feel pressured to do them if you wanted to explore on your own. The accommodations were always comfy and clean and the buses we took for all the trips were enjoyable and filled with fun movies to watch. I would highly recommend traveling with Euroadventures, their attention to detail, responsible yet fun guides, and flexible, activities filled schedule are all beyond worth it.

• Walking Adventure

Best of Poland (11 Days)

Outstanding tour guides, Kate, Sylvia and Robrick. They all worked so hard behind the scenes to make the trip so smooth and fun. Great choice of attractions, accommodations, meals and schedule. Knowledge of country and attention to details was amazing. Highly recommend this travel team and this tour for anyone wanting a great tour of Poland. Many Thanks, Randy and Diana Rickard

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Tailor-Made Private Poland Tour with Daily Departure

Highlights of Poland (Small Groups, 10 Days)

What people love about auschwitz tours.

Seweryn was a fantastic tour guide and very knowledgeable about Krakow's history. I enjoyed learning about the many historical and religious details we saw around Krakow. He also went above and beyond to help me when I had trouble purchasing train tickets, and when I got sick offered to reschedule one of the tour days. I really enjoyed his tour and would highly recommend it.

Did their Krakow, Poland trip in December during the Christmas markets. Really a great trip and experience. Everything was very organized, had really good hotel near the square/old town (I booked the 3-star hotel, private room option with my husband), guides were very good & knowledgeable and the excursions/tours were very good. We also received a lot of extra information and recommendations for things to do and places to go (food and drink too) in our free time which was really nice and helpful. I was a bit nervous reading a few of the reviews here on Yelp but our experience was fantastic and nothing like what some others wrote in their reviews. Krakow was an amazing city and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Definitely recommend this trip and company.

I had a great first time experience of Krakow through this tour. My tour guide Seweryn was very friendly, flexible, organised and helpful and made the whole process very smooth. The trips to the mine, factory and camps were well laid out and gave me plenty of time for independent sightseeing and fun. If you want to come to Krakow I would highly recommend you do a trip this way!

Full Day Tour in Auschwitz Birkenau and Salt Mine

• Headsets to hear the guide clearly
• Professional guide
• Permission to take photos
• Transport by air-conditioned minivan or minibus
• Transportation to Auschwitz and Wieliczka from Krakow and back,
• Wifi access
• Entry/Admission - Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau
• Entry/Admission - Wieliczka Salt Mine
• Guaranteed to skip the lines
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Krakow, Floriana Straszewskiego 17, 31-101 Kraków, Poland Tourist Bus Stop next to Radisson Blu Hotel
• Infant seats available
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Not recommended for travellers with back problems
• Most travellers can participate
• Please note that in the camps there are mostly dirt tracks, which may cause minor difficulties for wheelchair-users
• As it is mandatory in Auschwitz Birkenau museum to confirm your personal details, you are required to take with you passport or ID to be presented at the entrance to museum. Please do not forget it, otherwise you may be not allowed to enter museum.
• The maximum size of your carry-on can not exceed the following dimensions: 11.8 x 7.8 x 3.9 inches (30 x 20 x 10 cm). You can leave your larger luggage in the car
• There are no restrictions regarding the age of children in Wieliczka Salt Mine and Auschwitz Birkenau Memorial and Museum, but they should be either capable of walking unassisted or carried in baby slings or baby carriers. Baby pushchairs are not allowed underground (salt mine)
• In Auschwitz-Birkenau visitors are generally allowed to take pictures with a few, clearly indicated exceptions. Taking photos and filming in Wieliczka Salt Mine is possible only after purchasing additional pass
• While in Auschwitz-Birkenau, visitors are required to behave appropriately and respectfully
• Temperatures in Wieliczka Salt Mine are around 59ºF (15ºC). Also, it should be taken into account that narrow paths may seem claustrophobic, and once underground there is no possibility to shorten your visit and turn back. At the entrance, visitors descent 400 steps down and the whole tourist route features over 800 stairs
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau

