Munich To Dachau Travel Guide

Quick Details

The memorial site is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, closing on Christmas Eve (24 December). Admission to the grounds is free. Audio guides cost around €4.50 and are available at the visitor center in several languages including English. Allow a minimum of three to four hours on-site; five hours total including travel is a realistic budget for the day.

The fastest and cheapest independent route is the S2 S-Bahn from Munich Hauptbahnhof followed by bus 726. The S2 takes 23 minutes to Dachau station; the bus adds another 10 minutes. Total door-to-door travel time from central Munich is roughly 40 to 50 minutes each way.

• S2 + Bus 726: Single-Tageskarte €11.10 (covers the full return journey including bus); Group Day Ticket €20.10 for up to 5 adults — 40–50 minutes travel time.
• RB16 regional train: direct Munich Hbf to Dachau Bahnhof in 11 minutes, once per hour — same tickets apply.
• Guided tour: €35–€55 per adult, 5–6 hours total, transport and guide included.
• Driving: approximately 30 minutes from Munich city center; parking on-site costs €3 per car (cash only).

How to get to Dachau from Munich by train

Start at Munich Hauptbahnhof (the central station). From there, take the S2 S-Bahn in the direction of Petershausen or Altomünster — both destination boards lead through Dachau. The S2 departs roughly every 10 to 20 minutes and takes 23 minutes to reach Dachau Bahnhof. The S2 typically leaves from Platform 2; take the escalator downstairs from the main hall, veer right, and go down again.

If timing works in your favor, the RB16 regional train runs once per hour and travels express from Munich Hbf to Dachau Bahnhof in just 11 minutes — less than half the travel time of the S2. It departs from Platform 21, which is at street level in the open-air section of the Hauptbahnhof. Check the live departure boards for the next RB16 when you arrive.

For the return journey, take the S2 toward Erding or München Ost, or the RB16 toward München Hbf. Both are the direct reverse of the outbound trip and are covered by the same day ticket.

Consult our Munich public transport guide if you need help navigating the S-Bahn network more broadly, or are connecting from a hotel outside the city center.

Which train ticket to buy

Dachau sits in Zone M-1 of the Munich MVV network. The correct ticket for a solo traveler making a single round trip is the Single-Tageskarte (Single Day Ticket), which costs €11.10 as of 2026. It covers unlimited travel on the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, bus, and tram for the entire calendar day, including the bus leg from Dachau station to the memorial. It expires at 06:00 the following morning, not 24 hours after purchase.

If you are traveling with a companion, the Gruppen-Tageskarte (Group Day Ticket) at €20.10 covers up to five adults on the same zones and is cheaper than two individual tickets. A children's day ticket (Kinder-Tageskarte, ages 6–14) costs €3.70.

Buy tickets from the blue MVG or red DB vending machines at any S-Bahn station, via the MVV app, or through the DB Navigator app. If you buy a paper ticket, check whether it is pre-validated for your travel date; if not, stamp it in one of the small blue validation machines on the platform before boarding. Riding with an unvalidated ticket results in an on-the-spot fine.

Getting from Dachau station to the memorial site

After exiting at Dachau Bahnhof, follow the signs for "KZ-Gedenkstätte" through the station concourse and out to the bus stops on the street. Board bus 726 in the direction of Saubachsiedlung. The bus stops at "KZ-Gedenkstätte" after seven stops, dropping passengers directly outside the main visitor center entrance. The journey takes about 10 minutes and buses run every 20 minutes. Your day ticket covers this bus fare.

Alternatively, you can walk the Path of Remembrance — an official 3-kilometer route that follows the path prisoners were forced to march after arriving by train. Twelve information panels along the route describe the history of the camp and the experiences of those who were imprisoned there. Walking takes roughly 45 minutes and is widely regarded as a meaningful way to arrive. The route is flat and easy to follow.

For the return, catch bus 726 in the direction of Dachau Bahnhof from the stop directly across the road from where you were dropped off at the memorial entrance.

