Dachau Concentration Camp is one of the most popular day trips from Munich.

This is a comprehensive guide on how we visited Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site during our Bavaria road trip.

We like to say that each travel experience is unique, but we truly never forget places like Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. It's not just a trip to WW2 Germany's past but also some of the darkest corners of humankind. Dachau KZ (Konzentrationslager) near Munich is often described as a sobering and humbling place to visit, but we would add that it's also very surreal. To be able to walk around the grounds that witnessed unimaginable atrocities definitely feels that way.

We've already seen some concentration camps in Europe, and the visit is always the same - unpleasant, shocking, and terrifying, and those few hours we spent in Dachau were no different.

Where is Dachau Concentration Camp?

Dachau Concentration Camp is located about 20 kilometers northwest of Munich (30 kilometers if you're in the historic part) in Bavaria, Germany.

Dachau Concentration Camp is about 30 minutes from Munich.

Is Dachau Concentration Camp Worth Visiting?

Yes, we strongly believe every person should make a visit to a concentration camp memorial during their lifetime. As Dachau was the first of its kind, it's really easy to see why your first steps should lead you there. Honestly, there's no such question as if Dachau KZ is worth a visit; this is a must. There are also the educational and remembrance aspects that make the trip to Dachau worthwhile. This is also our simple answer to the question of why you should visit Dachau.

Every person should visit Dachau at least once in their life.

Being from Czechia gave us the opportunity to visit Auschwitz, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Mauthausen, and Terezin throughout the years. Each visit offered a somber experience. Dachau was no exception.

Where to Stay: Dachau or Munich?

Should you stay in Dachau or Munich? That's the question you need to answer yourself. Here's a handful of tips we can offer on this topic.

Dachau

The most convenient option is to spend a night directly in the town of Dachau. Given our long day on the road, we decided to do just that. Given all the history, it felt a bit strange to say aloud that we'd spend a night in Dachau. There are few accommodations in Dachau's Altstadt, which is about three kilometers from the memorial's entrance.

As we didn't want to explore this part of town due to limited time, we stayed on Dachau's outskirts near the Alte Romerstraße Schleißheimer Straße junction. The location is home to several new modern hotels with easy parking, but the best part is that the Dachau Concentration Camp is about a kilometer from this area.

All the hotels in the area we considered for our stay offered a very similar experience, so you don't have to overthink it too much and just pick the one that's within your budget and available on your dates.

Hotels in Dachau:

We wanted to stay in Hotel MODI, but Amedia Munich Dachau by Wyndham was significantly cheaper, so we picked this one instead. FreshSuites & Bar is also a great place to stay while in Dachau. If you want to stay in the historic part instead, check out the Hotel DAH-Inn.

We stayed in the Amedia Hotel near the Dachau Memorial.

Munich

However, most visitors visit Dachau Concentration Camp on a day trip from Munich, where they also stay overnight. Basing yourself in Munich is great for several reasons. The Bavarian capital has tons of fantastic hotels for all budgets, plus it's filled with great restaurants, cafes, etc. The best part is that the memorial site can be easily reached by public transport from there.

Hotels in Munich:

Munich is huge, and there's a hotel at every turn. We stayed in Moxy Munich Ostbahnhof as it had modern rooms, underground parking, and was still within walking distance from the Old Town. If you seek luxury, only a few places can beat Rosewood Munich. For those traveling on a shoestring, Euro Youth Hotel Munich is a perfect choice.

Essentials to Know Before Visiting Dachau KZ

Dachau Concentration Camp is a visitor-friendly place, if you can even say that about it. Despite it being heavily visited by tourists from all over the world, it's still, most importantly, a memorial site. It means that some things are different at Dachau than you would expect from a museum (unless that museum is Yad Vashem in Israel or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).

Photography

Generally, photography is allowed in Dachau Concentration Camp, but there are a few extra rules to taking photos in such a place. No drones, tripods, etc., no photos in restricted areas, and be sure your photography does not disturb other visitors.

My personal opinion about taking photos in Dachau KZ (or other concentration camps) is that it's essential if done in a respectful manner. Despite how much evidence is out there, there are still some people denying the Holocaust. Photography with our personal experience is one of the ways to ensure it's not forgotten. Then there's the topic of selfies/posing/etc. in concentration camps, and you can read about valid reasons why you do or don't do it. Again, only you can decide where the line is.

