A Civil War day from DC
The best Gettysburg battlefield tours
Carriage and horseback rides, a private guide in your own car, a narrated train ride and evening ghost walks. Here is how to pick one, how to get there from DC, what each tour covers and what you can see for free.
See our 6 picks
The best Gettysburg battlefield tour for most visitors is the 2-hour horse-drawn carriage tour with a licensed guide, from €76.
All the tours here start in Gettysburg, so you drive there from DC yourself. The park lists no train or bus from DC.
Driving up with family or friends? A private licensed guide rides in your own car, from €85 for up to 6 people.
Our 6 picks for Gettysburg battlefield tours
All six start in Gettysburg, PA, and none includes transport from DC. All six have free cancellation.
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from €76 per person Our top pick 2 hours 4.8 (1,118) reviews on GetYourGuide
Horse-drawn carriage battlefield tour
A 2-hour ride across the battlefield in an open carriage. A licensed battlefield guide tells the story as you go. Groups are capped at 10, and parking is included.
Best for First visit, a seated tour
Check availability: Horse-drawn carriage battlefield tour on GetYourGuide -
from €85 per group up to 6 2 hours 4.9 (472) reviews on GetYourGuide
Private licensed guide in your own car
A licensed battlefield guide joins you in your car for 2 hours. You drive, and the guide tells you where to stop and what happened there. One price covers up to 6 people.
Best for Families and groups who drove from DC
Check availability: Private licensed guide in your own car on GetYourGuide -
from €142 per person 2 hours 4.8 (549) reviews on GetYourGuide
Guided horseback battlefield tour
Two hours on horseback across the field, with a guide and outriders. All riders sign a risk form first. If no live guide is free, you hear a recorded narration, the listing says.
Best for Riders age 8 and up
Check availability: Guided horseback battlefield tour on GetYourGuide - from €19 per person
1 hour, evenings
Ghost walk in town
1 hour 4.3 (554) reviews on GetYourGuide
Civil War ghost walk in town
A 1-hour evening walk through the town of Gettysburg, with ghost stories and Civil War history. You walk more than a mile, so wear good shoes.
Best for An evening after the battlefield
Check availability: Civil War ghost walk in town on GetYourGuide - from €24 per person
2 hours
Haunted pub crawl
2 hours 4.7 (29) reviews on GetYourGuide
Haunted pub crawl
Two hours of ghost stories, with stops at old taverns in town. Food and drinks are not included, so you pay for what you order.
Best for Adults who want a drink with the stories
Check availability: Haunted pub crawl on GetYourGuide - from €37 per person
1.5 hours, seated
Narrated train ride
1 h 30 min 4.0 (507) reviews on GetYourGuide
Narrated train ride
A 1.5-hour return train ride through farmland, in a renovated 1950s passenger car. You hear stories of the battle on board. It is a scenic ride, not a battlefield tour.
Best for A seated, relaxed outing
Check availability: Narrated train ride on GetYourGuide
Gettysburg tours compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Meets at | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horse-drawn carriage battlefield tour | €76 per person | 2 hours | Emmitsburg Rd, Gettysburg | First visit, a seated tour | The best-reviewed seated tour here, 4.8 from 1,118 reviews. |
| Private licensed guide in your own car | €85 per group up to 6 | 2 hours | State of Maryland Monument | Families and groups who drove from DC | The best value per person for a full car, 4.9 from 472 reviews. |
| Guided horseback battlefield tour | €142 per person | 2 hours | McMillan Woods, Gettysburg | Riders age 8 and up | The field from the saddle, 4.8 from 549 reviews. |
| Civil War ghost walk in town | €19 per person | 1 hour | Baltimore St, Gettysburg | An evening after the battlefield | The cheapest pick, from €19, with 554 reviews. |
| Haunted pub crawl | €24 per person | 2 hours | Baltimore St, Gettysburg | Adults who want a drink with the stories | A different kind of ghost tour, 4.7 from 29 reviews. |
| Narrated train ride | €37 per person | 1 h 30 min | N Washington St, Gettysburg | A seated, relaxed outing | An easy ride for anyone who would rather sit, 4.0 from 507 reviews. |
Horse-drawn carriage battlefield tour
€76 per person2 hours 4.8 (1,118)
Details
- Meets at
- Emmitsburg Rd, Gettysburg
- Who it suits
- First visit, a seated tour
- Why we picked it
- The best-reviewed seated tour here, 4.8 from 1,118 reviews.
Private licensed guide in your own car
€85 per group up to 62 hours 4.9 (472)
Details
- Meets at
- State of Maryland Monument
- Who it suits
- Families and groups who drove from DC
- Why we picked it
- The best value per person for a full car, 4.9 from 472 reviews.
Guided horseback battlefield tour
€142 per person2 hours 4.8 (549)
Details
- Meets at
- McMillan Woods, Gettysburg
- Who it suits
- Riders age 8 and up
- Why we picked it
- The field from the saddle, 4.8 from 549 reviews.
