Public transportation by train and bus is easy to the KZ-Gedenkstätte in Dachau from München Hauptbahnhof and Munich Airport.
Getting to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site (KZ-Gedenkstätte) is easy by train and bus from downtown München or from Munich Airport. The memorial site is in the suburb of Ost Dachau, around 2 km from Dachau train station. Guided tours from Munich are easily arranged and often use public transportation too.
By Train and Bus from Munich to Dachau
Traveling to the Concentration Camp Memorial site in Dachau is simplest by S-Bahn train from Munich to Dachau station and then by bus to the KZ-Gedenkstätte. Total traveling time is 40 minutes –- use a Munich Zone M-1 day ticket (€10.00 for an individual or €17.00 (2023 prices) for a group ticket valid for up to five traveling together). This day ticket is cheaper than two single tickets (€5.60 x 2) and covers both the train and bus.
From München Hauptbahnhof – or any other S-Bahn station in downtown Munich – take S-Bahn train S2 to Dachau (or direction Peterhausen or Altomünster). Traveling time from Munich Main Station to Dachau Station is just over 20 minutes with generally three trains per hour. On the return, use S-Bahn S2 to Erding (or to München). A regional train (Regionalbahn RB) would be a few minutes faster but runs infrequently.
From Dachau station, use bus 726 (direction Gewerbegebiet Ost / KZ-Gedenkstätte / Saubachsiedlung) to bus stop KZ-Gedenkstätte. Traveling time is less than ten minutes. (On the return, use bus 726 marked Bahnhof.)
The bus stops right in front of the train station with the stop clearly marked as Dachau Concentration Camp or KZ-Gedenkstätte. Similarly, bus stop KZ-Gedenkstätte is right in front of the visitor’s information center – pick up a free map explaining the layout of the memorial grounds.
Alternatively, it is around a 30-minute walk along the “Path of Remembrance” to the memorial site. This well-marked path with information panels follows the route that prisoners had to walk from Dachau station to the camp.
Deutsche Bahn timetable München Hauptbahnhof-KZ-Gedenkstätte, Dachau gives full transportation details – use “KZ-Gedenkstätte, Dachau” as the destination.
Note that the RE and RB trains depart from Munich Main Station and not from underground like the S-Bahn trains. Generally, it is simpler to use the more frequent S-Bahn S2 trains, especially if traveling beyond the Hauptbahnhof.
By Train and Bus from Munich Airport to Dachau
Getting to the Concentration Camp Memorial Site in Dachau is fairly simple on public transportation from Munich Airport. Two transfers are required with a total traveling time of an hour to 80 minutes. Use a Munich M-5 day ticket (€14.80 for an individual or €27.80 (2023 prices) for a group ticket valid for up to five traveling together). (The Munich M-5 is often sold as the Airport Day Ticket.)
Two transportation options are available from Munich Airport to KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau. See the Deutsche Bahn timetable Munich Airport-KZ-Gedenkstätte, Dachau for details – use the exact dates and times, as the faster two-bus option is usually available on weekdays only. It is, of course, possible to combine the options and use different return routings – the ticket price remains the same.
On the return to Munich Airport, note that S-Bahn trains S1 often split en route to the airport. Use the part of the S1 train marked Airport / Flughafen, not Freising. The station for passengers flying from Munich Airport is München Flughafen Terminal (not Flughafen Besucherpark!)
Two Transportation Options from Munich Airport to Dachau Concentration Camp:
- S-Bahn S1 & S2 & bus 726 – the simplest option that works every day:
From Munich Airport (MUC) use S-Bahn train S1 (direction München Ostbahnhof) to München-Laim (35 min). Change here to S2 for Dachau (or Petershausen) and get off at Dachau station (15 min).
From Dachau Bahnhof, use bus 726 as described above.
The total traveling time is around 1h15. This is the simplest option and is available every day. It is usually not listed in the timetables, as it is longer than changing to the bus but works significantly easier when not familiar with the Munich bus system. To get it in the Deutsche Bahn timetable, add München-Laim as an intermediate stopover of a duration of 00:01.
- S-Bahn S1 & Bus 291 & 726 – the fastest option but usually only on weekdays:
From Munich Airport (MUC) use S-Bahn train S1 (direction München Ostbahnhof) to Oberschleißheim (22 min).
At Oberschleißheim, change to bus 291 (direction Dachau Bahnhof) and get off at Saubachsiedlung, Dachau (10 min) and change to bus 726 (direction Dachau Bahnhof) to KZ-Gedenkstätte (10 min).
An alternative is to change at Oberschließheim to bus X201 and at Dachau Bahnhof to bus 726
On the return, bus numbers and stops stay the same but use bus 726 in the direction of Saubachsiedlung and bus 291 direction Bruckmannring, Oberschleißheim.
Total traveling time is around an hour.
Further bus options may be available in the timetables but often using the two trains option is simpler than the two bus versions.
Driving to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial
Driving to Dachau is fairly simple with Autobahn A8, A9, and A92 passing close to the town. The memorial site is in the eastern parts of Dachau – follow signs to Dachau Ost or KZ-Gedenstätte. Parking is available off Pater-Roth-Straße and Alte Römerstraße near the information center.
Guided Tours from Munich to Dachau
Several companies offer guided tours to Dachau Concentration Camp from Munich. These tours often use public transportation allowing participants to return at a later time if desired.
Official guided tours take place a few times per day while audio guides are available in several languages from the Visitors Center next to the bus stop. All signs and comprehensive information boards, with very few exceptions, are in both German and English.
See also Visiting the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial for a short description of the site.