Age Restrictions

Don't forget that Dachau is not suitable for younger visitors, and the entrance is not advised for children under 12. Additionally, the guided tours are recommended for visitors over 13. That doesn't mean we haven't seen small kids in the complex, but those age limits are recommended for a reason.

Dogs

Dogs are not allowed in Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, except for guide and assistance dogs.

What to Wear

The rule of thumb is to dress respectfully when visiting the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, plus remember that you'll spend quite some time outside. The morning was cold and cloudy when we were there, so we wore jeans and a rain jacket with a sweater underneath. Also, comfortable shoes are essential. You won't do much walking (the furthest point is just about a kilometer from the entrance), but you will most likely spend at least a few hours there (slowly walking/standing).

Don't forget that you're not allowed to carry and display flags and also clothing or symbols associated with right-wing extremist groups, but hopefully, our readers don't need this advice.

Crowds

Dachau is one of the most visited places near Munich, and the site is often cramped during peak season. We recommend getting there to arrive early to avoid the crowds/bus tours at the site. The experience is much more immersive when you don't have to think about how to get through a group of 50 people to see the next display. We pulled into an almost empty parking lot at 9:00 on the weekend, and by noon, there were significantly more people than when we arrived. It was still shoulder season, so it was nothing extreme.

Entry Fee

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial is free to enter; you don't need to book any tickets. So, you only need to pay for the parking (only if arriving by car) and audio headset/guided tour (though that's optional).

Opening Times

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. It's closed on December 24th (Christmas Eve).

When to Visit Dachau Concentration Camp

Dachau Concentration Camp is open year-round (yes, you can go even in winter), and there's no specific best time to visit. We have only two things to say on the when-to-go topic. It's the weather and crowds. We visited Dachau Concentration Camp in April on a day with cloudy skies and near-freezing temperatures. When you imagine being one of the prisoners during roll call (Appell), often standing in the much worse weather conditions for hours outside, it really gets under your skin.

Electrified barbed-wire fences and moats surrounded the concentration camp.

Another thing you need to take into account is that the memorial gets crowded during the summer season (sometimes also during late spring and early fall) and on weekends with pleasant weather. But if your Bavaria itinerary is already planned, there isn't much you can do about it. Given our early start, the complex felt fairly quiet when we were there, and it really made the overall experience stand out.

How Long Does it Take to Tour Dachau Concentration Camp

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial offers a comprehensive experience for visitors, and we do recommend setting aside at least three to five hours. This was our first visit, during which we spent almost four hours at the memorial. And while we saw everything we wanted, we didn't read all the displays/hear all the stories, etc. The most crucial tip we can share with you is that you shouldn't rush through. There's a lot to take in. While a brief visit to Dachau KZ is feasible (we'd say that's anything under two hours), a longer visit will provide a more comprehensive and meaningful experience.

There's so much information that you could easily spend a full day in Dachau KZ, but we have a feeling that you won't stay that long unless you're a history buff. Bear in mind that the experience can be quite mentally unpleasant and physically tiring, so be sure to take a break from time to time.

How to Get to Dachau KZ

Dachau is easily accessible by bus, train, taxi, or guided tour. You could also consider renting a car in Munich for a trip to Dachau KZ, but we believe it's better to opt for public transport if you're already in the city. Car rental make sense only in case you want to continue from Dachau somewhere next, like Neuschwanstein or Legoland. Or if, like us, you're already touring Bavaria, and Dachau is a place you plan to visit before heading to Munich.

Driving to Dachau

After finishing our super long day in the Bavarian Alps, we headed north to Dachau. It took us under two hours to reach Dachau from Linderhof Palace, which is about the same amount of time you will need when departing from the Fussen area (home to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau).

Dachau is about two hours from Nuremberg (via A9), 45 minutes from Augsburg (via A8), 90 minutes from Regensburg (via A93 and A9) and more than two hours from Stuttgart (via A8). If you're leaving from Munich city center, you will need about 30-45 minutes to tackle the 30-kilometer journey. The traffic can be heavy in the morning and afternoon, so be prepared for it.

We drove to Dachau Concentration Camp from the Bavarian Alps.

Public Transport to Dachau

Getting to Dachau from Munich's city center by public transport is incredibly easy. Here's exactly what you need to do.

