Just 10 miles outside of Munich, Dachau was one of the first regular concentration camps built by Nazi Germany, and the longest-running. Opened in March 1933, just weeks after Hitler came to power, it remained operational until it was liberated by the US Army in April 1945. Over the course of this period, over 180,000 prisoners are thought to have been held there, and as many as 40,000 lost their lives amidst brutal conditions imposed by the SS. Now a memorial and a museum, visiting Dachau is a deeply moving experience, and it is well worth going with a local guide who can help you navigate the vast campgrounds and share poignant insights into this dark chapter in German history.
On your private Dachau tour, you will:
- Visit Dachau with a local expert guide, well-versed in the history of the site;
- Travel together with your guide from Munich Hauptbahnhof train station (with day tickets included);
- Get an insight into the circumstances in which Dachau was opened in 1933;
- Hear about how the site expanded and developed amidst the backdrop of WWII;
- Explore the grounds of the former camp and hear what life was like for the people who were sent there;
- Pass through the roll call area, where prisoners were forced to assemble several times per day;
- Take in the preserved and reconstructed historical buildings;
- See the barracks where prisoners were kept to get an idea of the inhumane conditions;
- Stop at the crematorium and hear about Dachau’s immense death toll;
- Discover the different religious memorials erected around the site;
- Make your way through the permanent exhibition, where your guide can explain key moments, survivor testimonies, and historical context before you head back to Munich.
A visit to Dachau is a sobering but essential experience for anyone seeking to understand a pivotal moment of Germany’s 20th-century history. On this private half-day excursion from Munich, your expert guide will accompany you by train from the city centre, followed by a short bus ride to the former concentration camp memorial site, helping you navigate with care and context. Over the course of the visit, your guide will help you piece together Dachau’s history, from its early role as a camp for political prisoners to its later expansion during the Second World War, when tens of thousands of people were imprisoned, exploited, and killed here.
Walking through the grounds, you’ll visit key locations that bring this history into stark relief. In the vast roll call area, you’ll hear how prisoners were forced to assemble for hours on end in all weather conditions. The preserved and reconstructed barracks reveal the cramped and inhumane living conditions. At the crematorium, you’ll confront the devastating human toll of the camp. Along the way, you’ll also pause at the various memorials erected by different religious communities, each bearing witness in its own way to the suffering endured here. Then, inside the permanent exhibition, your guide will curate a path through original documents, photographs, and survivor testimonies, offering insights that connect personal stories to the broader history of the camp and the regime that created it.
This is not a comfortable experience, nor is it meant to be. Instead, it is a deeply moving journey into the past, one that helps explain how Dachau became a symbol of Nazi terror and why its legacy continues to resonate so strongly today. With a knowledgeable local expert guide at your side, you’ll gain the guidance and sensitivity needed to engage with the site fully, thoughtfully, and respectfully, before returning to Munich together by train.
Please note: Children under 13 cannot join this guided tour. Due to site regulations, licensed guides cannot lead tours for children younger than 13. Parents may visit the memorial independently with younger children, though the sensitive content may not be suitable.
