Countryside day · Pennsylvania

Lancaster County Amish Country day trip

Lancaster County Amish Country

A respectful day in Lancaster County's Plain country from Philadelphia: breakfast at Lancaster Central Market, a guided look inside an 1805 farmhouse, a buggy ride on back roads, lunch in Intercourse, a covered bridge over Pequea Creek, and an optional steam train through the farms.

Time: 10–11 hour day
Driving: About 4 hours of driving in all, most of it Philadelphia to Lancaster and back
Best time: All year (Fridays and Saturdays); best late April–June and September–October
Updated: October 15, 2026 at 3:27 AM Pacific

$4 USD

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A white Lancaster County farmstead with two stone silos, barns and a farmhouse among green fields and trees, with a wooded ridge beyond under a cloudy summer sky — Rlevse · Public domain. June 2009 photograph of a farm beside the Strasburg Rail Road between Strasburg and Paradise; resized and displayed with crop.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

7:30 amLeave Philadelphia
9:00 amLancaster Central Market
10:35 amAmish Farm and House
12:10 pmBuggy ride near Bird-in-Hand
1:20 pmIntercourse village
2:50 pmLeaman Place Covered Bridge
3:30 pmStrasburg Rail Road
4:45 pmReturn to Philadelphia

Highlights

Worth the trip

Breakfast at Lancaster Central Market, dating to 1730
A buggy ride on Amish back roads with a Plain-community driver
A 19th-century covered bridge and an optional steam train through the farms

What’s in the guide

Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

Late April to June and September to October usually bring mild days in Lancaster County, often in the 60s and 70s °F, with cool mornings, spring planting or fall harvest in the fields and peak autumn color around mid-to-late October. Summer is hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms that can drench an open buggy, and winter brings short days, freezing mornings and the odd snow or ice that makes country roads slick. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

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