1) Get to Munich Hauptbahnhof: Munich Hauptbahnhof is located about a kilometer west of Munich's Old Town and can be reached easily on foot. Munich's main train station is often used as a starting point for the Dachau trip, but we discovered you can also catch the train from different stations. For instance, the S2 train also leaves from Marienplatz, Karlsplatz, etc., so you can skip this step if you're near one of these stops.

2) Take a Train to Dachau Bahnhof: From Munich Hauptbahnhof to Dachau Bahnhof, you just need to take either a train S2 or R16 train. The S2 train departs about every 10 minutes, and the journey takes about 21 minutes. The R16 train is faster (the ride is only 11-12 minutes) but runs less frequently (about 20-60 minutes). You can either get a ticket at the Munich train station (ticket machine or counter) or buy it via the Deutsche Bahn website.

3) Take a Bus to Dachau Memorial: The train station is about three kilometers from Dachau's KZ. Once you arrive at Dachau Bahnhof, you can take bus 726, which stops in front of the train station, to the entrance of the concentration camp memorial site. Note there's another way to reach Dachau from here.

Bus 726 takes you from Dachau Bahnhof to the memorial site.

4) Or Walk the Path of Remembrance: If you don't mind walking, Walking the Path of Remembrance offers the best way to get to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. There are 12 stops along the route, with the final being the Herb Garen (Krautergarden). The path follows the journey of most prisoners who were transported to Dachau from different parts of Europe and were forced to walk this route.

Take a Tour to Dachau

Dachau Memorial Site is one of the best day trips from Munich, even though the word 'best' doesn't sound quite right. We created this guide to help you visit Dachau on your own, but if you just want to focus on the overall experience, you can take a tour instead. This Dachau Concentration Camp Tour has great reviews and is extremely popular with travelers who just want to focus on the experience, not planning.

Parking

There's a large parking lot, Parkplatz der KZ-Gedenkstatte Dachau, right in front of the Dachau Concentration Camp's entrance. We got to the memorial at the start of its opening hours, and it was almost empty, although we heard it usually fills up quickly during the peak season (so that's another reason to use public transport instead).

Just a heads-up: parking at Dachau Concentration Camp isn't free. It costs €3 for cars, which is still quite affordable, but be prepared it is cash only.

What to Expect from Dachau Concentration Camp

A visit to Dachau Concentration Camp was as straightforward as it could be. We mentioned earlier that it wasn't our first experience with a memorial site of this type, so we pretty much knew what we were getting into. It's always a strange bag of mixed feelings. As we typically do, we toured the Dachau KZ complex without a guide. As usual, the whole complex was very easy to navigate, and the only reason to take a tour would be purely for convenience.

We took time and walked around Dachau Concentration Camp without a guide.

There's one more reason we'll mention in the section below so we can focus on our experience in this one. This brings us to the fact that one of the main characteristics of concentration camps is that they were all run with incredible effectiveness. And that means there was a little variance in all the camps we've been to so far, and every visit felt very similar.

A visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp is a moving experience, and it's tough to put into words all the emotions that will go through your brain once you step into the complex for the first time, visit the jail, see the crematorium, read about the terror, fear, death or hear the personal stories of the survivors. You can read all the history of concentration camps and see all the WW2 documentaries, but only the real-life experience has the dizzying and overwhelming effect.

Travel Insurance

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World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.

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History of Dachau KZ

Dachau Concentration Camp was built in the northeast part of the small town of Dachau, about 20 kilometers from Munich. The camp plans were designed by Theodor Eicke, and the whole complex was opened on March 22nd, 1933, by Heinrich Himmler, six years before WW2 broke out.

The initial purpose of the camp was to detain Hitler's political opponents, primarily communists and social democrats. It didn't take long, and Nazis 'extended' this group to Jews, Romani People, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholic priests, foreign nationals, and criminals. It's estimated that the Dachau Concentration Camp held over 200.000 prisoners during its operation from 1933 to 1945.

Dachau was the prototype of the other concentration camps Germans built in the following years. So, if you've already been to some other concentration camps and found them all similar, now you know why. The terrifying fact about Dachau is that between 1933 and 1945, around 41,500 persons died in the main concentration camp and its subcamps, though the exact number is not known. It was the combination of hunger, exhaustion, disease, torture, and murder.

U.S. forces liberated Dachau KZ on April 29th, 1945. Today, it's a memorial site aiming to educate the public about the atrocities Nazis committed during the Holocaust.

