Lancaster County, Pennsylvania travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Lancaster County is in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It is noted for its high Amish population, countryside, Pennsylvania Dutch food and crafts and historic Lancaster city and other towns.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 26°F. Wettest: Jun and Jul. (climate data from nearby Wilmington)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
LNS Lancaster Airport, Lancaster — 6 mi away. Directions
MDT Harrisburg International Airport, Harrisburg — 29 mi away. Directions
PHL Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia — 55 mi away (major hub). Directions

Lancaster Airport (LNS) provides a number of domestic flights, the closest international airport to Pennsylvania Dutch Country is Harrisburg International (MDT). Rental cars are widely available at the airport (as is Uber and Lyft) and the city of Lancaster is a short, 30 minute drive along Interstate I-283. Lancaster County also has several Amtrak train stations along the Keystone Corridor (collectively known as the Keystone Service).

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Lancaster — Historic Lancaster City, Franklin and Marshall College, Millersville University.
Day 2: Lititz — Moravian Historic District, Lititz Watch Technicum, The Hess Homestead.
Day 3: Intercourse — American Military Edged Weaponry Museum, People's Place Quilt Museum, Amish Experience.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Photos

Places in Lancaster County

Lancaster

City / town · 90 listings

Lititz

City / town · 28 listings

Intercourse

City / town · 21 listings

Strasburg

City / town · 16 listings

Elizabethtown

City / town · 10 listings

Landisville

City / town · 4 listings

Ephrata

City / town · 3 listings

Understand

The Amish are a community of Christian Anabaptists, related to the Mennonites and Church of the Brethren. The name "Pennsylvania Dutch" is actually a mispronunciation of "Deutsch" or German. The Anabaptists originally came from Switzerland and were welcomed to Pennsylvania by William Penn and his descendants.

There are many different Amish exhibits and attractions in Lancaster County that allow you to learn about the Amish and surrounding area in a way that is respectful and positive for everyone involved.

Cities

Elizabethtown
Lancaster -- The Red Rose City is the seat and metropolitan center of Lancaster County.
Landisville
Lititz
Strasburg
Quarryville
Columbia

Other destinations

Amish towns have colorful names, most are unintentionally humorous.

Intercourse
Paradise
Blue Ball
Bird-in-Hand
Fertility
Gap
Strasburg
Ephrata

Get in

Get around

Car
Public transportation (bus system)
Taxi and ride-sharing
Walking around Lancaster City and other small towns throughout the county.

Do

An excellent way to see the Amish by automobile is to travel along Rt 896. Follow Route 30 East from Lancaster for 3 or 4 miles and make a right turn when you come to Rt 896. It will be directly past the outlet centers. This road will take you to the little town of Strasburg which is a very picturesque place in its own right. Along the way, you will see numerous farms and probably a decent number of horse and buggies. Please remember to drive slowly around the Amish horses in order to avoid scaring them.

The Strasburg Railroad is an authentic steam-powered locomotives that will take you for a ride back in time.

Horse and buggy rides are a popular way to experience Amish living hands-on.

Free things

"Mud Sales" are auctions put on by local volunteer fire departments that use them to raise funds. They take place somewhere in Lancaster County almost every weekend during late Winter and early Spring.
Go for a drive and enjoy the rolling hills of Amish farmland. Covered bridges are plentiful throughout Lancaster County.
Farmers markets (Central Market in downtown Lancaster being the most popular one)
Petting zoos
Factory tours
Parks and trails (including Lancaster County Central Park)
See more free things to do here.

Buy

Amish are known for their well-made wooden furniture. Showrooms are clustered along main roads.

Many Amish farms have small stores, farm stands, or roadside booths selling anything from fruit and vegetables to dolls to homemade jams and jellies. Keep your eyes open for the often hand-painted signs that list what's available.

Eat

Smorgasbords
Family-style restaurants
Any variety of chain restaurants (fast food, sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, etc)

Drink

There's a large variety of local breweries, bars, pubs, and even several wineries in Lancaster County (see a partial list here).

Stay safe

Be extremely careful when passing horse and buggies on the road. Use your turn signal when you enter and then exit the oncoming (or passing) lane.

Respect

Although not hostile to outsiders, the Amish are an intensely private religious community doing their best to go about living according to the ways of their religion and culture, and very much wish to be left alone unless you are invited. Be respectful of their culture, and do not trespass or obstruct them as they go about their daily lives. Do not take photographs of Amish people, as they consider this to be idolatry and hence, prohibited by the Bible. However, taking photographs of objects such as their horse buggies is fine so long as you do not obstruct them or intrude on their privacy, and no people are visible in the photographs.