Similar experiences

• You'll start at Radisson Blu Hotel, Krakow Floriana Straszewskiego 17, 31-101 Kraków, Poland Tourist Bus Stop next to Radisson Blu Hotel See address & details
• 1 Panstwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau Stop: 5 hours - Admission included See details
• 2 Wieliczka Salt Mine Stop: 4 hours - Admission included See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• HimalVaghela 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great company! KrakowDirect are the best company we have ever dealt with. Their communication is first class and they deliver exactly what they promise. The drivers are great and friendly, and the lunch provided was perfect. If you are thinking of visiting Auschwitz-Birkenaue, Salt mines etc then I highly recommend them! Read more Written 15 April 2024
• davidwW403YQ 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Auschwitz and Salt Mines Both tours were brilliant very educational, the views at the salt mines were something else. Patryk our transfer driver was very friendly. Would recommend to others considering both tours to split them in to separate days as pick up was 05.45 and we arrived back at the hotel around 18.00 this day involves a lot of walking. Read more Written 15 April 2024
• janewT4850DR 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent trip An excellent service. Booking was easy, their communication was excellent and the driver was very friendly and informative. An excellent trip - I would highly recommend. Read more Written 13 April 2024
• Travelxpert123 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Exceptional service from start to finish We booked our Auschwitz tour with Krakow Direct, via email and right from the start we felt in safe hand, very polished organisation with exceptional customer service. Every email was answered thoroughly and promptly. They picked us up at the Airport and explained how everything works on the way to the hotel and then a couple of days later we went to Auschwitz, the driver stayed with us all the time until he handed us over to the Auschwitz guide, he was waiting when we came out and took us to the next camp, and agin ready to take us back to the hotel. For our return to the airport they were spot on time again. All the drivers went above and beyond and we can feel comfortable recommending them. Read more Written 13 April 2024
• MJL-UKNW 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour Used this service for pickup and return from Krakow city centre. Party of three, two adults and a twelve-year-old daughter. General advice seemed to be not to take children under 13 but as they had covered this in school our decision was that this would not be an issue. The driver/guide Michael arrived on time in 20-seater minibus that was in very good condition and clean. Michael was clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about Auschwitz-Birkenau and accompanied us throughout the visit to the two locations providing a comprehensive overview of the horrific events and conditions that occurred at the two concentration camps. Very good value for money and would highly recommend this operator if you are considering this during a visit to Krakow. Read more Written 11 April 2024
• F2838RLvictoriab 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Dreadful Company I cannot feedback on the tour as it was booked for an 11am pickup time and the night before the tour, Krakow Direct contacted me to say that there was a shortage of tour guides and they had to change the collection time to 05.30am. They had effectively sold me a tour they did not have a guide for. This was not suitable as the tour was for my parents who are 70 years old. I asked for an alternative day over the next three days and was told this could not be accommodated. Konrad from Krakow Direct said that as it was a significant change, they would issue a refund. 12 days later and I am still waiting and my credit card company have confirmed that the refund is not pending. Krakow Direct have not responded to emails or messages since. Avoid at all costs. Read more Written 11 April 2024
• hollyjB7836ZO 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing This was absolutely breath taking. The tour guides and the drivers were brilliant. We had the best day and were very happy Read more Written 11 April 2024
• I6705OGfrancesc 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fab visit to the Salt Mines Our tour was arranged with Hello Crakow. The mines are amazing and well worth a visit. We were picked up on time from outside our accommodation which was great. The tours are very well organised with English speaking guides who were lovely. Everything went so well from start to finish. I would certainly recommend using this company and arranging this tour. Read more Written 8 April 2024
• tog1504 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Definitely recommend Used this service for pickup and return from airport to city. Driver arrived well in advance. Large vehicle in spotless condition, good value for money, Driver Michael was most pleasant and interesting, would definitely retro family and friends Read more Written 8 April 2024
• thomaspM8852GD 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Very good transfer Gregor P very friendly and helpful. Was very informative and nicely prepared us for our stay. First time we have had a sign held at an airport in our name which made us feel very important. Read more Written 5 April 2024
• P7174NKsarahc 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Most unreliable tour company I have ever dealt with I cannot stress enough how disappointing the cancellation of our tour was. We travelled a very long distance half way across the world to krakow for the purpose of the auschwitz tour. I booked through get your guide 8 weeks in advance of my trip. The day before the tour I noticed I still never received any exact pick up time. I got in touch with get your guide who were extremely helpful and tried calling the tour activity partner krakow tours by krakow direct and also emailed them but got no response. The morning before my tour was supposed to commence I rang the krakow tours by krakow direct myself and was informed they experienced a technical error on their end and never received multiple booking confirmations for numerous customers and I could not do the tour to no fault of my own. I received my booking confirmation weeks in advance and my digital tickets. They did not accommodate me in anyway and said there was no availability for the tour for a couple of days and I was flying home the next day. I spent hundreds on a trip to krakow to take part in the auschwitz tour for it to be cancelled due to a “technical error”. The ordeal didn’t stop there I asked the agent on the phone if I could buy tickets at the memorial centre if I made my own transportation there. At that stage I didn’t mind not having a guided tour I just didn’t want to leave krakow without seeing Auschwitz as that was my whole purpose of the trip. The agent on the phone advised that it was definitely possible and tickets were available at that time which was between 10:00 am to 11:00 am. I went and got an hour long train to the town where Auschwitz is located travelled to the camp memorial centre lined up for tickets to be told that entry passes do not start until 5:15pm in the evening. The cancellation of the tour by krakow direct absolutely ruined my whole trip I had to get another hour long train back to krakow city centre. There were no available buses to bring us to krakow later on that evening so we could not visit Auschwitz in the end as we had no return transport. What a disaster of a day we had all thanks to this company. Please please please book your tours elsewhere. Read more Written 2 April 2024
• craigsL2809AK 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Auschwitz/Berkenau/Oscar Schindler's Factory Tour Done this tour as a private tour for myself and my wife plus her cousin, Leo our driver/guide was fantastic and made for a very smooth and comfortable experience. Leo was very professional and guided us every step of the way and was always right there waiting for us when we had come out. Can't recommend this company enough and make sure you ask for Leo as your driver/guide Read more Written 31 March 2024
• kellymL3505PE 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Airport transfer Very pleasant individual. Made our transfer from the airport to the hotel very smooth and without issue. Gave us recommendations on what to do whilst in the area. Overall really positive experience Read more Written 30 March 2024
• E2323ECjohnc 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Bartek is the best ! Bartek was prompt , professional and super friendly. During the drive into the city Bartek gave us great tips and advice for our stay in Krakow. He even sent lots of tips by text on restaurants and things to do. Would recommend Krakow Direct 100 % - request Bartek , he's great. Read more Written 29 March 2024
• Stay48670458046 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Interesting and enjoyable tour Didn’t have to queue for ages to get started. The guide was very knowledgeable and actually quite fun interacted well with the group to Tour lasted about 2 1/2 hours was interesting and I really enjoyed it. Read more Written 29 March 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 waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Full Day Tour in Auschwitz Birkenau and Salt Mine provided by Krakow Tours by KrakowDirect