Dachau's International Monument is located opposite the museum building.

Guided Tours at Dachau

Dachau Concentration Camp offers guided tours in English starting daily at 11 AM and 1 PM (German tour is available daily at 12 PM). These tours take about two and a half hours, but note that they are not free, although tickets are very reasonably priced at €4 per adult.

At the time of our visit, we saw that the tickets were available at the Visitor's Center (and could not find a way to book them online). Above, we promised to share one reason why a guided tour might be worth it. The whole complex might feel a bit bland; it's a memorial with original buildings, not an amusement park, after all. So, having a knowledgeable guide can greatly enhance your ability to picture the site's past.

Audio Guide

You can rent an audio guide at Dachau for €4.50 if you're not in the mood for all the reading.

Dachau Self-Guide Brochure

Another option is that if you want to go without a guide but do want to get a 'guided-tour experience,' you can also purchase a 90-page ebook, Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site - A Tour. It's not free, and there's not much extra information, so we don't find it essential. The only thing is that you might find it useful even before/after a trip, not just during the actual visit.

Our Tip: If you want to save money, the official KZ-Gedenkstatte Dachau website has a free virtual tour.

What to See in Dachau Concentration Camp

There are about 20 stops in the Dachau Concentration Camp worth exploring, so you can imagine there's lots to see. Multiple structures have been demolished and are no longer present, certain have been reconstructed, and some still exist in their original form. That said, Dachau is so large that it almost feels empty.

The model of the Dachau Concentration Camp is housed in the museum.

Entry Gate

There's a small visitor center with a cafe and toilets by the entrance, but you don't need to go inside if you don't want to. Once we passed the Jourhaus and walked through the wrought-iron camp gate with the ominous Arbeit macht frei (Work sets you free) sign, we found ourselves inside the complex with the former roll call area in front of us.

The entrance gate with 'Arbeit macht frei' inscription at Dachau.

Museum

On our right-hand side was a complex of buildings comprising a maintenance building with prisoner baths, a shunt room, a camp prison, and a memorial room. That's where we headed first. If you're not sure, we do recommend starting here.

The former Maintenance building is now home to an extensive Dachau Concentration Camp exhibition where you'll learn everything about the history of Dachau. This is the main area where you can easily spend a few hours without noticing. Take your time; the 'museum' is overflowing with information, stories, and history.

Dachau's Museum is filled with stories of prisoners.

Camp Prison

The next steps took us to the former camp prison, located just behind the main museum building. Here, we could read more horrific stories about people SS guard personnel detained, questioned, punished, tortured, and often murdered in this building.

The 'Bunker' served as the camp's prison.

Barracks

Once we were done there, we walked toward the northern end of the complex but stopped at the two remaining buildings of the barracks area where the prisoners 'lived' first. Each block of the barracks was designed to hold 200 people, but up to 2000 prisoners were crammed there as the Dachau due to overcrowding. The living conditions must have been atrocious inside the sleeping quarters (the wooden bunk beds had been re-installed there).

Memorials

At the farther end, there were also several religious memorials (Jewish Memorial, The Catholic Mortal Agony of Christ Chapel, etc.) within Dachau KZ.

Jewish Memorial is a solemn tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

Crematorium

The only remaining part we haven't explored yet was the Crematorium area (accessed via bridge) in the northwest corner of the complex. It was built no sooner than 1940 when the death toll dramatically increased, followed by the construction of Barrack X in 1942. This was a new crematorium with four furnaces, sanitary facilities, and a shower bath, which was just the cover name for a gas chamber.

Evidence suggests that SS never used the gas chamber in Dachau for its intended purpose, though it's still not known why. Again, no words can describe how it feels to stand inside this structure. The crematorium area was also used as the execution site.

There are also graves with the ashes of those who died there, and if you want to know more, follow the commemorative Path of Death.

Next Stop: Munich

And that was all. From this point, we headed back, processing what we had just seen. On our way to the hotel, we stopped at Nymphenburg Palace first and then continued to BMW Welt and Olympic Park.

There are tons of things to do in Munich, but we particularly liked the Munich Residence (that place is huge), Deutsches Museum (the Modern Aviation exhibition was amazing), and Frauenkirche (for the views).

Travel Resources

Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.

Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.

Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.

We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.

Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.

Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.

Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.

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Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp (Without a Tour)