Munich & Dachau: Third Reich Walking Tour & Memorial Site

4.99

(183 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site was the sound — or really, the lack of it. Even with our small group shuffling along the gravel, everything felt hushed. Our guide, Stefan, didn’t rush us; he let us stand quietly in front of the gate for a minute. I remember the metal felt cold when I touched it. The air had that dampness you get outside Munich in spring — not quite rain but close enough that my jacket started to smell like wet stone.

Inside, Stefan told us stories about people who’d been here. He didn’t dramatize anything — just facts and names and sometimes a pause. In the museum exhibit, there were old shoes behind glass and letters written in looping script. I tried reading one out loud (quietly), but my German is terrible and I gave up halfway through. Someone else sniffled nearby. You can’t really prepare for how heavy it feels walking those halls.

Back in Munich, things felt almost too normal at first — trams rattling past Marienplatz, tourists taking photos of the Glockenspiel. But then Stefan pointed out buildings where Nazi leaders had met or where speeches happened. At Odeonsplatz he showed us where the Beer Hall Putsch ended; people just walked by on their way to lunch, not noticing much. It’s strange how history sits right under your feet here.

I kept thinking about how close everything is — Dachau’s only about 30 minutes from central Munich by train. We covered a lot of ground on foot after that: King’s Square with its big stone lions staring down at us, Old Town Hall where decisions were made that changed so many lives. My legs were tired by late afternoon and honestly my head was too full for small talk on the way back. But I’m glad we did both parts of this day trip from Munich — seeing Dachau first, then walking through the city’s own shadows with someone who knew every story by heart.