Online guided tours for individual visitors

Individual visitors can visit the Auschwitz Memorial with a guide online thanks to the "Auschwitz in Front of Your Eyes" platform.

Groups are organized in three language versions, and the visits starts at a predetermined time.

Entry cards are available at visit.auschwitz.org  at "online individual visit" section. 

The online tour lasts about two hours and is divided into two parts – in Auschwitz I and Birkenau. The guide's narration is conducted live. Additionally, the educator will also use multimedia materials, archival photographs, artistic works, documents, and testimonies of Survivors. Thanks to the application, interaction with the guide and asking questions is also possible.

Online tours hours (time in Poland):

• English: 12:30 daily • German: 12:15 pm Saturday/Sunday • Polish: 12:00 pm Saturday/Sunday

• Polish: 13:00 Saturday/Sunday • German: 13:15 Saturday/Sunday • English: 13:30 daily

• English: 14:30 daily • German: 14:15 Saturday/Sunday • Polish: 14:00 Saturday/Sunday

APRIL - SEPTEMBER

• English: 8:30; 14:30; 17:00 daily • German: 14:15 Saturday/Sunday • Polish: 14:00 Saturday/Sunday

• English: 13:30 daily • German: 13:15 Saturday/Sunday • Polish: 13:00 Saturday/Sunday

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

• English: 12:30 daily • German: 12:15 Saturday/Sunday • Polish: 12:00 Saturday/Sunday

More information about the "Auschwitz in Front of Your Eyes" platform .

• via @auschwitzmuseum" aria-label="Udostępnij na Twitter">

Images from www.auschwitz.org may be used only in publications relating to the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau or the activities of the Auschwitz Memorial. Their use must not tarnish the good reputation of the victims of KL Auschwitz. Any interference in the integrity of the images – including cropping or graphic processing – is prohibited. The use of the images for commercial purposes requires the Museum’s approval and information about the publication. Publishers undertake to indicate the authors and origin of the images: www.auschwitz.org, as well as to inform the Museum of the use of the images ([email protected]).

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Auschwitz Birkenau - Tour or Self Guided - Krakow Forum

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Auschwitz Birkenau - Tour or Self Guided

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If we go the guided tour route can anyone recommend an operator or tell me where to book? Do we arrange our own transportation to Auschwitz & meet up with tour once we arrive or is transportation included in the tour package?

We will be there in early December so the days will be short. Will we have enough time for both Auschwitz & Birkenau?

Do I understand correctly that we must book our tickets online in advance from the museum website? Also, how would I book the Birkenau tour? Maybe I'll find info on the Auschwitz website.

There are only a few companies that offer this option

We did both.

Then at 3:15PM, we went back into Auschwitz and visited on our own. You will need to book entrance tickets for self tour. The self tour entrance tickets are free, but you must have tickets with selected time, and only enter on your ticket time.

So, we had tour tickets @10:45AM, then self tour tickets at 3:15PM. All were booked online on their official website.

It is also my understanding that you are not allowed to self tour between 10AM to 3PM. The self tour has to be before 10AM or after 3PM. So, you kind of have to book a tour. But the tour was nicely done. I recommend taking the tour anyway.

