The Best Gettysburg Battlefield Tours (6 Gettysburg Tours!)
Are you planning a trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania? Want to experience the best Gettysburg battlefield tours available?
Awesome! Gettysburg was one of the most influential battles that changed the course of the Civil War. I love visiting all of the East Coast historical sites. Gettysburg is one of the best!
In this post, we are going to explore all of the Gettysburg battlefield tours. From the Gettysburg self-guided driving tour to the Gettysburg battlefield ghost tours. There are lots of great options for Civil War battlefield tours at Gettysburg!
Let’s explore the best tours of Gettysburg battlefield!
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Where is Gettysburg Pennsylvania?
Gettysburg is located in Pennsylvania. The two closest major cities to Gettysburg are Washington DC and Baltimore.
It is a little over 1.5 hours from Washington DC and a little under 1.5, if you are coming from Baltimore to Gettysburg.
Admission and Hours for the Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg National Military Park is operated by the National Park Services. It is a Military park, not an official East Coast National Park.
Admission
Admission is all over the map. Some of the things to do in Gettysburg are free and others are not.
The Gettysburg battlefield is FREE of charge. If you want to save money and go on a self-guided Gettysburg battlefield tour it won’t cost you anything. You can also enter the Gettysburg visitor center for free.
The Eisenhower National Historic site and the David Wills House are also free.
Gettysburg Battlefield Tour Tickets
- Gettysburg Film Tickets
- Gettysburg Cyclorama Tickets
- Gettysburg Museum Tickets
The Gettysburg Museum, film, and cyclorama are amazing! It is worth checking out.
Admission to Gettysburg Museum, Film and Cyclorama
Adults: $18.75+
Children: $13.75+
If you only want to go to the Gettysburg Museum, tickets are about $12.95 for adults and $10.75 for children.
Guided Gettysburg Battlefield Tours
Guided Gettysburg tours vary in price. Get ready! We are going to dig into which guided Gettysburg battlefield tours are the best option for you below.
How Much is a Tour of Gettysburg?
You can click on the different Gettysburg battlefield tours I will list below to check the price. They range from as low as $5 for a self-guided audio tour and can go up for guided Gettysburg tours.
How Many Days Do you Need to Visit Gettysburg?
You will want 1-2 days to explore the Gettysburg battlefields, historic sites, and the Gettysburg Visitor Center.
We opted for 1 day. This will give you plenty of time to tour the museum and battlefield. If you want to do a few tours you will want a second day.
Accommodations in Gettysburg
There are a lot of Gettysburg campgrounds to check out if you want to stay the night as well as hotels such as the Courtyard Marriott.
What is the Best Way to Visit Gettysburg?
The best way to tour Gettysburg Battlefield depends on your budget. The free national park audio tour is a great option but going on one of the Gettysburg battlefield tours is going to be better.
Gettysburg Battlefield Tour Options
- Self-Guided Tour using the NPS Audio Tour (Or using other low-cost audio tours.)
- Group Gettysburg Tour
- Private Gettysburg Tour with a licensed battlefield tour guide.
The self-guided Gettysburg battlefield tour follows 14 stops and takes you through the phases of the 3 days of the battle.
Can you Just Drive Through Gettysburg Battlefield?
Yes, you can drive through the Gettysburg battlefield from sunrise to sunset. You will want to start at the Gettysburg Visitor Center to make sure you get a map. You will also want to download the app so that you can hear the commentary for each stop.
Self-Guided Gettysburg Battlefield Driving Tours
- Self-Guided National Park Service Gettysburg Battlefield Tour
- Self-Guided Driving Gettysburg Audio Tour
- Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour Gettysburg Ghost Tour
- Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour Gettysburg Battlefield Tour
These Gettysburg Battlefield tours are great, especially in the Spring and Fall.
Can you Tour Gettysburg on your Own?
Yes, touring Gettysburg on your own is the most affordable way to visit. There are maps available and an app to make your experience great.
How Long is the Self-Guided Tour of Gettysburg?
It will take 2-4 hours to drive through the Gettysburg battlefield. The time it takes you to drive through the Gettysburg battlefield tour really depends on traffic and how many stops you make along the way.
There are parking lots where you can get out of your car and explore different civil war sites. You can also take a guided Gettysburg auto tour.
How Many Stops on the Gettysburg Audio Tour
There are 14 stops on the self-guided Gettysburg battlefield tour. You do not have to stop at each one. You can drive slowly and listen to the audio tour.
I thought the best stop was the Gettysburg National Cemetery. It is worth parking and exploring.
Group Gettysburg Battlefield Tour
Touring civil war battlefields with a guide is much better than a self-guided tour. If you have the budget, time, and love history this is the way to go!
Let’s start with some best Gettysburg tours for groups that will give you the experience you want.
The Gettysburg battlefield bus tours are one of the best ways to tour Gettysburg. During the Gettysburg Battlefield bus tour, the guide will tell you about the different phases of the 3-day battle, which was the turning point of the American Civil War.
This Gettysburg Battlefield bus tour will also take you to famous sites such as Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, and Pickett’s Charge.
I met a few of the tour guides. They are huge history buffs with lots of information to share. These Gettysburg Battlefield bus tours are perfect if you want to learn more and have individual questions answered along the way.
Going on a Gettysburg horseback tour is awesome. Not only will you have a licensed battlefield guide but you get to go on a Gettysburg trail ride. This is one of the best Gettysburg tours if you love horses!
