Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial from Munich

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Are you curious about learning more about the dark history of the Holocaust while visiting Munich and Bavaria? Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial is located just on the outskirts of Munich. It is a solemn half-day trip opportunity to learn about the horrors of WWII so that they may never happen again. This isn’t an easy day trip, but it is important to make, and I encourage everyone visiting Munich to visit Dachau. This guide covers everything you need to know about visiting Dachau Memorial Camp as a day trip from Munich, including tips on how to get there with public transportation, guided tours, and things to do in the surrounding area.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana

My stomach tightens in knots as I try to hold back tears of emotion, yet they leak from the corners of my eyes. It’s impossible not to feel the haunting pain echoing in the past as I wander through the quiet forest. The dip in the ground was once a trench to collect blood, but now grass and flowers sway in the wind. I can feel it, though; I can feel what happened here deep inside my body. I feel sick and out of place but can’t look away, forcing myself to acknowledge what happened here.

Dachau Memorial is an important place for travelers from all walks of life to experience. It helps us learn from the past and put into perspective the immense pain and suffering caused by the war. This day trip from Munich to Dachau Memorial is an absolute must when visiting Germany, and it is easy to do on your own time during your stay in Munich.

I have visited Dachau Concentration Camp several times while traveling to and living in Munich. The first was during a girl’s backpacking trip through Europe. Being from a small town in Alaska, I found it important to enhance our understanding of global events and the tragedies of war. 

The other times were when I lived in Munich and brought friends and family on an educational day trip. Everyone who joined me here in Dachau was thankful for the experience, no matter how difficult a place to visit

Mindful Travel Reminder for Dachau

Dachau Memorial Camp, once a place of genocide, is now a place of respect and peace. You can wander around the grounds at your own pace, learning from the museum or simply taking in the space. However, traveling from Munich to Dachau can be very emotional, and it is important to reflect on your well-being. Friends and family members have had to leave the museum or cannot enter the crematorium and bathhouse. That is perfectly fine if you visit with an open heart. 

There are four church memorials where you can pray if you’re religious. If not, I found the forest to suit my reflective needs. Most of all, I hope we humans learn from places like this how important it is to study the past and vow never to repeat its horrors. 

You are welcome to take photos without video filming and visit respectfully. This is not an Instagram hot spot or place for photo shoots. Nazi Germany murdered 6 million Jews at sites such as this. Dachau is not a place for loud groups, tacky photos, or disrespect. Stay home and read a history book if you can’t follow those guidelines.

Visiting Dachau Memorial Camp – Overview 

Dachau is straightforward to visit from Munich, making it an accessible half-day or day-trip option. It is close enough to Munich that you only need to catch the Munich City public transportation system, the S-bahn, and a bus.  

The trip can easily be a half-day, only about four hours, but I suggest you take extra time in Dachau to get food and explore the charming town.

The best time to visit Dachau Concentration Camp is any time of the year. 

• Spring is a great shoulder season to visit, but pack your rain jacket. 
• In summer, expect more crowds and better weather. 
• Autumn has always been my favorite time to visit Bavaria, with cooler temperatures, autumn colors, and fewer crowds. If you come around this time, make sure you visit the Volksfest.
• If you visit in winter, you can combine it with a trip to Dachau’s Advent (Christmas) Market, but make sure you bring your outdoor winter attire—hats, gloves, jackets, boots, etc.  

Dachau Concentration Memorial Camp is FREE to visit. That’s right; this is a free activity near Munich, as the focus is getting as many people who want to see through the doors as possible. There are additional costs if you want an audio guide (4.50€) or a guided tour (4€), and there is a fee for parking a private vehicle.

Your public transportation cost for the day will be 10.50€ for a single-day ticket or 19,20€. This includes all your daily transportation, but we will review that later.

Getting to Dachau Concentration Camp from Munich

Public Transportation – Self-Guided

Whether alone or with your companions, you will want to get a Munich day transportation pass from any transit station. If you plan on staying around Dachau, you only need a day pass for zones M and 1.

You will get a single or group ticket that includes these zones from any U-bahn or S-Bahn station. Once you have this pass, you are covered for the entire day, whether you take a train, subway, bus, or tram.

I highly recommend getting the Munich Card if you plan to explore Munich for multiple days. This card gives you all-inclusive access to Munich’s public transportation, including to/from the airport and to/from Starnberg. Plus, you get access to and discounts for over 80 tours, attractions, restaurants, and theaters.

Once you have your day ticket, Google Maps will help you navigate it. But you can take the S2 from any Sbahn station, such as Marienplatz or Hauptbahnhof. Make sure you are heading in the right direction toward Petershausen. The ride is about 30 minutes from the Hauptbahnhof. Make sure you get off at Dachau Station.