The Birkenau tour is part of the museum tour. Basically, after the museum tour, the guide tells you what time you should get on the bus for Birkenau and he/she will meet up there.

Maybe you can sneak along a tour group for the Birkenau part, just tagging along the outskirt of the group and keeping a low profile?

I don't know what time they start, as the museum tours start at 10, maybe 11.30?

"Maybe you can sneak along a tour group for the Birkenau part, just tagging along the outskirt of the group and keeping a low profile? "

I don't think that would work well. Everyone on a tour wears a sticker that identifies you on that tour, more importantly, everyone on the tour wore a head phone, dialed into their own tour guide's microphone audio signal.

HappyTraveler's plan is a good one, whereby you benefit from the guided tour and then re-enter for more time on your own. I was able to do that in May, and didn't need a second booking to go back in, but I may have just been lucky. Making two bookings is an excellent idea.

The guided tours do not take you into the country exhibits, so you would see them under your own steam, and they are very worthwhile.

I took a Lajkonik bus, not a mini-bus, because my hotel said the larger buses were more comfortable. This is the link to the bus schedule:

http://www.busy-krk.pl/en/oswiecim-krakow.php

I too prefer DIY and thought the regular tour won't enough. So I did the full-day 6 hour study tour. And I am happy that I chose this option.

I just wrote it up yesterday. Hope this helps.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g274754-d275831-r306623417-Auschwitz_Birkenau_State_Museum-Oswiecim_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

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Span Travels and Tours

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Had a very bad experience while booking our tickets with Rao. We had to modify our return flight for an existing reservation which was unfortunately booked through them. He kept insisting us to complete the onward journey and then change the return the flight. I asked him multiple times if the tickets wouldnt be sold out and he said that its not possible at all. So we went with his word and contacted him after we made the onward journey. His response was "the tickets are sold out and please contact the airlines!" I was furious and annoyed because this is exactly what I was worried about and he didnt even bother to put any effort to get me the tickets.

Whenever I plan for India trip, i got help from Span Travels. They took time to find good deal as per my requirements. Prices are reasonable. Never had any bad experience. What i noticed is they try to sell tickets with whom they have partnership. Nothing wrong but as a customer I would like to know all options. Also sometimes i noticed that, they don't spend too much time thinking i am just exploring & not going to buy

Their staff is super helpful. The agent who helped me was Meghna. She was terrific - she actually went out of her way to help me.

Great Service, very friendly. The travel rep who helped me was Viji. I must have called her 20-30 times a day to help me look for last minute tickets.

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6 Last-Minute Travel Tips for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

I n less than a month, people will look to the sky as the moon passes between the sun and the Earth in a celestial event known as a total solar eclipse . The phenomenon is set for April 8, 2024, and the next one that can be seen from contiguous United States will be August 2044 , so it's unsurprising that eclipse fever has gripped the nation. Between 1 and 4 million people are predicted to travel to the path of totality, joining the 31 million people already living within it.

Among the tours, cruises, hotels, and even scenic flights offering their own spin on the total solar eclipse experience, here are six tips that last-minute planners should keep in mind for the special day.

1. Figure out where you want to go

There are 13 U.S. states on the path of this year's eclipse: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (small parts of Tennessee and Michigan are also in the path). Among all of these states, totality will occur in two national parks-Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas and Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio-and they're expected to get crowded. Instead, consider one of the more than 100 state parks along the path, some of which are more off the radar. If you're more of a city dweller, you can also experience totality in big cities, including San Antonio, Austin, Cleveland, and Rochester.

Consider the weather, too. According to NOAA 's past weather records, April weather seems to bring more chances of rain-meaning more potential for cloud coverage-in the Northeast than in the South.

2. Consider the length of totality

Aiming for a destination in the path of totality is a no-brainer, although the amount of totality you'll get depends on where you go. The closer to the center of the path of totality an area is, the longer the total eclipse lasts. Take Austin and Dallas: While both are on the path of totality, Austin will get 1 minute and 46 seconds of totality, while Dallas will get 3 minutes and 52 seconds of totality. The longest duration you can get for totality is about 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Particularly traveler-friendly spots to maximize your time in the dark are Texas Hill Country towns like Kerrville (which will receive around 4 minutes and 24 seconds of totality and is partnering with NASA) and Fredericksburg (which is set to get 4 minutes 23 seconds of totality). Texas Hill Country is also one of AFAR's best places to go in 2024 .

3. Consider camping

If you want a solar eclipse experience surrounded by nature rather than people, camping may suit you better. But booking developed campgrounds at state parks and well-known nature spots will likely be difficult at this point. As an alternative, check for privately owned land through platforms like Hipcamp or look for dispersed camping sites in a national forest, like Ozark National Forest or Green Mountain National Forest . While backcountry spots may not have amenities, they can be perfect for those seeking solitude.

