Is it worth traveling for the day from Munich to Salzberg on a Saturday in December

Spend the night in Salzburg.

I would not go to Salzburg unless you can stay overnight. Since it is Holiday Concert season most of the accommodations may have been booked by now. So, save it for another trip where you can spend more time in that area and plan for attending Music venues. Dachau is only 18 miles away and you can book tours from Munich. More time in Munich is not a bad idea, lots of things to see and do, without the hassle of 3-4 hrs of train travel with no guarantees of being able to enjoy a full experience of Salzburg. You can see what is available, just in case,

Salzburg is a convenient 2h direct train ride from Munich and is quite doable as a day trip. Get an early start and don’t be in a hurry to leave.
Munich was a bit of a disappointment unless you’re visiting the Bavarian Alps and Salzburg. Do visit Dachau if you can. You could easily spend a week in this area because there’s so much to see and do

Go to Salzburg and take the tour. I've done many family visits with only a short 4-6 hour stay in Salzburg. I think you will enjoy it and it will be decorated for the holidays and the Christkindlmarkt at the Dom. Maybe some snow? I would not worry about traveling back in the dark. It will be dark around 16:30!

Spend the night in Salzburg and enjoy the Xmas markets, Salzburg is magical any time if the year. Lodging, however, may be an issue this late in the game. Have a great trip!

I've done many, many day trip to Salzburg from Munich by train including one to just visit Christmas Markets. It's no issue getting there and back even in the dark. There are trains almost every hour so your friend could go there with no plan and come back when they've seen enough.

DJ

You're only in Munich for two days and there is plenty to see in Munich. You're already in Munich; if you've never seen it before, why take a 4+ hour roundtrip train trip to see someplace else? Stay and see Munich.

If you're at all into technology, I'd spend a day in the Deutsches Museum. It's fantastic.

I love Munich. It's the only big German city I want to stay in. I've stayed there 14 night in 5 trips since 2000 and would go back in a heartbeat. I did what your suggesting, took the train over to Salzburg for a day from Munich once, in 2002. I saw everything I wanted to see that day. I've never had an interest in going back.

Dachau is only 18 miles away and you can book tours from Munich.

No need to book an expensive 3rd party tour of Dachau. It's so easy and inexpensive to do on your own by rail to Dachau station, then by bus to the Memorial.

Entrance to the Memorial is free. A 2½ hour tour, led by a guide trained by the Memorial, costs 4€. You can also rent audio guides in English for 4,50€ and do the tour at your own pace.

BTW, its "Salzburg", named for the castle (Burg) on the hill above the old town.

Take an early morning train to Salzburg. Take the bus into old town and spend the day at the Christmas Markets. It's not only worth it, but it would also be a shame to miss it. Evening train back to Munich. You will still have time for dinner.

The answer to your question depends on your interest. Your time in Munich is limited but Salzburg is a great stop and it is entirely possible and would be worthwhile. We took the first Bavaria ticket out and the last train back and it was dark but it felt entirely safe.

While I never visited Salzburg as a day trip from Munich, it would be a shame to miss visiting. We’ve visited Salzburg many times, twice in late Nov, early Dec. and it’s simply magical. I think the fact it gets dark by 4:30pm is a bonus at this time of year, as the old town is sparkles, is enchanting with the decorations, lights, outdoor stalls, music, etc.

With an early start, Salzburgs old town is compact enough to fully enjoy as a day trip.

You have Saturday and Sunday available. A visit to Dachau will not take an entire day -- although it could if your interest level is high enough. And after that visit you may need some "down time". A day trip to Salzburg is doeable, but staying overnight will be much better. Two questions. Which holds the most interest for you? If is possible for you and your friend to go seperate ways for a day or so? You might meet a couple of people on the cruirse that have the same situation. If so you and your friend could split up and go with others from the cruise. Just something to think about.

Just to be clear, you are talking about SalzbUrg, the city in Austria, and not SalzbErg, the commune in central Germany or the Salzbergwerk, the salt mine near Berchtesgaden, right?

You can do what you are both interested in seeing easily enough, or you could split up.

My thought is that you enjoy the center of Munich on the 8th. On Saturday, simply take a train--you can go as early as you want and train in the dark if that makes you less stressed. You can rest / sleep lightly on the train, too. Enjoy Salzburg all day and into the evening--there will be markets to enjoy. You could even take a train back as late as 10pm. What worries you about it being dark while you are on the train? It's light IN the train, which has headlights and is on rails. And it's absolutely safe--safer than driving or taking a tour bus (not that these options aren't safe), and also more comfortable.

Sunday, take the train to Dachau. Same thing--you can take the early train and local bus--and yes, this is absolutely safe in the dark--or go later in the day. Give yourself some time to process Dachau before moving on--whether on the train, tour bus, a quiet few hours in the hotel, a subdued lunch--before hitting another Munich market, maybe an off-the-beaten-track one.

Germany gets dark early in winter; this means that it has to be safe in the dark, or nobody would get home from work! The places you are proposing are incredibly safe, and markets are better after dark anyway IMO.

I say you each have one "must do" and there is little reason not to do them both. Enjoy your time with your friend and let a sense of adventure and some reassurances from those of us who have lived in or spent considerable time traveling in these places carry you! It will be wonderful!