€19 per person1 hour 4.3 (554)
Details
- Meets at
- Baltimore St, Gettysburg
- Who it suits
- An evening after the battlefield
- Why we picked it
- The cheapest pick, from €19, with 554 reviews.
€24 per person2 hours 4.7 (29)
Details
- Meets at
- Baltimore St, Gettysburg
- Who it suits
- Adults who want a drink with the stories
- Why we picked it
- A different kind of ghost tour, 4.7 from 29 reviews.
€37 per person1 h 30 min 4.0 (507)
Details
- Meets at
- N Washington St, Gettysburg
- Who it suits
- A seated, relaxed outing
- Why we picked it
- An easy ride for anyone who would rather sit, 4.0 from 507 reviews.
- Small groups: Horse-drawn carriage battlefield tour (up to 10 people); Private licensed guide in your own car (up to 6 people).
- None of the 6 includes hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point.
- All 6 offer free cancellation.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Gettysburg tours: which one to pick
Pick the carriage tour for a first visit. You sit, and a licensed guide explains the battle stop by stop.
Pick the private guide if you drove from DC with family or friends. One price covers up to 6 people in your car.
Pick a ghost walk or the pub crawl for the evening, once the battlefield day is done.
Want war history closer to DC? See our Arlington Cemetery tours.
Private battleground tours in your own car
The private tour meets at the State of Maryland Monument on Taneytown Road. The guide rides with you for 2 hours.
The National Park Service lists its Licensed Battlefield Guides at $82 per car for 1 to 6 people. That rate page was last updated in March 2024, so check it before you go.
Getting to Gettysburg from DC
You drive. No tour on this page includes the ride from DC, and the park names no train or bus from the city.
The park's press kit puts Gettysburg about 90 minutes from Washington, DC. Its directions say to follow US 15 or US 30 into town.
Rabbit Express buses run to Gettysburg from the Harrisburg airport and Amtrak station, the park says. Freedom Transit buses only run inside Gettysburg.
For the route, parking and timing, read our guide to the distance from Washington DC to Gettysburg.
No car? Our day tours from DC page lists trips that include the ride, such as Mount Vernon.
New to the city's trains and buses? See how to get around DC.
Driving is the usual way to Gettysburg from DC, and the park needs no entrance pass.
Gettysburg National Park tours: what is free
The battlefield itself is free. Gettysburg National Military Park needs no entrance pass.
The Museum and Visitor Center is free to walk into. The exhibits, the film and the Cyclorama need tickets.
So a paid tour buys you the guide and the story, not the entry.
| Ticket | Adult (13+) | Youth (6 to 12) |
|---|---|---|
| Film, Cyclorama and Museum | $20.75 | $15.75 |
| Museum only | $14.75 | $12.75 |
Children 5 and under get into the museum free. Park passes such as America the Beautiful do not cover museum tickets.
Bus tours at Gettysburg
None of our picks is a bus tour, and we found no bus tour from DC on GetYourGuide.
The park lists a guide-led bus tour at $40 for adults and $25 for youths. That rate page was last updated in March 2024.
The closest seated pick here is the narrated train ride. It is a scenic trip with stories, not a full battlefield tour.
Horse tours at Gettysburg: carriage or horseback
Both horse tours take 2 hours and come with a guide. The same local company runs both.
The carriage tour suits most people. You sit in an open carriage, and the group is capped at 10.
The horseback tour suits riders. It costs more, from €142, and it has strict limits.
Who can ride on a horse tour in Gettysburg, PA
The horseback listing says the tour is not for:
- Children under 8
- Riders over 254 lbs
- Pregnant women
- People with mobility problems, poor sight or medical conditions
Ghost tours at Gettysburg
The ghost tours run in the evening, in the town of Gettysburg. They make a good end to a battlefield day.
Both meet on Baltimore Street, in the middle of town.
Gettysburg, PA ghost tours: a walk or a pub crawl
The ghost walk lasts 1 hour and costs from €19. You walk more than a mile.
The pub crawl lasts 2 hours and costs from €24. Food and drinks are extra.
Before you book a Gettysburg tour
Plan the drive back
Start times differ by tour. Check yours, then plan your drive home to DC.
Read the "not suitable for" lines
The carriage and horseback listings say who cannot join. The carriage tour is not for wheelchair users.
Tips are extra
Tips for the guide are not included on the carriage, horseback and private tours.
Free cancellation
All six tours have free cancellation on GetYourGuide. Check the cut-off time on your booking.
Real questions about Gettysburg tours
Can you go on the Gettysburg Battlefield at night?
How much time does it take to see Gettysburg Battlefield?
What is the best way to tour the Gettysburg Battlefield?
More Gettysburg tours, live
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See every tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
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Sources (5), facts checked on 25 October 2026
Written by the Things to Do in Washington DC editorial team.