From there, take bus 726 toward Saubachseidlung. Get off at the Memorial Site Stop KZ-Gedenkstätte. Most buses have TV screens to help you know when to get off.

On your return or beforehand, you may visit the Dachau Altstadt. In this case, you would walk to catch one of the buses heading into the city and return to Munich via the Dachau Stadt Sbahn stop.

Visiting Dachau Memorial Center

Once you arrive at Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, you will check in and pay for your audio guide or register for one of the guided tours. 

I highly recommend you take advantage of one of these options, as Dachau is a place that requires a lot of context and information. Without these guides, you are simply looking at barracks without understanding that Jewish prisoners were chained to the footboards and crammed in these hard wooden bunks. 

Audio and Self-Guided Tour

I opted for the audio guide because, as an introvert, it was nice to explore at my own pace and leisure while still having the historical background and context. These are easy to purchase from the front desk, and there is no waiting or time slot to get one. Purchase one, load it up with your language choice, and venture into the memorial center. 

Guided Tours at Dachau

The guided tour is worth it for those who want a more immersive experience with a small group and guide. The tours only run a few times throughout the day: 11:00 and 13:00 for English Speakers and noon for German speakers. The tours last 2.5 hours. 

These tours must be booked in advance, but you can not make reservations. So, it is a first-come-first-serve event for groups of up to 30. If you want to do one of these tours, arrive at least 30 minutes early to register at the visitor’s desk. You will visit all the sites during this tour and receive comprehensive information. 

Visiting Dachau 

Once inside Dachau, feel free to go wherever you want or wherever the audio guide takes you. There are two general approaches. You can visit the museum first and then explore the grounds, or do this in reverse. I suggest visiting the museum as it adds a lot of context and helpful information beyond what the audio guide offers.

The museum is a challenging place to visit, with images and descriptions of humanity at its absolute lowest. Take time to read the information and take it all in at your own pace. ‘

From there, head out into the grounds, which are contrastingly peaceful yet solemn. Visit the barracks and the religious memorials, and prepare to enter the gas chamber and the Crematorium.

For me, these last two places were the most challenging places to enter. Once inside, I felt sick and claustrophobic, imagining what happened there. I didn’t stay long but entered and took it all in my way. From there, you can see the killing trench designed to catch blood, now overgrown with flowers. 

If you are visiting with friends or family, as I did, I suggest you explore independently. You can stick together, but we saved talking for the end and allowed ourselves to process things in our way and time.

Take your time; when ready, return to the visitor area and prepare to depart.

Guided Tour Experiences from Munich

There are plenty of options if you want a guide to escort you to and from Munich and take you through the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. If you pre-book one of these, you don’t have to risk the chance of the on-site guided tours being booked. They will also help you navigate public transit or even provide a private transfer.

Please be respectful and mindful of residents who rely on the same bus as those heading to Dachau.

Visit the Town of Dachau

Dachau is a town beyond the Concentration Camp, and long before Nazi Germany ravaged the country and slaughtered Jews, Dachau was a cultural and artistic hub just outside of Munich. 

While many people don’t have an appetite for sightseeing after Dachau, you may visit Dachau town before the Concentration Camp. 

Dachau was a prominent art and culture hub and is a member of the euroArt European Federation of Artist’s Colonies. Many artists, such as Max Liebermann, Emil Nolde, and others, resided here. If you are interested in art, visit the Gemäldegalerie Dachau or the art gallery to see prominent works from the area. 

Stop by Schloss Dachau for a scenic palace and garden. 

Check out the Christmas Market and Volksfest in autumn if visiting during a seasonal holiday.

Where to Stay in Munich

If you want to explore Munich in depth, don’t miss my two comprehensive guides—check out this alternative guide to Munich and this sustainable travel guide to Munich.

Make sure you book one of my favorite hotels in Munich, having personally stayed in them myself!

• Royal Bavarian for a lavish only-in-Munich experience
• Flushing Meadows for the independent hipster traveler
• Schwan Lock is for those who want to visit Munich like a local
• Living Hotel Viktualienmarkt for the sustainable traveler who wants a central hotel

Discuss and Share

Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial as a day trip from Munich is challenging emotionally, but it is an essential site for us to see with open hearts. Take your time to explore the Memorial at your leisure with the audio or in-person guide.

The memorial center is easy to access from Munich with public transportation and is free – making this an approachable and meaningful day trip from Munich. Learn about Germany’s dark history so we, as a society, can learn and grow.