2 or 4 Gettysburg Horseback Tour
You have the option of a 2-hour Gettysburg Horseback tour or you can go on a 3-4 Hour Horseback riding Gettysburg tour.
Horseback riding at Gettysburg Battlefield is an amazing experience! Honestly, Gettysburg on horseback would be my preference.
If you are looking for fun things to do in Gettysburg for kids, a horse-drawn carriage Gettysburg battlefield tour is an option. This is a memorable way to explore the history of Gettysburg.
The Horse-drawn carriage Gettysburg tour is a guided tour that lasts about 2 hours.
This Gettysburg Battlefield tour will begin at the Gettysburg Heritage Museum. The horse-drawn carriage will be in the front of the museum.
This is one of the tours of Gettysburg Battlefield I would highly consider!
Obviously, the Gettysburg battlefield is way too big to walk the entire 14 stops. But there are some very fun informational self-guided walking tours for different sections of the Gettysburg Battlefield.
Gettysburg Battlefield Tours (Walking)
- Guided – Women of Gettysburg Historic half-day walking tour.
- Self-Guided – Day 1 of Battle – Seminary Ridge Trail
- Self-Guided – Gettysburg Ghost Walking Tour
- Guided – Historical Gettysburg Walking Food Tour
- Guided – Baltimore and Jennie Wade Walking Tour
- Self Guided – Baltimore and Jennie Wade Walking Tour
- Guided – Bear, Wine, and History Gettysburg Tour
The Gettysburg battle was one of the deadliest in all of the Civil War. During the battle of Gettysburg, more than 23,000 men died from the Union Army and over 28,000 died from the Confederacy Army (1/3 of the South’s army.)
All of these deaths in one place leave a place for a paranormal experience. Gettysburg Battlefield haunted tours are very popular. If a Gettysburg ghost tour interests you there is a lot!
Gettysburg Ghost Tours
Do you Tip your Gettysburg Tour Guide?
Yes, if you decide to go on a guided Gettysburg Battlefield tour tipping is important. These guides love what they do. They offer so much insight and historical knowledge. Give your guide a tip if they do a good job!
Are you Ready to Tour Gettysburg Battlefield?
Hopefully, one of these amazing Gettysburg battlefield tours interests you! A Gettysburg day trip isn’t complete without experiencing one of these tours.
I know I would love to spend a Gettysburg weekend trip soaking in all the history and learning. I have been a few times to Gettysburg and loved it every time. It is a perfect place to include on your East Coast family vacation. You will love it!
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East Coast Trip
We went on an East Coast trip. We started in New York City and then headed to Hershey Park and Gettysburg. We spent a week in Washington DC and got to see the monuments at night, DC museums, and my favorite Mount Vernon.
We went south to Shenandoah National Park, Monticello, and Colonial Williamsburg where we went to Jamestown, and rode all the rides at Busch Gardens.
We loved visiting all of the East Coast historical sites. The East Coast is awesome!
I have always wanted to tour the Gettysburg Battlefields with my kids and this list of tours is really inspiring and helpful! I’m not sure I am brave enough for the ghost tours, but pretty sure my teens would love that! 🙂
Yeah me too! It is a great place to learn and take the kids!
What a great array of Gettysburg Battlefield tours! This is right up our alley. We love historical tours & vacations.
I like to balance my trips with fun, history, and nature!
These are great tours of the Gettysburg battlefield. It is a very interesting spot to visit and learn about our history.
I love to take opportunities to learn when traveling
I had no idea there was that much to do at Gettysburg Battlefield! And the best part is that admission to the battlefield is free! The Gettysburg Ghost Tour also intrigues me. Although, I doubt anyone will talk me into that since I’m a scaredy cat! LOL!
I feel the same way! It sounds cool but I’m a scaredy cat!
I’m all about history. And the Civil War was my independent study in college. I would love to take one of these Gettysburg battlefield tours to learn more.
It is really a great place to visit!
Visiting historical sites like the Gettysburg Battlefield are informational and fun! Thanks for the in-depth tour 🤗
I love history!
I love that there are so many tours to view Gettysburg Battlefield. The horseback riding trail ride would be my favorite to do.
I know I love riding horses!
We loved Gettysburg, and I hope we will return one day. We did a licensed battlefield guided tour where it’s just your family, and the guide drives your own car. It sounds crazy, but it was super cool. Our guide was a lady who used to be a teacher, and she brought items to show my daughter to make things more hands-on. And my husband especially loved how she took us from the beginning of the battle to the end. We ended ups staying four days, I think. And we spent two of the evenings just watching the sunset on the battlefield. It was a great part of that year’s road trip!
That is so cool! It would be awesome to have a personal tour guide!
I want to visit the Gettysburg battlefield. My ancestor Dennison Gregory fought there and was wounded in the Peach Orchard. His wife showed up after the battle, looking for her husband. She found him but he did not survive.
That is sad! It was a tragic battle on both sides!
I love how detailed and concise this article is on Gettysburg Battlefield Tours. It really made me want to visit. I think I want to do a tour on horseback and then definitely a ghost tour!
That would be awesome. I was talking with someone and they said the ghost tours are incredible!
This Gettysburg Battlefield Tour is a great way to learn about battlefield history. We love visiting battlefields and will be putting this on our list.
We have been several times and just love it!