In addition, be sure to check the capacity of a park when it comes to handling the influx of visitors for April 8. As an example, Erie's tourism board is discouraging visits to Presque Isle State Park to prevent bottleneck traffic from its one entry and exit point.

4. Look into a town, festival, or last-minute tour

Plenty of places within the path of totality are putting their own spin on the solar eclipse with dedicated festivities. Get an educational experience at Rochester Museum & Science Center's ROC the Eclipse Festival , a three-day event that includes talks titled "Frontiers of Plasma Physics" and "The Search for Earth-Like Planets" from science experts. Or lean into grandeur at the four-day Texas Eclipse Festival in Burnet, Texas; its lineup includes music performances, yoga sessions, and immersive art experiences. (If you're heading to Texas for the eclipse event in general, check out this interactive map of special activities happening across the state.)

If the mere thought of navigating trip logistics brings a headache, check for the availability of some solar eclipse tours. Some tours still have availability, like Holland America Line's whopping 22-day Solar Eclipse cruise tour through North America. Others, like Travel Quest's Mexico's Copper Canyon Total Solar Eclipse tour , only have wait-list spots. But don't give up hope: As last-minute cancellations roll in, a quick call could secure you a place.

5. Try to get a last-minute spot at hotels in the path of totality

Hotels are leaning into the solar eclipse experience too, and properties are throwing celebrations and dedicated solar eclipse events just for the event. Miraval Austin Resort and Spa is hosting a viewing session with its astrologer, while Hôtel Swexan in Dallas is offering solar eclipse wellness activities on the evening of April 8 that includes meditation, a sound bath, and a Reiki healing session.

Keep in mind that a last-minute booking may cost a premium. Properties all across the band of totality are recording sky-high prices -even budget hotels . Similar to booking tours, do your due diligence and call to check for a cancellation.

6. Come prepared

Of course, you should wear solar eclipse glasses to prevent permanent damage to your eyes. If you're going to an event, check to see if they will be provided or if you'll need to bring your own. If you don't want to buy them, you can use household materials like cardboard to make your own pinhole projector , a contraption that allows you to see the sun change shape as the moon crosses in front of it.

In addition to bringing materials for the day of the event, anticipate what happens next. The length of totality is less than five minutes, but the traffic afterwards may disrupt your plans for hours. If you're coming from a crowded park or city, be on the safe side and come prepared with extra snacks and water.

TOTAL VACCINATIONS - as of 06/24/2021

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The Weeknd | After Hours Til Dawn Tour

The Weeknd to perform at Levi’s® Stadium on August 27!

The After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour will kick off up north in The Weeknd’s hometown of Toronto on Friday, July 8th at the Rogers Centre, with stops at iconic U.S. stadiums including Levi’s ® Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Saturday, August 27th, and more, before wrapping Friday, September 2nd at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The tour is produced by Live Nation. This is the first leg of The Weeknd’s massive world tour, with additional dates in Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa & Middle East to be announced soon.

Tickets for the North American dates go on sale beginning Thursday, March 10 th at 10am local time via TheWeeknd.com/tour .

All guests must be in possession of a valid event ticket, pass or credential to park in a designated parking lot. Please download prepaid parking passes ahead of time and add them to your mobile wallet for an expedited parking process. Day of parking will be available on a limited basis. Credit card payment only.

Accessible Parking Mobility Services will be onsite at 3:30pm to provide roving carts from the mobility kiosks in Red Lot 1.

Bicycle Parking Bicycle parking will be located outside Dignity Health Gate C and opens at 4:30pm.

Buses/Oversized Vehicles Buses/oversized vehicles must park in Blue RV and contact the Visa Box Office at 408-579-4449 to purchase parking in advance.

Tailgating Tailgating is not permitted for this event.

Parking Lots in Operation Please note, prices below represent event day pricing.  

*with valid placard

All guests must be in possession of a valid event ticket, pass, or credential to park in a designated parking lot. 

• All guests ages 2 and above must have an event ticket to enter the stadium.
• Add your tickets and parking passes into Apple Wallet or G Pay to expedite entry at parking an stadium gates.
• There is no re-entry after admittance.
• Guests should have their tickets ready to scan upon approaching the stadium entry gates.
• The ticket barcode must be visible no matter the ticket type.
• The Visa Box Office opens at 4:30pm and is located at the north end of the stadium inside Toyota Gate F. Walk-up tickets may also be available at the Visa Box Office.
• Tickets will not be emailed or available to print. Your mobile ticket must be displayed on your phone to get into the event. 

Bag check services are no longer available . Only bags that comply with Levi’s® Stadium Clear Bag Policy will be allowed.

