Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is most often visited on half- or full-day trips from Munich. Visitors to the memorial site can expect to see the former compound (now an exhibition center), and learn about Europe in World War II, the Holocaust, and the violence that took place at Dachau. Whether seen independently or on a guided private or small-group tour from Munich, the guard houses and administration buildings, reconstructed barracks, cells, and crematorium offer ample opportunity for reflection.

• Visiting the Dachau memorial is an intense experience, and appropriate solemnity and respect are required on the grounds.

• While it's free to visit the memorial, booking an audio guide or a group or private tour allows for added insight and context from a tour guide.

• The site does not offer luggage storage.

• Dachau is generally wheelchair accessible, although some of the grounds are unpaved and some buildings do not have dedicated wheelchair entrances.

• Some of the exhibits may not be appropriate for kids under 12; it's recommended that kids visit with an adult.

Dachau is 17 miles (28 kilometers) northwest of Munich. By public transportation, take the S2 train from Munich's Central Station to Dachau Bahnhof, then transfer to bus 726 toward Saubachsiedlung and get off at KZ-Gedenkstätte, the entrance of the memorial site. Parking fees apply from March to October.

The site is open daily from morning to early evening year-round, aside from Christmas Eve (December 24). While some of the exhibits are indoors, much of the site is outdoors, and visited more frequently in the warmer months. The memorial tends to be busiest around noon.

Set in what was once a maintenance building, Dachau's main permanent exhibition documents the former Nazi concentration camp's horrific history and sheds light on the lives of the site's prisoners with firsthand accounts, biographies, and artifacts. Elsewhere on the Dachau grounds are exhibits in other original buildings displaying bunkers, model barracks, a crematorium, and a gas chamber, although evidence indicates that the gas chamber was never used to murder prisoners.

Most visitors take around 4 hours to tour the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, whether they’re exploring in a self-guided fashion or on a group tour. With travel time—Munich is about an hour away—plus time to decompress, you can plan for your Dachau visit to take roughly a full day.

No, there is no entrance fee to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, and there’s no need to obtain tickets in advance—simply walk up at any time during open hours. Parking does come with a fee, as do various guided tours, audio guides, and certain special exhibitions.

On a tour of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, you can tour the barracks, the original crematorium, the gas chamber, various religious memorials, and the former maintenance building, which has been turned into a museum. The visitor center plays a short documentary film that provides historical context and background.

Yes, guided tours are available at the Concentration Camp Dachau Memorial Site. Tours typically last 2.5 hours and take place several times a day in multiple languages, no reservation needed. Audio guides are available in even more languages. Third-party tours, some with transportation, typically depart from Munich.

Before visiting the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, it’s important to understand that this is a place of mourning—dress and act appropriately, limit photography, and be prepared for an emotional experience. The site has quiet areas for reflection, plus restrooms, a café, a bookshop, and accessible paths and facilities.

Yes, you can visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site on your own, and self-guided tours are common. Informational panels provide detailed historical context, and you can rent an audio guide for a more structured self-guided experience. Guided tours may offer a deeper understanding of this site’s history and significance.