Guided Tour · Lancaster to Gettysburg via York
West over the ridge roads of York County, then onto the Gettysburg auto tour route with nothing between you and the open ground.
Lancaster, PA west through York County to Gettysburg, the general shape of the outbound leg. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open in Google Maps →
Gettysburg was built to be driven. The National Military Park has its own auto tour route running for miles through open ground, past monuments and across fields that have barely changed shape in a century and a half. Most visitors see it through a windshield from a minivan.
In a Slingshot there is nothing between you and it. No roof, no doors, no A-pillar cutting the view in half. You hear the road and the wind, and the ground opens up around you at Little Round Top in a way that a car interior simply does not allow. That is the entire argument for this route.
Good for: team outings and history buffs, and anyone who would rather drive the ground than read a plaque about it.
Tap any stop for the detail. Times are typical; Chris sets pace to the group.
Walkthrough of the car for every driver, seat and mirror setup, and the group hand signals. On this route the briefing matters more than usual, because the battlefield section involves the group stopping and restarting together several times in a place with foot traffic and other cars. About 30 minutes.
Out of Lancaster and over the river. The crossing is the visual break between two different landscapes: Lancaster's flat, dense farmland behind you, York County's rolling ridge country ahead.
The driving highlight of the day and the reason we route through York rather than taking the highway. Two-lane through ridge and valley, long sweeping curves and genuine elevation, running west toward Adams County. Low traffic, high sight lines, and a car built for exactly this.
We enter the National Military Park auto tour route and pick up the park road. From here the pace drops right down to park speed. The route runs through open field and past monument lines with the group riding together, stopping where it is worth stopping.
The high ground on the Union left, and the single best view on the field. You can see the whole southern end of the battlefield laid out below, which is the moment the geography of the place finally makes sense. Park, walk up, take the time.
The largest monument on the battlefield, with a staircase to an observation deck looking out across the open ground of Pickett's Charge. A short drive from here runs the length of Cemetery Ridge, which is the most photographed stretch of road in the park.
Off the battlefield and into the historic town square, a few minutes away. Park the group together and take about an hour. There is a row of restaurants and taverns on and around Lincoln Square, several in buildings that were standing during the battle. Food is on you, not folded into the tour price.
Back through Adams and York County toward Lancaster, on roads chosen for the return rather than a straight retrace. Timed so the ridge section runs in the late-afternoon light, which is when that stretch is at its best.
Return and hand over the keys. Groups are typically back six to seven hours after departure, making this the longer of the two tours.
The southern end of the battlefield opens up below you. The one stop nobody skips.
The largest monument on the field, with an observation deck over the ground of Pickett’s Charge.
Battlefield photos via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Photos of the destinations, not of our tours.
The southern end of the battlefield opens up below you from the Union left. The one stop on this route nobody skips.
The biggest monument on the field, with an observation deck looking out over the ground of Pickett's Charge.
The best pure driving in the region. Long curves, real elevation, and in October the hardwood along it turns hard enough to be its own reason to book.
Lincoln Square and the streets around it, with buildings that stood through the battle and a solid row of places to eat.
Two to eight guests, from $450. Check your date and Chris takes it from there.
Over an hour of riding in each direction, plus about two hours on the battlefield and an hour in town. Plan on a full day, typically six to seven hours door to door. This is the longer of our two tours.
Yes. Slingshots are street-legal autocycles registered for road use, and the park's auto tour route is a public park road open to standard vehicles. We drive it at park pace and use the marked lots at each stop, same as any car.
The auto tour route itself is free to drive, so nothing is needed for the driving portion. The Museum and Visitor Center film and cyclorama are ticketed separately and are not part of the tour price. Most groups skip the museum here, since the day is built around driving the ground rather than sitting indoors.
No, and the distinction matters. Chris guides the drive: the route, the stops, the group and the road. Licensed Battlefield Guide is a specific National Park Service credential. If your group wants formal interpretation, book an LBG through the park and we will build the day around it.
Fall, clearly. The ridge roads through York and Adams County run through hardwood that turns hard in October, and the battlefield's open ground looks its best in cool, clear autumn light. Spring and summer ride well too.
Free reschedule. These cars are open to the sky and a wet day on the battlefield is a waste of the route. We move the date at no cost.
Two to eight guests, from $450. A $250 deposit locks your date, the balance is due the day of the ride, and rain means a free reschedule.
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