Levi’s® Stadium prohibits all bags, backpacks and other carriers from being brought into the stadium with the following exceptions:

• Clear Backpacks
• Clear Fanny Packs
• Clear Purses
• One gallon clear plastic zip lock type bags
• Small Clutch Bag (the size of an adult hand) (4.5” x 6.5”)
• Seat Cushion

Please note, tickets will not be emailed or available to print. Your mobile ticket must be displayed on your phone to get into the event using the 49ers App.

All individuals and their belongings are subject to search. The following information is subject to change without notice. 

Fans with medical bags or items they must carry with them must be inspected and have a wristband or sticker placed on it to show that it has been inspected. PLEASE ARRIVE EARLIER TO AVOID LAST MINUTE GATE PRESSURE.

The following ARE PERMITTED in the stadium during Levi’s® Stadium Events:

• Bags that comply with the Bag Policy (see Bag Policy above)
• Binoculars shorter than 6 inches (case prohibited)
• Cameras with 3-inch lenses or shorter (no lights, tripods, selfie-sticks or monopods)
• Diaper bags accompanying a child
• Flags smaller than 2’ x 3’ (No Poles)
• Food and fruit (must be cut into pieces)
• Plastic water bottles (factory sealed, no-alcohol, less than 24 ounces)
• Reusable transparent water bottles (no-alcohol, less than 24 ounces)
• Seat cushions
• Strollers (contact the nearest Playmaker if in need of storing)
• Sunscreen & hand-powered misters
• Umbrellas (no obstruction of other fans view)
• Protective face coverings
• Hand sanitizers up to 12 ounces

The following ARE NOT PERMITTED in the stadium:

• Aerosol cans
• Alcoholic beverages
• Bags that violate the Clear Bag Policy (see Bag Policy above)
• Cameras with lenses larger than 3-inches (lights, tripods, selfie-sticks and monopods are also prohibited)
• Cans, glass bottles or alcoholic beverages
• Drugs & Drug paraphernalia, marijuana & marijuana products
• Coolers (including soft-sided coolers)
• Glow sticks, light-up costumes, light-up signs, battery packs
• Hoods, masks, or face coverings that hide one’s identity or objects to cover one’s face (medical & religious articles exempt)
• Intoxication or signs of impairment related to alcohol or drugs
• Irresponsible drinking or behavior
• Klaxons, bullhorns, whistles or any other noisemakers
• Laptops and Laptop Bags
• Laser pointers of any type
• Offensive clothing
• Plastic bottles larger than 24 ounces
• Projectiles (footballs, Frisbees, etc.)
• Selfie Sticks
• Signs, banners or poles
• UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)
• Weapons of any kind (including silverware).

Anyone possessing PROHIBITED items will be asked to return them to their cars or dispose of them in the garbage cans provided at the gate.

For additional information regarding public transportation click here .

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

VTA will operate increased train service from Mountain View station (Caltrain transfer) and Milpitas station (BART transfer) two hours prior to event start. Post-event service will run for approximately 60 minutes post-event. For more information, please visit www.vta.org .

Guests heading to the concert can get off at the Mountain View station and transfer to VTA light rail service to Levi’s Stadium. Post-event, Caltrain will operate regular weekday schedule – the last northbound trains will depart Mountain View at 11:33pm and the last southbound train departs 1:18am. For more information, please visit the game service page at www.caltrain.com .

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

BART will operate regular weekday schedule and offer one special event train post-concert. The last train northbound will depart at 11:52pm to Pleasant Hill station via Oakland; and the last train southbound will depart at 1:50am. For more information, please visit www.bart.gov .

Pre-Event Drop-off Area

Levi’s Stadium will offer a dedicated drop-off location for the concert off in the main parking lot off Great America Parkway. Please refer to the drop-off map for more information.

Post Event Pick-up/Rideshare

The pick-up zone at Levi’s® Stadium is in Red Lot 7. Follow staff & signage direction for additional direction.

Capitol Corridor

Capitol Corridor will operate regular weekend schedule southbound to Santa Clara. For more information, please visit www.capitolcorridor.org .

The rideshare drop-off location at Levi’s® Stadium for this event will be on Great America Parkway, between Tasman Drive and Old Glory Lane. The pick-up zone is located in Red Lot 7. Follow signage and staff instructions for additional direction.

All accessible parking will be directed to Red Lot 1. Guests who possess a valid placard will be directed to park in this lot and must display their placard at the entrance to be admitted.

Levi’s® Stadium takes pride in providing elite service to all guests including those requiring mobility assistance. We provide a variety of services for our guests with special needs. Included in these services are courtesy shuttle buses from selected parking lots, golf cart shuttles in the Main lot, and Guest Services representatives to provide wheelchair service if requested. Guests that require additional assistance are encouraged to contact our mobility assistance team at 408-579-4610 or email [email protected].

