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The Dachau concentration camp tour covers all the main areas including the permanent exhibitions, barracks, crematoriums, torture chambers, gas chambers, the international monument, and the memorial sites. It illustrates in depth the role the camp played during the Holocaust.
Explore the camp with an expert English-speaking guide, who will explain its history in detail. There is a lot of difficult information to process, and a guided tour is the best way to understand the true depth of the Holocaust and gain insight into the prisoners’ experiences.
Watch a 20-minute documentary film about Dachau, which gives you a grim and sobering account of the rise of the Nazi Party and the harrowing history of the concentration camp. While difficult to watch, it lays bare the stark reality of the crimes committed here.
Your Dachau tour tickets include transfers from Munich and back by bus and train, saving you the hassle of figuring out the transportation logistics and reaching the camp by yourself. With your travel taken care of, you can focus on the tour.
The main entrance to the camp, also known as the “Jourhaus”, the iron gate was a symbol of the brutal Nazi regime and the suffering of the camp’s prisoners. It is marked with the slogan “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work sets you free”), a cruel irony considering the camp’s true nature as a place of forced labour.
One of seven guard towers built for the German SS soldiers at Dachau, a reconstructed watchtower gives you an idea of the oppressive conditions in which the inmates were kept. They were equipped with machine guns and manned round the clock to prevent prisoners from escaping.
Known in German as “Appelplatz”, this square served as an open area where the prisoners were counted and inspected every morning and evening. It was also where punishments were doled out and prisoners were executed.
A complex of 34 barracks was built at Dachau concentration camp in 1937-38. Divided into day and sleeping quarters, they were designed to hold 200 people each, although by the end of the war, there were about 2,000 prisoners crammed here. Demolished after the war, they were reconstructed as the replicas seen today.
The sickbay was initially a camp hospital and was used for propaganda purposes to show that the camp’s inmates were well taken care of. In reality, the prisoners were neglected and in poor health with unsanitary conditions. In time, the SS doctors used this site to conduct inhumane medical experiments on prisoners.
One of the permanent exhibition areas at Dachau, the kitchen area today displays the personal belongings of the prisoners, such as small jewellery, letters, small photographs, prisoner uniforms, as well as writings or drawings done by prisoners, their biographies, and other camp items.
One of the most chilling areas of Dachau, today it serves as the main location of the memorial. Inside, you can see the gas chamber that was disguised as a “shower bath” where prisoners were killed, as well as the crematorium. Between 1933 and 1945, over 41,000 people were killed or died at Dachau concentration camp.
With over 130 commemorative plaques and stones, this room memorializes the people once imprisoned at Dachau. You can learn about the names, nationalities, and places of birth of the identified victims. There is a remembrance book in the room, which contains the names of more than 33,000 people who died here.
Nandor Glid, a Holocaust survivor who was persecuted by the Nazi regime, designed the International Monument, a bronze sculpture commemorating the victims of Dachau concentration camp. You can walk through this monument, which resembles human figures caught in barbed wire. It calls to stand against tyranny and ends with a moving inscription: “Never Again”.
Monday to Sunday: 9am to 5pm
Closed on: December 24
Duration of visit: 5 hours
Best time to visit: The months from May to August are the best time to visit Dachau as the weather is favourable for outdoor exploration. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds, arrive at the camp close to the opening hours.
Address: Alte Römerstraße 75, 85221 Dachau, Germany
How to reach the Dachau concentration camp:
Visit Neuschwanstein Castle, the site that inspired the iconic Disney logo. Enjoy a day trip and opt for a guided tour to learn more about the former residence of King Ludwig II, who was known as “Mad King Ludwig”.
Explore Nymphenburg Palace, the 17th-century baroque masterpiece that served as the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. Wander its sprawling gardens and admire its ornate facades and magnificent interiors.
Visit SEA LIFE Munich to see Germany’s largest variety of shark species and over 8,000 sea animals. Learn about the animals that live in the aquarium’s 33 themed habitat tanks and enjoy the various interactive installations and displays.
Entry to the camp is free, and you don’t need a ticket to gain admission. However, you need to pay if you want to take a guided Dachau concentration camp tour.
It takes about 4 to 5 hours for an expert guide to give you a complete tour of Dachau. If your guided tour includes transfers to and from Munich, you will be bound by the duration of your tour. If you are visiting on your own, you can spend as much time as you require at the concentration camp.
Depending on the experience you choose, you can cancel your Dachau concentration camp tour tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund. However, make sure to check these details before purchasing your ticket online.
To avoid the crowds at Dachau, arrive early in the morning on weekdays. If you’re visiting on a weekend, it’s best to reach close to the opening time.
Unfortunately, there are no luggage storage facilities at Dachau. It’s best to visit the camp without heavy bags or suitcases.
Most areas and buildings at Dachau are accessible for wheelchair users and visitors with mobility issues. However, some paths and areas of the grounds might be difficult to access as they are paved with gravel.
Dachau was the location of some of the most horrific crimes against humanity. Keep in mind that some of the exhibits, like the gas chambers, the crematoriums, and the documentary film about the camp, might be a particularly intense and overwhelming experience.
Dachau is a place of immense horror and tragedy, and visiting it will be an emotionally intense experience. We recommend taking short breaks between exhibits and pacing yourself so that you don’t get too overwhelmed. In case you need to step away for a bit, spend time in the camp’s open areas, near trees, to fortify yourself.