How to get to Dachau from Munich by car

Driving takes approximately 30 minutes from Munich Hauptbahnhof under normal traffic conditions. Morning rush hour (07:00–09:00) can double that, so aim to depart after 09:00. The most direct route follows the A8 or A92 motorway before cutting north toward Dachau. Enter Alte Römerstraße 73, 85221 Dachau into your navigation system, or search for "Parkplatz KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau" — both take you directly to the designated parking area.

Parking at the memorial site costs a flat €3 per car and is payable by cash only. The lot is sizable but fills up by midday in summer, so arriving before 10:00 secures a space near the entrance. If you are renting a vehicle, check best rental car deals in Munich before your trip. There are no petrol stations immediately adjacent to the site entrance.

Note that the address "Alte Römerstraße 73" takes you to the parking area, while "Alte Römerstraße 75" (the official postal address sometimes listed online) is close but refers to the site administration entrance. Either works in practice. Keep your rental documents accessible; German traffic checks are routine on motorways.

Guided tours from Munich to Dachau

A guided tour handles all logistics — train tickets, bus transfers, and entry paperwork — and provides expert historical context throughout the visit. This is the most practical option for first-time visitors who are unfamiliar with the German rail system or who want in-depth interpretation of the site. Tours typically depart from central Munich between 09:00 and 12:15 and run for five to six hours in total.

Radius Tours operates daily English-language tours departing from their office at Dachauer Straße 4 — about a five-minute walk from Munich Hbf. The standard adult fare is €53 (student rate €51 with valid ID). Their guides are trained directly by the memorial site, and the tours cover the roll-call area, prisoner barracks, bunkers, crematorium, and the international monuments. You can book a Radius Tours spot directly here.

For a broader selection of operators, the From Munich: Dachau Memorial Site Day Tour on GetYourGuide lists multiple options with verified reviews, including small-group formats capped at 15 participants. Larger group tours are also available via the platform for school or corporate groups.

Visitor conduct, age guidance, and what to expect on-site

The Dachau Memorial Site is not a leisure attraction. The memorial recommends that children be at least 14 years old to visit the main exhibitions, which include detailed accounts of torture, medical experiments, and mass executions. Radius Tours and some other operators set a minimum age of 13 and do not permit exceptions. If you are traveling with younger children, the content is genuinely distressing; consider a separate Munich program for them instead. For ideas see our guide on Munich with kids.

Food may not be purchased or consumed on the grounds of the memorial site itself. A small cafeteria operates near the visitor center entrance and is the designated place to eat before or after your visit. Photography is permitted throughout the site, including inside the museum, but visitors are expected to behave with restraint. Silence and respectful behavior are the norm; loud conversation and group selfies inside the gas chamber or crematorium are considered deeply disrespectful by both staff and other visitors.

Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate footwear. The majority of the site is outdoors and requires significant walking on gravel and cobblestone paths. Summer temperatures on the exposed grounds can be high; bring water. In winter, the site is cold and often damp. The memorial operates regardless of weather. There is no dress code beyond the practical, but revealing or politically provocative clothing is inappropriate given the setting.

If you are traveling with a guided tour, tipping your guide is appreciated — but do not tip while you are still inside the memorial grounds. Wait until you are back at the bus stop or train station before expressing your appreciation.

Planning your day around a Dachau visit

Arrive at the memorial by 09:30 or 10:00 to have enough time for the full exhibition, the outdoor grounds, and the reconstructed prisoner barracks before the midday crowds arrive. The museum alone takes 90 minutes if you read thoroughly. After the visit, most people return to Munich in the early afternoon and use the remaining daylight for something calmer — a walk around Marienplatz and the Old Town is a common choice, or lunch at one of the where to eat in Munich.

If you only have a single day in Munich, this trip occupies roughly half of it. Factor in travel time in both directions plus a realistic four hours on-site, and you are looking at returning to the city center by 14:00 to 15:00. The combination is intense but manageable. Do not plan any high-energy or celebratory activities immediately after the memorial — the site leaves most visitors needing quiet time to process what they have seen.

For broader context on planning your time in Munich, see our guide on the best day trips from the city and the main our complete Munich guide pillar for other itinerary ideas.