Suite rentals are available for this concert. Click here to learn more about the suite life at Levi’s® Stadium or sign up below to find out more.

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The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

Edited by Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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Middle East crisis live: Blinken calls for calm as Iran official says no plan for immediate retaliation to reported Israeli missile strike

US secretary of state condemns airstrike in Iran; discussion ‘leans more towards infiltration than attack’ says anonymous Iranian official

• Israel has mounted strikes on Iran, US says, as Tehran plays down attack

What we know so far about Israel’s strike on Iran

What’s in isfahan the city home to iranian nuclear facilities.

• 14m ago Blinken says conversations on Rafah at senior levels with Israel continue
• 1h ago Israeli 'aggression' on Iran is an escalation against the region, Hamas official says
• 2h ago Blinken: Hamas standing in the way of a Gaza ceasefire
• 2h ago Blinken: G7 is 'committed to de-escalating'
• 2h ago Israel gave US last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran, Italian foreign minister says
• 4h ago Israel's far-right national security minister criticised for online post about Israel and Iran
• 5h ago EU Commission president calls on Israel and Iran to refrain from escalation
• 6h ago US vetoes Palestinian request for full UN membership
• 7h ago No plan for immediate retaliation against Israel, senior Iranian official says
• 7h ago Summary of the day so far
• 8h ago IAEA says no damage to Iran's nuclear sites
• 10h ago Summary so far
• 10h ago US officials confirm Israel carried out operation against Iran
• 10h ago Nuclear sites unharmed - Iran state TV
• 11h ago Iran fires defence batteries - state-run IRNA news agency
• 11h ago Iran suspends flights over several cities
• 11h ago Welcome and opening summary

Blinken: G7 is 'committed to de-escalating'

Antony Blinken , the US secretary of state, addressed the press today at the conclusion of the G7 meeting of foreign ministers in Capri , Italy .

On behalf of the G7, he condemned Iran ’s cruise missile and drone attack on Israel that prompted an airstrike today on Isfahan , that the US says it has confirmed was carried out by Israel . It hasn not yet been confirmed by Israel or Iran.

“We’re committed to Israel’s security,” Blinken said. “We’re also committed to de-escalating.”

He noted that despite the tensions with Israel and Iran , “we remain intensely focused on Gaza”.

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan on Friday spoke by phone to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian at Iran ’s request to discuss regional developments, a Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters.

The source did not provide further details.

Blinken says conversations on Rafah at senior levels with Israel continue

Further to the comments by Blinken already reported on the blog, there are some more lines from Reuters on what the US secretary of state said on the topic of Gaza .

At a press conference on Friday after a gathering of G7 foreign ministers on the southern Italian island of Capri , Blinken told reporters “we cannot support a major military operation in Rafah”. He said conversations on Rafah , in the southern Gaza Strip , continue at senior levels with Israel .

Blinken said he believed that “Israel’s objectives can be achieved” without a Rafah offensive. He added: “We are committed to achieving a Palestinian state with necessary guarantees for Israel.”

Qatar expressed regret on Friday over the failure of the UN security council to adopt a draft resolution recognising a Palestinian state through full membership of the UN (see 08:14 BST ), according to Reuters.

The United Arab Emirates said on Friday that granting Palestinians full membership in the UNwould be “an important step to boost peace efforts in the region”, the state-run WAM news agency reported.

German airline group Lufthansa has suspended flights to Israel and Iraq until early Saturday.

Services by airlines of the group to Tel Aviv in Israel and Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan were suspended until 5am GMT due to the “current situation”, a spokesperson told AFP.

Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines also decided as a “precautionary measure” to suspend flights to Jordan ’s capital Amman , as well as Erbil and Tel Aviv on Friday “to comprehensively reassess the security situation”.

“Austrian Airlines continuously monitors and assesses the security situation in the Middle East and is in close contact with the authorities,” Austrian Airlines said in a statement sent to AFP.

Both Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines had already suspended their flights to and from Tehran up until the end of the month.

Polish national airline LOT canceled flights on Friday to Tel Aviv and Beirut due to the unstable situation in the region, a spokesperson was quoted as saying by state news agency PAP.

“Today’s flight 151/152 to Israel from Warsaw and to Beirut 143/144 have been cancelled,” Krzysztof Moczulski told PAP, according to a Reuters report. Moczulski said decisions about future flights would be made on an ongoing basis.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken repeatedly declined to confirm a reported Israeli attack on Iran on Friday, saying Washington has not been involved in any offensive operations and it was committed to de-escalating tensions in the region, reports Reuters.

“I’m not going to speak to that except to say that the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations,” Blinken said at a news conference capping a gathering of G7 foreign ministers on the southern Italian island of Capri . According to Reuters reporters, the top US diplomat kept repeating the same response, almost verbatim, when he was asked about the issue several times at the news conference.

At a separate news conference moments before Blinken, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said the US was “informed at the last minute” but did not elaborate (see 11:58 BST ).

Explosions echoed over the Iranian city of Isfahan in the early hours of Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, say Reuters, but Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation – a response that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war.

Israel said nothing about the incident. It had said for days it was planning to retaliate against Iran for Saturday’s strikes, the first direct attack on Israel by Iran in decades of shadow war waged by proxies which has escalated throughout the Middle East .

United Nations secretary general António Guterres said on Friday that “it is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East,” his spokesperson said in a statement.

“The secretary general condemns any act of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond,” Stéphane Dujarric said, accroding to Reuters.

Iran has been trying to reassure people that the country did not face a major threat after airstrikes were carried out in the Isfahan province on Friday.

A news anchor said everything was “back to normal” in a report aired on Press TV, the Iranian state broadcaster’s English-language outlet.

In another clip, said to be filmed in Isfahan and published by Iranian media, an unidentified person is heard saying there had been no damage to the area.

Officials in Washington said Israeli forces were carrying out military operations against Iran but did not describe the character or scale of those operations. Israel and Iran are yet to confirm the source of the strikes.

Israeli 'aggression' on Iran is an escalation against the region, Hamas official says

Israel ’s “aggression” on Iran is an escalation against the region, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Friday.

“We call for expanding the scale of the engagement against the [Israeli] occupation in response to the war of genocide in Gaza and the escalation in the region,” said Abu Zuhri.

Antony Blinken , the US secretary of state, declined to comment on whether the US had any warning of Israel ’s plans to strike Iran this morning, but said: “The United States has not been involved in any offensive operations.”

Blinken restated the G7 ’s commitment to de-escalating tensions in the region.

“What the G7 is focused on, and it’s reflected in our statement and in our conversation, is our work to de-escalate tensions, to de-escalate from any potential conflict,” he said. “You saw Israel on the receiving end of an unprecedented attack, but our focus has been on, of course, making sure that Israel can effectively defend itself, but also de-escalating tensions and avoiding conflict. That remains our focus.”

Blinken: Hamas standing in the way of a Gaza ceasefire

The G7 meeting of foreign ministers had discussed the need for a ceasefire in Gaza , said Antony Blinken , the US secretary of state, but Hamas “continues to move the goalposts”.

“The only thing standing between the Gazan people and a ceasefire is Hamas,” Blinken said. “It has rejected generous proposals from Israel . It seems more interested in a regional conflict than it is in a ceasefire that would immediately improve the lives of the Palestinian people. It continues to move the goalposts.”

The G7 also urges “the rapid implementation of Israel’s humanitarian assistance commitments” in Gaza , Blinken said.

“We have seen important steps over the last couple of weeks with more crossings opening, more aid getting in, more aid getting around,” Blinken said. “But we need to see sustained results and we need to see, in particular, distribution throughout Gaza.”

Below is some footage of the airstrikes in Iran ’s Isfahan province. Although the US said on Friday that strikes were carried out by Israel , it has not yet been confirmed by Israel or Iran:

Here are a few images on the newswires from Italy where G7 foreign ministers met today:

Israel gave US last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran, Italian foreign minister says

The US told the G7 foreign ministers on Friday that it received “last minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran , Italy ’s foreign minister said, according to the Associated Press (AP). Foreign minister Antonio Tajani said the US provided the information at a Friday morning session that was changed at the last minute to address the suspected attack.

Tajani said the US informed the G7 ministers that it had been “informed at the last minute” by Israel about the drones. “But there was no sharing of the attack by the US. It was a mere information.” He said Italians living in Iran were all accounted for and “without problems.”

Jordan ’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi said on Friday that Israeli - Iranian retaliations must end, warning against the danger of regional escalation.

According to Reuters, the United Arab Emirates ’ foreign ministry on Friday also expressed concern about regional tensions. In a statement, the ministry called for “utmost restraint” to avoid serious repercussions.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz called for de-escalation after a strike on the Iranian city of Isfahan and said Berlin would work with its partners in this direction, reports the Reuters news agency

“De-escalation remains the order of the day in the near future. And we will also talk about this with all our friends and allies, and work together with them in this direction,” Scholz told reporters on Friday.

The Jerusalem Post reports its sources have confirmed that Iranian air force assets in Isfahan “almost right next door to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear site in the same area ” were hit during blasts that the US attributed to Israel.

“The message was unmistakable, ‘we chose not to hit your nuclear sites this time, but we could have done worse right here,’ sources told the Post.”

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